Improving Agricultural Market Performance:
Developing Agricultural Market Information Systems
9
1.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY As demonstrated in discussions in Part 1 of this report, agricultural MIS in developing countries
has been evolving. For instance, advances in information and communications technology (ICT)
contributed to the leap from what is described as First Generation MIS (1GMIS) to Second
Generation MIS (2GMIS). The expectation has been that the introduction of ICT will improve the
quality and timeliness of information provided, thereby triggering increased uptake by users.
Furthermore, it emerges from the discussions that, in many countries, a range of multiple
providers became engaged in providing information targeting a similar audience, mainly
smallholder farmers and traders.The basic hypothesis in this study is that though technology and type of provider are important,
they are not sufficient in ensuring that an existing MIS can meet the fundamental expectations
of the target audience as well as contribute significantly to required improvements in
agricultural marketing systems in developing countries. Based on this hypothesis, the study
seeks not only to map out existing MIS in OIC and non-OIC countries but also to identify success
factors on the basis of which we can outline policy recommendations related to existing MIS as
well as broader linkages with the development of efficient and transparent agricultural markets
in the OIC member countries. The framework for analysis applied in the study is depicted in
Figure 1. It includes reviewing the existing sources of market information and the characteristics
of the information provided. These are subsequently assessed against the backdrop of the type
of information that key stakeholders require.