Please RSVP Now: How Can We Use IoT for Development?

Please RSVP Now: How Can We Use IoT for Development?

Published on: Jan 20 2016 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Please RSVP Now: How Can We Use IoT for Development?
After more than a decade of discussion and anticipation, the Internet of Things is now firmly on its way. But don’t let the name fool you, the “Internet of Things” is not a single, unified network of connected devices. IoT...
How Can We Harness the Internet of Things for Global Development?

How Can We Harness the Internet of Things for Global Development?

Published on: Jan 20 2016 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
I am a firm believer in the coming sensor revolution in development. We can now develop very cheap yet smart sensors, and as we saw at the MERL Tech conference session, “Sensors for MERL: What Works? What Does Not? What...
5 Insights from MERL Tech

5 Insights from MERL Tech

Published on: Jan 18 2016 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on 5 Insights from MERL Tech
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the 2015 MERL Tech conference that brought together over 260 people from 157 different organizations. I joined the conference as a “visual note-taker,” and I documented...
Be Honest: You Hate Free Basics Because It’s Facebook

Be Honest: You Hate Free Basics Because It’s Facebook

Published on: Jan 14 2016 by Wayan Vota - 34 Comments
Yes, it is true. You don’t like Free Basics simply because it is a Facebook initiative. You may feel the need to hide your anger behind flowery language or odd metaphors, but the reality is that you think Facebook...
Please RSVP Now for Digital Development: From Principle to Practice

Please RSVP Now for Digital Development: From Principle to Practice

Published on: Jan 12 2016 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Please RSVP Now for Digital Development: From Principle to Practice
“The Principles for Digital Development represent a commitment not only to innovation, but sustainable results,” said USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah in 2014 when USAID helped publish the Principles as a set of guidelines...
The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of Choosing an M&E Platform

The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of Choosing an M&E Platform

Published on: Jan 11 2016 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
At the recent MERL Tech conference, Tania Lee (Caktus Group), Tom Walker (Engine Room), Laura Walker McDonald (SIMLab), and Lynnae Day (Oxfam America) led a session called, “The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of Choosing...
We Are Coming Full Circle From AOL to Facebook: What Can We Learn?

We Are Coming Full Circle From AOL to Facebook: What Can We Learn?

Published on: Jan 08 2016 by Josh Woodard - 8 Comments
A Quartz study from last year, building off of previous findings from Helani Galpaya and Christoph Stork, reported that majorities of people in the world’s 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th most populous nations agreed with the statement...
What If Everyone Had Free 2G Mobile Internet Access?

What If Everyone Had Free 2G Mobile Internet Access?

Published on: Jan 06 2016 by Steve Song - 6 Comments
Imagine a world where all phones were automatically connected to the Internet, at no charge. Is this an idle fantasy? The current worldwide debate about Zero-Rating and Network Neutrality has brought the issue of affordable Internet...
Do ICTs Make Evaluation More Inclusive Or More Extractive?

Do ICTs Make Evaluation More Inclusive Or More Extractive?

Published on: Jan 04 2016 by Linda Raftree - 1 Comment
ICTs can help make evaluation more inclusive, yet they also bring new challenges and new kinds of inequities and exclusion that we need to be aware of and solve for. Evaluations that address equity issues or that aim to...