ABSTRACT
This chapter reports on the functioning of online chat groups in the context of agricultural advisory services. We draw insights from the experiences of the Plantwise programme, led by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), embracing online chat groups to support frontline advisory staff, and national and international plant health specialists. Emerging as a spontaneous bottom-up innovation initiated by frontline advisory staff, these chat groups have matured into avenues for knowledge-sharing to support plant health systems. Through continuous monitoring, backstopping, and rapid diagnosis of emerging pests the groups played a key role in providing timely pest diagnoses, quality advice of measures, and served as an early warning system. However, to sustainably structure, embed, and support the functioning of these monitoring and backstopping chat groups, we study and reflect upon the composition, interaction, and complementary role of Plantwise and other chat groups in the pluralistic agricultural advisory systems of Africa. Using the lessons learnt we then consider how they can be more deliberately used and integrated to support service delivery.
