Today is the International Day of the Girl and a really important day in the Panoply Digital calendar. Firstly, because it’s a day that highlights the challenges and opportunities that girls around the world face - something that we care about passionately, particularly in ICT - but secondly, because we’re excited to be able to announce our new publication around gender and ICT on such an important day: the Gender and ICT Survey Toolkit.
Read MoreWTF?! Presentations & Four takeaways from the sub-Saharan africa Startup-themed London ICT4D Meetup
How can startups in sub-Saharan Africa reap their potential in challenging environments? The October 2017 London ICT4D Meetup had some answers, which we'll summarize in four key points for this post. We also share the presentations given that night.
Read MoreHave an mHealth service? Here's how to make sure it reaches women too
I always get very excited about anything new around gender and ICT: new publications, new data sets, new projects, new funds or awards, and there have been a number of new gender and ICT publications that have come out recently. One of those is something I’ve been working on and was recently published by GSMA mNutrition: a toolkit and accompanying webinar on how to make an mHealth service more inclusive and reach more women.
Read MoreGender Inequality in Education: Datasets and Sources
Returning to the subject of education and gender, this post is a bit more about using the data available to you to make informed decisions when running ICT4D projects. For some, these will be painfully apparent; for others, perhaps a little less so, so I am essentially writing this post for the latter group. Experts and data-savvy types, avert your eyes.It is probably best to frame this around a particular question or conjecture, so I am going to assume that one of the potential pathways for greater employability for women in some countries and in particular greater employability in "innovative" fields is research.
Read MoreDivya Joseph ICT4E in India: London ICT4D Meetup Presentation
On Tuesday 25 July, we hosted Ms Divya Joseph for a London ICT4D Meetup. Now, here's her presentation from the evening for those who were unable to make it. Please enjoy and definitely tweet at Divya if you enjoyed her insights!
Read MoreThree Big Questions to Ask Before Funding an Online Mobile4Dev Solution
There was a time, early in my career, where I exhibited Tom Cruise levels of enthusiasm for the use of mobile websites in development projects. Sitting in meetings trying to convince clients that they could use a mobile site to deliver vital information and support to thousands of people at a time would trigger sofa-bouncing displays as I tried to convince them that it was possible.
And it worked - funders took the plunge, access to the mobile web has continued to grow, and I went on to lead the design and launch of over 20 mobile sites aimed at connecting audiences across Africa for fantastic projects ranging from sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), to gender equality, to advocacy.
As time went by, however, I started doing less sofa bouncing and more soul searching. Showing off a website I’d designed to some friends, I once dissolved into tears because I knew that the site itself had very little chance of making a real impact in an area I cared deeply about. Not because it wasn’t well designed, but because of a number of fail-factors which I had by then become savvy to.
Read MoreE-voting and the Blockchain
In the wake of the Kenya Supreme Court ruling to nullify last month’s presidential elections due to suspected vote manipulation, observers have new grounds for revisiting ways to ensure transparency at each step in the voting process.
Read MoreAI4E, another acronym offering great potential
have to confess that it’s been a while since I’ve written something for our blog. Suffering from a lack of inspiration, I did a quick Google to see what others were writing about, and was greeted with a flood of articles and thought-pieces on Artificial Intelligence and education. I’m not suggesting that this a new topic, however, the summer months seemed to have inspired a lot of articles about AI
Read MoreSeptember ICT4D Meetup: Supporting Startup Success in sub-Saharan Africa
Summer's almost sang its last song, but for a startup there's no rest for the weary! That's why on Tuesday 26 September from 6:30pm, I'm hosting, along with my co-organizer Dama, an exciting line up of speakers who are working in or with startups in sub-Saharan Africa. We'll have private and public sector perspectives, along with a female co-founder of a fast-moving startup in Ethiopia. Spread the word and click here to register!
Read MoreAlternative Credit Scoring Models for Smallholder Farmers
According to the latest estimates by the World Bank, two billion people still lack access to basic financial services. The main barriers of lending to the unbanked have always been high costs of outreach anddelivery, and lack of traditional data for risk assessment. These barriers exacerbate when dealing with smallholder farmers (SHFs), making them the most likely to be underserved. In fact, despite agriculture remains the main economic activity and employs the majority of the people in most low income countries, only a smaller share of financial institutions portfolio is invested in it, leaving a $ 200 billion in unmet financing, as estimated by the Initiative for Smallholder Finance.
Read MoreWithout open and free internet, Indonesia will come short in achieving Sustainable Development Goals
The Government of Indonesia have committed to adopt SDGs while at the same time want more control over internet. Can they achieve these ambitious goals and targets without giving more freedom for citizens online?
Read More#eSkills4Girls online platform debuts: Highlights from the Gender and Mobiles Newsletter
A new issue of me and Alex's Gender and Mobiles Newsletter is out, and we are delighted to help spread the word about the eSkills4Girls.org online platform! Launched to help close the digital gender gap, this initiative is a flagship activity of Germany's 2017 G20 presidency.
Read MoreUsing social media for advocacy in Jordan: a photo blog
This week, I've been in Amman, working with CIPE and their Jordanian partners, delivering a workshop on social media and technology for advocacy.
Read MoreDigital divides and accumulated advantage: Huawei Global Connectivity Index and the Business of Education in Africa
I have been spending some time with two reports recently that have me thinking a bit about the outcomes we in the ICT4D and digital education fields are looking for in our work. Both challenge some of my perhaps idealistic beliefs that the technology could enable positive impact (which in some cases it has) in resource deprived environments. I can point to enough evidence there to suggest that is the case, but it isn't evidence that scales very well. A success story here or there tied to a regional context. Some data to suggest increased literacy levels or greater access to health care. Overall, a tick upwards towards meeting SDGs, a small triumph in and of itself.
Read MoreUnderstanding Open Data as an integral part of eGovernment Systems: A Perspective from Jakarta
In this blog post, Panoply Digital Associate Eko Prasetyo discusses open data and eGovernment systems, with a perspective from Jakarta city's recent open data work. "eGovernment systems are information systems handling data to deliver information for decision making and transactions. Workstreams in Open (Government) Data, either data publication on portals or a more specific use case like an e-contracting system fit in this category too.
Read MoreFrom Electronic Engineering to Education: An ICT4D Meetup Perspective from India
Our next ICT4D Meetup is Tuesday 25 July and we are excited to have a speaker from Oxford University, Ms. Divya Joseph! Divya will share her perspectives on her journey to blend her electronics engineering background with her passion for education, focusing on her exceptional work in India in the private and non-profit sectors.
Read MoreEthnography, microfinance, digital education and more new directions for Panoply Digital: Introducing Isabelle and Angela
Panoply Digital is on the move again and thrilled to add two more members to our growing team. Joining Brian, Eko, and Thelonius, we are very proud to announce that Isabelle Amazon-Brown and Angela De Michele have joined Panoply Digital.
Read MoreSocial media for advocacy: changing perceptions, one workshop at a time
While the UK basks in a heatwave - for international readers, anything over 25 degrees means that we Brits go into meltdown, mostly because of our lack of air conditioning - I’ve been enjoying the blue skies and similar temperatures (and air conditioning) in Belgrade, Serbia with our partner CIPE, running a workshop on using social media for advocacy.
Read MoreSurveillance and silence: the rise of curbs on communication
Surveillance and the lack of security are two of the larger issues in the world of ICT4D precisely because they attack the very trust and openness that predicates much of what makes the internet a potentially valuable tool for development. Imagine for a moment how much of what we do online is predicated on trust. From online banking or shopping, to mobile or eHealth initiatives, to basic education and communication. All of it is predicated to some degree on the belief that I am safe, I am secure, and I am being left alone. Surveillance and the lack of security attack all of these.
Read More(Open) Data ICT4D Meetup Presentations
Last month, we hosted an engaging night of talks at the fantastic Newspeak House in Shoreditch. For those of you who were not able to attend, or who wanted to follow up on presentation points made, we have now shared the presentations online!
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