Mozambique ICT , Q1 Report
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A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s Feed The Future, UK Aid, and IFAD. Mozambique New Alliance ICT Extension Activity EXTENSÃO MULTIMÉDIA Cooperative Agreement No AID-0AA-A-16-00003 Quarterly Report [October 16 -September 2017] Submitted: 31 October 2017 Page 1 of 28 A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s Feed The Future, UK Aid, and IFAD. Contents 0.Executive Summary…….…………………………………………...…………………….…………...………………...…4 1.Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………..6 2.Major impacts or accomplishments over reporting period………………………….……….……...……6 3.Summary of collaboration with other new alliance stakeholders and how activities are consistent with the SSTP road map…………………...………………...……………………….……..…………...13 4.Discuss of major implementation problems and deviations from expectations for performance indicators in MEL Plan………………………………………….................…...............…...…14 5.Challenges and lessons and deviations from expectations for performance indicators…………………...……………………….…………………………………………………………………………….22 6.Planned activities for the next 6months ….…………………………….....…...……………………..……….24 Appendix 1: Success story…………………………………………………………………………………………………..25 List of figures Picture 1. Community listening groups……………………………………...………………………………….......10 Picture 2. ICT service printing marketing material…………………….………………………………………….12 Page 2 of 28 A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s Feed The Future, UK Aid, and IFAD. List of acronyms DNEA National Directorate for Agrarian Extension FRI Farm Radio International HNI Human Networks International ICT Information and Communication Technologies MASA Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security SSTP Scaling Seeds and Technology Partnership AGRA Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa CLGs Community listening groups IVR Interactive Voice Response PRC Participatory Radio Campaign Page 3 of 28 A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s Feed The Future, UK Aid, and IFAD. Executive summary This report provides details of the implementation progress achieved by the Extensão Multimédia project during the Y2, covering a period of October 2016 to September 2017. Progress was made in the following areas: • The project continued to facilitate the provision of extension services through the 321- service and participatory radio programs. • Through the 321-service, the project disseminated agricultural information which included material related to improved technologies and good agricultural practices of SSTP promoted crops, including a technical manual for extension officers. The agricultural messages are in three local languages, namely Portuguese, Macua, and Changana. • The 321-service has also hosted dynamic information, including market pricing and information relating to other agricultural products and services available for smallholder and emerging farmers. The source of the pricing information is the national Agriculture Market Information System (SIMA), whereas the agricultural service component includes contents from public and private sector organizations who disseminated promotional information regarding their products and services. During this reporting period dynamic information was disseminated from 17 organizations in different categories (e.g input providers, finance services, output buyers, mechanization services and among others). • The project trained and supported two community radio stations, namely Ribaue and Alto Molocue. The partnership with Ribaue radio station had a duration of 6 months (March to August 2017) and broadcasted agricultural programs focusing on the maize value chain. For Alto Molocue radio station, the partnership lasted 4 months (May to August 2017) and focused on broadcasting good agricultural practices (GAP) related to cassava. During the partnerships, both Ribaue and Alto Molocue radio stations broadcasted a total of 35 episodes. During this time, a survey conducted by the project to assess the use of provided ICT services indicates that: • ICT services reached to 688,435 farmers, constituting 83% of the Y2 cumulative target (825,000). The project failed to reached its targets because a late start of the radio component meant that it worked with only 02 (out of 04) of the expected radio stations in the until Y2. Page 4 of 28 A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s Feed The Future, UK Aid, and IFAD. • A total number of 139,920 smallholder farmers have engaged with the ICT services, constituting 50% of Y2 target (281,250). The project was not able to reach its targets not only because it could not work with the total number of expected radio stations, as indicated above, but also due to lower number of users of the 321-service due to the fact that most of farmers have are still not aware of the system. Another important factor is the limited Vodacom mobile phone service in the rural community, which reduced the number of farmers with access to the 321-platform. • Despite a lower than expected use of the 321 service and radio programs, the project was able to exceed its target in terms of number of farmers applying at least one of the good management practices promoted. A total 115,335 smallholder farmers have applied at least one of the promoted technologies, corresponding to 151% of the target (76,250). This may be a result of two main factors: 1) the design and dissemination of appropriate content for smallholders, including dynamic information from a range of agribusiness organizations, and 2) the provision of significant field support that leveraged existing CLUSA field staff from other projects, who supported and encouraged farmers to implement the practices. • The number of hectares under the improved technologies was 116,507ha, corresponding to 611% of the target (19,063). The over achievement of this target is due in part to the fact that the project overachieved in terms of the number of smallholder farmer applying improved practices (as indicated in 1.3). In addition, the increase was partly a result of the fact that the CLUSA managed survey showed an average farm size of 1ha as opposed to the original assumption (upon which the original target was based) or 0.25ha. Note, however, that even using the original assumption of 0.25ha per farmer the project still would have exceeded this target. • A total of 95% of the costs of ICT-enabled services has been covered by non-donor sources, corresponding to 479% of the target for Y2 (20%). The over achievement of this target is due in part to the fact that the project had assumed that Vodacom would only contribute with free 321-service (SMS, USSD, IVR). Actually, Vodacom donated more than expected - it also promoted the 321-service by sending promotion SMS to all Vodacom subscribers and sponsoring the launch event of 321 service. Page 5 of 28 A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s Feed The Future, UK Aid, and IFAD. 1. Introduction This report relates to the progress achieved by the Extensão Multimédia project during Year 2 of the project (October to September 2017, or the 2016/17 agricultural season). It includes discussions on the major accomplishments during the reporting period, challenges and deviations for performance indicators in the MEL plan and planned activities for the next agricultural season. 2. Major impacts or accomplishments over reporting period During the Year 2 progress was made in the following areas: Project aligned with SSTP and national priorities through the DNEA. Year 2 was primarily focused on engaging with the National Directorate of Agrarian Extension (DNEA), resulting in the signing of an MoU between DNEA and Extensão Multimedia. This showed DNEA´s willingness to collaborate with the project on the preparation and harmonization of agriculture related messages and ensuring that the project is aligned with national priorities. DNEA also actively participated in the development of the agriculture contents by participating in the content committees and engaging with key agriculture stakeholders in the process of content design. Agricultural content available on the 321-platform The project prepared and made available the first batch of the agriculture content for the 3- 2-1 service. The information available is related to technologies and good agricultural practices for three SSTP promoted crops: cassava, maize and soybean, using three languages: Portuguese, Macua, or Changana. This means that since December 2016 smallholder farmers are able to engage with the 321-platform and learn about GAPs including land preparation, the use of certified seed, post-harvest practices and accessing output market, amongst other issues. The project also prepared and uploaded a job aid in a form of technical manual for extension officers. The manual is available in the 321-service in the form of IVR (voice message). The manual, which also focused on the same main three value chains (soya, maize and cassava) aims to reinforce extension workers’ existing knowledge and keep them up to date on new technologies and GAPs. Dynamic information In addition to GAPs, the project also uploaded and regularly updated dynamic information on the 321-system, which includes two main elements: 1) agricultural market pricing information and 2) promotional and other informative material. All material is updated every two weeks. Page 6 of 28 A New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Project funded by USAID’s