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Progress Report on MOBIS Customisation

MUIIS Project


For more information on the project


Benjamin Kwasi Addom, PhD Programme Manager, MUIIS Agro Business Park 2 Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Mrs. Carol Kyazze Kakooza
Project Manager, MUIIS African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Plot 22A Nakasero Road, P.O. Box 34624 Kampala, Uganda.

As part of the business plan of MUIIS, there needs to be a clear understanding on how the bundled information services (agronomic, weather and insurance) will be delivered to targeted customers. Different delivery channels such as SMS, USSD, IVR, and Call Centres are possible.

The main delivery platform will be Ensibuuko’s MOBIS platform. The platform will enable the provision of weather data, agricultural tips, financial services, and possibly, market information into a single, comprehensive mobile phone-based bundle. Personalised automated voice or message alerts will be provided to farmers. The content will be practical farming advice (e.g. related to pests occurring, or best planting season, etc.) which is based on available weather forecasts, soil composition forecasts (early drought warning), climate data, tips and weather data. This document outlines how those services will be delivered, who is be responsible for which steps and how the delivery channel will be built.

The current situation

The diagram below gives a simplified structure of the link between the various data sources and the technical resources that form the delivery platform. It also gives an idea the progress with the development and customisation of the main delivery channel for MUIIS.

Data sources

aWhere Platform: aWhere platform which is external to MUIIS will integrate structured data sets from eLEAF, EARS, Mercy Corps, AGRA and itself to optimise and define specific information services for farmers.

  • Agronomic Data: Initially the agronomic data will be in the form of messages developed by Mercy Corps agronomist that will be triggered by data from eLEAF through aWhere’s platform. Overtime, the agronomist will develop crop calendars and more tailored agronomic data for smallholder farmers using historical data complemented by current data.
  • Weather Data and Models: Weather data provided by aWhere and EARS to develop weather alerts, support the insurance service provision, and agronomic information which will trigger localized agricultural messages for smallholder farmers.

Partner roles and responsibilities

aWhere

  • In general, aWhere will assist in the development of agronomic models and recommendations in conjunction with eLEAF and EARS, and the outputs from their analysis and tools will be the basis of information and recommendations sent to farmers.
  • Supplies up-to-date agronomic and weather information to Ensibuuko through their API.
  • Works with Mercy Corps agronomist to identify thresholds of climate risk for farmers based on their crop
  • Implements certain agronomic models – the output attributes such as pest and disease risk indices and crop stress indices will be sent into the Dashboard

EARS

  • Works with insurance partners to allow them to access MUIIS database to monitor active customers to ensure insurance payments are calculated by MUIIS Service Agents (MSAs)

Ensibuuko

  • shared by aWhere and trigger messages developed by Mercy Corps agronomist to be shared with smallholder farmers.
  • Maintains a database that monitors MUIIS customer payments
  • Acts as channel for MUIIS customers to pay via Mobile Money for MUIIS services

Mercy Corps

  • Coordinates between all partners and ensure that timelines are met
  • Reviews data and models provided by aWhere and develops tips that are based on specific agriculture indicators.
  • Provides funding for Ensibuuko to build dashboard and maintain database through August 31st, 2018
  • Develops agronomic messages to be shared with smallholder farmers.

Copyright © 2016, CTA. Technical Centre for Rural and Agricultural Cooperation

This project is funded by The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and being implemented through the Geodata for Agriculture and Water (G4AW) Facility of the Netherlands Space Office (NSO).