ICTworks by Inveneo

In witnessing and celebrating the acknowledgement of failure for several ICT4D organizations at Fail Faire DC 2011, attendees were able to reflect on several recurring themes that prevent success in the field. Among these, the theme of “getting to know the end user” appeared to be most prevalent. As proven by the Fail Faire presentations, failure to fully understand the end user can create serious problems for ICT4D solution implementation and sustainability.

While considering every stakeholder is vital to success in ICT4D projects, the end user is almost always the most important to factor. Determining an effective and sustainable technology solution is a fated failure if the actors intended for its use are unable to adopt it. With this in mind, special considerations should always be made for ensuring that a project is workable for the end users. In any project design, technology is the easy part; accommodating people is the factor that makes solution design challenging.

Represented in Fail Faire presentations by Inveneo, MoTech, and Llamadas Heladas, three major issues related to a lack of consideration for the end user are fleshed out below.

Overestimating End User ICT Knowledge

When an end user does not understand how to use a system, it becomes effectively impossible for them to do so. This means that ICT4D practitioners should be conducting surveys on end user technology knowledge prior to solution design to determine the extent to which solutions should be simplified along with the extent to which training should be provided. In many cases, it is appropriate to assume that end users will have no prior knowledge on the use of technology.

During Inveneo’s Fail Faire presentation, Kristin Peterson and Wayan Vota shared a picture of a student situated in front of a newly installed desktop. Upon taking a closer look at this photo, the audience could see that the mouse at the workstation was upside down. The photo represented an overestimation of end user knowledge. In such cases, training needs to be broken down to the very simplest and seemingly intuitive aspects of use in order to make the technology accessible to the end users.

Assuming End User Adoption

Implementing technology in the developing world represents a significant shift in the way local individuals carry out their current work. Preemptively assuming that users will take to a solution without understanding their needs and wishes often leads to lack of complete adoption. Encouragement and incentive should be provided, along with extensive support after implementation, in order to help end users understand the benefits a solution can provide. In such times, organizations should also be analyzing the viability and fit of their solution to determine if changes should be made.

This idea could be seen Allison Stone’s presentation for MOTECH on the complications of an mHealth project in Northern Ghana. In their proposed solution, nurses would enter medical data pertaining to patient clinical visits into mobile phones. The information would then be sent to MOTECH servers and stored with patient healthcare information, allowing the generation of reports that would otherwise take days to write out by hand.

One of the largest challenges with this project was nurse adoption of the application. Most nurses did not see the advantage of adopting the system and actually viewed it as extra work. Stone reported that complaints of thumb cramps from entering data into the phones replaced complaints of hand cramps from writing out reports.

Since it took a while to aggregate enough data to make reports meaningful, the effectiveness of the solution could not be seen immediately, discouraging the majority of the nurses for taking the time to enter the data. A great deal of encouragement was needed to shift the existing work culture to one that made use of the new solution. In the end, a hand-written aspect of the project, that did not make use of technology, seemed to be most widely accepted and useful to the nurses.

Ignoring End User Needs and Wishes

In order to encourage end users to make use of a solution, it has to meet their needs and wishes. Making this possible almost always requires an element of participatory design, where users themselves are involved in the design of a technology solution.

While presenting on Llamadas Heladas, a project that set up mobile call shops across Nicaragua, Brain Forde warned the audience to address all customer needs, claiming that ICT4D practitioners should be designing solutions for a “fancy New York customer.” When his project attempted to expand the availability of the call shops by biking telephony across Nicaragua, his team found that the solution failed to address certain user concerns.

The bike call shops became an amusement, and onlookers would stare as they passed by. While this generated publicity for the shops, individuals did not want to make private phone calls with everyone else looking on. The original phone cabins provided this privacy and turned out to be a much better solution for telephony throughout Nicaragua.

Conclusions

Making considerations for the end user is undoubtedly one of the most important factors to success in ICT4D. From initial project planning to incentivizing technology use to offering user training, the end user should be considered in every aspect of project design and implementation in order to ensure that projects address needs and are workable for the people that will be most greatly affected.

Jim Wiggins adjusting a WiFi antenna in Saint Marc, Haiti

(download this job description in pdf form)

Position Summary:

Inveneo is seeking a Project Engineer who will implement technical solutions in the rural and developing world, train Inveneo’s growing global network of IT partners, and seek new appropriate technologies. Inveneo’s engineering team is small and agile. Our engineers must be technical generalists able to adapt quickly to unpredictable conditions and unforeseen technical challenges.

Major Responsibilities:

• Guide technical aspects of projects from design through implementation:
• Evaluate potential projects
• Prepare technical quotes
• Survey project locations in the field
• Assess project technical requirements
• Design technical solutions including server/workstation hardware, wireless/wired networks, solar/generator/battery power systems and appropriate software applications
• Deploy technical solutions in the field
• Build technical capacity of Inveneo partners by leading both classroom and practical training sessions
• Provide technical support to Inveneo partners and clients via phone, email, chat, online forums, and other channels
• Identify and research new technologies to assess suitability for the rural and developing world
• Create and maintain documentation and training materials
• Collaborate with the broader ICTD community using social media tools
• Assist Inveneo staff members with internal technical support requests
• Maintain and expand a broad range of technical skills in a self-guided manner

Required Job Skills and Experience:

• Strong self-starter, able to drive projects to completion in circumstances where little guidance and support is available
• Minimum 2 years Linux systems administration, desktop and server
• Minimum 2 years Windows systems administration, desktop and server
• Minimum 2 years LAN networking experience, including implementation of gateways, firewalls, NAT, and web proxies
• Minimum 2 years script and software development in one or more of the following languages: Python, Shell, Ruby, Java, C/C++, Perl
• Ability to administer network systems including but not limited to web servers, routers, firewalls, proxy servers, and mail servers
• Familiarity with GPS technology
• Ability to communicate highly technical information to a less technical audience
• Ability to deliver training in classroom and project settings
• Ability to work with people from a wide range of cultural, socio-economic, and religious backgrounds

Highly Desirable Job Skills and Experience:

• Experience traveling and working in developing regions
• Long distance wireless networking experience
• RF engineering experience
• IP routing experience
• AC, DC, and/or solar electrical system experience
• VOIP telephony experience
• Satellite connectivity experience
• Proficiency in French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Arabic

Additional Comments:

• Position is full-time, based in San Francisco
• Must be able to travel internationally to Inveneo project sites in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East (Approximately 30% - 50% travel required)
• Must be willing to work outside of standard hours as needed to interact with international partners
• Must play well with others

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At the Making Cents International’s Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference, the youth and ICTs panel mentioned a few of the many areas where new technologies can be integrated in youth development work.

To begin with, as moderator Wayan Vota from Inveneo mentioned, technology is one area where youth are viewed as experts over adults. They are often seen as thought leaders in ICTs. Via mobile phones, youth are starting to open bank accounts, according to David Mukaru from Equity Bank in Kenya, and this is demystifying aspects of finances and banking, even in rural and slum areas.

There are challenges though, as Lia Gardner from TakingITGlobal reminded. ‘ICT is not a self-fulfilling circle; you can share great ideas but what about taking online connections into the offline world?’

Jacob Korenblum from Souktel considered adults to be the biggest barrier. ‘Adults don’t see how tech can be leveraged and utilized for serious purposes. Older people really need to come on board and take youth seriously. Tech is a good way for youth to express views.’

Peter Broffman from Intel Learn Program recommended showcases with parents, teachers and community leaders to allow adults to see how youth and technology can be harnessed to address things that matter and to resolve problems in the community.

ICTs can also be used to engage youth and hear their voices and opinions. Korenblum commented that Souktel’s JobMatch idea was adapted and used to get feedback on 2 large-scale radio broadcast projects in Sudan and Somalia. The program implementers didn’t know what the audiences thought about the programs. Souktel developed a way for people to text in for free to give feedback. Some of the comments were selected and read out on the air. The texts began to inform the content of the radio programs.

“We saw hundreds, even thousands of SMS coming in. In one case we had thousands of messages coming in from Orphans and Vulnerable Children [after we did a radio show on the topic]. They were saying ‘No one has ever asked me about my concerns, thanks for this radio show.’”

In another case, thousands of people texted in saying they were not aware of the potential dangers of skin lightening creams. “We also had very frank and candid feedback like ‘you don’t represent enough Sudanese on your program.’ In Gaza we asked several thousand youth about the potential for a ceasefire. Youth wrote back their thoughts and said ‘this is the first time anyone has asked or cared about what I have to say.’” The feedback was shared with the television and radio stations so they could improve their programs, and in some cases it was played along the ticker tape on the bottom of Al Jazeera.

Mukaru commented that Equity Bank is known to be the ‘listening and caring financial partner’ in Kenya. ‘We listen to youth and clients. We have gone out to do focus group discussions to get to understand what youth are asking us to change, to do better, what they want to see in our services. We also use technology, SMS feedback. Our mobile phone number is displayed in our lobby where youth can interact with us and give their feedback. We’ve changed a number of things….They didn’t like our website – they said it’s too old, that it wasn’t talking to the youth. So we redesigned it to speak to the youth better. They said they want to bank small amounts of money and it costs them a lot to go into town, so this is why we started local agencies,’ he said.

It was encouraging to hear so many people highlighting the importance of the youth development approach and the fact that youth need to be listened to, respected and seen as valued partners in their own development as well as in the development of their communities and nations.

Fail Faire DC 2011 is a celebration of failure as a mark of innovation and risk-taking. We will have great speakers with fun, fast, Ignite-style presentations of their professional failures. Audience participation is not only encouraged, it is mandatory! We are all peers and none of us is perfect. Expect much laughter as we navel-gaze at where we have all gone wrong in ICT and international development.

Yet we will LEARN from failure. Failure is no reason to be ashamed. Failure shows leadership, innovation, and risk-taking in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in scaling ideas from pilots to global programs. There is great value in examining our mistakes as we go beyond the easy and the simple. So while we encourage irreverence and humor, we will be improving our profession too.

Fail Faire DC 2011 will happen on October 13th at the World Bank. The event is sold out already (in 5 hours!) and there is only one way in now - present.

Fail Faire DC 2011 is brought to you by theWorld Bank, Development Gateway, Inveneo, and Jhpiego.

Agenda:

• 6:00pm: Welcome and drinks
• 6:30pm: #FAIL-Slam
• 7:30pm: Open Discussion
• 8:00pm: Mingling, learning, networking, more drinks

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Featured Speakers (so far)

• Dr. Tessie San Martin, CEO, Plan International USA
• Ian Schuler, Internet Freedom Programs, U.S. Department of State
• Erin Mote, Chief of Party, USAID Global Broadband and Innovations Alliance
• Andrea Bosch, ICT Advisor and Chief of Party, TILO Egypt, Creative Associates
• Dr. Harshad Sanghvi, Vice President of Innovations & Medical Director, Jhpiego
• Kristin Peterson, CEO & Co-founder, Inveneo
• The World Bank on their 70% ICT4D failure rate
• Grameen Foundation
• Development Gateway
• You? Apply today!

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We're sold out already so sign up to get alerts and updates about this and future Fail Faire DC events.

Position Summary:

Inveneo is seeking a Senior Technical Project Engineer who will be under contract to lead the continuing technical rollout for Inveneo’s Haiti Rural Broadband Program.

This position will require strong technical (networking), project management and relationship management skills and the candidate must speak fluent French. The candidate will report to the Program Director and also dotted line report to Inveneo’s CTO, who will lead the network architecture design.

Major Responsibilities:

Participate in the design of the Haiti backbone in close cooperation with and under the leadership of the CTO

Manage the deployment and stability of the Haiti backbone network based on program goals and key milestones set by the Haiti Program Director

• Contract and manage Inveneo in-country Inveneo Certified ICT Partners (ICIPs) to deploy and repair portions of the network backbone
• Perform quality checks on the network infrastructure deployed by partners
• Provide technical guidance and day-to-day responsibilities to in-country technical volunteers
• Quarterly reporting for the Haiti Connected Cities project (for network deployment)
• Manage equipment logistics and inventory management with Inveneo staff

Build capacity of local Inveneo ICT Entrepreneurs (the Inveneo BATI Program)

• Provide technical training to BATI in classroom (Phase I)
• Provide hands-on (Phase II) technical training to install customer links to service provider and Inveneo standards
• Train select BATI to perform low-power computing installations
• Create training materials and BATI installation documentation in French

Monitor and Maintaining overall health of Haiti Rural Network

• Ensure the technical quality of BATI and ICIP projects are to Inveneo standards
• Provide in-country second level technical support for the Haiti Connected Cities project. Proactively monitor and maintain the Connected Cities network.
• Participate in tool requirements and development (e.g. monitoring dashboard)
• Transition monitoring and maintenance to local Inveneo Certified Partners at the end of the program

Local Project Sales

• Share service provider connectivity leads and project leads to the responsible party at Inveneo or the appropriate Inveneo Partner in Haiti
• Play a technical advisory role for local computing projects

Read the details and apply today!