LD7028 - Reflection on BCT for Food Chain: Project Management 2017

This report reflects on the challenges encountered while researching the application of blockchain technology (BCT) in the food chain, specifically for addressing food insecurity. The author discusses difficulties in formulating a research aim, conducting a literature review due to limited sources ...Read More

Reflection on BCT for Food Chain
Contents
Challenges encountered.........................................................................................................................1
Interaction for Support...........................................................................................................................2
Skills required........................................................................................................................................2
Professional development plan..............................................................................................................3
SWOT Analysis.................................................................................................................................3
Objectives and Action plan................................................................................................................4
Challenges encountered
While collecting data for the research, I faced challenges in all the sections of the research
including:
Aim: In this section, I had to come up with a research question. I was given two topics that
were totally different and at one point, I could not see a connection and thus, I found if
difficult to formulate one single aim.
Literature Review: This was the major section of the research that needed me to explore the
possible literature on the use of blockchain technology for food security. When I read a bit
about the technology and food insecurity, I found very few articles on the two topics in
connection. Some of them explained the use of BCT as the mode of payment in the food
supply system while others spoke of the development of the mobile application with the base
of BCT. Most studies had to be done separately for the two concepts such that connecting the
two was difficult. BCT technology was mostly used in commercial businesses and use of the
same in the food chain was difficult to find the literature for. Understanding the concept of
food security was also very time consuming as had a lot of data to be explored and a lot of
concepts to be discussed. In the process, I found that food related surveys could use the
concept of the block chain so I refined my scope and tried exploring survey as the possible
solution for food insecurity. I explored data of UN, from food banks, and Government

surveys. I also found a food distribution app called fareshare that could be used by the food
systems to make them secure through the use of blockchain technology. However, making a
logical connection between the topics found was very challenging. At last I found some
logical and streamlined literature on the possibility of building application for connecting all
the entities in the food supply chain. So, decided to refine my idea to the possibility of
exploring a mobile application for improving the food supply chain system to reduce food
insecurity in the country.
Scope: In this section, I was to explore the project scope. During the initial research, I was
unable to find the full literature and was struggling to explore how BCT could be used for the
reduction of food insecurity. The initial findings were related to the payments but then it got
refined to also understanding the concept of food insecurity which also refined my scope. So,
the section of scope was actually modified over the duration of the project. Similarly, with
modification of the scope, the risks would also change or get added and thus, had to update
the section again after finding more literature. I could flip on risks and scope between the use
of blockchain for reducing food insecurity by conducting survey or by involving it in
payments. I later combined the idea of BCT for payments through an application and also
include survey as its part to cover all the related concepts of food insecurity with BCT.
Sources: Collecting journal articles that spoke about the niche subject was difficult. I could
find journal articles talking either about BCT or about food insecurity but there was no article
whose literature could be used directly for the purpose of this research until I modified the
scope and decided to research on the possible mobile application with the payment structure
of blockchain model in the food chain. On most popular journals only a few articles were
found. Thus, I could not populate many journals in this section.
Ethical, legal, privacy and security issues: When concerning the topic, I found it very difficult
to find specific details of these types of issues. I could find some ethical and security
concerns but the other issues were difficult to find. I could find some risk categories for
survey that was made the part of the application I suggested in the research as the solution
while other categories were found for the application. It was very confusing me to populate
these ideas in a unified manner.

Interaction for Support
To understand the topic better and keep my research aligned, I tried taking support from my
peer students, supervisors and tutors.
Tutor: The tutor helped me refine my topic and decide a methodology for this research. The
tutor suggested me the journals and books that I could get from the library to read on the
subject. The tutor also guided me through the defining of the project scope and finding the
right literature on the subject. I was recommended a few keywords I could use online for
searching through the journals and my library. I was also suggested to go through the UN
data and the idea of food survey while researching the subject. When I told the tutor about my
difficulty in finding the possible use of BCT in the system
Supervisor: The supervisor resolved my issues and challenges that I have already mentioned
in the previous section of this critical reflection report. For instance, when I was finding it
difficult to find data on use of BCT in food supply chains, the supervisor suggested me to
split the two concepts and study them individually and then would be able to understand the
subject in depth and discover more keywords to drill down on the research subject. It did help
me and I could get my literature done more exhaustively.
Peers: My peers support me with some ideas on keywords immediately while searching and
some even helped me with ideas that I could used for research through the online journals.
They also encouraged me by motivational talks when I was finding it difficult to explore the
topic. At a point, I even though of a possibility of changing it but then one of peers suggested
me to take help from the tutor supervisor and not change the topic as it would only increase
my efforts. I liked the idea and took support to move ahead with my project. My peers also
suggested me to use the past literature on the subject from library which they helped me to
find.
Skills required
From the experience of preparing the research proposal, I could figure out a few skills that a
researcher needs to have and these include:
Attention to Details: A researcher needs to go through a large number of documents while keeping
the focus only on the subject to be studied and the research questions to be answered. Thus, it is
important that the researcher has a keen eye for details so that sufficient interpretations can be made
and the gaps can be analysed in the research literature. This would help researcher refine the

objectives of the research and understand he literature gaps that are needed to be filled by a new
research. A proposal usually formalizes on this gap analysis to come up with the idea of a research. I
think I have a keen eye for the detail and can easily make observations.
Critical Thinking: Critical thinking allows a researcher to understand arguments and build arguments
around the same in favour or against it which is important to understand different perspectives on a
research topic. A research can either support or question existing hypothesis to come up with a
proposal for a new research. Any new research would either provide existing arguments as true or
negate them. With critical thinking researcher would be able to explore and understand past literature
on any subject and come up with a plan for a new research idea. This would help a researcher
understand the implications that the information added can have on the field of study and thus, it is
one of the most essential skills needed in a researcher building a proposal. I found myself a little
lacking in critical thinking as I was finding it difficult to compare the perspectives of multiple
theorists on the same subject and make sound arguments.
Planning and Scheduling: Research proposal writing is a highly formalized and systematic process
that is also time bound. Each part of the work can affect the outcome of the research. Thus, it is very
important to have a proper planning and scheduling done for the research being proposed. A
researcher proposing any researcher needs to have a good idea of what needs to be done in the
research and how much time it will take. These factors can affect the outcome of the research, the
quality of its results and the cost of conducting research. Every proposal covers a plan and a schedule
for the research proposed. Thus, a proposal writer should be good at planning and scheduling research
projects. I am not very good at planning and took more time to complete my proposal than expected
because I was unable to judge the time requirements of the project and thus, I need to work on this.
Professional development plan
SWOT Analysis
My strengths include:
 I have a good eye for details
 I am sincere at my work and mostly deliver quality
 I am well versed with the fundamentals of research
 I have enough patience to study significant number of materials needed for a research
investigation
My weaknesses include:
 I am still not very comfortable with critical thinking and thus, find it challenging to develop a
literature review

 I am not very good at making realistic plans and schedules for a research work as I am unable
to make accurate estimations
I can take the following opportunities to learn:
 I can conduct more researches that would give me experiences
 I can study more books on research as a subject and clarity my doubts
 I can take extra classes on specific research subjects and ask questions to my tutors for getting
the guidance which would help me refine my skills
 I can try to learn things that can improve my weakness areas
I can face following threats as a researcher:
 I can cause loss or time and cost on a project with wrong estimation
 Lack of required critical thinking can result into an analysis that is not in-depth enough which
would not make look very professional if I work in an organization.
Objectives and Action plan
Objective 1: develop critical thinking
For developing critical thinking, I would take the following steps:
 I would become an active listener and would try to analyse everything I hear
 I would try to criticize my own thoughts to develop critical thinking
 I would read more books and watch videos on critical thinking skills
 I would study a large number of research documents and would observe how other
researchers can using critical thinking skills in their researches and would try to adopt to it
 I would take guidance from my tutors and peers on how critical thinking can be developed
and would have critical discussions with my peers for practice.
Objective 2: Improve scheduling and planning skills
For improving my planning, I would take the following steps:
 I would observe myself while reading and working to record the time I take for every type of
task and based on this observation I would make the estimation of the time I would normally
take for every step of the research. This would help me make my estimates more accurate for
the future and I would be able to make a more realistic schedule.
 I would learn the planning tools like Microsoft Project and SmartSHeet to make plans using
technology and would make use of the same to build plans and also make modifications on
dates to understand how each part of my work can affect the whole project schedule

 Would read books and go through the time management related subject videos to understand
how time can be managed best and how accurate estimates can be made in the research plans.
For this , I would use books from libraries on planning and management as well as watch
online videos
 I would practice the ideas I learn from books and videos in practice to see if they work and
whatever works with would be adopted.