Message-ID: <v02130539ad8bd130b0a1@[196.20.30.2]> Date: Sat, 6 Apr 1996 08:51:38 +0100 From: Dr Eberhard W Lisse <mailto:el@LISSE.NA> Subject: Re: Appropriate Software Proposal To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
At 4:10 AM 6/4/96, Abubakr Alkhalifa wrote: >On Thu, 4 Apr 1996, John S. Quarterman wrote:
[...] >> Sure sounds like OSI to me. Centralized top-down design for all relevant
>> countries, later national customization, etc.
>
>If some info. systems need to be developed from scratch for each country,
>then let's go ahead and do that. What I want to arrive at is that we need
>to incorporate I. T. in solving developmental problems. Whether it is a
>bottom-up / top-down /side-ways or a mixed approach comes as a second step.
No. Billions have been pumped into Africa on top down projects and virtually all have failed as soon as funding runs out.
>
>Now, let me give you this example:
>
>Let's concentrate here on the analysis, design, and implementation issues
>of an example of a medical information system for Tropical Diseases, not
>the justification for it.
This is the point. You want to implement a system whether it is necessary, helpful or just working is secondary?
>The analysis and design for this info. sys. is exactly the same for Sudan,
>Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, etc... Same diseases, same symptoms, same
>treatment. Therefore, if we assume the usefullness of this system,
>individual countries do not have to analyze and design their systems
>seperately. One analysis, one design, one code will work as good for all
>of them.
Have you *ANY* idea about the infrastructure in these countries?
[...]
>> It may become clearer to you if you read the references I cited.
>
>Could you please give me more info about the book? My goal here is to
>introduce the concept and get professionals interested in it so it may
>succeed.
It will never succeed. Isn't maybe the goal to carve an oecological niche?
Even UNDP is now going away from the top down concept...
el
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