Information and Communication Technologies for Development

After a conference call with Aamir Khan and a couple of meetings among ourselves, we have started to understand the different facets of the IRD/PATH project. It is interesting to see how the limitations that are paramount to the success of this project can seem so trivial. The system has to be as passive as possible so that medical staff will not have to put in extra effort; the infant should be scanned upon arrival at the clinic so that the physician will not have to get out of his chair to scan him while he sees him; instead of using a barcode on an ID card, a passive RFID trabeez/ traditional bracelet must be worn by the infant and expected to survive the elements and the passage of time. While these points are all sensible and applicable, it has become glaringly obvious that the participants and stakeholders in this project do not have a lot of incentive and hence will not be willingly to take on any responsibility.

In most development projects that seek to introduce appropriate techonology in a developing country, involvement of the local community is key. Letting them know that the project will fail without their support, and their livlihoods(or how much better they get) will also be affected is a great way to get the locals listening. Their involvement is important because their opinions and expertise are needed as the project evolves, but they won't contribute unless they feel that the project is relevant. They need to be convinced that the project is useful or they will not ensure it's maintained properly after the trial period.

While we strive to make the project as painless and hassleless as possible for everyone, it's important that we keep the families in the loop, be it by talking to them, or by giving them some responsibility.