new tools for tackling poverty

GLOBAL SOLUTION NETWORKS

New Tools for Tackling Poverty

by Sara Boetigger Adjunct Professor, Department of

Agriculture Economics University of California Berkeley



Global Solution Networks are having major impacts on our collective ability to fight poverty.

Executive Summary

•  Widespread adoption of mobile telephony puts access to new tools in the hands of people in even the most remote locations.

•  Digital networking of individuals and institutions allows more impact from programs to fight poverty.

•  8 out of 10 of the poorest countries have more mobile phones than toilets.

•  Gaps in access still hamper development efforts.

•  Incentives for operators to expand mobile networks and government prioritization of mobile access for the poor offers huge potential.

! 2.6 million children die of hunger annually—that's about 300 an hour.

! 1/5 of the world’s population

does not have access to electricity.

! One in nine people in world doesn’t have clean drinking water.

! More than half a billion women cannot read or write.



Many GSNs Work on poverty, others engage the poor directly.

Digital networking is increasing available as a tool to serve the poor. Mesh networks allow connectivity outside cell tower range.

Literacy and language barriers limit use of phones for data transmission. GSNs working at the local level may not be global in scale, but nevertheless address problems common to many communities.

Among the Poor and For the Poor

Where Global Solution Networks can have an Impact:

•  Education/Literacy •  Aid Effectiveness (allocation and

targeting) •  Human Rights •  Post-disaster Relief •  Technical Training and Support •  Resources (water, food,

sanitation) •  Markets and Employment •  Networking and Globalization



The Four Characteristics of Global Solution Networks:

1.  Diverse Stakeholders (beyond one nation state)

2.  Self-Governing

3.  Exploits Digital Technology

4.  Addresses a Global Problem

21st century tools to solve 21st century problems

There is a fundamental change underway regarding how global problems can be solved and perhaps how we govern ourselves. Emerging non-state networks of civil society, private sector, government and individual stakeholders—what we call

Global Solution Networks—are achieving new forms of cooperation and social change as well as the production of global public value. A growing numbers of GSNs are currently mobilizing to battle poverty.

The Role of Global Solution Networks



Networked solutions can create efficiency with better targeting of resources. GSNs can provide services directly with platforms like Ushahidi and Crisis Mappers.

Replace previous models altogether, e.g., education solutions. Water quality and supply issues are being addressed with platform solutions that improve service and quality as well as blocking corruption.

Inefficiencies in state aid budgets are preventing progress on poverty—GSNs can help eliminate them.

Increasing the Impact of Existing Policies

Bananas

Ugandans eat more bananas than anyone on the planet. March 2013, 195,000 UNICEF volunteers received a text: “Do you know any farmers whose banana plantations or crops are infected with wilt disease? YES or NO.” In 24 hours responses enabled mapping of the area impacted by disease and critical information for containing the disease was dispersed. Cost = $0.03/message.



Crowdsourcing Solutions

For-profit business models are frequently too expensive to push forward in emerging economies.

Energy costs are too high in developing economies even with the support of government subsidies.

Examples of clean, renewable energy solutions being provided with the help of crowdfunding, microfinance and donations exist in Thailand (World Bank), Nicaragua (Technosol), and the US (Mosaic).

Expanding Global Resources

Total crowdfunding in 2013 was estimated at $5.1 billion, double the amount in 2012. In 2012 the US SEC developed new rules for crowdfunding equity investments, and possible distributed equity investment opportunities.

Diaspora networks can contribute to development in home countries, where some have ministerial positions for diaspora issues. Impact sourcing networks provide digital work for low income communities.

Crowdfunding could increase the funds available to support innovative GSNs in developing markets.



Improving the Impact of Policies on the Poor

GSNs enable the voice of disenfranchised populations to be heard in the halls of government. Polling populations for their input on priorities ensures their participation.

Fostering transparency, ease of reporting and public accountability for policymakers. GSNs can bypass policy and provide cheaper and more direct results.

Platforms for sharing knowledge empower the poor and help spread best practices.

“The biggest challenge is taking a rich source of data and translating it into something useful for community health workers and getting it back to them rapidly. Dr. Joshua Yukich Malaria Initiative



Economic transformation must be backstopped by good policy and functioning institutions.

Citizen Journalism IndiaUnheard •  45 community Correspondents

across 27 Indian states.

•  Representing ethnic, religious, linguistic and gender minorities.

•  Using video, social networking and SMS, stories are shared and broadcast from urban slums and rural villages to the world.

Allowing the Voices of the Poor to be Heard

Sharing information is challenging where Internet access is limited. Networked sharing using video technology has had some success in sharing agricultural best practices.

Sharing market information empowers farmers and producers. Mobile survey technology is lowering the price of information sharing.



Voices of the Hungry A New Way to Measure Poverty: UN Food and Agriculture Organization surveyed 160,000 people from 150 countries asked if, during the last 12 months: 1.  You were worried you would run

out of food? 2.  You were unable to eat healthy

and nutritious food? 3.  You ate only a few kinds of foods? 4.  You had to skip a meal? 5.  You ate less than you thought you

should? 6.  Your household ran out of food? 7.  You were hungry but did not eat? 8.  You went without eating for a

whole day?

Transforming How We Measure Poverty

Measurement determines how resources are allocated. Up to 34% of countries are misclassified, bad data is pervasive.

GSNs can establish measurement criteria and techniques to improve reliability. GSNs are neutral in generating data, but the data can be “gamed” and can have a disruptive influence on markets.

Available data on poverty is appallingly bad.



New Tools for

Tackling Poverty

By Sara Boettiger, Adjunct Professor, Department of

Agricultural Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Global Solution Networks:

Don Tapscott, Founder and Chairman Dr. Joan Bigham, Executive Director Anthony Williams, Executive Director Review all research results on our web site: gsnetworks.org

Global Solution Networks provide fundamental changes in approaches to global poverty.

Establishing trust through involvement of the poor. Successful models build on engagement of poor communities. Access to technology increases the impact of GSNs.

Donor investment in the replication and scaling of successful networks. Constrained budgets have promoted need for improving the resources available to GSNs.

Implications for Network Leaders

new tools for tackling poverty

Economy & Finance