William Doghe

1. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
USER-Feedback in Large-scale
AR4D: The GRisP example in Ghana &
AfricaRice
Wilson Dogbe
CSIR-SARI, Ghana

2. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Outline
Background to the study
Rational and objectives of study
Methodology
Key Findings
Conclusion

3. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Feedback challenges in agric. research & development
Technology or Knowledge
Client Agricultural
Research Potential User
• Donors organization • Farmers
Programmes
• Governments • Extension
• NGOs
• Processors
• Etc.

4. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
AR4D, GRiSP and user feedback
1. Reframing agricultural research as AR4D
2. Use of the extensive literature &
experience around new product
development (NPD) in industry
3. Users and user feedback must be centre
stage

5. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
The study…..
 Pilot study commissioned by the Global Forum on Agricultural
Research (GFAR).
 Implemented by Agricultural Learning and Impact Network
(ALINe) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Brighton,
UK.
 Financial support from the European Initiative for Agricultural
Research for Development’s (EIARD) Food Security Thematic
Programme (FSTP).
 Collaboration: AfricaRice and CSIR-Ghana.

6. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Objectives……
Use the case of GRiSP and rice research and development in
Ghana to:
 Develop a framework for conceptualising and analysing user feedback
loops.
 Demonstrate how existing user feedback loops can be identified and
analysed
 Identify opportunities for enhancing user feedback
 Develop a plan to test the value of alternative mechanisms for enhanced
user feedback

7. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
The basic argument…….
 That the framing of GRiSP in terms of products and product lines
is a radical (but welcome) move.
 Renewed focus on user feedback and feedback loops
 New light on the notion of AR4D
 AR4 [‘agricultural’, ‘rural’, social’, ‘economic’, ‘human’,
sustainable’?]D?

8. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Feedback and Feedback loops
Feedback loop
Use of a structured, systematic mechanism that allows users
(potential or actual) to provide data about one or more aspects of a
proposed, emergent or existing product (or service), with that data
being transformed into feedback through analysis, and used to
inform a product development process.

9. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
7 element model of a complete feedback loop
Info from Info in what
whom? form?
Info analyse
Info about
how?
what?
Analyse to
Purpose of whom?
feedback Analysis
used how?

10. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
User feedback loops in Ghana’s rice AR4D
Rice researchers in Ghana identified 24 examples of feedback, using 18
mechanisms:
1. Mother & Baby Trial
8. Test Marketing
2. Participatory Learning Action
9. Sensory Test
Research (PLAR)
10. Project Advisory Committee
3. Participatory M&E
11. On-Farm Experiment
4. Participatory Varietal Selection
12. Training
(PVS)
13. Review Process
5. Farmer Visits to Test-Field /
14. Farmer Interviews
Farmer Test-Field Visits
15. On-farm Demonstration
6. Value Chain Survey
16. Farmer Field Days
7. Field Visits / Farm Survey /
17. Workshop / Planning session
Farmer Field Observations
18. Famer Field School

11. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Initial analysis of examples
Five key points emerged
 For a number of the examples a case can be made that all seven elements
are in place -- these examples appear to meet the criteria set out for a
functional feedback loop.
 It appears that the two elements – “From Whom?” and “To Whom?” –
are strong in almost all examples.
 In the majority of the examples the “For what purpose?” element
seemed to be weak
 In the majority of the examples the “How analysed?” element seemed
to be weak

12. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Conclusion…….
By using the language of product lines and products, GRiSP cracked open a door
that has the potential to radically change publicly-funded AR4D.
However, to date this door has not been fully opened because
1. GRiSP is still a relatively new initiative and is not well known among rice
sector actors in Ghana
2. The potential implications of the GRiSP approach are not yet fully
appreciated
3. The products and product lines have been specified at too high a level
(and the clarity achieved by re-specifying these would go a long way to
making this approach more meaningful to GRiSP partners).

13. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Conclusion……
There is a clear opportunity to work with rice AR4D
actors in Ghana and AfricaRice to test whether the
seven-element user feedback framework developed
through this study can be used to make researchers
feedback activities more explicit, planned,
systematic and thus useful.

14. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Next steps……
Specifically;
 Identifying a group of rice researchers who are committed
to exploring the issue of user feedback in more detail.
 Working with the members of this group to identify a
range of different issues in their research where high
quality user feedback is required.

15. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
Next steps……
Specifically;
 Working through the elements of the feedback framework
and specifying, designing and planning each element in
detail.
 Implementing these feedback loops and carefully
analysing what actually happens in relation to each
element
 Making explicit if, how and how well the feedback /
feedback loop contributed to the on-going research.

16. PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR
Paul Red Smith
For more information see:
Sumberg, J., Heirman, J. and Raboanarielina, C. 2012. Strengthening
User Feedback within Large-Scale AR4D. Final Report submitted by
IDS to GFAR.