System Impact and Evaluation

Evaluation of SmartBarrow

The next section evaluates the impact of SmartBarrow through a human-centered framework based on Activity Theory. This is a theoretical framework for analysing human practices as developmental processes with both individual and social levels interlinked at the same time (Kuutti, 1996). This framework uses ‘activity’ as the basic unit for studying human practices. Activity or ‘what people do’ is reflected through actions as people interact with their environment. (Mwanza,  2001). The evaluation of SmartBarrow involves four types of users and four categories of questions. The checklist is based on the model developed by Moretn Fjeld for the project BUILD-IT, which draws on the Activity Theory checklist (Kaptelinin et al., 1999).

Table 1: Activity Checklist

Activity Checklist	FARMER	TRADER	CONSUMER	COLLABORATORS
Desired Outcomes: Does SMART BARROW facilitate achievement of user goals?	Connects farmers to consumers and provides online platform which provides information on consumer pull. Provides community support for farmer by enabling consumers to visit or work on the farm and invites pre-payment on future harvests.	Effective way to increase trader awareness of detailed product information in situ. Provides food provenance information to pass on to consumer as a marketing tool. Food narratives engage impulse buyers in the scheme. Stock control opportunities.	Provides an easier, quicker way to shop for local food. Gives information about food provenance through a simple and attractive website which increases local food awareness.	Aligns with goals to establish a local food network and marketplace in Lancaster. Makes goals more realisable and more scaleable in a shorter time frame.
Environment: How well does SMART BARROW fit into the present work environment of the users?	Medium fit: Changes their ways of packing produce, an additional step is added to the process (printing the QR code). However does not require costly new infrastructure and farmers can relate to the idea of labelling produce.	Good fit: Could operate as an effective  automated check-out and billing system.	Good fit: System allows different levels of participation. Makes shopping a more fun and meaningful experience with links to food-related local activities and incentives. However to access all of the information consumer needs access to website through computer or smart phone.	Excellent fit: fulfills established need, individual collaborators become involved in the way that best suits their own interests and level of commitment.
Co-Participation: What support through actions will the users contribute to SMART BARROW?	Providing feedback to modify the device for local needs, contributing and maintaining the individual farm blogs.	Selling local food Retelling farm stories Contributing and maintaining the individual seller blogs.	Buying local food. Visiting local food producers. Investing in future harvests. Voluntary provision of labor to farmers. Adding user generated content to website – recipes, photos, food tales etc.	As for consumers and: unpaid contributions as traders, farm labourers, event organisers, campaigners, disseminators of the scheme nationally, mentors, expert advisors.
Learning: What training demands are made by SMART BARROW?	Producer needs to learn to use the device in the packing process.	Seller needs to learn to use the device in the sales process and to learn to pass on food information to customers in an engaging manner.	No training needed. Website will link to food-related skills exchange activities such as how to cook with local seasonal produce.	Training needs are self-organising through communities of practice model.
Development: How will SMART BARROW affect the development of local food systems?	Empirical evidence shows that it could enable farmers to realise their plans for a local food cooperative in Lancaster.	Empirical evidence suggests it would increase their ability to grow their client base, increasing the number and frequency of markets and the planned permanent local food hub in Lancaster Market.	Empirical evidence shows that local consumers will buy more local produce if it is convenient, and can appreciate the added benefits of buying local.	Local food campaigns can finally leave the planning stages, Eat Local Plan can be developed over next 10 years.
How will SMART BARROW affect the development of community cohesion?	Farmers will work together rather than compete against each other. Wholesale produce can be traded among farmers, for example to offload surplus. Working towards a common goal to build the resilience of local farming.	Traders will act as the pivotal link between shoppers and farmers, bringing the two together through narratives and opportunities for physical interaction on farms etc. and encouraging impulse buyers to join the SmartBarrow community.	Access to dialogue channels and network to other members of the community farmers and consumers through the system. Increased sense of belonging and sense of place.	Collaborators interact with each other and the local community, strengthening and expanding existing networks of people interested in local food.
How will SMART BARROW affect the development of environmental sustainability?	Encourages the development of local multi-crop sustainable agriculture, supporting biodiversity.	Decreases transportation as seller sells from centralised locations in the city.	Reduces food wastage as consumers buy more considerately and in smaller batches. Reduces packaging waste. Reduces car use to access supermarkets.	Helps promote the transition to more sustainable lifestyles. Is a tool to disseminate across transition networks, thus spreading its impact.

The first part of this section presents the SmartBarrow user types considered, while the second part introduces the Activity Checklist. Drawing on various forms of information obtained from the users and previous studies, the four categories of questions selected from the checklist are answered. Hence, the four subsequent parts give an extensive,  though informal, evaluation of the SmartBarrow system.

User Types

Our evaluation takes into account the requirements of three potential user types: the farmers, traders and consumers. Table 2 describes the users who were interviewed, who they are, what part of the system is targeted at them and which their actions are targeted.

Defining Features	FARMER	TRADER	CONSUMER	COLLABORATORS
Sample size	6	10	30	20
Who are they?	Local producers of food using sustainable agriculture philosophies (small-scale growers, multi-culture agriculture, permaculturist, Community Supported Agriculture entrepreneur).	Traders of local food based in Lancaster market, Lancaster city centre and local farmers trading direct to customers.	Lancaster shoppers. Transition City Lancaster members, Lancaster University students, Lancaster market shoppers, Local residents.	Open Source Hardware Hackers, Transition Group members, Farm Volunteers.
What is their target technology?	SmartBarrow QR printer device & website	SmartBarrow QR tags, website,	SmartBarrow QR tags, website.	SmartBarrow QR tags, website,
What are their target actions?	Selling produce Building brand Planning what to plant over the growing season	Selling produce Building brand	Choosing produce Buying produce Leisure on farms Investment on farms Lifestyle choice	Supporting the development helping to support and maintain the scheme
Who interpreted this data?	The responses of the farmers were interpreted by the SmartBarrow team, mentors and consumer groups (i.e Transition Lancaster).	The responses of the traders were interpreted by the  SmartBarrow team and mentors.	The responses of the consumers were interpreted by the SmartBarrow  team and mentors.	The responses were interpreted by the  SmartBarrow team and mentors.

Table note: Target technology is a specific technology serving as a tool to carry out target actions. Empiricial data and feedback from the users was gathered during the course of the research in interviews, chats, observations, walk-talks and mapping exercises.