IRRI, CIAT assess the cost-effectiveness of digital climate advisory services in Myanmar through the AMD Initiative

The CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega Deltas (AMD) will examine the cost-effectiveness and outcomes of digital climate advisory services (DCAS+) for farmers in Myanmar. DCAS+ provides timely weather advisories and farming recommendations through various channels, helping farmers reduce production losses from climate risks. Findings from this study will improve the design, delivery, and sustainability of DCAS+ to maximize its reach and impact. If proven effective, it will help generate more investments in initiatives that can scale its benefits among farmers and fisherfolk in climate-risk areas. DCAS+ is led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in partnership with other CGIAR centers, governments, and private sector partners.

In Myanmar, DCAS+ is provided by the Village Link Company Limited to rice, pulse, and fish farmers through various digital platforms such as mobile applications (HTwet Toe), social media channels (Facebook, Youtube), and online messaging applications (Viber, Telegram).  These channels aid farming communities in Myanmar by providing weather forecasts and alerts, market information, pest and disease outbreak alerts, and recommended practices to improve their decision-making in production and marketing. Meanwhile, its social media platforms establish a digital community allowing farmers to exchange ideas and communicate in real-time with agriculturists and extension agents to seek advice.

Gearing for the OneCG Portfolio 2025-2030, the AMD Initiative is positioned to gather evidence of successes and draw implementation lessons through a series of outcome studies. One of these is the upcoming assessment of the cost-effectiveness of DCAS+ in Myanmar, which aims to assess its returns on investment (ROI) and solicit feedback from rice farmers regarding its effectiveness and usability. Further, the study will assess viable options and delivery business models to enhance DCAS+  and ensure its sustainability.

The study's data collection will be done through computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) using the Survey Solutions software developed by the World Bank. The software has a function that can be used offline, which is conducive to data collection even in far-flung farming communities.

In preparation for the study, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Impact Assessment (MELIA) Team of IRRI facilitated the training of trainers (ToT) on October 7–8, 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand. Officers from the Village Link Company Limited attended the training. With guidance from the IRRI MELIA Team, these trainers are expected to train the enumerators who will directly interview the farmer-respondents.

The ToT began with an introduction to CAPI for the participants, followed by a detailed questionnaire discussion. This discussion emphasized key features of Survey Solutions that support data quality, streamline data collection, and facilitate efficient submission and processing. Afterward, participants conducted a mock test to familiarize themselves with the software and the questionnaire. This mock testing provided valuable insights for refining and adapting the questionnaire to the Myanmar context.

Enumerators will be trained in the 1st week of November, and the actual data collection will occur in the 2nd  week of November.

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