Farmforce’s new Coach Management feature helps organizations set, track, and optimize performance targets for field agents — unlocking greater accountability, productivity, and impact in agricultural supply chains.
In agricultural supply chains, field agents — often called “coaches” — are the bridge between technology and the farmer. They ensure data collection, support farmers in adopting best practices, and serve as the first line of quality assurance. But managing dozens or hundreds of coaches across regions and programs is no small feat. How can organizations ensure that field teams are productive, accountable, and supported, while also enhancing data quality and efficiency?
Farmforce’s new Coach Management feature brings structure and visibility to this crucial part of field operations.
Turning Field Performance into Measurable Outcomes
The Coach Management feature enables admin users to define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for individual coaches, setting clear, measurable targets such as “number of maps created per week” or “farm records updated per month.”
Each KPI can be customized by role, territory, or experience level, ensuring that expectations align with field realities. More experienced coaches can be assigned higher targets, while recruits can start with smaller targets, building capacity over time.
KPIs can be set to cover specific time periods (daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly), making performance tracking more dynamic and actionable. Organizations can also activate or deactivate rules and import short-term KPI campaigns in bulk — for instance, setting weekly mapping goals for a three-month data collection drive.
Real-Time Visibility and Accountability
On the ground, coaches can see their assigned KPIs directly in the Farmforce mobile app through a “KPI Performance” report. This dashboard displays progress against targets for a selected date range, helping each coach determine whether they’re on track, ahead, or need to catch up.
For program managers and M&E teams, KPI performance data syncs seamlessly to the Orbit web platform, providing centralized reporting and insights. This visibility allows management teams to identify bottlenecks quickly, recognize top performers, and provide targeted support where it’s needed most.
The result: a data-driven culture of accountability and improvement at the first mile.
Driving Operational Efficiency at Scale
Operational excellence in agriculture starts with clarity — knowing who needs to do what, by when, and with what result.
By aligning field activities with measurable goals, Coach Management helps organizations:
- Increase productivity: Structured KPI tracking keeps coaches focused on priorities such as mapping, data entry, or farmer engagement.
- Enhance data quality: Consistent follow-up ensures that key datasets (like GPS coordinates or farmer profiles) are complete and verified.
- Reduce coordination costs: Automated reporting and KPI imports minimize manual follow-up and simplify management across large teams.
- Boost engagement: Field staff gain ownership of their performance through transparent, real-time feedback.
A Key Element of Farmforce’s Operational Efficiency Toolkit
Coach Management builds on the same philosophy that inspired Farmforce’s Case Management workflows — structuring field activities to ensure every step is traceable, efficient, and results-oriented.
Together, these features form the backbone of Farmforce’s Operational Efficiency Toolkit, which helps agri-businesses, certification bodies, and sustainability programs optimize their field operations while ensuring compliance and traceability.
Already Making a Difference
The feature is already deployed in West Africa’s cocoa sector, where large sustainability programs are using it to track coach performance across mapping, farmer onboarding, and data verification activities. Early adopters report clearer accountability structures and faster turnaround times in achieving their operational targets — a promising sign for broader rollout.
Turning Field Data into Field Impact
In an era where verifiable data must back sustainability commitments, operational efficiency is not just about doing more — it’s about doing better.
By linking field activities with measurable performance goals, Farmforce’s Coach Management feature enables organizations to manage their teams with precision, reward results, and continuously improve how impact is delivered on the ground.
It’s another step in Farmforce’s mission to bring visibility, efficiency, and trust to the first mile of agricultural supply chains.
