Message-ID: <1.5.4b12.32.19960318144819.006b6838@maine.maine.edu> Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 09:48:19 -0500 From: "Scott P. Overmyer" <mailto:overmyer@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> Subject: Technology for Developing Nations (Was: Re: Enough about Laptops) To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
At 09:18 AM 3/18/96 -0500, Dr. F. Houle" <mailto:fhoule@MONTREAL.AEI.CA wrote: (In response to Abubakr Alkhalifa's comments <mailto:aalkhali@cis.usouthal.edu)some comments omitted
>>My message is that for generations, Africa has been importing things in
>>all aspects of life without "thinking" about their appropriateness. It is
>>high time (if not too late) to forecast next generations' problems that are
>>building up right now, and give them a better chance for change than our's
>>by laying down foundations for long-term solutions.
Agreed!
>>Otherwise, the side effects of these imported biased technologies will
>>compound to the extent that it might become a better option to go back to
>>the jungle, rediscover fire and reinvent the wheel. If we continue
>>ignoring such possibilities while solving our daily problems, this could
>>become the only choice for our next generations to produce appropriate
>>technologies, if they had a chance left to produce any thing at all.
some comments omitted
>For thirty years at least, theoretical debates have been going on about
>'appropriate' technologies for developing countries. Little has changed in
>practice.
>
>Consultants and volunteers from 'developed' countries who work in Africa
>have a taste of how inappropriate some technologies are as far as hardware
>goes, but rarely feel the full impact of inappropriateness because the
>interface and software have been developed with people from the North in
>mind; even the technology transfer process does not take into consideration
>the specificity of the consumer.
>
>I don't see why Africans should put up and shut up and just appreciate what
>is sent to them; if they are to be consumers, they must be treated like
>consumers, and development and sale of products must obey the same
>marketing rules as in the North to make sure that the product corresponds
>to the people's needs.
It seems to me that they should be consulted at every turn, and included in more of the "up-front" project activites like is done in most modern system engineering efforts.
>I feel that this can be done only if we replace 'technology transfer' by
>'technology sharing', meaning that there has to be much more input from the
>consumers-scientists-technicians etc. of developing countries. I have
>devoted my Ph.D. thesis to this problem, and am still amazed and shocked by
>the lack of importance given to this problem.
I agree. We just submitted a proposal to develop an experimental agricultural information network in rural Ukraine which has a very strong requirements/needs analysis phase concentrating on both user interface issues, and end-user requirements.
We anticipate that if we also perform a "risk" analysis at the end of each phase, it's possible that we could decide not to proceed with the development if our analysis shows that what we are proposing is not appropriate. I thought everyone did it that way.
scotto...
-- Scott P. Overmyer, Ph.D. | Those of us who create technology College of Business Admin. | should always consider those who University of Maine | will be displaced by it. 308 Donald P. Corbett Hall | Fone: (207) 581-1995 Orono, ME 04469-5723 | Phax: (207) 581-1956