ICTworks by Inveneo

Back at the turn of the century, education was gripped by the diffusion of amazing hand-held devices for children. These tools, at first considered an expensive and delicate novelty, soon became standard for every child in wealthy education systems and from there defused around the world to nearly every classroom.

This is actually a description of slate tablets in the early 1800′s, but it could aptly describe the technological revolution we are seeing in education today with low-cost ICT devices.

The rise of ICT devices

From single-purpose educational aids like the Teachermate to commercial netbooks that can be re-purposed for the classroom, information and communication technology is dropping in cost while increasing in functionality and robustness. Soon, these ICT devices will be like slates in the 1800′s – ubiquitous.

Netbooks – one type of low-cost ICT device for education

In 2008, infoDev at the World Bank complied a Quick guide to low-cost computing devices and initiatives for the developing world to try and record the most prominent or promising of these devices.

Recently, the Educational Technology Debate updated this list through two efforts:

1. The list itself is now available as an editable Google Doc: Low-Cost ICT List Update.
2. ETD also highlighted some of the more interesting initiatives in their low-cost ICT devices discussion

I invite your input in both. You can modify or download the low-cost ICT devices list itself and comment on the online discussion as the mood strikes you.

Do note that this list isn't expected to be exhaustive, it’s a Quick Guide after all, and we are purposely leaving off mobile phones, as well as the plethora of devices that could be used in education, for a more targeted list of hardware devices that are used in educational systems of the developing world.

Many computer labs go unused because no one in the community sees the need to use computers and therefore they have not even learned how to use them. Yet the community cannot return the computers nor afford their upkeep.

However, this is not the case regarding a computer lab near me in Kenya. The organization that sold the computers to the community provided intensive training to the lab managers. The youth center that owns the lab has plans to hold classes, as well as use the lab as an information center to educate on and prevent drug abuse and HIV/AIDS infection for the community. This demonstrates that they both had an idea of how to use the computers and had thought of activities for which they could be used.

Sustabale computer lab installation does not stop here

Instead, they faced three simple, yet seemingly insurmountable problems:

1. Finding someone who could teach the community to use the computers and guide users in finding the information on HIV/AIDS or drug abuse
2. Finding the money to pay that person on a regular basis
3. Paying for the Internet access and bandwidth costs

These issues reflect two themes prevalent in many development projects: lack of funding and lack of initiative. First, the director of the program thought there was nothing to do until the money came to pay a teacher. Then he also did not think to volunteer as an instructor, or ask his center manager (also trained on computers) to volunteer, or search for a volunteer in the community.

About two months ago the missing piece of this lab's puzzle came into the picture: funding. The leadership of a community-based organization (CBO) met the managers of the youth center. After the CBO demonstrated that they were working with ICT and were knowledgeable about open source operating systems and packages (which this lab was running), the seeds of partnership were planted.

The CBO and the director of the youth center are now near signing an agreement whereby the CBO teaches computer classes to the youth center's target population at for small fee, and, in return, they have access to the computer lab to do their administrative work. Future plans to supply Internet access to the lab through the CBO's project are in progress.

The moral of the story is this, lack of knowledge on how to use or the usefulness of computers is not always the cause for computer's disuse in less developed countries. In some situations, the owners/managers are simply waiting for other pieces to fall in place.

Human capacity barriers are some of the most difficult to deal with in community-focused projects. Overcoming them is simply a matter of finding the right outlet for the resource that is needed. As we all know, change often takes time.

Soon, this lab will be drawing the community in for lessons provided by their fellow community members. As in all other endeavors, ICT for development projects should not end with hooking up the technology, it is finding the connections or resources needed to make it usable and useful for the target population.

Attending the Tandaa symposium in May 2010 organised by the Kenya ICT Board to enhance digital content, film and animation, I was impressed by the cue to creating local content simply described by Dr. Ndemo Bitange the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication.

In plain words he said "unlike in other developed countries where their potential is realised, there is a lot of power for Kenyans to seize up, through enhancement of digital content."

A challenge to the permanent secretary was to address the question.. "what can the Kenyan government do to empower local talent to create local digital content and generate income?" As all 'political' replies, the PS reiterated the government commitment to motivating development of local digital content, but noted the bulk of the burden was on Kenyans to work on rather than the government. He reminded the audience of regulations of broadcast in Kenya that direct that 40% should be local content. He noted the 'ignorance' of opportunity represented by entry of digital television and broadband internet in Kenya.

Kenya ICT Board Content Grants

Therefore when a few weeks I was attending the Barcamp Nairobi events there was news of an ICT Board grant to Kenyans to work on digital content, I was moved by the effort made. The grant of 4 million dollars has 2 categories- one addressing government services and another for application development. The target group also falls within 2 categories, for firms registered ion Kenya that can apply for up to 50,000$ and for individuals qualifying for 10,000$.

The grant mainly targets startup companies, but existing projects qualify if the funds will be utilized for further development and not marketing. Despite the fact that the target is 46 grants this year, the ICT board had received 500 applications within 10 days of posting. A panel of 9 judges will have the daunting task of assessing the winning applications.

Mwananchi Impact

What does the grant mean to the ordinary 'mwananchi'? I like the approach that the ICT board utilized in recruiting applications. Allowing individual submission means that there will be stiff competition but at the same time allowing for a variety of submissions. Moreover there is opportunity that is presented away from the usual bureaucratic tendering process of the government.

The regional workshops that have been organised by the ICT board serve as a good platform of information dissemination. The fact that government employees (except those in the ministry of technology and communication) and even students will apply is a good case in point of creating opportunity for income generation.

I have not succeeded in writing a successful grant application despite many application to the international forums. In a wrong assumption probably but the grant writing skills and project management will be a big challenge to Kenyan youth applying for this grant. Language barrier (Kiswahili is not accepted as a language of submission) will be a factor. The very short word requirements are appropriate but are crucial in terms of a quality submission.

That not withstanding I am settling down to finish my application - the deadline for the Digital Content and Software Application Grant is this Monday, get your proposal in now!

I hopefully will write in future on writing a successful grant application to the ICT board in next years call for application....

In February 2008, The Health Metrics Network (HMN) convened experts in Geneva after many months of focused organizational, advocacy and educational efforts in several countries.

The goal of the event was to test interoperability of core elements of a district-level health solution that would be repeatable across the dozens of countries in which HMN is currently working.

Inveneo participated in this meeting and what follows is a brief discussion of four key ICT challenges identified by the HMN working group and how Inveneo is seeking to overcome them.

Power Challenges

Lack of consistent and affordable electricity is the single greatest challenge in designing a computing infrastructure for rural health informatics (or any other application for that matter). The vast majority of health facilities in remote parts of the developing world have no mains power and, where available, such power is usually extremely unreliable or so unstable that it poses a threat to unprotected electronic equipment.

Among off-grid health facilities that nevertheless have power, diesel generators are the most common source. But increasing fuel costs and on-going maintenance problems mean that generators are seldom run for more than a few hours a day (often only during medical procedures that require powered equipment) and are prone to abrupt and unannounced failure. Alternatives such as solar panels are simply cost prohibitive when deployed to support standard computing hardware.

Pending the decades long process of extending stable, grid power to remote communities or the advent of an entirely new computing paradigm, the logical immediate answer to this challenge lies in low-power-consuming hardware. Fortunately, hardware now exists that is cost-effective to run on solar (or other renewable) or in partial-grid power.

For example, the Inveneo High-Efficiency Computing Station (PDF) draws just 17 watts of power, compared with 50+watts for a typical laptop, well over 100w for a new desktop and over 150-200w for an older workstation with CRT monitor.

Along those same lines, the Inveneo R4 Hub Server draws under 30 watts, compared with 200w or greater for many new servers.

Due to a number of factors, including increased energy cost, the market shakeup due to the proliferation of mobile platforms, increased focus on "bottom of the pyramid" opportunities, not to mention pressure from Inveneo and other integrators, chip makers are now paying more attention to power efficiency, which should increase availability of processors that can support cost-effective health applications in the developing world.

Efforts are also underway with DHISv2, OpenMRS and other health applications to minimize their system resource requirements and on other ways to improve overall performance on low-power, energy-efficient hardware platforms. This work is a prime example of where closer collaboration between hardware designers and those working on health applications can lead to better integration, repeatability and performance.

Environmental Challenges

The physical environment in most rural and remote settings is characterized by some combination of heat, dust and humidity, each of which is a challenge for standard computers. High speed CPUs generate enormous amounts of heat that, if not properly dissipated, reduces performance or can render these systems inoperable. Dust threatens sensitive electronics by shorting circuits and impeding airflow and heat dissipation. Humidity leads to condensation, corrosion and even mold, all of which can cause electrical problems and possibly shorten equipment lifespan.

Besides reducing power costs, power-efficient computing also helps to resolve these environmental challenges. CPUs with slower clock speeds generate less heat and, with appropriate thermal design, can be deployed without fans. This allows computer enclosures to be better sealed against these threats as well as vermin of various sorts. Fewer moving parts also means greater reliability and lower overall operating costs. In exceptionally remote and/or hot environments, solid-state flash memory can be substituted for hard drives, which are prone to failure in extreme heat and are a common failure point requiring support.

Connectivity Challenges

Lack of affordable connectivity and bandwidth is the primary obstacle to several of the most promising health applications for rural areas, including tele-medicine and other real-time diagnostic support and training initiatives. Lack of connectivity also complicates more basic efforts to collect and analyze health information.

For example, managing electronic medical records for peripatetic patients requires some means of accessing patient information from multiple locations. Similarly, accurate and timely health statistics are extremely difficult to compile in the absence of some form of connectivity, as is managing logistics or other key processes. Finally, lack of reliable connectivity complicates core IT functions, such as systems updates and virus control, thus increasing costs while reducing use value.

Once again, however, tools now exist to overcome these challenges for a growing portion of the communities in questions. The dramatic expansion of cellular networks across Sub-Saharan Africa means that affordable data services are now available for the first time in many areas. Although most cell networks do not yet provide high-speed connectivity (at least not in rural areas), they can support a number of valuable asynchronous and low-bandwidth applications, like email, which are easy to use, powerful and sustainable. As these networks expand and are upgraded, they will provide crucial connectivity for a large number of rural communities and will be better able to support data-intensive applications.

Open protocols, such as WIFI, and durable off-the-shelf products offer an alternative, often complementary, approach. Work done at UC Berkeley in the TIER group's the "WILD" project and elsewhere has adapted the core protocols for WIFI to allow increased bandwidth over long distances. And equipment maker Ubiquti has developed a comprehensive line of durable yet inexpensive WiFi antennas that Inveneo has certified as appropriate for rural wireless networks:

The technology relies on line-of-site, but for less than $1000 it is now quite simple to create a reliable broadband (6mbps) link over distances as great as 100-200km. Such links can be used to extend low cost Internet connections in urban settings to the near periphery at low cost or to share a VSAT connection to multiple facilities in more remote settings.

Even in the absence of Internet service, this approach can support high-speed networking among health facilities to deliver access to shared resources, tele-medicine, tele-training, VOIP telephony or other applications that require higher bandwidth.

Still, while connectivity options are improving, careful design for low-bandwidth and delay tolerance remain critically important. Only systems-level design that accounts for system resource as well as networking constraints can support this objective.

Human Resources and Other Non-technical Challenges

As important as these physical and infrastructural challenges are the many human factor and institutional obstacles to sustainable health information solutions in underserved areas. A partial list of these includes:

• Inexperienced computer users
• Lack of trained technical support
• Absence of defined, action-oriented health indicators
• Uncoordinated or absent governance mechanisms
• Inadequate oversight and/or incentives for health workers
• Widespread poverty and associated security risks

It's worth noting that to succeed health information solutions for rural and remote environments must accommodate inexperienced computer users and novice administrators, not visa versa. This is true both for usability and resiliency. In settings where users may be encountering a mouse and keyboard for the first time, an intuitive and simple interface are critical - "less is more."

Health Information Stakeholders Meeting: Kono District, Sierra Leone

Even when users are more sophisticated, lack of qualified on-site (or even in-district) technical support means that systems must be "hardened" against not just the physical environment but against user error as well.

One way to do this is to "lock down" the file system of the computers so that users cannot inadvertently delete system files or install viruses or other malware. If the system does somehow become mis-configured or infected, a simple on-off cycle will return the machine to its originally configured state.

Server software can include similar controls that streamline and simplify the process of configuring and managing workstations and system resources connected to a local or wide area network.

Conclusion

Itis increasingly clear that information is the lifeblood of a healthcare system. Accurate, timely and accessible health information strengthens literally every part of the system, from policy making, to clinical treatment, to logistics and training. In contrast, inefficient health information systems suffer from an informational anemia that weakens the entire system.

Sadly, all too many health systems in the developing world still suffer from the equivalent of information shock; a system-threatening condition characterized by the inability to generate, access or act on even the most essential health information.

Success or failure of ICT deployments in rural healthcare depends on access to affordable, integrated solutions that are both sustainable in low resource settings and customizable to local conditions. Inveneo is actively developing and deploying such systems specifically to address this need.