ALX Foundations: Milestone 7 Worksheet

SECTION A: Before Your Team Meeting

Step 1: Restate your team’s problem statement
Please write your team’s agreed-upon problem statement from Week 6 here:

Step 1: My Team’s Problem Statement

The issue confronting Moroccan farmers lies in the formidable challenge of accessing
financing, assistance, and initiatives crucial for supporting their agricultural endeavors. The
intricate procedures, absence of centralized information, and diverse funding sources
collectively create impediments that hinder the sustainable growth of agriculture in Morocco.
This problem is pervasive across the entire Moroccan territory, affecting farmers throughout
the agricultural cycle—from the preparation of crops to the commercialization of products.
Particularly impacting small-scale farmers, essential contributors to the national economy,
these obstacles jeopardize their development and pose threats to both food security and
economic vitality in rural areas. The key to a successful solution lies in the establishment of a
centralized portal that comprehensively catalogs all available financing, assistance, and
initiative offerings, offering clarity of information, streamlined procedures, and easy
accessibility. However, the implementation of such a solution faces challenges, including
bureaucratic complexity, transparency issues, information fragmentation, technological
limitations, and the need for farmers to adapt to new technologies, such as smartphone
usage. Overcoming these challenges demands an inclusive approach, addressing the unique
needs and skills of farmers and providing the necessary awareness and training for the
successful adoption of the proposed technological solution.

Step 2: Bad Idea Brainstorm

BEFORE you meet with your team, conduct a Bad Idea Brainstorm with yourself. List at least 10
bad ideas for how you might solve your problem. You can get completely ridiculous. For
example: Sharks with laser beams in their heads who burn up microplastics in the ocean, or
bees that telepathically communicate in order to tutor children who don’t have access to quality
education, etc. The dumber the idea, the better! The purpose of this is to get your mind open to
generating ideas without fear of them being wrong, dumb, or bad. (Stay in divergent thinking.)
Need help? You can get inspiration from: http://labs.jackpine.co/projects/FirstBadIdea/

Step 2: Individual Bad Ideas

1. Agricultural Magic Beans: Distribute "magic beans" that supposedly grow into money
trees or resources needed by farmers.
2. Drone-Dropped Money: Deploy drones to drop cash and resources randomly across
farming areas, assuming farmers will get equal access.
3. Cryptocurrency Farming: Introduce a new cryptocurrency exclusively for farmers,
where they earn coins by cultivating crops.
4. Magic Potion for Funding: Develop a mysterious "magic potion" that, when sprinkled
on crops, supposedly attracts funding and assistance.
5. AI-Powered Talking Animals: Create an AI program that supposedly translates
animals' sounds into financial advice for farmers.
6. Government-issued Crystal Balls: Provide farmers with government-issued crystal
balls that supposedly reveal the best funding and assistance opportunities.
7. Barter System 2.0: Encourage farmers to exchange goods and services directly
without any currency involvement.
8. Agricultural Lottery System: Introduce a lottery system where farmers enter to win
financial assistance, leaving support to chance rather than based on need or merit.
9. Cloning Prosperous Farmers: Clone successful farmers in an attempt to replicate their
success across the board.
10. Skywriting Farm Aid: Use skywriting to broadcast funding and assistance information
across rural areas.

Step 3: Possible ideas

Next, list at least 5 “possible ideas” to address your problem. These do NOT have to be good
ideas. The only constraint is that they should just be at least theoretically possible. They should
involve some sort of technology (either a piece of software like an app or algorithm, or a
physical device such as a robotic fish or machine that scans your DNA. You’re still in Divergent
thinking here, so don’t judge your ideas as good or bad.

Step 3: Individual Possible Ideas

 1. Establishment of a Centralized Online Platform: Create a user-friendly online
portal that consolidates information on available financing options, agricultural
initiatives, and support programs in multiple languages.
2. Technology Adoption Support: Offer technology training programs specifically
designed for farmers, teaching them how to use smartphones, relevant
agricultural apps, and online platforms effectively.
3. Access to Market Information: Develop a system that provides farmers with
real-time market information, helping them make informed decisions about crop
selection, pricing, and market trends.
4. Local Workshops: Organize localized workshops in rural areas to educate
farmers about financial literacy, technological adoption, and the application
process for various agricultural assistance programs.
5. Partnerships with Financial Institutions: Collaborate with banks and financial
institutions to create specialized financial products tailored to the needs of
farmers, including low-interest loans, insurance packages, and micro-financing
options.

PLEASE BRING THE ABOVE WORK WITH YOU TO YOUR TEAM MEETING.

SECTION B: Team Meeting Output

Step 4: Meeting Date, Time, & Location
Please list when and where your team meeting took place.

Step 4: Meeting Date, Time, & Location

A. Date: Thursday, November 30th

B. Time: 8:00 pm
C. Location: Google meet

Step 5: Meeting Attendees

Please list who attended your team meeting, and their primary role.
 Step 5: Meeting Attendees

1. Project Manager : Oumaima Nali

2. Product owner : Saloua Elfartakh
3. UX Researcher : Marwa Atmane (me)
4. UI/UX Designer : Amine Fersal
5. Data Analyst: Mohcine EL Omari
6. Data Analyst: Mohammed Berkia

Step 6: Bad Idea Brainstorm (Team)

Everyone should share several of their previously bad ideas from Step 2 above. Then as a
team, you must generate at least 10 more new bad ideas. Remember, the dumber the idea, the
better! This is to help you work as a team to be non-critical. Stay in divergent thinking. It helps to
say “thank you” after every idea is shared.

Step 6: Bad Ideas (Team)

1. Creating a portal without user-friendly design: Developing a complicated or poorly designed

portal may hinder farmers' ability to access and utilize available resources effectively.
2. Training squirrels as financial advisors for farmers, with the idea that they will bury nuts of
financial wisdom in exchange for crops.
3. Designing a giant, magical horn that, when blown, summons a rain of money instead of
water for the farmers.
4. The farmers establish a magical school where they can learn spells that conjure financial
assistance.
5. We can do agriculture on the moon with the help of Elon Musk.
6. Make domestic animals do trading to help farmers finance their work.
7. Suggest hiring clairvoyant to predict which farmers will deserve assistance.
8. Distribute grants to farmers based on their way of dressing.
9. Launching a reality TV show where farmers compete in agricultural challenges to win cash
prizes and financial assistance.
10. Provide grants to farmers based on the aesthetic appeal of their residential properties.

Step 7: Possible ideas (Team)

Next, everyone should share at least 2 of their possible ideas from Step 3 above. Your team
then needs to come up with at least 5 new “possible ideas” to address your problem. The only
constraint is that they should involve some sort of technology (either a piece of software like an
app or algorithm, or a physical device such as a robotic fish or machine that scans your DNA.
You’re still in Divergent thinking here, so don’t judge any ideas as good or bad. Again, it helps to
say “thank you” after every idea is shared.

Step 7: Possible Ideas (Team)

1. Creating a blockchain-based platform that tracks and verifies funding sources, providing
transparency in financial support for Moroccan farmers.
2. Drone-Guided Agricultural Assistance: Implement a system using drones equipped with
sensors and cameras to provide real-time agricultural assistance, potentially addressing the
challenge of remote farming locations.
3. Introducing a drone delivery service for agricultural supplies, allowing farmers to order and
receive essential resources efficiently.
4. Implementing a virtual reality (VR) training program to educate farmers on financial
management and the use of technology in agriculture.
5. Developing a centralized online portal that aggregates agricultural data, providing farmers
with real-time market trends, pricing information, and funding opportunities.

Step 8: Narrowed Ideas

Your next task is to narrow your choices, which will put you in a convergent thinking mindset.
You should have some discussion and debate about this, and try to reach a consensus on 3
ideas for a solution (or partial solution) to your problem that your team is going to consider
working on for the rest of Month 2. These ideas can be totally new, or they can be the same or
variations from ideas you’ve already come up with. Remember that they should involve some
sort of technology (either a piece of software like an app or algorithm, or a physical device such
as a robotic fish or machine that scans your DNA. You will not have to build the solution out. But
you will have to create some type of basic prototype (if it is a device) or a set of wireframes (if it
is an app/software). You will not have to actually create the technology or code.

Step 8: Top 3 Ideas (Team)

1. Establishment of a Centralized Online Platform: Create a user-friendly online portal that

consolidates information on available financing options, agricultural initiatives, and support
programs in multiple languages.
 2. Drone-Guided Agricultural Assistance: Implement a system using drones equipped with
sensors and cameras to provide real-time agricultural assistance, potentially addressing the
challenge of remote farming locations
3. Creating a blockchain-based platform that tracks and verifies funding sources, providing
transparency in financial support for Moroccan farmers.

Step 9: Selected Solution

Lastly, your team must come to an agreement on 1 idea for a solution (or partial solution) that
you will work on for the rest of Month 2.

Remember the solution should involve some sort of technology, and it needs to be possible to
create– but feel free to make it very ambitious! You will have to create some type of basic
prototype (if it is a device) or a set of wireframes (if it is an app/software). You will not have to
actually create the technology.

You must figure out a fair way to reach a consensus with your group, including a discussion
where everyone’s voice can be heard.

Step 9: Team’s Final Selected Solution Idea

An online platform, in the form of a web application, aims to simplify tasks and facilitate
access to grants and subsidies for farmers, originating from public entities, banks,
associations, and other organizations. The central objective of this platform is to process
beneficiaries' requests transparently, with integrity and speed.

This web application provides the ability to catalog and reference various available grants and
subsidies. Farmers can create and complete their profiles on the platform. Using a
sophisticated algorithm, the application then recommends subsidy and aid solutions tailored
to each user's profile.

Additionally, under a program, agricultural equipment provided to farmers as part of the aid
can be leased by other farmers either for free or at a symbolic price. This innovative initiative
encourages collaboration and resource sharing within the farming community. Farmers can
seamlessly continue the process directly from their profiles, streamlining the procedure and
 making access to financial support more efficient and personalized.

Step 10: Action Items

In your meeting for Week 8, you will need to share work on a prototype or wireframes. Please
list out here what specific people will do to contribute to this before the next meeting.
Step 10: Action Items

PERSON / COMMITTED ACTION:

- Amine Fersal: Create a Milanote board
- Oumaima Nali: Choose a theme
- Mohcine EL Omari: Create a Figma project
- Mohammed Berkia: Prepare some copywriting
- Marwa ATMANE: Prepare the voiceover
- Saloua Elfartakh: Finalize the project

SECTION C: Reflections
Step 11: Team Roles
Relist your team members’ names and their primary roles.

Step 11: All team members & their roles

1. Project Manager : Oumaima Nali

2. Product owner : Saloua Elfartakh
3. UX Researcher : Marwa Atmane (me)
4. UI/UX Designer : Amine Fersal
5. Data Analyst: Mohcine EL Omari
6. Data Analyst: Mohammed Berkia

Step 12: Reflections

Please share your personal reflections on your experience with your team so far.
 Step 12: Team Process Reflections

A. What is working well with your team?

I just love how our team effectively delegates tasks based on individual strengths, this
will definitely lead us to efficient completion of the project’s tasks.

B. What is one good thing that happened during your team meeting?

The team unanimously agreed on an idea for the project, aligning everyone towards a
common goal and boosting morale.

C. What is one thing your team could do better in the next meeting?

Set clearer action items with designated deadlines to enhance accountability and track
progress effectively.

D. Are you experiencing any concerns or frustrations with your team? If yes, what
can you personally do to lessen the concern/frustration?

There are some concerns about meeting punctuality, but at the same time I do not
blame them because we all work full time jobs and it’s hard to find a time that suit us
all.

E. How would you rate your ability to communicate with your team members on a
scale of 1 to 4? (1=extremely poor and 4=excellent)

F. Overall, how satisfied are you with how well your team is working together? (On
a scale of 1 to 4, with 1=extremely poor and 4=excellent)

G. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your team and their process?

Our team has shown great progress in adapting to challenges, and the collaborative
spirit is commendable. However, continuous improvement in certain areas like time
management will further enhance our overall performance.