Part 3 - What aspects of ICT could be a game changer for the rural poor? Author: Paul Hixson

1. Communications in Service of Extension.
What aspects of ICT could be a game
changer for the rural poor?
Paul Hixson
University of Illinois
Part 3

2. Leading Edge ICT Developments Today:
• Talking Books – Building on the Oral Tradition

3. Leading Edge ICT Developments Today:
• And, we haven’t even dared to dream about what could be
accomplished if the “pipes were bigger”…. (and bandwidth
more affordable) ….

4. Leading Edge ICT Developments Today:
• Keep in mind that smart phones will someday be used as content
creation tools by extension field staff in developing nations,
as well as communications and information download devices…

5. Assessing ICT Needs in the Field:
• As part of a comprehensive MEAS project to strengthen a country’s Extension
system, conduct a SWOT analysis of Extension’s ICT infrastructure, the ICT skill
level of existing staff, and how ICT’s are being used by staff at all levels of the
organization. Pay particular attention to critical gaps or weaknesses in how
well Extension staff can use ICT tools to generate, archive, share and utilize
subject matter information internally.
• Conduct a SWOT analysis of the national ICT infrastructure, including ISP’s,
mobile telecom service providers, and other major ICT players in both the
public and private sectors. Determine which groups would most likely be
good partners in helping advance upcoming ICT improvements.
• Work other members of the MEAS Project Team and local farmers to learn
which high value crops or products offer the most promise for improving
farmer’s incomes.

6. Assessing ICT Needs in the Field:
• Based on the outcomes from preceding steps, develop a list of possible ICT
strategies (including any new or expanded ICT tools) for advancing the
intended agricultural improvement. Consult with local farmers and
Extension workers to assess potential acceptance of new methodologies.
• Develop a staged deployment plan for any intended changes in ICT
infrastructure and toolset usage.
– Infrastructure
– Staff training
– Pilot usage (involve farmers as well as staff)
– Full scale rollout and implementation

7. Conclusions:
• Remember the important lessons from successful communications
practices:
– Involve farmers in all phases of both the communications and ICT
tool selection/development process.
– One size does NOT fit all. Context and Localization are critical.
• Don’t believe all the hype surrounding ICT
• But, do get excited about what an intelligent usage of ICT tools in
developing nations can do to modernize their extension systems and
make them more responsible to the needs of their citizens.
• And, most importantly, none of this ICT “stuff” matters if it doesn’t
lead to improving the incomes and livelihoods of the rural poor.

8. Discussion:
Thanks….. Questions?

9. Terms of Use
© Paul Hixson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, MEAS project.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Users are free:
• to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
• to Remix — to adapt the work
Under the following conditions:
• Attribution — Users must attribute the work to the author(s)/institution
(but not in any way that suggests that the authors/ institution endorse the user or the
user’s use of the work).

10. Disclaimer
This presentation was made possible by the generous support of
the American people through the United States Agency for
International Development, USAID. The contents are the
responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of USAID or the United States Government.

11. Consortium Partners