ShambaConnect: case study on the hybrid design of an application for Kenyan extension officers

Technology is increasingly viewed as a proponent for development, including its role in improving access to information. New technology applications are being developed to disrupt traditional sectors, such as agriculture, which form the backbone of several African economies. However, we need to carefully consider the technologies we are creating, how disruptive they are to intended users' cultural and socio-economical settings and the potential for impactful usage and scaling. This is an experience paper that retrospectively reviews the development of ShambaConnect, a user-centric web- and mobile-based application built to increase the access of critical agriculture research to Kenyan extension workers and farmers. The paper outlines the use of qualitative methods, participatory ethnography and user experience tests to collect feedback from government extension workers; and the process of prototyping and testing the ShambaConnect platform based on this feedback. The paper discusses key learning points from the process including the need to consider contextual limitations such as availability of Internet, occupational habits and the key role that trust and partnerships plays in the successful development and deployment of such specialty tools.