From Data to Decisions: Assessing the Role of the Philippine Rice Information System (PRiSM) in Evidence-Based Decision-Making in Davao del Sur
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65141/ject.v3i1.n5Keywords:
PRiSM, Philippine Rice Information System, rice sector monitoring, Agricultural Information Systems, data qualityAbstract
The Philippine Rice Information System (PRiSM) is a comprehensive web-based platform developed by the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to support rice sector monitoring, analysis, and evidence-based decision-making. This study employed a mixed-methods research design to evaluate PRiSM implementation in Davao del Sur through the perspectives of 12 users from nine municipalities, one city, and the provincial agriculture office. Quantitative data were collected using structured Likert-scale questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained through interviews and system observations. Results revealed several implementation challenges, including sustainability concerns, inadequate capacity-building initiatives, data quality and utilization issues, coordination gaps, limited data accessibility, and weak feedback integration mechanisms. Quantitative findings showed that overall system acceptability was below average user satisfaction with system performance was low (M = 2.42), and sustainability beyond the current administration received a very low rating (M = 2.08). Despite these limitations, respondents demonstrated a moderate intention to continue using the system (M = 3.17), recognizing its potential value for rice sector monitoring and planning. The findings suggest that PRiSM’s limitations are primarily associated with implementation and institutional support issues rather than deficiencies in its conceptual design. The study contributes empirical evidence on the operational challenges of agricultural information systems at the local government level and proposes institutional, technical, and capacity-building interventions to enhance the sustainability, usability, and decision-support value of PRiSM. Given the relatively small number of participants, findings should be interpreted within the context of the study area and participant group.
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