AKM PPT C5 K M TECHNOLOGIES

CHAPTER V

TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE

MANAGEMENT

• Management of Knowledge and Knowledge workers involves anumber of different tools and practices.

• Agriculture knowledge has been coded with the help of ICT orembedding it in the rules and procedures of the organization.

According to Blackler, 1995 who create communicate and apply thefollowing technologies as per the requirements.

1. Codification Technology

2. Personalization Technology

3. Digital Technology

4. Multimedia Technology

5. Collaborative Technology

TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT1. CODIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

Hansed et al (1999) who argue that there are basically two

technologies for managing knowledge.

The codification approach to knowledge and used readily byanyone in the company.

The codification approach to knowledge demands well-trainedpeople who are able to exploit databases and communicationsystems.

Invest heavily in ICT – connect people with reusable knowledge.

Hire new college graduates who are well-suited to the reuse ofknowledge and the implementation of solutions.

Train people in groups and through computer-based distancelearning

Reward people for using and contributing to document databases.

TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

1. CODIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

Internal – External

This dimension describes an organization’s primarysource of knowledge.

Internal Knowledge is knowledge readily available withinthe organization such as Individual Knowledge (Heads ofEmployees) Knowledge embedded in behaviors,procedures, software and equipment as well as codifiedknowledge (in documents, data bases and on-linerepositories)

External Knowledge can be acquired from outside theorganization ( Publications, Universities, Govt. Agencies,Professional Assn. Personal relations, Companies,Vendors, Knowledge brokers and inter-organizationalalliances.


2. Personalization Technology

Personalization Knowledge is closely tied to theperson who developed it and is shared mainlythrough direct person-to-person contacts.

One can able to creatively develop and applyknowledge to unique business problems.

Both KM and HRM to the competitive strategy of theorganization, a useful corrective to the idea that themanagement of creating massive ICT data bases.

Invest moderately in ICT to facilitate conversationsand exchange of tacit knowledge

Hire MBAs who like problem-solving and can tolerateambiguity

Train people through one-to-one mentoring. Reward people for directly sharing knowledge with

others.


3. Digital Technologies and Agricultural Information

Contemporary Challenges facing agricultural informationparallel those facing agricultural research and practice.

Agriculture today must feed a growing population in a worldof static or shrinking natural resources and increasing socialand environmental constraints.

Agricultural Information professionals similarly mustsupport agriculture by managing and improving access to aproliferating and increasingly complex array of informationresources in a climate of shrinking resources and expandingconstraints.

Both fields have access to powerful resources andtechnologies.

Informatics for agriculture development requirescoordinated inter-sectoral approach and application ofappropriate information technology.



• Evaluation of Quality and Quantity of these resources is required.

• Design and Development of agricultural resources information system using state-of-the-art IT tools, to facilitate agricultural planning and development.

Data warehousing (Data Bases & Model Bases)

Expert Systems & Knowledge Bases

Networking (Internet, Intranet and Extranet)

Geographical Information System (GIS)

Application of Remote Sensing Data

Multi-media Information System

Decision Technology System

E-Commerce & E-Governance and

Digital Library/ Virtual Library



• Digital preservation, processing and managing ofagricultural information involves a number ofissues and problems.

• Preservation of information in archives or byconversion to other digital formats.

• Agricultural research and information is the rapidgrowth of technology whether biotechnology (BT)or information technology (IT) which also influenceagricultural information management.

• Technological advances create new challenges andoften require new skills and infrastructure.



• Agriculture practice and research are becomingincreasingly interdisciplinary while serving widelydiverse populations.

• Agricultural Information experiences a high level ofdiversity format technology, audiences and services.

• Central models and metaphors of a profession helpsinformation professionals.

• Provides insight into the thought process of users,which leads to better understanding of theirinformation needs.

• Abstractly offers fresh perspectives on the professionand practices.


4. Multimedia Technology in Agriculture Extension

• Agriculture is the mainstay of the state economy and it is the role toGovt. to motivate & instruct the farmers about the newdevelopments in Agriculture.

• Govt. has set up various organizations viz., Universities, ATVETColleges, FTC, FSS, PAs etc.

• Ag Extn is aimed at promoting agricultural development byproviding information production technologies and their adoption.

• The Directorate of Extension (DoE) is a national agency thatimplements specific programs and activities.

• Ag Extn is the responsibility of the State Dept of Agriculture (SDAs),State Ag Univ (SAUs) and Ag Research Stations.

• Extn Mangt Unit of the Directorate operate the Central Sectorscheme “Strengthening of Agricultural Extension Services” whichincludes NGOs in the extension network.

FARMERS VOICE RECORDING

MEDIA RESOURCE CENTRE

COMPUTER AIDED LEARNING PROGRAM

ICT AN UMBRELLA PROGRAM

ELECTRONIC DISPLAY BOARD

VIDEO CONFERENCING



• World Bank aided National Agricultural TechnologyProject (NATP)

• National Institute of Agricultural ExtensionManagement (MANAGE)

• DOE extends information support through the CentralSector Scheme on “Information Support/ManagementInformation Systems”

• Development Agents (DAs) are the most importantsource in transmitting technology to users (Sharma,2003)

• Radio, Television, publications, demonstrations, tele-conferencing and Internet Technology

• Internet plays a major role in the transfer of high-techagriculture technologies from global market tofarmer’s field.



• Only 12% of farmers use this Internet technology, 77.3%of the farmers are using traditional technology like radio,11.3% news papers( Cecchini, 2002).

• Quick dissemination of technological from theAgricultural Research System to the farmers in the fieldof reporting of farmers’ feed back to the researchsystem.

• Farmer’s needs are much more diversified and theknowledge required to address them is beyond thecapacity of the grass root level functionaries.

• Linkages among Extension, Research, marketingnetworks and farmers limits the ability of research andextension to contribute to agricultural development.

• Use of vernacular press, radio, and television forreaching farmers are being augmented with state-of-the-art communication technologies such as Internet andSatellite communication.

•



Connectivity will facilitate two-waycommunication among the all the stakeholders inthe Research-Extension-Marketing Farmers loop.

Information Technology and connectivity, otherforms of audio and visual communication likeSatellite Communication (SATCOM)

Cyber Extension at National and InternationalInformation Networks, Internet, Expert Systems,Multimedia Learning Systems and Computer BasedTraining Systems to improve information access tothe Farmers.



Report from FAO of UN

Most developing countries are rushing to join the InternetAge.

Policies to improve information and InformationCommunication and Technologies are fragmented in manycountries and the capacity to implement them is weak.

Wrong assumption to access to the Internet, technologicallydeterministic approach to the modern systems.

Existing Information Networks are replaced with modernsystems.

Risk of losing farmers rich, vital, experiential knowledge ofagriculture, much of circulates in local informal networks.

CD ROM, Internet based database contains farmer-basedinformation on 200 crops and 150 countries including theimages of 1800 pests, diseases and weeds.



Report from FAO of UN

o National Innovations Foundation (NIF) in India hasbeen established to build linkages between excellencein formal scientific systems and informal knowledgesystems, FAO, 1996.

Food net in Ugandao Agricultural Research and Extension has undoubtedly

contributed profoundly to development asdemonstrated by the Green Revolution but thecombination of a reduction in public research budgets,a globalizing market and the information explosionhas created a more complex knowledge landscape.

o National Institute of Agricultural ExtensionManagement (MANAGE) in India, and NationalAgricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) in Uganda.



Guidelines for Converting Tacit to Explicit Knowledge

Conduct informal meetings, rather than formal meetingsbcos an informal situation relaxes the tension of formalrelationships between consultants and organizationalstructure.

Implement the use of metaphor, analogy and narrative inorder to express the consultants’ tacit knowledge.

Translate the expressed tacit knowledge by associationwith reward system in exchange of energy and time.

Implement the “loose” or “network” organizationalstructures. The loose organizational structures canbecome a hierarchical structure when a project comes inand become loose again when the project is completed.



Guidelines for Converting Tacit to Explicit Knowledge

Introduce reward systems to encourage tacit-to-explicit

knowledge conversion by inclusion in the skill evaluation

process that should be conducted once or twice per year.

Utilize groupware applications (ie.Lotus Notes) and e-mail

technology (ie Microsoft Outlook) to store the expressed

tacit knowledge. Consultants should be encouraged to

access and use the “lessons learnt” that are kept in the

database.


5. Collaborative Technologies

Internet/Intranet

Installing an intranet is often the first activity ofknowledge program.

It makes it easy for users to access “anyinformation, anywhere and at any time”

Booz Allen and Hamilton’s Knowledge online is anintranet that provides a wealth of information(Eg.best practice, industry trends, database ofexperts)

Active information management by knowledgeeditors (subject experts and librarians) theinformation remains well structured and relevant.

INTRANET WITH IN THE ORGANIZATION

INTERNET PROVIDES INCOMPATIABLE PLATFORM INDEPENDENCE



Internet today is more than simply Web Informationpages includes email discussion lists, multimediapresentations and Web conferencing (like BulletingBoard)

Groupware and Lotus Notes

Intranets are converging provide databases,different levels of security.

Remote access by mobile workers.

Thomas Miller & Co. London based manager ofinsurance mutual companies, access their“Organization Memory” as well as current newsfeeds in the areas of interest and multiple “views”



Videoconferencing

Development of Desk Top Videoconferencing makes it

practicable for dispersed knowledge workers to have a

face-to-face conversation over a telecommunication link.

Desktop videoconferencing has helped to achieve better

communication and higher level of trust.

Many problems at off-shore oil fields can now be solved

without resorting to jumping into the next available

helicopter as was formerly the case.

Benefits the technologies, asynchronous as well as

synchronous communications access to the most current

information, recording of information, access to expertise

etc.



Videoconferencing

Subject Matter Experts as part of their Knowledge-sharing role by abstractors who has skilled oriented jobs.

Organizational memory, the editing process makes the knowledge available in a more understandable format.

Due attention to people and organizational processes – the elements of “soft Infrastructures”



Human DimensionLeadership by example Bob Buckman when CEO of Buckman Laboratories actively

participated in computer forums to help sales people on thefront-line.

Knowledge Sharing Events Bring people together in exhibition and workshop settings,

that they can share their expertise. Knowledge networkings.

Embedding Learning into Every Day Processes Reflection time at meetings and writing down feelings and

experiences in learning diaries. Semi-structured process involving a wide range of

participants. “Lessons Learned” Learning codified as knowledge base.



Active Moderation of Online Discussions

Databases are limited in usefulness because they do not

have critical mass, contributors, sometimes unwittingly,

discourage dialogue.

Reward Systems

Many companies do not reward people for sharing

information.

Management Consultancies contributes their knowledge

on the basis of salary review.

Electronic communities are well known on the Internet, in

the form of newsgroup, discussion list, etc.

The more you know about agriculture

the better off you will be!!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL

Documents

AKM PPT C5 K M TECHNOLOGIES