Kheti is a mobile phone based, multimedia communication system to support sharing of agricultural knowledge and advice within a producers' co-operative. The first version of this system was designed with, and was tested by, the Sironj Crop Producers Company Ltd (SCPCL), a co-operative of small farmers working in Madhya Pradesh, Central India.In this paper we describe the Kheti system and examine how it addresses the problems of making agricultural knowledge available by recognizing that practical knowledge is always located within a complex network of social relations and practices. We also examine the results of field trials, and some of the challenges in seeking to convert a successful technology into a sustainable development intervention.
This paper examines the different roles in designing interactive software in a ICT for development context. Using experiences from a participatory action research project, in which we used agile methods to design and deploy an system to support 'agricultural information flow' for a cooperative of small farmers in rural India, we identify points of difference between the roles in standard descriptions of agile software methods and the roles as they emerged in our project. A key finding is the critical role played by a 'Development Project Manager' in facilitating dialogue, orchestrating the activities of other actors and in building the capabilities and confidence of all the participants in joint action.
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