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Very interesting and useful application of cellphone technology. I would like to know: (1 answer)

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This question is about Mobile Phone Monitoring System for FFS in Kenya

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Very interesting and useful application of cellphone technology. I would like to know: 1. How will this exercise determine the effectiveness of the facilitator, his/her strengths/weakness so they can improve and work on the requirements of the local people. 2. How will this exercise help the facilitators know that the information provided by them is appropriate/needed in local context, and weather the participants have absorbed/assimilated the information and will use it/have used it practically in real-time frame?

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Mar 24, 2011

Thanks for your interests on the system.

1. This system allows us to monitor quantitative indicators. Information provided through mobile phones by group leaders includes such aspects as whether FFS participants are satisfied
with their facilitators, whether the facilitators arrived at the meeting on time, and how many participants attended. With the mobile phone monitoring system, the project managers can see key figures and indicators through the internet and can take immediate action in real time if any signs of decline or wrongdoing of facilitators are detected. This system also gives the farmers more power to evaluate their facilitators and they can decide whether the project proceeds with the payments of facilitator allowances.

2. Based on the system, we are paying the facilitation allowances to our facilitators. We have monthly meetings with the facilitators. The meetings are used for feedback sessions.

You have to have physical back-stopping monitoring in order to keep the quality of FFS – you can’t solely relay on the mobile phone monitoring system to understand what are really happening in FFSs. You have to combine the mobile phone system with actual site visits. But the system gives you a pretty good idea of how FFSs are conducted through the quantitative indicators. With the results of the system, we now have a proof of facilitators’ performance. We have given a certificate to those excellent facilitators. And at the same time, we are dropping two facilitators from this year.