SCALING UP CDD IN CENTRAL ASIA

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SCALING UP CDD IN CENTRAL ASIA

• APPROACHES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION AND
  KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS FOR COMMUNITY DRIVEN
  DEVELOPMENT -
• EXPERIENCE FROM RUSSIA
• 5 November 2002
• S. JANAKIRAM
• ECSIE, CORE TEAM MEMBER SASKI THEMATIC GROUP

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Main topics to be covered

• Present the Four M modular approach for
  development of rural information knowledge system
  experience from Russia
• Describe the lessons learnt and results achieved
• Discuss the approach for CDD activities in
  transition economies in the former Soviet Union
  countries in Central Asia

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Main messages for the CDD group - to take home
from this seminar

• Participatory content development and
  dissemination using available media
• Information and knowledge are factors of
  production
• Increasing in
• Importance
• Demand
• Information and knowledge to the rural poor and
  communities to be provided as a public good in
  transition economies
• Should information be demand based?
• Yes but over time till communities are formed
  using democratic processes and reach maturity
  ..to become demand driven
• Meantime focus on creating demand and use
  demand driven where feasible

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Part One

• Experience from Russia

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Agricultural Reform Implementation Support
Project Initiated and implemented between 1992
and 2001

• Components
• Farmer Information and Advisory Services
• Market Information Services

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• Context
• Approach Taken
• Results Achieved
• Lessons Learned

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Context92-93
Initial Conditions

• State-controlled information systemsto meet
  centralized planning requirements
• Lack of free access to information to those
  desiring to be informed and make their own
  decisions
• High literacy rate in the world, but lack of
  knowledge of how to function in a market economy
  and varying levels of quality
• Availability of basic communication
  infrastructure from poor to excellent

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Objective

• To enable the free flow of information and
  knowledge to improve decision making of
  different types of emerging public and private
  rural enterprises, communities and institutions
  during the transition to a market economy

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Approach taken
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From

• Simple

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Single User
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To

• An increasingly complex
• Modular system using multi media to develop and
  disseminate multi-disciplinary rural information
  and knowledge from multiple sources to multiple
  users with built in client information needs
  assessment and feedback mechanisms in short
• The Four M modular approach for rural information
  and knowledge system.

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(No Transcript)
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Priorities of Information

• Legal, financial, marketing, business
• Methods of processing agricultural products
• Agricultural mechanization and technologies
• Veterinary related applications

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Multiusers The First M
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Multiusers
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Multisource The Second M
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Multidisciplinary

• The Third M

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Rural Information and Knowledge Development
Russian Research Academies
International Research Institutes
Agricultural Institutions
Foreign Sources
Information Sources
Multisource
Universities
Local/Foreign Data Banks
Govt. Agencies
Input Suppliers
Information Development for Client Media
(Business, Market, Technical, Legal,
Environmental) Management, organization
Multidisciplinary
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Multimedia The Fourth M
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Rural Information and Knowledge
DisseminationUsing Multimedia
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FEED- BACK FROM USERS
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Rural Information and Knowledge System
Multisource
Multidisciplinary
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Ministry of Agriculture Press Video Center
Multisource
Multidisciplinary
Multimedia
Print
Radio
Video
Computer
TV
Multiusers
Agricultural Producers
Federal MOA Departments
Oblast-MOA Departments
Institutes
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Results
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• User Levelindividuals, groups, communities, and
  institutions
• Beginning of
• Attitudinal changes in new ways of doing business
  by different users
• Increased awareness among users to make informed
  business decisions and understanding of the
  rewards and risks of a market economy
• Creation of democratic structures and new
  alliances
• Transparency, improved governance and increased
  accountability of public resources
• Stimulating competition among traders, reducing
  interregional price disparities, and taking
  advantage of international market opportunities
• Over 8,500 specialists trained in a variety of
  agricultural topics

Present Conditions
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• Institutional/Technical Level
• Creation of distributed computing environment
  connecting 30 oblasts (states) and over 300
  raions (districts) across the Russian Federation
  providing agriculture and market information
• A modern press video center using digital
  technology in the Ministry of Agriculture
• A well developed Federal Training Center in
  Timiryazev Agricultural Academy

Present Conditions
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Lessons Learnt
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• Involvement of as many public and private
  institutions as possible for information
  development and dissemination
• Such as
• - Dept of Science and technology, Information,
  advisory services in the Ministry of Agriculture
• - Agricultural Universities at the federal and
  state levels
• - Research Academies
• - Nongovernmental organizations
• - Local community organizations
• - Public and private media organizations

 

• Build on local culture, customs and media
  incorporate local mechanisms into information and
  knowledge transfer project activities
•  Examples
• - Annual agricultural exhibitions/fairs
• - Harvest festivals
• - Local TV and radio programs
• - Local newspapers, periodicals, magazines

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• Flexibility and scalability in technology
  hardware
• Incorporate internationally accepted hardware and
  software standards into information network
  design and communication
•  Examples
• - Distributed computing environment
• - Open Software
• - Effective use of available communication
  facilities and bandwidth

 

• Expect limited cost recovery
•  Such as
• - Recovery of partial operating costs
• - Provide information as a free public good,
  especially in transition economies

• Provide adequate operations support for day to
  day operations
•  Examples
• - Office supplies
• - Communication expenses
• - Local transport
• - Incorporate performance based incentives for
  project staff

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Part Two

• Applications for Scaling up CDD in Central Asia

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Some definitions community

• A unified group of individuals or households
• An interacting population consisting of various
  types of individuals or households living in a
  common location
• A group of individuals or households having a
  common characteristic or interest or belief
• A group of individuals or households having
  common professional interests
• A group of individuals or households working
  together

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Information and Community Development

• Is an essential element for development of civil
  society
• Is a factor of production
• Helps coalition building
• Helps form citizen advocacy groups
• Creates new alliances, partnerships among
  citizens, local governments and businesses
• Promotes public involvement in problem solving
  and controversial projects and reform programs

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Information priority setting

• Before and even now
• Set by the State
• To
• Develop and Sustain
• A
• Socialistic
• System and/or
• Power
• structures
• .

• Now..and future
• Set by the Communities
• To
• Develop and Sustain
• A
• Democratic System
• or reversing power
• structures

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Information Needs in Transition Economies

• FROM . AGRICULTURE
• TO ZOOLOGY

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Changing information needs of

• Landless poor
• Subsistence farmers
• Small farmers
• Medium to Large farmers

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Landless poor

• Examples
• Entitlements
• Laws and regulations
• Employment opportunities
• Social benefits
• Education and training
• Health
• Other

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Subsistence farmers

• Examples.
• Technologies to maintain at least subsistence
  levels of agricultural production
• Minimizing risk
• Cultural practices
• Prices
• Weather
• Inputs
• Water
• Seeds
• Fertilizer, pesticides, etc
• Credit
• Other

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Small farmers

• Examples
• Same as those for subsistence farmers Plus
• Market opportunities
• Where to market
• What to market
• When to market
• Developing market niches
• Farm management
• Other

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Medium to Large farmers

• Examples.
• Same as those for small farmers PLUS
• Shaping Policies
• Management and administration
• Technologies
• Environmental rules and regulations
• Other

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But information and knowledge needs are changing
to ..

• More holistic information
• knowledge covering
• Agriculture
• Health
• Education
• Social benefits
• Services
• Entertainment
• Other

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Common theme which emerges is

• Demand for information and knowledge is on the
  increase..
• But must be
• Timely
• Relevant
• Easily accessible
• Understandable
• Affordable

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• even if it is scribbled on the back of an
  envelope!!!!!!

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Information is just one elementto solving
problems in scaling up CDD examples where
information could make a difference

• Clarify vague notions of property
• Increase accountability of local executives and
  administrators responsible for delivery of
  services
• Accelerates changes in legal,regulatory and
  political environment conducive for increased
  citizen involvement in public affairs,
  entrepreneurship, business development, etc.
• Strengthens cooperative linkages between Federal,
  Provincial and Municipal Governments

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Information is just one elementto solving
problems in scaling up CDD examples where
information could make a difference

• Areas
• Clarify vague notions of property
• Increase accountability of local executives and
  administrators responsible for delivery of
  services
• Reduction in functions and responsibilities of
  local governments in relation to budget and
  manpower resources
• Changes in legal,regulatory and political
  environment conducive for increased citizen
  involvement in public affairs, entrepreneurship,
  business development, etc.
• Strengthen cooperative linkages between Federal,
  Provincial and Municipal Governments

• Azerbaijan - stage
• Intermediate
• Beginning
• Early beginnings
• Beginning
• Beginning

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Information is just one elementto solving
problems in scaling up CDD examples where
information could make a difference

• Areas
• Clarify vague notions of property
• Increase accountability of local executives and
  administrators responsible for delivery of
  services
• Reduction in functions and responsibilities of
  local governments in relation to budget and
  manpower resources
• Changes in legal,regulatory and political
  environment conducive for increased citizen
  involvement in public affairs, entrepreneurship,
  business development, etc.
• Strengthen cooperative linkages between Center
  and local Governments

• Tajikistan - stage
• Very early beginnings
• Early Beginning
• Early beginnings
• Beginning
• Early Beginning

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QUESTIONS?SUGGESTIONS?Are most welcome

• Thank you for your participation