eKichabi v2: Designing and Scaling a Dual-Platform Technology in Rural Tanzania

Title of the Paper

eKichabi v2: Designing and Scaling a Dual-Platform Agricultural Technology in Rural Tanzania

Bibliographic Information

• Subject Area: Application of ICT in agriculture, specifically designing dual-platform technology for both smartphone and feature phone users
• Keywords: Agricultural technology, information systems, dual-platform technology, USSD applications, smartphone applications, intermediary usage, user experience design, mobile penetration, agricultural information services, usability challenges

Research Background and Issues

• What problems or challenges did the authors identify?

  • Farmers face information barriers in accessing agricultural business contacts, especially in areas with limited agricultural business networks. This information isolation hinders farmers from accessing more efficient markets and resources.
  • In Sub-Saharan Africa, smartphone usage is increasing annually, but many regions still predominantly rely on feature phones, necessitating the design of agricultural information services that accommodate offline scenarios.
  • Existing agricultural information technologies are often tailored to a specific mobile platform (either feature phones or smartphones), neglecting the need for dual-platform compatibility to serve both user groups.

• Why is this issue important?

  • In most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder farmers constitute the majority of the agricultural workforce, and improving their productivity is critical for regional economic development.
  • Agricultural information services help farmers achieve fairer trade, more efficient resource allocation, and increased agricultural output.

• Research Motivation and Related Work

  • This study builds on the 2018 digital directory project eKichabi, which initially demonstrated the potential of agricultural information directories for smallholder farmers using USSD technology.
  • Literature indicates that while USSD technology is widely used in Africa, its scalability and design face unresolved challenges, especially as user and data volumes increase.

Proposed Solution

• What methods or solutions did the authors propose?

  • Designed and implemented a dual-platform agricultural information directory service, including a USSD application for feature phones and an offline Android application for smartphones.
  • Developed a multi-step search and filtering system for USSD and a graphical user interface (GUI) for Android, enabling farmers to filter and search by geographic location and category.

• What are the innovative aspects of this solution?

  • The dual-platform design optimized the user experience for feature phones while leveraging the advanced capabilities of smartphones (e.g., offline functionality, fast browsing, dynamic search).
  • Introduced trust-supportive design elements, such as including business owner names in the directory and bridging the technology gap between feature phone and smartphone users through intermediaries (wakalas).

• What were the implementation steps and key technologies used?

  • Data Collection: Conducted surveys with 9,833 agricultural businesses and 1,014 households to assess the regional technological landscape.
  • Platform Development:
    • USSD Application: Enhanced interface design and technical performance (e.g., database caching and indexing) to reduce response time when accessing the directory.
    • Android Application: Enabled offline usage and improved user experience through dynamic filtering and search features.
  • Deployment and User Testing: Conducted multiple rounds of user testing to gather feedback and iteratively improve user experience and trust-related features.
  • Intermediary Pilot: Randomly selected wakalas (mobile money agents) in five villages to act as intermediaries, assisting low-tech users in utilizing the USSD application.

Research Outcomes

• What specific results were achieved?

  • Smartphone penetration was low (7% of surveyed households owned smartphones), with most users relying on feature phones and USSD technology.
  • The dual-platform technology revealed different usage preferences and behavior patterns among feature phone and smartphone users. Smartphone applications provided faster access to complex information, while USSD applications were more universally accessible.
  • The intermediary pilot using wakalas increased the adoption of the USSD application among low-tech users and enhanced trust in the directory data.

• What advantages does it have compared to existing solutions?

  • The dual-platform design enabled agricultural information services to cater to different device types, serving diverse user groups.
  • The offline functionality of the Android application reduced dependency on network connectivity, making it effective for smartphone users in resource-constrained areas.
  • The intermediary model demonstrated potential for bridging trust and technology adoption gaps.

• What were the experimental or evaluation results?

  • The USSD application recorded 122,000 operations, indicating a certain level of user acceptance, though its efficiency in accessing business data was limited by technical constraints.
  • The Android application performed well in providing access to complex information, supporting functionality, and building trust, but its installation rate was low.
  • The intermediary pilot showed that wakalas effectively assisted users in learning and using the USSD application while fostering community trust.

• Limitations and Future Directions

  • Limitations:
    • Smartphone users showed low willingness to install the Android application, primarily due to data costs.
    • USSD technology has inherent protocol limitations, such as character limits on screens and network interruptions, which hinder its scalability for large data directories.
    • The intermediary model requires further research to optimize user selection and incentive mechanisms.
  • Future Directions:
    • Develop cost-effective incentives for application installation to address data cost barriers.
    • Expand research on intermediary support, focusing on the long-term utility of wakalas and changes in user behavior.
    • Explore alternative technologies for technical breakthroughs, such as hybrid network protocols or offline directory distribution directly to phones.