Agile Practices in a Small-Scale, Time-Intensive Web Development Project

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuesong Zhang ◽  
B. Dorn
Keyword(s):  
Development Project ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Web Development ◽  
Agile Practices

The Economics of the Soy Kit as an Appropriate Household Technology for Food Entrepreneurs

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-115
Author(s):  
Chungmann Kim ◽  
Peter Goldsmith
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Credit Access ◽  
Feed The Future ◽  
High Level

Background: The ability for women to operate as food entrepreneurs presents opportunities to leverage at-home production technologies that not only support family nutrition but also generate income. To these ends, the Feed the Future Malawi Agriculture Diversification Activity recently launched a development project involving a new technology, the Soy Kit. The Activity, a USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funded effort, sought to improve nutrition utilizing an underutilized local and highly nutritious feedstuff, soybean, through a woman’s entrepreneurship scheme. Objective: The USAID funded effort provides the overarching research question, whether the Soy Kit is a sustainable technology for delivering nutrition and income through a women’s entrepreneurship scheme. If true, then development practitioners will have a valuable tool, and the associated evidence, to address the important crosscutting themes, of nutrition, poverty, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment. To answer this research question, the research team first evaluates the underlying production economics of the kit to measure profitability, return on investment, and operational performance. Second, the team qualitatively and quantitatively assesses the kit’s overall appropriateness as a technology for the developing world. Methods: The team follows the schema of Bower and Brown and utilizes descriptive statistics, and financial techniques to conduct an assessment of the economics and technical appropriateness of the Soy Kit technology. Results: The results show a high level of appropriateness across a number of metrics. For example, the payback period from cash flow is under 6 months and the annual return on capital is 163% when entrepreneurs utilize a domestically sourced kit valued at US$80. Conclusion: The technology matches well with the rhythm of household economy, in particular women’s labor availability and resource base. Businesses earn significant returns on capital thus appear to be sustainable without donor subsidy. At the same time, available capital to finance kit entrepreneurs appears to be scarce. More research needs to take place to address the credit access question, in order to make small-scale kit entrepreneur truly self-reliant; the effects on poverty reduction at the household and village level; and nutrition improvement among the consumers.

scholarly journals Analysis of the effects of Zimbabwean white farmers on small scale farming in Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Olaniyi Adewumi ◽  
Ayodele Jimoh ◽  
Olubunmi Abayomi Omotesho
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Policy Option ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The World ◽  
White Farmers ◽  
Local Farmers

Many observers believe that the on-going liberalization of the world will have dramatic negative effects on small farmers in both developed and developing countries. This study aims to capture the effects of the presence of foreign migrant farmers on small scale farm­ing systems, which are prevalent in Nigeria. The Agricultural Development Project Zone D in which the white farmers settled in the state of Kwara, was used as a case study. Primary data were collected from white farmers as well as from local farmers regarding their situ­ation before and after the arrival of white farmers. Descriptive statistics and analysis of the farm budget were used in evaluating the data. The majority of local farmers (98.63%) transitioned towards sole cropping since the arrival of white farmers in the area. There were significant increases in seed rate, fertilizer and other chemicals, as well as labor inputs per farmer in the area when compared to the situation that was prevalent before the white farmers settled there. Their average farm size, distances between their houses and farms and tractor use reduced significantly, while output per farm size increased considerably since the arrival of white farmers in the area. In order to provide sustainability of the posi­tive development, there is the need to seek a policy option that will calm local farmers who once in a while exhibit signs of dissatisfaction for the way in which white farmers came to settle on their land. These could be achieved through the use of the participatory approach to agricultural development in the area. This approach could also be relevant in other re­gions of the world with similar situations. 

Risks Management in Agile New Product Development Project Environments

2020 ◽  
pp. 1835-1869
Author(s):  
Brian J. Galli ◽  
Paola Andrea Hernandez Lopez
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Products ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Agile Project Management ◽  
Product Development Project ◽  
Agile Practices ◽  
Innovative Products

This article reviews the risks associated with the implementation of Agile Project Management practices in projects that involved new products development in manufacturing companies and identified according to existing research the best strategies to approach those risks. Further, this article analyzes the events that can affect the implementation of APM practices in projects that involve the development of new products within manufacturing companies and provides some strategies to mitigate, avoid, and minimize the likelihood if they become risks and its impact in the customer requirements. Principal risks in manufacturing companies were highlighted, and its probability and impact were evaluated regarding scope, quality, schedule, and cost. Risk responses and strategies were noted align with the purpose of the agile practices, which is to deliver innovative products quickly and with high-quality standards.

Risks Management in Agile New Product Development Project Environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 37-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Galli ◽  
Paola Andrea Hernandez Lopez
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Products ◽  
New Product ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Customer Requirements ◽  
Product Development Project ◽  
Agile Practices ◽  
Innovative Products

This article reviews the risks associated with the implementation of Agile Project Management practices in projects that involved new products development in manufacturing companies and identified according to existing research the best strategies to approach those risks. Further, this article analyzes the events that can affect the implementation of APM practices in projects that involve the development of new products within manufacturing companies and provides some strategies to mitigate, avoid, and minimize the likelihood if they become risks and its impact in the customer requirements. Principal risks in manufacturing companies were highlighted, and its probability and impact were evaluated regarding scope, quality, schedule, and cost. Risk responses and strategies were noted align with the purpose of the agile practices, which is to deliver innovative products quickly and with high-quality standards.

scholarly journals Feminization of African Agriculture and the Meaning of Decision-Making for Empowerment and Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8993
Author(s):  
Ruth Haug ◽  
Dismas L. Mwaseba ◽  
Donald Njarui ◽  
Mokhele Moeletsi ◽  
Mufunanji Magalasi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Women Farmers ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Feminization Of Agriculture

The purpose of this study was to assess women’s decision-making power in small-scale agriculture in six African countries in view of the feminization of agriculture and to discuss the meaning of decision-making in relation to women’s empowerment and sustainability. The data are drawn from a multisite and mixed-method agricultural research and development project in six sub-Saharan countries including two sites in each country. The five domains of empowerment outlined in the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index are used to structure the analysis. The results indicate that in the selected sites in Malawi, Rwanda and South Africa, women farmers tend to dominate agricultural decision-making, while the result is more mixed in the Kenyan sites, and decision-making tends to be dominated by men in the sites in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Despite women participating in agricultural decision-making, the qualitative results show that women small-scale farmers were not perceived to be empowered in any of the country sites. It appears that the feminization of agriculture leads to women playing a more important role in decision-making but also to more responsibilities and heavier workloads without necessarily resulting in improvements in well-being outcomes that would enhance sustainability.

scholarly journals Institutional Hurdles to Student Humanitarian Groups: Lessons Learned from a Failed Project

2014 ◽  
pp. 540-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Suhr ◽  
Timothy Griswold ◽  
Riannon Heighes ◽  
Nathanael Hill ◽  
Rachel Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Development Project ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Complex Environment ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Student Chapter ◽  
Primary Institutions ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Idaho ◽  
Engineers Without Borders

This paper examines the authors’ experience with a small scale, community level development project and the challenges of working with a network of institutions. Small-scale development projects are supported by a network of institutions that are essential to project success but create an inherent level of complication that may be daunting to student-based humanitarian organizations. Through a thorough examination of this institutional system, its complexity, and mechanisms which can lead to a project failure, this paper contributes to the knowledge base available to the development community. First presented is the background and development of a University of Idaho Student Chapter of Engineers Without Borders chapter and their initial project in Bolivia, which ultimately failed. Our discussion will focus primarily on the interactions between the chapter and the primary institutions that we worked with including the University of Idaho, Engineers Without Borders USA, and Engineers in Action Bolivia. This is followed by an analysis of these interactions, the hurdles that arose within each institution, and recommendations for addressing such challenges. By examining these institutional hurdles, our goal is to provide other organizations with information useful to navigate the complex environment of community development work.

Farming carps in leased ponds by groups in Chandpur, Bangladesh.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation System ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Command Area ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Freshwater Aquaculture ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Command Areas

Abstract This case study was prepared as part of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) Special Evaluation Study (SES) on Small-Scale Freshwater Rural Aquaculture for Poverty Reduction. The SES used primary and secondary data and published information to document the human, social, natural, physical and financial capital available to poor people involved in the production and consumption of freshwater farmed fish and to identify channels through which the poor are affected, such as through access to livelihood assets, markets and prices, access to services and facilities, and key institutions and processes. The case study is based on a part of the small-scale fisheries development component of the ADB-financed Command Area Development Project (CADP). The project developed on-farm field irrigation channels, improved the existing water distribution and drainage systems, and provided minor flood protection in the respective command areas of Pabna Irrigation System (PIS) located in Pabna District and Meghna-Dhonagoda Irrigation System (MDIS) located in Chandpur District. This case study focuses on small-scale freshwater aquaculture development in Matlab Upazila of the MDIS command area. An Upazila is an administrative government unit consisting of unions, each of which consists of villages. Aquaculture was developed within the irrigation command areas by providing extension services, organizational and management development support, and credit inputs primarily in small ponds for the poor.

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