Summary of Ongoing Stakeholder Consultations
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Mr. Francis Korankye (Head of IT, MOFA)
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 30th Nov, 2021
- Category of Institution: Government
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To Investigate current data holdings and data sharing platforms
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- MOFA is currently working with multiple stakeholders on different partners (both public and private) in the collection and storage of key information. Most of the data collected sits on partner infrastructure.
- In most cases there are no access APIs developed on the partner database to allow easy integration or data extraction by third-party systems.
- MOFA is pushing for an absolute infrastructure where all of its data will be engineered, stored and shared.
- Try to understand data ownership agreements between MOFA and various partners
- If agreements allow access to some of the databases or data sources at MOFA then there may be opportunity for the Agdata hub to source data from existing systems.
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Sander Zwart
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 30th Nov,2021
- Category of Institution: NGO
- Objective of Engagement or Review: Toinvestigate IWIM's expectations and contribution to the AICCRA project
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Data and tools are mostly digitized and access is mostly open source
- WMI has capacity to assess quality of open source and custom meteorological spatially distributed data.
- IWMI has capacity to interpret and assist software developers in the building of relevant dashboards.
- Opportunity to involve IWIM Scientist in the implementation of dashboards
- Opportunity to source clean and usable online data to make in for data gaps
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Mr. Francis Korankye (Head of IT, MOFA)
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 30th Nov, 2021
- Category of Institution: Government
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To Investigate current data holdings and data sharing platforms
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- MOFA is currently working with multiple stakeholders on different partners (both public and private) in the collection and storage of key information. Most of the data collected sits on partner infrastructure
- In most cases there are no access APIs developed on the partner database to allow easy integration or data extraction by third-party systems.
- MOFA has no absolute infrastructure where all of its data is engineered and stored as a data warehouse.
- Try to understand data ownership agreements between MOFA and various partners
- If agreements allow access to some of the databases or data sources at MOFA then there may be opportunity for the Agdata hub to source data from existing systems.
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Sander Zwart
- Dates of Engagement or Review:
- Category of Institution: NGO
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To investigate IWIM’s expectations and contribution to the AICCRA project
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Data and tools are mostly digitized and access is mostly open source
- IWMI has capacity to assess quality of open source and custom meteorological spatially distributed data.
- WMI has capacity to interpret and assist software developers in the building of relevant dashboards.
- Opportunity to involve IWIM Scientist in the implementation of dashboards
- Opportunity to source clean and usable online data to make in for data gaps
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Francisca
- Dates of Engagement or Review:
- Category of Institution: GMET / Governmental
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To investigate information services and data holdings of GMET
- Methods Used: Focus Group Discussion, Technical meetings
- Key Findings:
- GMET gathers data on temperature, rainfall, humidity, etc.
- GMET currently provides 3-hourly interval weather forecast
- GMET seeks to improve short, medium and long-range (seasonal) forecasts and their dissemination to users.
- GMET forecast are shared with and used by various sectors including Agriculture, Health, Transport, NGOs, Energy, etc.
- A national stakeholder consultation workshop was organized in September 2021 to assess the weather information needs and seasonal forecast towards an inclusive strategy to drive the process of improving forecast and their dissemination to end users.
- GMET performs Climate sensitizations and Strengthening capacitation for partners to understand the terminologies in Seasonal forecasting to the basic level
- GMET has plans to offer digital climate advisory services but there is currently little infrastructure in place to make this effective.
- GMET is facilitating stakeholder Consultation to move the National Framework on Climate Services to Operational mode
- GMET has plans to generate some revenue from some of their information products.
- Seasonal forecast data is key for AICRAA project. Dashboards of seasonal forecast could be a deliverable of the AICCRA project with options to customize details for various sectors based on needs.
- Adding interactivity to GMETS existing website or developing dedicated interactive portals and tools will ensure continuous enlightenment of partners understanding of the forecasts
- There is an opportunity to leverage on the Ag-Data Hub to achieve GMETS objective of offering digital climate advisory services through customizable advisory and decision support dashboards and Apps
- Policy dashboards on climate services could speed up the stakeholder understanding and operationalization of the National Framework on Climate Services to Operational mode.
- Opportunity to compare actual against forecast data to improve GMET's forecast algorithms to backstop short, medium and long-range (seasonal) forecasts.
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Rep @ National Farmer's Day
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 2nd December, 2021
- Category of Institution: Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (MOFA-GASIP) / Governmental
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To understand extension data holding sources in Ghana
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Has existing collaboration with Ghana Meteorological Agency to collect and disseminate accurate weather information in the northern zone. Equipment is in place to collect weather data. Daily and seasonal Weather information is sent as SMS to local farmers.
- 79 District Officers and Agricultural Extension Officers have been trained in Conservation Agriculture and weather information systems for timely information acquisition and dissemination.
- 12 Automatic weather stations have been installed in the ASAP Programme area with support from GASIP.
- Provides support only to small holder farmers who cultivate less than one acre of land to increase their profitability and resilience to climate change.
- GASIP’s Conservation Agriculture programme is assisting the farmers acquire two-acre demonstration farms and providing them with mechanized solar powered pumps for dry season farming.Data Needs: Extension data, CSA training Modules, etc.
- Implementation of visualization dashboard and Mobile APP to serve a wider group with feed from their existing engagement with GMET. This will require the development of API for GMET to scale the reach of weather information
- Adopting ML and AI algorithms to improve the quality data disseminated to farmers
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Mr. Ntiamoah (Founder and CEO, Digas Company Ltd.)
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 1st December, 2021
- Category of Institution: Private Business (Northern Ghana)
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To Investigate private sector data needs, data holdings and data sharing plans
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Digas has data on 3000 farmers in the northers sector of the country and is seeking to expand to 30,000 farmer records
- Records include farmer profile (Bio data, fingerprint, photo of National ID, etc), farm geo-location map, crops planted, yield records, etc.
- A digital farmer database exist for the data collected.
- Database was developed by a Korean Company
- Registered farmers are issued an NFC card for identification and tracking of their produce
- Digas has commercialization plans for the gathered data.
- Digas has a vision to come up with a credit scoring system for farmers that can be used to access loans from financial institutions.Data Needs: Bigas cited Extension information, Soil characteristics information, soilfert application knowledge
- Integration or API development will require Ag-Data Hub to work with developers in Korea which Mr. Ntiamoah has assured is workable.
- Data is not open source and will have to be commercialized if synched to the portal.
- soil fert application knowledge (Can be developed as an App if not existing already).
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Dr. Seth Manteaw (Director CSIR-INSTI), Mr. Benjamin Folitse (Deputy Director, CSIR-INSTI)
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 30th Nov, 2021
- Category of Institution: Governmental Research Institution
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To investigate CSIR's data holdings and dissemination mechanism
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Research data from 1968 to date
- CSIR has over 1500 research scientists in different domains
- Information is also packaged in two journals (Journal of Science & Journal of Agricultural science)
- Digital records on applicable technologies and varieties from CSIR is available as open-source information
- Digital soil data, soil maps and Soil Suitability maps available as open-source information
- Develops different thematic maps.
- PGRRI houses Biodiversity data but not digitized
- Data is mostly open source but there are no digital databases for most of the data being housed.
- No APIs exist for retrieval of specifics of data
- Has some useful existing digital tools
- Collaborate to develop APIs for data feed into other systems
- Collaborate with Scientist during dashboards and Apps development
- Support CSIR to digitize their traditional data (eg. Biodiversity data)
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Benard Fiafor
- Dates of Engagement or Review:
- Category of Institution: Farm Radio / Private NGO
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To investigate data holdings and data needs of Farm Radio
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Houses Audio recordings of short information and facts for Agric Extension
- ouses written material on both crops and climate
- Houses questions and answers bank. Limitation is that the data is not digitized.
- Data and information are open sourceData Needs: Research outputs
- Opportunity to digitize materials as part of the Ag-Data Hub implementation
- Develop APIs to allow third-part access of information and to allow integration for dashboard
- Questions and Answers bank can be digitized to feed existing tools like the CSIR Agritech Advisor
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Prospera Okra
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 30th Nov, 2021
- Category of Institution: Department of Agricultural & Extension Services (DAES)
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To understand extension data holding sources in Ghana
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Excel sheet of all FBOs in Ghana
- Disseminates information on policies, practices, training modules, etc
- Input is mostly from RELC and Agricultural Extension Reports
- There is currently no digital platforms for harnessing the RELC and Extension Reports
- DAES is open to discussions to assist them in digitizing RELC and Extension Quarterly Reports
- These reports could improve information shared on policy dashboards
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: Lawrence Alato (0249173334)
- Dates of Engagement or Review:
- Category of Institution: Plant Protection and Regulatory Services (PPRS)
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To understand extension data holding sources in Ghana
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- Responsible for verification and approval of Agro Chemicals
- Try to understand data ownership agreements between MOFA and various partners
- Has information on approved and Non-Hazardous chemicals and updates list regularly
Key Informants/Reviewed Documents: (Lead on Gender and Social Inclusion, IITA)
- Dates of Engagement or Review: 30th Nov, 2021
- Category of Institution: NGO
- Objective of Engagement or Review: To understand sector data/Information needs and expected Use-Cases for the Ag-Data Hub
- Methods Used: Interview
- Key Findings:
- MOFA is currently working with multiple stakeholders on different partners (both public and private) in the collection and storage of key information. Most of the data collected sits on partner infrastructure.
- In most cases there are no access APIs developed on the partner database to allow easy integration or data extraction by third-party systems.
- MOFA is pushing for an absolute infrastructure where all of its data will be engineered, stored and shared.
- Try to understand data ownership agreements between MOFA and various partners
- If agreements allow access to some of the databases or data sources at MOFA then there may be opportunity for the Agdata hub to source data from existing systems.