4. An Alternative Method

1. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development This lesson will introduce you to an alternative method for setting information priorities. It will provide you with answers to four questions. What is the "weighted scoring" model? How can we set criteria and weights for use in this model? How do we actually make our selections using this model? What might the results of a priority-setting process using the "weighted scoring" model look like? 1

2. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development When the group reconvenes, one of the participants immediately raises her hand. Before we start with this alternative approach, I think I can see a problem. Suppose that we use the "Priority Grid Model", as we have just done, and we conclude that "information on post-harvest technologies" is our highest PIT? But then suppose that I know that my organisation doesn't have such information available, and that it will have to spend considerable money to acquire it or develop it? And suppose also that my organisation does not have any good ICT means of reaching medium-size farmers with this information? Should I still set "information on post-harvest technologies" as a PIT? 2

3. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development The implication of your question is that we will have to assign "weights" to some of the criteria that you have mentioned. For example, we might decide on criteria and weights something like the following. Importance of this type of information to farmers. 50%. Availability of this information in our organisation: 25%. Capacity of our organisation to distribute this information: 25%. 3

4. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development But I'm getting ahead of myself. We must start with three tasks. First, we will have to decide on CRITERIA. What considerations will we take into account in evaluating each possible PIT? Second, we will have to assign a WEIGHT to each of those criteria. Which ones are most important and which ones least important? Third, we will have to list possible THEMES. 4

5. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development We'll use the "visualisation" technique again. Udako will give each of you two cards. On each card, please write ONE criterion. To give you an example of what I mean by a "criterion", think about farmer need. Do farmers really need a particular type of information? If so, "user need" might be one criterion. 5

6. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development OK, we're ready. You have decided on four criteria. You have done a very good job in pulling a lot of very interesting and valuable ideas together. User Need. Does our target group really need this information? Availability of Content. Does MMRI have this information on hand or will it have to produce it? Technology. Does MRRI have the technology necessary to disseminate this information? Comparative Advantage. Are there other organisations producing this same type and quality of information? 6

7. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development The next step is to assign a WEIGHT to each of those criteria. Which criteria are most important and which ones less important? The total of these weights should be 100. In order to get the discussion started, I will make a proposal. What do you think about the following weights? User Need - 40% Availability of Content - 20% Technology - 10% Comparative Advantage - 30% 7

8. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Three of the participants have comments. 8

9. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development I propose that we decrease the importance given to "technology". If we find that MMRI does not have enough technology to produce and distribute its information, then it will simply have to ask for more. I think we should reduce our weight for "technology" to 5% and increase our weight for "need" to 45%. MMRI is supposed to serve farmers. 8a

10. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development I disagree. I was actually going to propose just the opposite, that we increase the weight for "technology". We all know that more and more information is "going digital". MMRI needs to keep up with the times. I would like to see "technology" raised to 30%. If we do that, then we can reduce "need" to 25% and "availability of content" to 15%. 8b

11. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development My concern is with the low weight given to "comparative advantage". MMRI should not be in the business of duplicating what others are already doing. It should find its own niche. I would like to see the weight for "comparative advantage" increased to 35%, and the weight for "availability of content" reduced to 15%. 8c

12. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Akil has been taking notes. The group has modified the weights that Dr. Carama has suggested. He summarizes the consensus and suggests that the group move forward using the following weights. User Need - 35% Availability of Content - 20% Technology - 20% Comparative Advantage - 25% 9

13. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Do you think that the assignment of weights can be important in setting PITs? * Yes * No 10

14. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Yes - The more complex approach By using criteria and weights, a group can take explicit account of variables like user need, costs, and chances of success. 10a

15. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development No - The more straightforward approach The group assumes that each participant will take account of criteria and weights in his/her own way. 10b

16. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Akil leads the group in its application of the "Weighted Scoring Model". Udako has given each of the participants seven cards. Each card is for one of the potential PITs and contains a table that looks like this. 11

17. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development You will see that your hypothetical score for crop protection is "520" and for market information "460“ (following screen). You should assign a score between 0-10 to each criterion. On the "crop protection" card, for example, if you think that users really need information on this subject, give it a "10". And if you think that the technology for distributing this information is not very important, give that criterion a "1". Then multiply the number in the second column by the number in the third column, and enter the result in the fourth column. 12

18. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development 12a

19. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development After you have filled up all seven cards, we will collect them and do some calculations. We will add all 20 of our total scores for "Crop Protection" and then divide by 20 to get an average. And then we will do the same for the other six potential PITs. The theme with the highest average score will be our top PIT. 13

20. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Here are the results. 14

21. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Dr. Carama sees that the two methods have resulted in slightly different outcomes. The first four PITs are the same, but they are in different orders. 15

22. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Dr. Carama sees advantages and disadvantages in both methods. He asks participants for their reactions. 16

23. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development Let's take a short break for tea and then come back for our last piece of work. 17

24. 4. An Alternative Method Priority Information Themes for ACP Agriculture and Rural Development In this lesson, we have covered five topics Introduction to the "Weighted Scoring Model“ (Screens 2-4) Setting criteria (Screens 5-6) Agreement on weights (Screens 7-9) Voting on PITs (Screens 11-14) Comparison of the two approaches (Screens 15-16) Summary