Tools
Digital Village Readiness Assessment Tool
A survey-based tool for assessing district/village digitalization readiness
Through the Digital Villages Initiative, FAO is supporting countries in promoting digitalization, bridging the digital divide, enhancing digital literacy, and advising on digital village development models to ensure equitable access to digital technologies for all, including small-scale farmers, women, youth, and marginal communities.
The Digital Villages Readiness Assessment Tool (DVRAT) applies a 360-degree evaluation of the digitalization status, readiness, potential, and opportunities for accelerating digital solutions at the district, local, or village level in line with national strategies, programmes, and initiatives.
Publication
E-agriculture strategy guide a summary
2022
This abridged e-agriculture strategy guide is intended for use by agriculture sector managers/leaders in government ministries, departments and agencies...
The DV Readiness Tool provides an assessment of:
- Basic and last-mile digital infrastructure (internet connectivity, last-mile infrastructure, literacy, capacity development, and training services);
- Demand for digital services (opportunities for data and digital solutions to solve pressing problems and improve efficiency, productivity, and well-being);
- Availability of deployable digital solutions (and their business models);
- Availability of supporting digital services (e-banking, digital technologies, data platforms, and other ICT innovations), and local ownership of digital innovations, solutions, or services, including young entrepreneurs, local champions, and;
- Local governance support.
Test-Piloted Countries
The Tool was developed by FAO and test-piloted in several countries under the DVI. Below is a brief summary of its applications in selected Asian countries.
Indonesia
The DV Readiness Assessment Tool was implemented in 17 digital villages across West Java Province. The assessment was part of the Digital Landscape assessment in West Java, which focused on digital solutions in agrifood and rural development.
Scenes of data collection using the FAO Digital Villages Readiness Assessment Tool
More findings of digital village assessment:
Villages in Indonesia|
All villages
Sri Lanka
The DV Readiness Tool was applied to Sri Lanka to address two recommendations from the Digital Agriculture Strategy of Sri Lanka, namely:
- to improve the awareness, education, and skills of farmers, extension workers, livestock herders, and other sector end users by creating and disseminating credible agricultural knowledge remotely; and
- to reduce the demand-supply gap, and enhance outreach and profitability of Sri Lankan products and services through vibrant e-agriculture market places and efficient logistics.
The Tool was applied in 10 digital villages to assess the feasibility of introducing e-extension and e-marketing platforms for rural communities.
More findings of digital village assessment:
Villages in Sri Lanka | All villages
Thailand
The Digital Villages Readiness tool was applied to ten pilot digital villages, where smart farming and smart applications in agrifood and rural development are being tested with support from the Digital Economy Promotion Agency. The pilot digital solutions range from agrifood value chain traceability, good agricultural practices, drone-supported operations, IoT and sensor-based automated greenhouse management, and other IoT agrifood processes.
Durian pest control training in Noen 491 village, Chumphon province, Thailand
More findings of digital village assessment:
Villages in Thailand | All villages
Viet Nam
Using the FAO DV readiness assessment tool, the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) developed a Digital Village models test piloted over four
different communes (district/villages) in three provinces, namely:
- Yen Hoa commune, Yen Mo district (e-commerce platform; telehealth);
- Tuong Son Commune, Thach Ha District (traceability of organic vegetables);
- Dong Rui commune, Tien Yen District (Shrimp farming automation); and
- Dai Binh commune, Dam Ha district (cashless payments and QR code-based transactions).
A field survey using the FAO Tool was conducted to assess digitalization status, needs, and opportunities for digital innovations, technologies, and services in these districts/villages, based on which a pilot DV model was developed.
Digital innovations in villages assessed by the Digital Villages Readiness Assessment Tool (DVRAT)
More findings of digital village assessment:
Villages in Viet Nam (soon available) | All villages