The phases are translated into practice through the practical guidelines and worksheets.

PHASE 1 - Needs Analysis

Practical Guideline 1: Define the development needs of the people i.e. list and describe the socio-economic problems that they are facing and the specific human development goals and objectives - short term and long-term.

Worksheet 1: Needs Analysis - About the People
Brief statement about the socio-economic activities of the target audience of the web site:

The web site is designed for Zambian based small and large scale farmers producing fresh fruits, vegetables and horticultural products for the export market with an annual income that is over US$1000. Some of the produce from these farmers include the following: cabbages, paprika, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, tubes and herbs, dry vegetables, mangoes and roses.

Worksheet 1A: Needs Analysis - Socio-Economic Problems
Socio-Economic Problems:

Practical Guideline 2: List the cultural tendencies of people and their attitude to new technologies, in particular Internet technologies.

Worksheet 1B: List People's Cultural Tendencies and Attitude to New Technologies
Cultural Tendencies Attitude to New Technologies

A majority of the farmers live in rural areas. They are aware of Internet technologies - but most of them have never used the technology.

There is an immature technological culture. They are however interested and enthusiastic about using web sites and email, already big takers of mobile phones using them for voice communication. They are consumers of western technologies. They apply the technologies with little innovation.

Practical Guideline 3: List the social, economic and political environment of the country of the where the people are living or the industry if the web resource is for people in a particular sector.

Worksheet 1C: Social, Economic and Political Environment

Social Environment:
Most people in the country are poor and a large number of them are involved in agricultural activities. Most of the farmers live in rural areas where the infrastructure is poorly developed.

Economic Environment:
The country is highly dependent on agriculture. The export of fresh vegetables and horticultural produce is dominated by large commercial farmers, even though they are budding small-scale producers in and around major cities.

Political Environment:
The country's politically stable even though there is a general need for change. Democracy prevails in Zambia, but generally things could be better.

Practical Guideline 4: Describe the Internet environment where the beneficiaries of the resource are living. Issues to highlight are the mode of access to the web site, Internet access speeds and cost to access the service.

Worksheet 1D: The Internet Environment

Mode of Access to the Internet:
Access to the Internet is difficult for a lot of people who are going to be beneficiaries of the web site. Most of them don't have their own access to the Internet and are still novice users.

Internet Access Speed:
Internet speeds are notoriously slow - a ubiquitous problem throughout Southern Africa. It takes a very long time to access web sites. This will be a major factor in designing the content of the web site e.g. less use of heavy graphics.

Cost to access the Internet:
Using cybercafes is expensive for a majority of the farmers. It costs about US$4 per hour to surf the net. Monthly Internet costs using ISPs are also high and will prove to be a disincentive for a majority of the target audience who will not fully benefit from the web site in the immediate future.

Practical Guideline 5: Assess the people's existing sources of information and document the constraints and problems they are experiencing with these information services i.e. map out the current information gaps and how they are affecting people in their daily lives and work.

Worksheet 1E: Information Needs

A questionnaire was designed to assess the information needs of the target population. Some of them were filled by farmers who came to the Web Knitter's Workshops in Lusaka and Ndola - two of the largest cities in Zambia. Others were filled by the farmers on their premises after a visit by one of the team members in the initiative.

Current Sources of Information:
Agricultural information is mainly sourced through friends and colleagues, extension workers, newsletters, company brochures, books, workshops and seminars, radio and TV.

Type of the Information Sought:
Most farmers seek information about farming techniques, farming inputs, extension services, information that adds to the body of knowledge about actual farming activities, where to sell their produce.

Type of information needed:

Practical Guideline 6: Draw up a checklist of people's information seeking behaviour.

Worksheet 1F: Information Seeking Behaviour
Characteristics Relevant to Web Resource

People are always on the lookout for information. They have to travel to the city and sometimes spend the whole day just trying to make enquiries about new agricultural techniques, pesticides etc. A web resource providing such critical information will serve them travelling time and the cost of making the journeys some of which are always unfruitful or they get the information after many visits - certainly wasting time that could be used on their farms. They do look for information and that is positive for the web site as one would expect them to rely on it for current information.

PAPWEC In Practice