Does the environment in which ICT-based market information services (MIS) projects operate affect their performance? Experiences from Kenya

The need to provide agricultural information to farmers has led to emergence of numerous ICTbasedMIS projects in developing country. These projects aim at promoting commercialization ofsmallholder agriculture and subsequently their welfare. This study examines the how theenvironment in which such ICT-based MIS affect their performance. It specifically uses theDrumNet project, an ICT-based MIS, to assess how the socio-economic, physical, political andphysical environment in the project areas affected its performance. The study finds that thosetransaction-related problems, especially strategic default, deriving from these environmentalfactors greatly undermined the performance of DrumNet forcing it to relocate severally. Itdiscusses policy implications of these findings.