The Affero Blog
Appropriate? Technology
By Barak Bruerd in Articles
In nearly every situation in the West, technology plays an important role in dishing up services and solving problems. The more hi-tech and the more efficient the technology, the more we like it. Consequently, when we step into the context of poverty, our natural response is to search for a technological solution. After all, poverty is primarily a physical issue… right? Wrong. But that’s for another post (or two; or five).
That said, technology plays a critical role in addressing the aspects of poverty that are physical. Unfortunately the latest-greatest technology is not always the best. In fact, it’s often the worst. More times than I count I’ve watched universities, companies, and other entities pour millions into research to develop a fancy widget that works fabulously in a laboratory surrounded by techno-geeks, knowing with deep sadness that it’s a terrible solution to the problem they are trying to solve because it has been completely divorced from the context in which it will be used.
Though the term is kicked around in many circles, NGO’s refer to “appropriate technology” as technology that is contextualized for a given situation, offering an optimum balance in service delivery and sustainability. Very often, these two are in tension with one another and selecting the right technology is not always easy. However, there are five basic criterial that can be used to judge the appropriateness of any technology for use in a community development project.
- Suitable: does the technology take into account the context of the need: available resources, environmental conditions, social/political factors, etc or are there considerations that would point to a more suitable solution?
- Adequate: does the technology adequately provide for the needs of the people it’s serving while taking into account that over time needs may change and population may expand?
- Affordable: is the total cost to implement the technology within the financial capacity of those implementing it, which may, (or should) be the combined effort of both the organization and community?
- Maintainable: can those whom the technology serves maintain it independently over time or will outside intervention be required in order to ensure it’s sustainable use? The cost, technical expertise, and availability of parts must all be accessible at a local level.
- Culturally Sensitive: Does the technology take into account cultural preferences, gender and age needs, social norms, etc?
These simple criteria are critical in technology selection. A reverse osmosis system may offer fantastic water quality but the cost and technical requirements are high, making sustainability in a rural community extremely low. A ceramic water filter may be a low-cost, simple solution but if it’s longevity only extends 2-3 years and is not easily replaced locally, it is only a bandaid solution. Chlorine is inexpensive and locally available but many cultures resist chemical treatment or greatly dislike the taste and therefore reject it’s use.
What’s brilliant is that it doesn’t take a PhD to ask these questions or evaluate the answers. What technologies and solutions do you see on the news, on websites, or out in the field that meet or don’t meet these criteria? Play Pumps is a technology recently in the news for it’s reported ongoing failure in the field. It’s a sexy and techie solution to water access but how well does it meet the criteria above as an appropriate technology? Are there situations where it would be more or less appropriate? Though our role is small, we play an integral part in the poverty equations and we have a joint responsibility with implementing organizations to evaluate and ensure that the solutions used are effective. The answers aren’t easy and compromise is a necessary staple of most projects, but best practices in development have strong principles that have to be applied if we are to achieve any measure of long-term success.
A quick note before I sign off: in humanitarian relief, these criteria overlap, but with some very key differences. Humanitarian relief is not about solving poverty, but about responding to life-threatening emergencies. Considerations for sustainability, cultural sensitivity, cost etc, tend to take a back-seat role in the face of saving lives. Effectiveness and rapid deployment in high volumes with consideration for short-term usability tend to be the primary determinants in technology selection. Later, we’ll be talking more about the differences between relief and development but know that technologies that are perfect for relief are often poor choices for development and vice versa.
~ Peace
Are you in?
By Rob Harvey in News
It’s been said that many hands make work light. That’s so true.
Anyone who knows Lucas knows he has a heart for justice. He goes into schools and churches sharing how young people can make a tremendous difference in our world. He offers engaging mult-media presentations that challenge us to tackle problems facing humanity such as poverty, human trafficking, child soldiers, famine, disease, clean water and more. How can you not love this guy?
As I type this post, I’m reminded of an African proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, take someone with you.” The Affero Project is a team effort. Already, a community of talented and inspired people are lending a hand and leading the way forward. If you are reading this post, you are a part of the team.
Welcome aboard! And don’t forget to share with others what you’ve found. Tell your friends about The Affero Project. We are community against poverty and injustice, committed to bring hope, sustainable change, and empowering communities all over the world.
Thank you for joining the movement. We are going far together. You have already lifted a hand in significant ways. God bless you!
David and Amanda Rodriguez, owners of Guaranteed Gutter & Siding in Nashville, approached me about a year ago and plopped down the initial seed money to develop afferoproject.com. Without their early vision and generous gift, where would we be?
Ben, Josh and Shannon at Mellowtown navigated Lucas and I through the various twists and turns of taking our ideas and putting them into a well developed and functioning website. It’s beautiful, don’t you think?
Have you seen our introductory video donated by StoneKap? Or the “I’M IN” campaign video? Incredible. My wife caught me watching it over and over yesterday. It’s phenomenal. It captures so well the heart of what we’re doing. I LOVE IT!
When in Ohio making a presentation, Lucas met Joe. Then Beau, our very own Chief Affangelist, reinforced the tie with the StoneKap team. Soon after, the entire crew of this full service production company jumped in with both feet! I’m blown away by their inventive and creative direction. Thank you Chad, Tom, Shelvia, Dave, Joe, John, Derek, Kevin, Beau, Kevin D., and Robert for your creative work and for your generosity.
This is a blog post and not War and Peace. So I’ll sign off now. Thanks for checking in and watch for more posts to come. Don’t forget to share Affero with your friends and don’t forget to sign up and say “I’M IN!”.
Peace.