How can I get involved?
Are you and your team ready for iSIKHNAS
Whilst much effort has been gone into minimising change, the new iSIKHNAS will inevitably bring about some change for all staff. It will be important to consider the impact of this change and to ask your team if you are ready for the challenges as well as the benefits ahead.
The ease of implementation of iSIKHNAS is influenced by the presence of several factors, including
- A network of village based animal health reporters (pelsa) who can act as a contact point between the community and Dinas staff.
- A willingness among staff to change routines and adopt new ways of working
- An appreciation of the value of accurate data for decision-making
- A motivation to access comprehensive animal health data on a local as well as broader level
- A clear desire to provide improved services to farmers and to build good relationships between the community and veterinary services.
- A willingness to train staff, monitor and support their work in a consistently positive and constructive manner and ensure good work satisfaction
- An ability to learn from and respond to the data collected in a responsible and considered way
- A desire to better target resources and activities to meet the deficits exposed by this newly available data
- A clear desire to see the whole team better occupied by core animal health work rather than purely administration
- A preparedness to be a part of the entire iSIKHNAS system, adapt as it grows and develops in response to user demands, influence its future in a collaborative way and assist in ensuring its safekeeping.
Preparation checklist
- A good general awareness of the requirements and benefits of the system among staff
- A local coordinator appointed carefully - enthusiastic, good communicator and a natural leader
- Staff and management open and willing to change
- Good relationships and communication between staff
- Ready to adopt the founding principles of iSIKHNAS
- Motivated to learn and invest some effort
- Motivated and interested communities and village level reporters appointed (and trained)
As any system matures, it is valuable to keep in mind of the founding principles upon which it was designed and built. iSIKHNAS will become the backbone of all Indonesia's efforts to improve animal health, secure the livelihoods of livestock owners and ensure good management of production and food supply in the country. It was designed and built in careful collaboration with a wide range of dedicated staff working for improved animal health in many different regions.
iSIKHNAS was designed so that it should;
- be flexible, user-friendly, sustainable and bring benefit to all of its users.
- meet the needs of users from as many sectors of the livestock industry as possible.
- use appropriate technology and not require great change to existing systems.
- integrate existing systems to facilitate the collaborative use of data.
- simplify and ease the data entry burden and ensure the rapid availability of data from the field.
- recognise the vital contribution each user plays in the transfer of information.
- provide benefit and good service to all its users.
- make all data widely and freely available for decision making at all levels and for a multitude of purposes.
A system coordinator will have to be appointed. This person will be vital to the successful adoption and implementation of the system. Their leadership and guidance will help to ensure the important guiding principles remain fundamental to the system and its users. iSIKHNAS is not a data collection tool but an integrated system which will empower its users with access to relevant, up to date information rapidly and cheaply so that they can concentrate on core activities. As a coordinator, you are part of the new animal health service which is built on good relationships, clear and timely communication, leadership and support.
Whilst much effort has been gone into minimising change, the new iSIKHNAS will inevitably bring about some change for all staff. Every coordinator will have to be equipped to chaperone newcomers to the system, assist in training and system operations, offer support by telephone and email, monitor reporting, errors and address weaknesses. Staff should be congratulated and thanked, given positive reinforcement for their successful engagement with the system and assisted wherever there are difficulties. Collaboration with livestock owners and their communities should give benefit or have positive outcomes at every interaction. At every step, we should remember that this is a system for providing a service to all its users equally. If everyone contributes with this in mind we will all benefit.