Claire Heffernan

The concept of poverty a synchronic perspective

Poverty is often presented as an evolving concept linked to dominant development paradigms. However, changes in the meaning of specific topics comprising definitions of poverty have been largely overlooked. Therefore, the authors adopted a synchronic approach to evaluate changes contained within 159 definitions of poverty offered over a 30-year period from 1970s to 2000s. Component terms were investigated for their stability in meaning, through the application of De Saussure’s concepts of signifier and signified. The results illustrate that terms often did not share the same signifier and, therefore, were accorded different meanings. In this manner, the authors argue that poverty is a highly contested concept

The Daktari: An interactive, multi-media tool for knowledge transfer among poor livestock keepers in Kenya

This article describes the findings from the assessment of a touch-screen, multi-media learning program on livestock health and production: The Daktari. The program was tested on a sample of 62 livestock keepers in the Nairobi slums of Kariobangi and Kibera. The study examined prior knowledge regarding three livestock diseases (liver fluke, mastitis and mange) and compared this to newly acquired knowledge after exposure to the software. The results demonstrated a significant difference between pre- and post-knowledge assessments confirming that use of the program led to learning. Learning occurred among a variety of demographic/social groups (i.e. age, gender and education) with a range of abilities. Indeed, by utilising an audio-visual interface developed with relevant content for the population in question, it was found that the program could support and enhance participant understanding of livestock disease causation, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Willingness to pay for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia vaccination in Narok South District of Kenya

Highlights • About two-thirds of farmers in Narok South District of Kenya were willing to pay while one-third needed compensation to accept the preferred vaccine and vaccination.• The WTP for preferred vaccine and vaccination was high but since there was high level of uncertainty, further WTP studies are needed.• Willingness to pay for preferred vaccine and vaccination attributes and for the entire profiles was influenced by various farmer demographics and household characteristics.• Vaccination against CBPP was economically worthwhile using all programmes investigated.

DRAWING FROM DEVELOPMENT: TOWARDS UNIFYING THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ICT4D†

Within the literature, many authors have argued that the rapid growth of the field of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) has resulted in an emphasis on the applications rather than on theory. However, it is clear that it is not theories, rather the integration of theory and practice, that is often lacking. To address this gap, the authors begin by exploring some of the popular theoretical approaches to ICT4D with a view to identifying those theories relevant to shared impacts: development, delivery and communication. To unify practice and theory, we offer a framework to directly assess the impact of ICT4D on development.

Accessible and inexpensive tools for global HPAI surveillance: A mobile-phone based system.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) disproportionately impacts poor livestock keepers in southern countries. Although the estimated cost of the disease in the billions, response to the epidemic remains fragmented and information channels slow. Given the continuing threat of outbreaks, and what appears to be the politicisation of outbreak reporting, new tools are needed to enforce transparency in stakeholder communication. In response to this need, we created a mobile-phone based surveillance system to aid critical information transfer among policy makers, practitioners and the poor themselves. The tool operates at the local, national and global levels and further links decision-makers to international databases.

Design and Formative Evaluation of an Information Kiosk on Cattle Health for Landless Cattle Owners

Abstract This paper describes and analyses the experience of designing, installing and evaluating a farmer-usable touch screen information kiosk on cattle health in a veterinary institution in Pondicherry. The contents of the kiosk were prepared based on identified demands for information on cattle health, arrived at through various stakeholders meetings. Information on these cattle diseases and conditions affecting the livelihoods of the poor was provided through graphics, text and audio back-up, keeping in mind the needs of landless and illiterate poor cattle owners. A methodology for kiosk evaluation based on the feedback obtained from kiosk facilitator, critical group reflection and individual users was formulated. The formative evaluation reveals the potential strength this ICT has in transferring information to the cattle owners in a service delivery centre. Such information is vital in preventing diseases and helps cattle owners to present and treat their animals at an early stage of disease condition. This in turn helps prevent direct and indirect losses to the cattle owners. The study reveals how an information kiosk installed at a government institution as a freely accessible source of information to all farmers irrespective of their class and caste can help in transfer of information among poor cattle owners, provided periodic updating, interactivity and communication variability are taken care of. Being in the veterinary centre, the kiosk helps stimulate dialogue, and facilitates demand of services based on the information provided by the kiosk screens.

The Livestock Guru: Demand-led knowledge transfer for poverty alleviation

The application of ICTs to meet development objectives has increased dramatically in recent years, nevertheless, there is a little overall evidence regarding the impact of these tools on the poor. Therefore, the following paper describes the creation and assessment of the Livestock Guru, a multi-media, interactive programme for poor livestock keepers in India and Bolivia. Learning outcomes were explored among 424 farmers in 17 communities across the two nations. The study also compared the impact of the software with more conventional media such as videos and written extension material. The authors found that the uptake of new knowledge was highly related to the specific topic involved. Not surprisingly, the level of challenge to existing beliefs also affected learning. Nonetheless, by utilising visual cues and referents which supported traditional knowledge frames, the software messages showed greater levels of knowledge than messages delivered by more traditional means

Control of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia: Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices in Narok district of Kenya

Highlights • Pastoralists had traditional disease coping mechanisms.• Some pastoralists had no knowledge of any prevention method and others would not know what to do or would do nothing in the event of an outbreak.• Pastoralists perceived vaccination to be the solution to CBPP but vaccination was irregular.• Vaccination exhibited adverse post-vaccination reactions and consequently 25.2% of pastoralists may resist subsequent vaccinations against CBPP.• Pastoralists preferred CBPP vaccination at certain times of the year and that it is combined with other vaccinations.

Exploring farmer preferences for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia vaccination: A case study of Narok District of Kenya

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is an economically important disease in most of sub-Saharan Africa. A conjoint analysis and ordered probit regression models were used to measure the preferences of farmers for CBPP vaccine and vaccination attributes. This was with regard to inclusion or not of an indicator in the vaccine, vaccine safety, vaccine stability as well as frequency of vaccination, vaccine administration and the nature of vaccination. The analysis was carried out in 190 households in Narok District of Kenya between October and December 2006 using structured questionnaires, 16 attribute profiles and a five-point Likert scale. The factors affecting attribute valuation were shown through a two-way location interaction model. The study also demonstrated the relative importance (RI) of attributes and the compensation value of attribute levels. The attribute coefficient estimates showed that farmers prefer a vaccine that has an indicator, is 100% safe and is administered by the government (p<0.0001). The preferences for the vaccine attributes were consistent with expectations. Preferences for stability, frequency of vaccination and nature of vaccination differed amongst farmers (p>0.05). While inclusion of an indicator in the vaccine was the most important attribute (RI=43.6%), price was the least important (RI=0.5%). Of the 22 household factors considered, 15 affected attribute valuation. The compensation values for a change from non inclusion to inclusion of an indicator, 95-100% safety, 2h to greater than 2h stability and from compulsory to elective vaccination were positive while those for a change from annual to biannual vaccination and from government to private administration were negative. The study concluded that the farmers in Narok District had preferences for specific vaccine and vaccination attributes. These preferences were conditioned by various household characteristics and disease risk factors. On average the farmers would need to be compensated or persuaded to accept biannual and private vaccination against CBPP. There is need for consideration of farmer preferences for vaccine attribute levels during vaccine formulations and farmer preferences for vaccination attribute levels when designing delivery of vaccines.

Farmer attitudes and livestock disease: exploring citizenship behaviour and peer monitoring across two BVD control schemes in the UK

The eradication of BVD in the UK is technically possible but appears to be socially untenable. The following study explored farmer attitudes to BVD control schemes in relation to advice networks and information sharing, shared aims and goals, motivation and benefits of membership, notions of BVD as a priority disease and attitudes toward regulation. Two concepts from the organisational management literature framed the study: citizenship behaviour where actions of individuals support the collective good (but are not explicitly recognised as such) and peer to peer monitoring (where individuals evaluate other’s behaviour). Farmers from two BVD control schemes in the UK participated in the study: Orkney Livestock Association BVD Eradication Scheme and Norfolk and Suffolk Cattle Breeders Association BVD Eradication Scheme. In total 162 farmers participated in the research (109 in-scheme and 53 out of scheme). The findings revealed that group helping and information sharing among scheme members was low with a positive BVD status subject to social censure. Peer monitoring in the form of gossip with regard to the animal health status of other farms was high. Interestingly, farmers across both schemes supported greater regulation with regard to animal health, largely due to the mistrust of fellow farmers following voluntary disease control measures. While group cohesiveness varied across the two schemes, without continued financial inducements, longer-term sustainability is questionable.