ICT4D How technology and (geo)information

can serve development

Index

1. Gnucoop profile 2. ICT4D

▫ What is it? general overview ▫ Examples of projects/applications from Gnucoop ▫ ICT4D challenges and implementation steps

3. Geo-information for development ▫ General overview ▫ Examples of applications ▫ Lessons learnt

4. Gnucoop experience with geo-information for development ▫ Malawi case study → from PRA maps to satellite images ▫ Jordan, Service Advisor→Digital Humanitarian Network (DHN) ▫ Haiti case study → webGIS

5. The future of ICT4D 6. Q&A

Gnucoop profile Let’s see what Gnucoop is.

Gnucoop- Company Profile

▪ Our vision We believe that free software and technologies can help to improve quality of life and reduce the gap between communities worldwide. ▪ Our mission

We design and develop software solutions with the highest standards and the latest technologies. Our core business is to develop ict4d solutions for the nonprofit sector.

Gnucoop- Company Profile

▪ Our history ▫ since 2006 we develop solutions and work in cooperation projects ▫ cooperative officially established in 2012 ▫ 70 clients in the last three years, including NGOs and aid agencies

▪ Our team

▫ developers - over 12 years experience ▫ system admin - over 15 years experience ▫ web designers - over 12 years experience ▫ cooperation experts/project managers- over 7 years experience

▪ Our skills

▫ building databases, complex data infrastructures, web interfaces ▫ developing web and mobile applications (data collection) ▫ trainings and e-learning platform

Gnucoop- Company Profile

▪ Our work

▫ web applications and website ▫ developing and managing e-

learning platform ▫ ICT4D and webGIS applications -

data collection/elaboration ▫ training on new technologies for

development

ICT4D Let’s talk about ICT for development

What’s ICT4D for you?

▪… ▪….

ICT4D definition

Information and Communication Technologies for Development is an initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide and aiding economic development by ensuring equitable access to up-to-date communications technologies. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) include any communication device -- encompassing radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. From techtarget Behind ICT4D: ▪ Increasing number of mobile phones in the developing world ▪ Increasing access to cheaper technologies ▪ Widespread of broadband connection

ICT4D: A bit of history

▪ 50’s-70’s: ICT4G (growth/government) or ICT4D 0.0 ▪ 80’s: ICT mostly used in the private sector, only few experiences for the cooperation sector

(radio Sutatenza in the Andes) ▪ 90’s: ICT4D 1.0; World Wide Web and MDGs change the scenery, MDG #8 (Develop a global

partnership for development & avail benefits of new technologies): access to knowledge→ internet connections (i.e.: telecenters)

▪ 2000’s: ICT4D 2.0, using existing technologies and focusing on their application/users→

change of prospective: users are part of the technological process→ new open and shared tools

● Digital technologies, new tools in search of a purpose ● DMGs, new targets in search of a delivery mechanism

ICT4D was the combination of the two elements.

ICT4D Tools - examples

Most popular ICT4D tools: ▪ Open Data Kit→ data

collection through forms ▪ FrontlineSMS→ data

collection through SMS ▪ Ushahidi→ crowdmapping

ICT4D applications:

▪ ehealth ▪ microfinance ▪ agriculture/food security ▪ humanitarian crisis ▪ disaster preparedness/response But also… education, governance, democracy, etc..

ICT4D applications: EXAMPLE 1-ehealth

▪ Remote diagnosis ▪ Outbreak monitoring ▪ Medical records ▪ Treatment adherence ▪ Drug supply chain

management ▪ Health campaigns ▪ Telemedicine

Stock Management via SMS

and Ushahidi in Madagascar

(Gnucoop/COOPI)

ICT4D applications: EXAMPLE 2 -Finance

▪ Mobile-money- (i.e.: M-Pesa customers can deposit and withdraw money from a network of agents that includes airtime resellers and retail outlets acting as banking agents.)

▪ Micro-loans monitoring: managing savings and loans of remote communities, who have otherwise no access to traditional financial services

Community Loans Management via odk

app in Malawi (Gnucoop/CUMO)

▪ Monitoring Food supplies ▪ Monitoring Food prices at

local markets ▪ Food Aid management ▪ Promoting Agricultural

education through video, podcast, etc...

▪ Optimizing yield

ICT4D applications: EXAMPLE 3- food security

Food Price monitoring via odk app in Central

African Republique (Gnucoop/ACF)

ICT4D applications: EXAMPLE 4- humanitarian emergencies

Twine: UNHCR/Gnucoop Supporting data collection and analysis of information at refugee camps worldwide. A good example of the evolution of ICTtools: (excel,access,webapp)

ICT4D Challenges

Sustainability: ensuring project longevity, → government or local ownership is crucial Scalability: from pilot to large scale project: → ability to propose a solution that can impact large population Evaluation: impact analysis → keep monitoring the application year after year

Uganda, fragmentation of

mhealth projects MAP

Steps for the implementation of ICT4D projects

1 Assessing the potential of ICTs

1 Assessing the potential of

ICTs

4 Review

2 Assessing the social context for ICTs

3 Assessing the physical context of ICTs

7 Capacity building

6 Planning for sustainability

5 Choosing the ICT

8 Monitoring, evaluation and

sharing knowledge

Suggestions for a successful ICT4D project

1. Build for what people already have in their hands

2. If your product needs an installation guide, that’s a barrier.

3. Projects have to be sustainable, but by charging users you often put barriers up to

adoption.

4. If you need to fly in and out to carry out installation, you’re going to struggle to get to scale

5. If you build your ICT4D tool to work without the Internet, then it will work anywhere.

6. Community is absolutely critical (users can connect and provide technical support to one

another)

7. We need to think of appropriate technology as a discipline

8. Collaboration is key

9. Think beyond technology

10.Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Ask yourself every day why you’re doing what you’re

doing, and whether it gets you any closer to that wider goal.

(Ken Banks)

Geoinformation for development

Let’s talk about geoinformation

Why Geo-information for development?

▪ First proto-GIS→ Dr. John Snow, London Cholera Map 1854

▪ The first computer system for merging spatial information with statistical data

was the Canadian Geographic Information System (CGIS) made in the 60s and 70s

by Roger Tomlinson, also known the “Father of GIS”.

Why Geo-information for development?

▪ First map made by Tomlinson was to determine a good location for planting trees

to feed a planned paper mill in Kenya

▪ GIS was mainly seen as a control tool, imperialistic geography ( explicit goal of

expanding political and economic control over those already disadvantaged by

local, regional, and global divisions of power: business, administration and war

purposes)

▪ In the 90s/2000s, emerging of Participatory GIS (PGIS) → bringing technology

closer to people; PRA mapping, communities getting knowledge and awareness of

theirs space (i.e.: Mapping water resources in KOFFIEKRAAL)

▪ 2010 Haiti earthquake

Milestone: Haiti earthquake 2010

Mapping? No, Crowdmapping! 2010 Haiti earthquake , access to mobile and online communication enabled a kind of collective intelligence to emerge (V&TCs) to help make sense of a large scale calamity and give voice to an affected population.

Example of application: Maps in ArcGIS/QGIS

Examples of application: webGIS

Ushahidi combines

information from social

networks and

crowdsourcing with

mapping information

to monitor crisis or

emergency situations

Example of application: HOT (Humanitarian Openstreetmap Team)

When major disaster strikes anywhere in the world, HOT

rallies a huge network of volunteers to create, online, the

maps that enable responders to reach those in need.

https://vimeo.com/110162511

Example of application: Spatial Data Platforms

National platform example: Masdap- Malawi

Other Examples of application of geo for dev

...to the use of mapping drones for early recovery from Disasters

From simple 3W platform...

Dro

ne a

dventu

res

Lesson learnt: good mapping for development

▪ store and back up essential baseline geospatial datasets so that they can be used immediately

once a disaster occurs

▪ Introduce and provide training in new ICT tools and information systems in advance of

emergencies

▪ Make critical data and information sharable with the host government, civil society and affected

populations (in local languages)

▪ data should include essential meta-data (source, date-stamp, geo-reference) and adheres to

the Principles of Humanitarian Information Management, i.e. accessibility, accountability,

impartiality, inclusiveness, interoperability, relevance, sensitivity, sustainability, timeliness and

verifiability.

▪ Simply making enormous amounts of data and information available and introducing new

technologies is not enough to ensure efficient coordination and effective decision-making.

Gnucoop and geoinformation for development

Let’s see some examples developed by Gnucoop

Creation of Hazard Maps (Malawi case study)

● Community mapping (PRA maps) using

VHR satellite images

● GPS data collection

● Participatory GIS in rural communities

affected by floods to highlight hazards and

risk areas

● Data integration into maps

Mapping for disaster response DHN Service Advisor (Gnucoop/PeaceGeeks/ UNHCR Jordan)

http://data.unhcr.org/jordan/services-advisor/

Building a webGIS platform (Haiti)

http://sirv.tabarre.ht/

The future of ICT4D

Let’s see what’s on the plate for the future

The future of ICT4D

● Learn from past experiences

and mistakes, by monitoring

current projects

● Help communities and

governments increasing the

ownership of the available

technologies/projects

● Prioritize those sectors

where ICT4D can have a

real impact (Post-2015

development Agenda)

Q&A It’s your turn!

Gnucoop

IT for non profit If you want to find out more,

please visit our website: www.gnucoop.com

paola.fava@gnucoop.com

Thanks!