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Group Study Report by TEAM IKIGAI

IATSS Forum Program, Batch 59, Spring Forum

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Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................................3

I. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................4

1.1. Team Introduction....................................................................................................................4

1.2. Team Name and Logo............................................................................................................4

II. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DESIGN......................................................................................5

2.1 How do we define an “IDEAL SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY”?.........................................5

2.2 How important are stakeholders’ roles in a sustainable community?...............................5

III. GROUP DISCUSSION PROCESS.............................................................................................6

3.1 Criteria Selection.......................................................................................................................6

3.2 Project Selection Process........................................................................................................7

IV. BACKGROUND INFORMATION................................................................................................7

4.1. Current Situation in Cambodia...............................................................................................7

V. SUCCESS STORIES USING SIMILAR PROJECT MODELS...............................................10

5.1. Sayurbox, Indonesia..............................................................................................................10

5.2. Coffee for Peace (CFP), Philippines...................................................................................11

5.3. Sun Leang from PunNghealeang village, Prey Veng Province, Cambodia..................12

VII. COMMUNITY NEED AND MINDSET......................................................................................15

7.1 What is the Community need and mindset in our target community?.............................15

7.2 Current situation:.....................................................................................................................16

VIII. OVERALL GOAL AND PURPOSE.........................................................................................17

IX. PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS.................................................................................18

X. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE...............................................................................................19

XI. BUDGET PLAN............................................................................................................................22

XII. Annexes.......................................................................................................................................23

Annex 1: Project Design Matrix..................................................................................................23

Annex 2: Project Operation Planning.........................................................................................26

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Our project, “Bonlea Phum Yerng” (Vegetable from our Village) or BPY is

conceptualized to provide a direct channel between the farmers and the consumers

through online selling, while incorporating capacity building in Tamul Village, Kampong

Cham Province, Cambodia. This project was inspired by our learning journey in the

IATSS Forum Program particularly our visit to Moku-Moku Farm. Likewise, we were

inspired by the empowered Noda community in Kobe, Japan.

We have decided to work on this project and choose Tamul Village as our focus

community because one of our team members is part of the community and actually

comes from one of the farming families in the village. We believe that she is in the

best position to implement the project especially since she has already started to sell

some of their crops online through her personal Facebook. We have learned from our

team member that the land is rich in agricultural potential but the farmers are (1) not

earning enough income; (2) have not improved their farming techniques; and (3) would

often leave/abandon their farmlands for a life in the city. We wonder why this is the

case, considering that the village is located near the Mekong river where the soil is

rich in nutrients. From all the challenges that we have learned, we have identified the

“low income from agriculture” as the main cause for most of the farmers’ challenges.

We have learned that the farmers currently have only one way of selling their crops,

and that is through the middleman. The lack of organization also do not help the

farmers and they do not have any power to demand the market price. Through our

proposed model we intend to provide the farmers another channel of selling their

harvest by directly accessing the market through an online platform. At the same time,

we shall be providing capacity building by having our project proponent educate the

farmers on how to successfully market their crops online. We are starting with 3

farmers in the village at the initial phase of the project. In the long-term (5 years), we

are setting the goal of having at least 80 farmers. By this time, we hope that the

farmers are equipped with the know-how to sell to the market online on their own.

More importantly, we intend to educate our farmers with the best practices by having

them shift from the conventional farming to more advanced farming techniques like

hydroponics or organic farming. To help us in this regard, we will tap into resource

persons that will come from two other participants from our team.

We understand that we need to establish a stable demand in order to make

sure that the project is sustainable. Buying locally grown crops is important in

Cambodia right now. Recognizing this, we intend to educate the target market about

the advantages of buying locally grown products. We will do this by sending free

sample to some of the people from our target market. We will likewise send periodic

newsletters in order to keep them informed on the up and coming produce.

For the first year, we intend to set aside a budget of $3500.00, which we can

source from IATSS Forum, IF Cambodia Alumni, from our inner circle of family and

friends and other funding sources such as USAID, UNDP, SHE Investment,etc.

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I. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Team Introduction v Who are the members of Team IKIGAI?

Our team is composed of Ms. Phallin Hor from Cambodia, Digital Product

Owner, ABA Bank; Mr. Pandu Rachmatika from Indonesia, Chief Executive Officer,

Harvest Queen Hydroponics; Mr. Amit Rana Tirkey from India, Senior Executive,

Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS); Ms. Phyo Pyae Thida Hwe from Myanmar, Development Officer, Phaung Daw Oo Monastic Education High School;

Ms. Jenny Libutaque from The Philippines, Government Corporate Attorney II,

Department of Justice-Office of the Government Corporate Counsel; Mr. Muhammad Zulhelmy Bin Zaiman from Singapore, Senior Executive Officer, Association of

Muslim Professionals; and Ms. Chanita Craythorne from Thailand, Trade Officer,

Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce.

1.2. Team Name and Logo v Why did we choose the name “IKIGAI”?

In life, we are motivated by different things that can be categorized into four: (1)

What we LOVE; (2) What we are GOOD AT; (3) What we can be PAID FOR; and (4)

What the WORLD NEEDS. Two of these four categories often intersect and result to

finding our PASSION (What we are Good At and What we Love); MISSION (What we

Love and What the World Needs); VOCATION (What the World Needs and What we

can be Paid For); or PROFESSION (What we can be Paid For and What we are Good

At).

“Ikigai” is the point where all four intersect and meet. This is why we refer to

“Ikigai” as our “life’s purpose”. Inspired by this Japanese concept and coupled by our

vision of starting a movement and creating a mindset, we have decided to name

ourselves as “Ikigai” to remind us of our life-long objective of finding the purpose for

our lives.

In keeping with the four intersecting categories

that motivate us, we have decided to have four

overlapping circles representing the categories with

“Ikigai” in the center. We chose the color red to

represent Japan, since “Ikigai” is a Japanese concept.

The four circles represent the categories that

motivates us, but we have decided to make them

uneven because we have learned during Japanese

aesthetics class that perfection inhibits creativity and

growth.

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II. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DESIGN

2.1 How do we define an “IDEAL SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY”? In coming up with our definition, our team decided to reflect on our journey

during the IATSS Forum Program and combine our common lessons in designing an

“Ideal Sustainable Community”. At the end of the process our team has determined

that:

2.2 How important are stakeholders’ roles in a sustainable community?

During the process of group study and prior to selecting a project, our team

decided to take a look at the roles of each stakeholder and how important they are in

creating a sustainable community. For purposes of this study, we have three (3)

categories of stakeholders: (1) Community, which includes the society; (2) Industry,

which refers to the business sector; and (3) Government, both national and local. We

have decided to take a look at the role of each stakeholders, considering that they are

the main drivers in finding the balance between the Society, Environment and

Economy (S.E.E.).

We recognize that it is not uncommon for the interests of S.E.E. to move in

opposite directions that is why it is very important to recognize how each stakeholder

can move together and find the balance among these three. Thus, in order to find a

balance between S.E.E., we

propose that each of the three

stakeholders work together, hand

in hand, with the S.E.E. at the

center, and create a sustainable

community. We understand that

there is a gap between the ideal

and the current reality. Our

objective for this project is to

bridge, or at least narrow the gap,

in order to realize or get closer to

our vision.

An IDEAL SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY is one where all the relevant

stakeholders-the Community, Industry and Government-are working together to

provide a Safe Environment, while encouraging Community Empowerment and providing Better Public Services to the people especially in terms of

Accessible Transportation and Communication, without sacrificing the

importance of preserving the Environment for future generations.

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Consistent with our definition of an Ideal Sustainable Community, we hope that

our project will somehow address the immediate needs of some of the farmers in our

target community, while providing them with a more sustainable way of marketing their

goods. At the same time, we want to encourage consumers to support local

agricultural products while offering the convenience of receiving the products right in

front of their doorsteps.

III. GROUP DISCUSSION PROCESS

After defining the sustainable community design, we have determined that our

goals are aligned into one common goal which is to achieve the positive effects on the

Society, the Environment and the Economy (S.E.E.). As a result, the process of group

discussion plays a vital role to work together as a team and select the most suitable

project to carry out. This section will explore on our processes of criteria selection and

project selection.

3.1 Criteria Selection After a detailed process of group's evaluation, we came to a conclusion that

there are five criteria to consider in order to select the project. As shown in Figure A,

the five criteria are as follows: (1) Feasibility, (2) Possibility of success, (3)

Sustainability of the Project, (4) Customer Impact, and (5) Project Ownership.

First, the selected project should Feasible to start and should be possible and

practical to be implemented. Second, the selected project should show high Possibility of Success, both in terms of financial security and goal achievement. Third, the

selected project should encourage the community to adopt the concept of

Sustainability. Fourth, there should be an Impact on Customers where their lives are

being made better as a result of the project implementation. Lastly, the most important

criterion is that the selected project should have a High Commitment from the project

proponent who will implement this project. As a result, throughout the selection

process, the proposed projects by all the team members were evaluated based on

these five criteria.

Figure A: IKIGAI's Project Selection Criteria

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3.2 Project Selection Process There were six projects being proposed in this process. The descriptions of the

proposed projects will be highlighted in Table A below according to our vision which

is to (1) start a movement and (2) create a mindset.

Table A: Project Proposals

Based on the five criteria of project selection, we unanimously agreed to select

the “Sustainable Agriculture project to be implemented in Cambodia”. In addition, with

the high degree of project ownership being illustrated together with the diverse

backgrounds of the team members, we genuinely believe that the implementation of

this project will without a doubt start a movement and change mindset beginning with

the Kampong Cham community.

IV. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

4.1. Current Situation in Cambodia

The “Kingdom of Cambodia” as officially known to the rest of the world,

following more than two decades of strong economic growth, has attained the lower

middle-income status as of 2015, with gross national income (GNI) reaching $1,070.

The economic growth reached 6.8% in 2017 and expected to remain strong over next

two years (6.9% in 2018 and 6.7% in 2019 according to preliminary estimates by

authorities) as recovering tourism activity coupled with fiscal expansion compensate

for some easing in garment exports and construction growth.

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As a result, poverty continues to fall in Cambodia, albeit more slowly than in the past.

In 2014, the poverty rate was 13.5% compared to 47.8% in 2007, but the vast majority

of families who escaped poverty were only able to do so by a small margin. Around

4.5 million people remain near-poor, vulnerable to falling back into poverty when

exposed to economic and other external shocks.

About 90% of the poor live in the rural countryside and largely dependent on

agriculture and allied services for their livelihood, hence agricultural development is

still the key for poverty alleviation. But agriculture counts for only 27% of GDP and

employs 70% of labour force. The current economy is significantly contributed by

industry and service sector.

Given that 35% of the population in Cambodia are living in poverty and most

of them are farmers in rural areas, the improvement in agriculture is the most

effective approach to alleviate their condition. (RGC, 2006; World Bank, 2006;

NGOF, 2007). Agriculture is

identified as a key to diversifying

sources of economic growth with

the potential to reduce poverty if

focused on smallholders (CDRI-IDS,

2006). Agriculture in Cambodia

predominantly comprises subsistence

rice production despite rice surplus in

recent years. The bulk of the poor are

rice farmers who only grow enough

rice to feed themselves and their

families for half the year. Most poor rice farmers are expected to run out of their

remaining rice stocks by June, at which point they have to buy rice at the market

(WFP, 2008). Among three million hectares of agricultural land, farms are small, with

an average size of 1.5 hectares; and approximately 70 percent of them are smaller

than one hectare (World Bank, 2005). In 2004, around half or more than a million

rural families own less than half hectare of land.

According to research to date, chief bottlenecks to agricultural development in

Cambodia constitute: poor infrastructure (particularly irrigation systems and

transportation), inefficient marketing system, absence of adaptable technologies,

inadequate extension services, lack of agro-processing facilities, inadequate rural

financial structures, insecure land tenure, poor risk-reduction of natural hazards

(especially flood, drought and insects), and burden of informal road passage and

market access fees. It is widely emphasized that individual farmers are unable to

effectively address these pitfalls. Unless institutional arrangements to refine collective

action by smallholders are undertaken, small farmers cannot level-up their productivity

and bargaining power vis-à-vis external actors in an effectual manner.

FigureB:CambodiaGDPpersectorin2012

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Below are some of the key facts related to agriculture and poverty:

References:

• http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/02/20/poverty-has-fallen-yet-many-cambodians-are-still-at-risk-oz-slipping-back-into-poverty

• http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/cambodia/overview

• http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ess/ess_test_folder/World_Census_Agriculture/Country_info_2010/Reports/Reports_5/KHM_ENG_REP_2013.pdf

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V. SUCCESS STORIES USING SIMILAR PROJECT MODELS

5.1. Sayurbox, Indonesia

www.sayurbox.com

According to Sayurbox, maintaining a healthy lifestyle in Indonesia is not always an

easy coup. It is rather difficult to get fresh and healthy food. Supermarkets do not always

provide you with organic foods and it takes many hours to visit organic farms out of town.

This company is trying to solve this problem by providing its customers with hassle-free,

fresh and healthy food access with no chemical pesticide or fertilizers.

While it is true that there are few similar online grocery services in Indonesia, what

sets Sayurbox apart from its competitors is that consumers can shop directly from the

farmers and therefore know exactly who is growing their food by having the farmer profile

on their screens.

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In short, Sayurbox brings the “farm to table” concept in Indonesia. Every product

delivered is freshly produced from the local farm, so customers can shop directly from the

farmer. This innovation improves the complex supply chain and food distribution.

The SWOT Analysis of Sayurbox business model

5.2. Coffee for Peace (CFP), Philippines Marivic Dubria is a local from Mindanao, the second largest island in the

Philippines. However, her family struggles to earn $ 1000 a year from their produce since

their coffee beans only sell 20 cents per kilo from local traders.

Years later, Dubria was able to create a hands-on training project called Coffee for Peace (CFP), a social enterprise striving to boost growers’ profits, protecting the

environment and fostering peace between communities. People from that community

realized that learning how to grow, harvest and process

high-quality beans at a time when global demand for coffee

is increasing, is the key to having more buyers. The more

they can increase demand, the more they supply is needed

which leads to training more farmers to produce coffee and

improve their process altogether. The farmers teach each

other and exchange farming techniques. These practices

encourage them to care about their community and live

with each other harmoniously since they are working

closely together with their neighbors. Finally, the “farmerpreneurs” are encouraged to sell

to the market directly through the online channel so they can demand their own price.

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5.3. Sun Leang from PunNghealeang village, Prey Veng Province, Cambodia

Figure C: Sun Leang at His House

A young farmer, Sun Leang, from PunNghealeang village, Ankoreach commune,

Preah Sdach district, Prey Veng province is struggling to make enough rice and increase

income for his family. As he can only utilize 0.22 hectares for rice cultivation, and he uses

chemical fertilizer to cultivate rice two times per year in order to produce more rice for the

family consumption. On the other hand, he tries to raise chickens and cows in order to

make some money for his family. Moreover, he and his wife work for other farmers in the

village, in an effort to increase their income to cover the family expenses. This situation

forces him to work as a construction worker in Phnom Penh for about 3 months per year.

When the “Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture” (CEDAC)

has implemented a project called “Improving Food Security of the Most Venerable Families” in his village, he decided to join. The project is primarily targeted to eradicate

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poverty and to provide capacity building training for young famers who lack opportunity

to enhance their farming techniques and to develop income generating activities. After

receiving training support from the project, he has successfully adopted these agricultural

practices. As a result he now can provide for the family as well as save money for the

future. To date, he has since stopped working in Phnom Penh and now spends his time

sharing his agriculture innovation with others.

(Source: Vang Sean, “Successful story of a young couple farmer” AGRICULTURE AND

RURAL DEVELOPMENT – CAMBODIA Apr 23, 2011, Cambodia)

VI. MARKET NEEDS SURVEY

According to our survey conducted with 67 respondents from our target market,

Phnom Penh, the results show 64.2% are willing to buy vegetables and fruits online,

where Facebook is the preferred platform (79.1%).

Ø These are the vegetables that people want to buy online, based on the survey:

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Ø We wanted to know what is the preferred

timeliness of delivery of our target market

and we found out that majority of our

respondents prefer to get their online

orders the next day.

Ø Initially, we were thinking of whether or not people from

our target market prefer to pick-up their groceries in

Phnom Penh City in order to avoid being charged a

delivery fee. This information is important in deciding on

whether or not we need to establish a warehouse to keep

the vegetables that we intend to sell. However, we have

learned based on the survey results that most of our

respondents are willing to pay extra in order to have their

vegetables delivered to them at home. Based on the

survey, our respondents are willing to pay a delivery cost

around 4000 riels (~ 1$). Considering that our target

market prefers next day delivery and home delivery, we

have decided to establish a small warehouse located at

our project proponent’s house for the initial phase.

Ø Our survey results likewise show that most of them are willing to spend between

$3.01-$6.00 and $6.01-$10 on fruits weekly.

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Ø We have learned that our respondents are willing to spend the same amount of

money for vegetables, $3.01-$6.00 and $6.01-$10

VII. COMMUNITY NEED AND MINDSET

7.1 What is the Community need and mindset in our target community?

Tamul village is located in Khampong Cham province, Srey Santhor district,

Preaek Dambouk commune. Tamul village is rich with good soil, being surrounded by the

small path from the Mekong river. After Khmer Rouge civil war (1975 - 1979), Tamul had

about 170 families and about 30 families are farmers. Now this village has about 200

families but only 5 families are farmers. The village has an abundance of natural

resources which is good for planting crops. However, farmers do not get enough training

or workshops to improve their farming practices. Since the farmers have been planting

their crops for generations, they base their farming techniques on experiences. Due to

weather changes, the soil started to lose its natural quality and farmers started using

chemicals to sustain their farms and continue increasing their harvest. Aside from the

challenges of the soil quality and traditional farming practices, farmers also receive poor

income due to low market price that discourages young farmers to keep work on the farm.

After an interview with one of the farmers, Ms.Phally Eang, in our target

community, these are what we have learned so far:

• They need good seed to ensure the quality of crops

• They need to be trained and improve their farming techniques to know how to use

the right products to ensure soil nutrition

• Aside from training, they need some support at the initial phase to make sure that

they employ the best practices for their farms.

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• To encourage young farmers to stay in the farmlands, the farmers need to have

direct access to the market and sell their crops.

7.2 Current situation:

• Corn season (eg. 50 raw corns):

o Price sold to middleman: (8000 riels ~ 2$)

o Price in city: (25000 riels ~ 6.25$)

o Price in local market in village: (1000 riels ~ 2.5$)

Although faced with many challenges, they are willing to employ new ways to

increase their income. However, they need the help and support at the initial phase in

order for them to be empowered to ultimately stand on their own.

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VIII. OVERALL GOAL AND PURPOSE

What is our overall goal and purpose for the project?

From the beginning of the group study, our team has decided that we want to (1)

Start a Movement and (2) Change Mindset. We want to close the gap between the “ideal” and “real”, or at the very least, narrow it. Admittedly, these are lofty goals. However, we

are thinking about this realistically and have decided to focus our study with just three

farmers involved at the initial phase.

The question, “How can the project create a difference if only a few people are involved?” is an important query that we would like to address. We believe that we only

need to start with a few farmers to start a movement. Currently, the farmers go to the

middle-person in order to sell their crops because in their minds, this is the only way to

reach the market and sell. Therefore, the farmers are not in control of the market price

and accept whatever they can get in exchange for their crops. By providing an alternative

sales channel, farmers are presented with options. At the same time, we recognize that

there is a concern from the consumers with regard to the source of the vegetables that

they buy from the market. Our project aims to address that concern by making sure that

the products delivered are locally produced. Towards this end, we intend to educate the

consumer market about the advantages of buying locally produced agricultural products

without sacrificing the cost. By offering door-to-door delivery, people who are busy with

their work and/or home life can enjoy the convenience of receiving their fruits and

vegetables without sacrificing their time.

Our long-term objective is to eventually target

more farmers, from 3 to 80 by the end of the 5th year.

By this time, we want the farmers to be empowered

to sell online by themselves. Also, we are

envisioning that they are employing better and

advanced farming practices to make sure that they

are offering superior quality products. By this time,

we have already established our consumer market

and the people are now aware that they can

purchase locally produced, safe and healthy

products through BPY. To answer to the growing

demand of the consumers, we intend to tap into the

local market and supermarkets in the long run.

“Yang Saing Koma, president of

the Cambodian Center for

Study and Development in

Agriculture (CEDAC), said lack

of local products made

Cambodia dependent on

imported vegetables, which

meant there was less control

over production standards.”

-Vegetables get moreattention, by Chan Muyhong,

14 October 2014, The Phnom

Penh Post

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IX. PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS

This section will explore the activities to be carried out by responsible stakeholders

and their outputs.

Activity Responsible Parties

Output

Set Up a Facebook Page - Phallin to run the page by herself at first

- Phallin

- Sammy

- Davann

- BPY Facebook page set up

Do survey on market price - Compare prices in local Phnom Penh market

- Phallin

- Theavy

- Insight of the market needs and price

ranges can be set accordingly

Build trust between farmers - Phallin to call meeting - 3 farmers and share

this new project

- Propose to organize formally

- Define roles and income distribution

- Phallin

- Theavy

- Farmers realise the importance of a new

sale channel and how it

can help increase their income

- Farmers know that the support can be

provided by BPY

Find sources for funding - IATSS funding

- Support from IATSS alumni

- USAID, UNDP

- SHE Investment

- SHE Trades

- Feed the future

- Immediate circle

- Phallin

- Sophia

- IATSS Alumni

- Raise additional funds

Establish Relationship - With drivers, taxi, motorcycle. Securing

distribution system

- Discuss this project with Phallin contacts and

resources she has already.

- Phallin

- Theavy

- Taxi Drivers

- Stable distribution channels

- Increase number of taxi drivers to lower the

cost of shipping

Townhall routine meeting - Sharing with farmers (problems, challenges,

number of harvest etc)

- Report of earning-spending (transparent

accounting)

- Phallin

- Theavy

- Farmers

- Understand the support needed from

farmers

- Update on sales and how to improve sales

with farmers

- Solve problems with solutions devised

collectively with the farmers

Hands-ON Training - Phallin to teach farmers on how to use

smartphone for online marketing

- Initially Phallin will check the quality of the

posts

- Phallin

- Theavy

- Farmers

- Farmers realise the importance of a new

sale channel and how it

can help increase their income

- Farmers can make their product listings

Proper Bookeeping training - Bookkeeping training

- Phallin

- Theavy

- Farmers

- Farmers know how to do bookkeeping

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X. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

Proposed BPY Implementation Schedule (Initial Phase)

To achieve the goals and objectives that we have set out for the project, our team has

discussed and planned out the implementation schedule based on the primary data

shared by the project proponent. Findings from the survey conducted have also been

taken into consideration in the action plan schedule. Inputs from the team members

based on each individual’s professional experience were also extracted to support or

justify the activities in the programme action plan. The schedule captures the overall

outline which acts as a guideline to pinpoint the major phases and measurable project

milestones. Lastly, the implementation schedule will encourage buy-in from potential

stakeholders providing them with a clear transparency of the project progress.

In order to achieve our immediate goals, we identified the following activities as the

main drivers for us to continue to build on with in the near future. A mid-term review will

be done after two years to ensure the project is still aligned with the goals and

objectives set. The project will be kick-started in July 2018. (Refer to Annex 2 for more details.)

10.1 Create and maintain a suitable online channel (Facebook)

Based on our survey, it was evident that Facebook is the most popular online social

media platform for the people of Cambodia. A Facebook page will be created and will

act as the main outlet for project marketing and sales. The page will be maintained by

the project proponent throughout the two years initial phase.

10.2 Do survey on market price

To have a broader understanding of consumer market and stakeholders, a more

detailed market research will be conducted in the months of July and August 2018. The

surveys will be done through both online and offline platforms. The quantitative data

collected from the survey will educate the team on the needs of the consumers as well

as reduce the risks of poor planning or execution.

10.3 Seek sources for funding

A conscious effort will be put into fundraising especially during the second half of the

year 2018. Funding is the fuel for a sustainable project and the extra resources will

enable us to execute the project more efficiently and effectively. Our team members will

play an important role as the ambassador of the project in the own individual countries

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sourcing out for potential funding outlets and support. Below are some of the platforms

or organizations that the team have identified sources for potential funding:

Ø IATSS Funding

Ø IATSS Cambodia Alumni

Ø USAID & UNDP

Ø SHE Investment

Ø SHE Trades

Ø Feed the Future

Ø Immediate personal circle & team members.

10.4 Establish relationship

For the project to be sustainable, the team understands the importance of establishing

the connection and trust with not only the consumer, but also other stakeholders

involved directly or indirectly with the project. Based on the project proponent’s sharing,

in order to have a stable and strong distribution channel, our team member will have to

establish the relationship with the transportation industry key players through

conversations and just by sharing of ideas. The buy-in and support of the taxi drivers,

motorbike riders are integral components of the project.

Another marketing strategy that the team has decided is to share newsletters and

constant updates on the project. The consumer will be given the option to sign-up for a

free newsletter with every purchase. The newsletter will communicate the services or

the different products which we can offer. It will allow us to build a relationship while at

the same time uncover any needs or trends. It can also be an outlet which will lead to

future consumer testimonial and referral. Likewise, we will offer free samples of the

product to our target market, for them to experience locally produced crops. These

samples can be given away during trade fairs which our local farmers will attend.

10.5 Set-up storage room

To meet the demands of orders coming in, there will be a need to have a well-equipped

storage room to keep the quality or freshness of the products at the highest level. To

save cost, one of the rooms our team member’s house will be converted into a short-

term storage space. The storage will be set up in the month of August 2018 and will be

maintained periodically throughout the two years implementation schedule.

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10.6 Town hall meeting

To maintain and build on the relationship with farmers, regular town hall meetings will

be conducted. The town hall meeting can be both organized in an informal and formal

setting. It will also provide a great opportunity for everybody involved to come together

and to address their concerns or share achievements; as well as understand their

respective roles and responsibilities. The town hall meeting will ensure that all the

different stakeholders involved share the same objectives creating resilience and strong

community in the village. The town hall meeting will also be a platform to share on the

progress of the project, especially on the accounting/book keeping aspect.

10.7 Hands-On Training

One of the main features of the project is capacity building of the farmers. It is important

that farmers are empowered with right mindset, skills, and practices. We will also

encourage the farmers to connect with the online world through the use of a

smartphone. Hands-On Training on basic marketing skills such as taking photos to be

posted online, creating a brand or story for the product etc. will be conducted to share

with the farmers on the potential or benefit of doing business online.

22

XI. BUDGET PLAN

v Short Term Budget Plan (0-12 Months)

Here is the budget plan for the 1st year. The plans for the following years will be

arranged later due to the time constraint of presentation and report submission.

NO Item Amount ($) /Unit

Duration (months)

Total ($)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Staff wage 140$ / month 12 1680$

Air Conditioner

For storage room

300$ n/a 300$

Fan for extra cooling 210$ n/a 210$

Transportation

For Phallin

30$/ month 12 360$

Logistics for meeting

With farmers (Townhall Meeting);

Snacks, water, etc

30$/ month 12 360$

Logistics for

Conducting training;

Stationery, food

20$/ month 12 240$

Internet Access Cost 15$/ month 12 180$

Vegetables container

For storage (10 pcs)

5$ n/a 50$

Electricity 10$/ month 12 120$

TOTAL 3500$

Potential funding sources:

Ø IATSS: 1000$-2000$

Ø IATSS Cambodia Alumni: 1000$-2000$

Ø Phallin`s Immediate circle resources (herself, IKIGAI Team family, partner,

friends, etc.): 1000$-2000$

Ø Funding from other organizations/institutions (USAID, UNDP, SHE Investment,

etc.): 1000$-3000$.

23

XII. Annexes

Annex 1: Project Design Matrix

INDICATOR MEANS OF

VERIFICATION

IMPORTANT

ASSUMPTIONS

Overall Goal

To increase local farmers

income and build their

capacity in online business

via hands-on training

towards building a

sustainable agriculture in

Cambodia

# A double increase

in local farmers

income

# A growing practice

of using online

channel as

marketing method

# Less dependency

on monopolistic

middleman

# Improvement in

basic business

practices. Such as

clear book keeping

and credible annual

report

# A shift to modern

agriculture

# Monthly business

report

# Online media

(facebook) audience

engagement

measurement tool

# Presence of credible

book keeping

# Production of safe

agricultural products

# Practice of modern

farming (e.g

hydroponics,

aquaponics etc)

# Part of the business

profit should be

contributed to farmers’

capacity building

activity

# This business does

not antagonizing middle

man but to give

alternative channel for

farmers to market their

agricultural products

# Shift to modern

agricutural practices

need time and should

be achieved within long

term agenda

24

INDICATOR MEANS OF

VERIFICATION

IMPORTANT

ASSUMPTIONS

Expected Outcome

1) Start a

nationwide

movement of

modern farming

2) Establish a new

supply chain

which benefits

the farmers better

# No more

dangerous food

products in

Cambodian

market

# Cambodian

farmers have a

significant

increase in their

average annual

income

# Standardized

nation-wide

modern farming

practice

# Decrease of

imported

agricultural

products

# Cambodian

Ministry of

agriculture official

data release

# Cambodian

Ministry of

commerce & trade

official data release

# Availabe products

in cambodian

markets

# Other government

agencies or

international

consulting groups

reports

# To start a

nationwide

movement, more

stakeholders are

expected to support

and join this project.

Whether it is from

grovernment,

business or NGO

Activities

1) Establishing

Facebook Page

for online

marketing

platform

2) Call a meeting

with local farmers

to share about

the project

3) Setting up a

storeroom in

Pnomh penh

4) Establish

connection with

# Increase

number in joined

stakeholder

# Active selling in

online distribution

channel

# Increased

capability of

farmers in basic

# Monthly business

report

# Online media

(facebook) audience

engagement

measurement tool

# To keep the cost

low we will start using

Phallin’s partner

house as the

storeroom. After the

business grow a

rental of bigger

warehouse will be

considered

# Phallin Facebook

has already been

25

other

stakeholders

5) Hands-On

training

6) Book keeping

training

7) Routine meeting

(Townhall)

business

practices

# Increased in

storeroom size to

keep more

products

# Presence of

credible book

keeping

# Production of safe

agricultural products

# Practice of modern

farming (e.g

hydroponics,

aquaponics etc)

used as an online

marketing channel to

sell her mother’s

products. So the

project will start by

using her personal

account as a

platform. More

sophisticated website

or application will be

developed as the

business grows

# for the starting all

of the farmers

capacity building

training will be

conducted by Phallin

herself and her

partner(s). Including

book keeping and

smartphone usage

#Townhall meeting

with all related

stakeholders will be

conducted monthly to

access the progress

and challenges of

this project

26

Annex 2: Project Operation Planning