User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania

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dc.creatorOrtíz Crespo, Berta
dc.creatorSteinke, Jonathan
dc.creatorQuirós, Carlos F.
dc.creatorGevel, Jeske M.J, van de
dc.creatorDaudi, Happy
dc.creatorMgimiloko, Majuto Gaspar
dc.creatorEtten, Jacob van
dc.date2021-11-02
dc.date2020-02-14T13:00:02Z
dc.date2020-02-14T13:00:02Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T13:36:38Z
dc.descriptionSustainable intensification (SI) is promoted as a rural development paradigm for sub-Saharan Africa. Achieving SI requires smallholder farmers to have access to information that is context-specific, increases their decision-making capacities, and adapts to changing environments. Current extension services often struggle to address these needs. New mobile phone-based services can help. In order to enhance the public extension service in Tanzania, we created a digital service that addresses smallholder farmers’ different information needs for implementing SI. Using a co-design methodology – User-Centered Design – we elicited feedback from farmers and extension agents in Tanzania to create a new digital information service, called Ushauri. This automated hotline gives farmers access to a set of pre-recorded messages. Additionally, farmers can ask questions in a mailbox. Extension agents then listen to these questions through an online platform, where they record and send replies via automated push-calls. A test with 97 farmers in Tanzania showed that farmers actively engaged with the service to access agricultural advice. Extension agents were able to answer questions with reduced workload compared to conventional communication channels. This study illustrates how User-Centered Design can be used to develop information services for complex and resource-restricted smallholder farming contexts.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/107093
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/64790
dc.languageen
dc.publisherInforma UK Limited
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceOrtiz-Crespo, B.; Steinke, J.; Quirós, C.F.; van de Gevel, J.; Daudi, H.; Mgimiloko, M.G.; van Etten, J. (2021) User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 19(5–6): p. 566–582. ISSN: 1473-5903
dc.subjectdigital technology
dc.subjectinnovation
dc.subjectaccess to information
dc.subjectmobile equipment
dc.subjectfarmers
dc.subjectsustainability
dc.titleUser-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania
dc.typeJournal Article

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