Genesis
RUN stands for Rural Universe Network. Originally it was a project of the Center for Documentation and Information in Agriculture (ZADI, Germany) that was launched in the context of the Expo2000 (Hannover; Germany) with support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF).The main objective of the initial project was to take advantage of the internet in order to give farmers a voice. A series of subsequent projects led to the development of the RUN business mode that is outlined in this paper.
Purpose
The general purpose of the RUN business model is to improve the performance of the agricultural innovation system. It is an operational framework that enables the collaboration between a large number of independent actors and organizations for the provision of paid development services.
The framework comprises a procedure for the definition of services, a system for seamless documentation of all processes and a work-flow management system that assures delivery and the timely payment of involved actors.
How it works
The RUN business model pursues a collaborative, result oriented and demand driven approach for the provision of services that aim at satisfying the particular needs of individual persons or organisations. The system takes advantage of young professionals and the Internet to pool and organise human resources and local initiatives for the provision of services.
An example is the information exchange service (IES-service) that enables farmers to present an agricultural problem they may have and to receive expert feedback by the intermediary of field agent and knowledge manager. The graph below illustrates the different steps from the design to the delivery of the service, the role of the different actors and the costs involved.
The RUN business model can be used for all kind of services from vocational training to making radio programs. Please, click here to view the list of complementary services that were successfully implemented during eRAILS2 project that was carried out by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food of Germany (BLE) following the RUN business model in collaboration with FARA and with support of the Africa Development Bank.
Benefits
The involvement of different actors with complimentary skills and institutional background is aiming at building up collective know-how that is required for the delivery of complex services. Besides the primary benefit of the IES service for the farmer, who receives feedback from an expert concerning a specific constraint, the service has a number of secondary benefits. The service stimulates learning at all levels of the innovation system. It is an opportunity for young professionals and local initiatives to generate income through paid services as a driving force for knowledge exchange. The graph below gives an overview of the multiple benefits of the IES service.
Core principles
1. Demand driven: All services are delivered following the demand that is expressed by an individual. They evaluate the services upon delivery.
2. Build on the local economy: The prices of services are determined on the basis of the prices of the local economy. Services are delivered in collaboration with existing initiatives, small businesses and young professionals.
3. Result oriented: A service is a set of clearly defined tasks involving several actors, so called Task Agents. Tasks mangers are paid for the delivery of the results. They may freely organise their work as long as they deliver the results in time.
4. Payment upon delivery: Involved Task Agents are paid upon delivery of the service.
5. Transparency: The supporting information system assures timely and complete documentation of all processes on the Internet, while ensuring the protection of individual rights. Hard-copies are made accessible to the communities in local archives.
The Film - A bridge between science and farmers
The documentary "A Bridge between Science and Farmers" about the Information Exchange Service permits a better understanding of the business model. The length of the documentary is 14 minutes.
