UNITAR Online Catalogue
Digital Farmer Registry Training and Pilot Testing in Timor-Leste
United Nations Satellite Centre UNOSAT
FAO (784)
Background
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre of UNITAR are jointly supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in the development of a Digital Farmer Registry System. The initiative aims to strengthen the management and use of agricultural data to support more effective planning, service delivery and evidence-based policymaking across the agriculture sector.
The project builds on the digitisation and structuring of data from the Timor-Leste Agriculture Census 2019 (TLAC 2019), conducted by the National Institute of Statistics Timor-Leste (INETL) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF). The Farmer Registry System is envisaged as a centralised and dynamic digital platform for registering, managing and analysing agricultural data. It incorporates a structured database, a web-based application, geospatial functionality and interactive dashboards to support agricultural data collection, monitoring and decision-making.
The development of the Farmer Registry System was informed by a joint scoping mission conducted by FAO and the UN Satellite Centre in Timor-Leste from 20 to 24 April 2026. The mission involved consultations with relevant government institutions to assess existing data systems, identify operational requirements and gather stakeholder feedback on the proposed system design and functionality. Building on the findings and recommendations from these consultations, the project team has continued to develop and refine the Farmer Registry System, incorporating inputs from national stakeholders. This process has resulted in an initial functional prototype, which is now ready for its first round of pilot testing with prospective users.
Event Objectives
As part of this next phase, FAO and the UN Satellite Centre will jointly conduct a 2.5-day training and pilot testing exercise from 27 to 29 October 2026. The exercise has two primary aims: to strengthen the capacity of agricultural extension officers to use the Farmer Registry application for digital household and agricultural data collection, and to gather practical user feedback to inform further refinement of the prototype.
The training will combine classroom demonstrations, hands-on exercises and supervised field testing in Manatuto. Participants will first be introduced to the application and its registration workflows before applying their skills through field-based household registration. The final half-day will focus on data synchronisation, verification and a participatory feedback session to identify usability challenges, technical issues and opportunities for improvement. Findings will be consolidated into a User Feedback Report to guide subsequent system development and support readiness for wider implementation.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Explain the purpose, key features and intended applications of the Digital Farmer Registry System in supporting agricultural data collection and management.
- Demonstrate the ability to navigate the Farmer Registry application and complete household, farmer and agricultural parcel registration workflows, including offline data collection and subsequent synchronisation.
- Examine collected records to identify errors or inconsistencies and apply appropriate corrections to ensure data completeness and accuracy.
- Evaluate the usability, functionality and operational suitability of the Farmer Registry prototype based on field testing experiences, and propose recommendations for system improvements through structured user feedback.
Content and Structure
The 2.5-day training and pilot testing exercise will be conducted from 27 to 29 October 2026 in Timor-Leste.
The classroom-based training will be held at the Conference room, Ministry of Agriculture office, followed by supervised field testing with farming households in selected sucos within Manatuto Vila Administrative Post.
The final half-day will return to the Ministry of Agriculture office for data synchronisation, verification and a structured participant feedback session.
Methodology
- Day 1: Classroom Training Introduction to the Farmer Registry initiative and application, followed by guided demonstrations and practical exercises covering household, farmer and agricultural parcel registration.
- Day 2: Field Testing Supervised household registration in selected sucos within Manatuto Vila Administrative Post, with each group aiming to complete five household registrations using the application.
- Day 3: Data Verification and User Feedback Synchronisation and verification of field-collected records, followed by an interactive group exercise to gather feedback on the application's usability, functionality and suitability for field data collection.
Targeted Audience
The 2.5-day training and pilot testing exercise is expected to bring together approximately 20 participants, primarily agricultural extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF), who will be responsible for conducting household and agricultural surveys using the Digital Farmer Registry application.
The training will adopt a participatory and hands-on approach, combining classroom instruction, practical exercises and supervised field testing. Participants will be organised into four groups of approximately five members, each supported by a designated team leader to facilitate field activities and provide technical guidance.
Additional Information
The training will be conducted in English, with Tetum interpretation provided as required to facilitate participants' understanding and active engagement during classroom sessions, practical exercises and field activities.