Presentation by Bjorn Van Campenhout, Senior Research Staff, Development Strategy and Governance, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) - Kampala Session: Impacts of ICTs for Agricultural Development Interventions on 6 Nov 2013 ICT4Ag, Kigali, Rwanda

1. There’s an app for that? The impact
of Community Knowledge Workers
in Uganda
Bjorn Van Campenhout
IFPRI - Kampala
ICT4Ag International Conference - 4-8 November 2013 - Kigali, Rwanda

2. Context
• IFPRI Kampala was asked to
do an impact assessment of
the CKW project in Uganda
using best method given
time and budget
• CKW = Community
Knowledge Worker
– Locally recruited
– Smartphones (GPRS/EDGE)
– Comprehensive information

3. Difference-in-Differences study: Methodology
• One could calculate the difference between farmer’s outcomes who
are served by CKWs, and farmer’s outcomes that are not, but the
estimate will include a selection effect
– CKWs may be deployed in agriculturally favorable areas
• One could calculate the difference between a farmer’s outcomes
before the CKW intervention and the SAME farmer’s outcomes after
the intervention, but the estimate will include all things that affect the
outcome
– Bumper harvest, drought, sick family member, etc.
• One could compare the difference between the outcomes of farmers
that were served by CKWs and the outcomes of farmers that were not
served by CKWs, with the difference between the outcomes of these
two groups before CKWs were introduced.
– In other words, one controls for the fact that farmers that receive CKW
services might be different to begin with.

4. Difference-in-Differences study: Methodology

5. Difference-in-Differences study: Data
• Surveyed farmers in three
CKW districts after CKW –
Kapchorwa, Gulu and Oyam
and two control districts
Sironko and Lira for
2011/12.
• Used 2 surveys before
CKW:
• UNHS 2005/06
• WFP2009/10
! Subset of treated households form a panel 2009/10 –
2011/12 !

6. Results: Crop portfolio

7. Results: Maize Productivity

8. Results: share of maize sold

9. Results: price of maize sold

10. Treatment intensity

11. Conclusions
• CKW makes a difference:
– Change in crop mix
– Higher price for maize
– Lower share of maize sold
• But: no effect on productivity… why?
• Information is public good