Part 1 - What aspects of ICT could be a game changer for the rural poor?
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1. Communications in Service of Extension. What aspects of ICT
could be a game changer for the rural poor? Part 1 Paul Hixson
University of Illinois
2. Background: Where Im coming from 41 years - Extension
Communications Specialist 25 years IT and Communications management
25 years - multimedia production 22 years International development
work
3. Goals of Talk: Explore how our experience in successful
communications planning/delivery can inform how we approach ICT in
development. Deflate some of the current hype and easy answers
about ICT. Develop a clearer sense of what ICT can do to strengthen
Extension programs in developing countries, and what some of the
most promising new ITC applications are. Develop a clearer
understanding of how audience-centered processes and procedures are
as every bit as important as the ICT tools themselves. And then
re-kindle some well-founded enthusiasm for whats possible in this
area.
4. The Communications Process: Sender Message Channel Audience
Effect Whats wrong with this picture? Whats missing?
5. The Communications Process: Feedback Sender Message Channel
Audience Effect Successful Communications is ALWAYS a 2-way street
We forget that at our peril!
6. The Communications Process: What is the single most common
reason for failed communication efforts? Sender Message Channel
Audience Effect Being sender-centric
7. The Communications Process: The 1-way hypodermic needle
model of Communications Sender Message Channel Audience Effect
8. The Communications Process: The 1-way hypodermic needle
model of Communications Sender Message Channel Audience Effect How
many times have you heard someone say: weve got to launch a
communications campaign to get our message out?
9. The Communications Process: The 1-way hypodermic needle
model of Communications Sender Message Channel Audience Effect How
many times have you heard someone say: weve got to launch a
communications campaign to get our message out? As a potential
audience member, how enthused does that make you feel?
10. The Communications Process: The 1-way hypodermic needle
model of Communications Sender Message Channel Audience Effect Our
farmer audiences are no different. In order for our Extension
communications efforts to be successful, we need to turn this
around and be more audience- centric. We know this is true, but
often dont practice it.
11. The Communications Process: Feedback Sender Message Channel
Audience EffectAudience Sender(listening) (sharing needs/interests)
Turning Things Around
12. The Communications Process Major Lessons Learned: Always
put audiences (farmers) first Listen to them. They are smart
people. Discover what they want to do and what they want to learn.
Discover what gaps exist in their current knowledge. Discover their
preferred methods of communications Discover who they trust Base
all plans and actions as an information provider from the point of
view of being a helpful, respectful partner in a 2-way
communications process. Farmer audiences will sense the difference
and respond accordingly.
13. Debunking Hype About ICT: The Field of Dreams approach:
Just build an ICT infrastructure and they will come. True, they
cant come until you build it in the first place, but how do you
know youre building the right thing in the first place if you
havent first gathered farmer input and made them part of the
process?
14. Debunking Hype About ICT: Extension is too labor intensive
(and therefore too expensive), but if we just add a little ICT to
the mix, everything will magically work (and it will be affordable
too). Again, not just any ICT will work it has to be the right ICT
for the local context. Furthermore, although hardware is essential,
other factors for success are even more critical, such as inclusive
processes, good software and meaningful content. And, ITC is NOT
cheap .(although the benefits can be huge) If you design it well,
much of the cost for building the ICT backbone infrastructure will
be borne by private sector partners.
15. The Communications Process - Lessons Apply to ICT As Well
Always put audiences (farmers) first Listen to them. Discover what
they want to do and what they want to learn. Discover what gaps
exist in their current knowledge. Discover their preferred methods
of communications Discover who they trust Base all plans and
actions as an information provider from the point of view of being
a helpful, respectful partner in a 2-way communications process.
Farmer audiences will sense the difference and respond
accordingly.
16. ICTs Potential In A Developing Nation Context in some
regards, (ICT) is a simple concept, just as the Erie Canal is, in a
sense, just a big ditch of water. But, like the canal, it has
innumerable effects that cannot be anticipated and that will not
become apparent for many years. Dr. Gregory Crane, Harvard,
1989.
17. ICTs Potential In A Developing Nation Context There was no
way that Dr. Crane could have predicted specifically any of the
following in 1989 Facebook but he didnt need to because he could
already see Twitter Blogs Windows OS Amazon eMail Smartphones
Hypercard iPads PageMaker TelePresence
18. Leading Edge ICT Developments Today: Tracking the ICT
space: Judy Payne and FACET
19. Leading Edge ICT Developments Today: Tracking the ICT
space: World Bank Reports & Tools