CSE590f – Computing and the Developing World Seminar

 

Wednesday,  January 14th,  4:00 – 4:50 pm,  CSE 403.  [Note the change from the originally scheduled time/place].

 

Phil Fawcett,  Microsoft / UW iSchool

 

A Tale of two Homes: Observations about the information needs of the rural poor in Ensenada, Mexico

 

 

Abstract:

Several prominent ICT authors including the United Nations Development agency have found that many ICT4D (Information and Communication for development) projects share a number of fundamental flaws. One prominent author, Alfonso Dargan, in his article “Take Five” A Handful of Essential ICTs in Development” notes the following problems and challenges for ICT effectiveness in bringing about real social change and social development:

 

1.       Community Ownership – Many projects are initiated without community input that leads to equipment theft or deterioration because of lack of a sense of ownership.

2.       Local Content – Most Internet content is irrelevant to the developing world’s poor and is controlled by commercial rules. The demand for telephone, fax, and computer services far exceeds the demand for the Internet in most rural centers.

3.       Appropriate Technology – Computers themselves remain a luxury, and purchasing decisions appear to be out of step with the needs of communities. The newest hardware/software capacity is generally underused and is not available to be repaired in most local settings. Technology must be appropriate and adequate to the needs of the communities, not in technical terms but in terms of utilization, learning, and adoption.

4.       Language and Culture Pertinence - English dominates the web, and when combined with the Internet’s class and cultural uniformity, create a new “Apartheid”. The developing world is also left to inherit a “user culture” because of a lack of opportunities for contribution. Without the presence of local cultural/language, ICT’s cannot contribute to the development of communities. The present unbalanced “cultural exchange” must be altered and will occur only if communities are empowered to produce more local content.

5.       Convergence and Networking – Projects are initiated in areas with no history of participation, no convergence with other programs or organizations, and no networking with other ICT projects. Projects are instituted in isolation without alliances amongst each of or the community.

 

The above issues could be characterized by what the Human Computer Interface (HCI) community calls a failure to “know thy user.” Without adequate consultation and understanding of the target users and their communities, many projects lack sustainable impact.  As a result, an obvious “design reality” gap exists between the people who create development informatics solutions and the people and communities that use them.

My talk will describe the beginnings of an ethnographic exploration to understand the information needs of the rural poor in Ensenada, Mexico. I plan on accomplishing this by studying their day-to-day lives, using a participatory design process, and introducing several technology interventions that are customized to meet the needs of the community

 

The research will begin by closely examining two home-building programs that I’ve participated in as a volunteer builder and community worker during the past five years. The first program, Homes of Hope, has built more than 3,000 wood houses in Ensenada since 1990. The houses are built from scratch, and take 20-24 total human hours to complete. The other program, Arial Homes, builds manufactured homes made of sheet-metal panels and foam insulation, which are completed in less than 8 human hours. Arial Homes has built 25 homes since 2006.

I will discuss my observations and present field notes from preliminary fieldwork to the region since 2003. I’ll also discuss a series of proposed field trips in June, July, and August 2009 that will focus more broadly on the information technology needs of the rural poor in Baja, Mexico.

Some possible research explorations include:

·         What role do social networks play in the community at large and in neighborhoods such as the Colonias?

·         Who are the information gatekeepers in the Colonias?

·         Can information and technology enhancements be used to close the digital divide in Ensenada and its surrounding area?

 

·         How can we discover which information and technology interventions are best suited for the rural poor in developing countries?

·         Can I generalize the research findings of the rural poor in Ensenada Mexico to rural poor populations in central America and developing countries in around the world?

 

Bio

Phil Fawcett has worked in the computer-science industry since the early 1980s. During this time as a corporate controller turned IT manager, he planned and implemented manual-to-automated system conversions for small-and medium-sized businesses in manufacturing, land and building management, and large-scale construction.

Since joining Microsoft in 1984, Fawcett has held positions as a support engineer, test lead, and test manager and helped ship more than 25 products, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Works for Apple and Windows operating systems, and Microsoft Project for Windows. He also served as a supportability program manager, technical evangelist for Windows hardware platforms, and regional call-center manager. He is currently a principal research program manager doing technology transfer from the research work of 850 Microsoft researchers worldwide to the Microsoft Windows and Mobile and Embedded product divisions.

Mr. Fawcett holds a B.A. degree in Accounting and Marketing from Seattle Pacific University and an MBA from Seattle University. He is a doctoral student in Information Science at the University of Washington.

Fawcett’s volunteer work in Central America and Mexico has led to a strong research interest in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). In the mid-90’s during the Guatemala civil war, he transported computers to rural Guatemala for use in medical clinics north of Guatemala City. In the past five years, he has been involved in house-building projects and community development in Ensenada, Mexico.

Fawcett holds five patents in modem and communication-related technologies in Windows. His hobbies are technology, photography, motocross riding, painting, and long-distance bicycle riding. He has participated in three transcontinental bicycle rides across the United States in 21 days or fewer.