Effective Use of Tablets for Rice Farming Support

Selected Company：Maad SAS

Project Summary This project aims to improve the efficiency of extension and monitoring activities by converting the paper version of the "Extension and Monitoring Sheet“ introduced by JICA’s project into the digital version and distributing 10 tablets to agricultural extension workers.

Challenges Collection of field data and visualization of the activities of agricultural extension workers have been regarded as important issues by the implementing agency of this project (The National Company for the Development and Exploitation of the Senegal River Delta, Senegal River and Faleme Valley (SAED)).

Solution The web platform provided by Maad SAS will be developed to try to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of field operations. The mobile app will make it easier for agricultural extension workers to collect field data. The dashboard function allows managers to organize and analyze the collected data and monitor the status of their activities.

The Status of PoC

Initial Phase

A kick-off meeting was held in March 2021. Discussions began to select target areas, and a total of 10 agricultural extension workers were selected in two districts.

The team had a series of meetings with SAED and JICA experts to develop the app.
Then, in May, the tablets were distributed and training on how to use the app was also conducted, and actually started using the app in the field for extension and monitoring activities.

Implementation Result

Over a period of about three months, ten selected agricultural extension workers used tablets to register 20 farmer information per person (10 persons x 20 farmers = 200 registrations) as a target of their activity. Then, as a result, a total of 95 farmer information was registered. However, compared to using the paper-based dissemination and monitoring sheet before, which only allowed each extension worker to register about 3 farmer information, the tablet application allowed them to collect more than 3 times as much data, which is a significant improvement. And about 90% of the participated agricultural extension workers said that the app version was easier to use than the paper version.

The paper version of the "Extension and Monitoring Sheet" introduced by PAPRIZ2 will be converted into an app and 10 tablets are distributed to agricultural extension workers to improve their activities

Analyze the acquired data with the dashboard function

The Image of the Introduced Solution

In addition, since the collected data can be easily viewed on a map using the web-based dashboard and useful information such as the time of the extension workers' activities, their travel routes, and farmers' locations can be accessed, the supervisors tended to check the information collected by the extension workers more frequently. SAED mentioned positive feedback such as “they are now able to manage their activities more accurately” and “the time required to check the data has been reduced”.

Function to Display the Location of Agricultural Extension Workers' Activities

Improved Frequency of Supervisors’ Checking the Information Collected by Agricultural Extension Workers.

This PoC resulted in a certain accomplishment by digiting the work of dissemination and monitoring activities. It was also a very good opportunity for SAED to think more seriously about improving the efficiency of the operations through digitalization.

See announcement of PoC selection for Senegal