Evaluation and Research Capacity Building / Évaluation et développement des capacités de recherche

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    IDRC Small Grants Program for ICTD Research Capacity Building : Strengthening ICTD Research Capacity in Asia (SIRCA); final technical progress report, August 2008 - December 2011
    (Strengthening ICTD Research Capacity in Asia (SIRCA), Singapore, SG, 2011) Ang Peng Hwa; Chib, Arul; Lim Yin Chum, Yvonne; Liaw Wan Tieng; Myint, Zinmar
    The program funded 15 research projects in eight Asian countries. Selected projects focused on rigorous social science research in the ICTD area including inter-disciplinary research in e-services, new media use and social impact, and policy for the benefit and advancement of individuals, organizations, nation and society in Asia. Workshop training covered research methods and analysis, and the importance of dissemination of findings. The program included a mentorship component, providing selected grant recipients with hands on guidance and supervision for conducting research in an ethical manner at a professional level. The report summarizes activities and outputs of the research projects.
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    Media Asia : an Asian communication quarterly, v. 38, no. 1, 2011
    (Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Singapore, SG, 2011) Muppidi, Sundeep R.; Chib, Arul; Ang Peng Hwa; Yap, Sidney
    Because all the projects were conducted in Asia, the works presented here provide an alternative perspective on Western-centric research conducted in the ICT4D space. This special issue covers a range of ICTD research themes, focusing on six ICTD projects from the Strengthening ICTD Research Capacity in Asia (SIRCA) programme. The articles provide a window into how different communities in Bangladesh, China, India and the Philippines have adopted technologies to improve their lives, and indicate the nuanced and complex issues involved in the ICTD domain.
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    Media Asia : an Asian communication quarterly, v. 37, no. 4, 2010
    (Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Singapore, SG, 2010) Muppidi, Sundeep R.; Chib, Arul; Lin, Trisha; Yap, Sidney
    The potential and impacts of mobile phones are context specific and multi-directional, for example: voter mobilization and street gatherings and political activity in South Korea; mobiles acting as weapons of self-defence for women, allowing risk-taking in public spaces; use of mobiles by female foreign domestic workers for connection and empowerment beyond their employers reach. This special issue focuses on papers stemming from the 2010 International Communication Association’s Mobiles Preconference which brought international and Asian scholars together. Seven articles showcase scholarship in innovation and the social impact of mobile telephony in Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United States.
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    ISIF Utilization Focused Evaluation : final report
    (APNIC, South Brisbane, AU, 2011) Cadena, Sylvia
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    PANACeA Formative Network evaluation report
    (Aga Khan University, Karachi, PK, 2011) Sajwani, Afroz; Khoja, Shariq; Durrani, Hammad
    This formative evaluation of PANACeA Network (PAN Asian Collaborative for Evidence-based eHealth Adoption and Application) employs the Utilization Focused Evaluation (UFE) approach to develop evaluation capacity in Information Communication Technology for development (ICT4D). UFE directs users of the evaluation to focus on utilization of the findings right from the start of the process. Some findings from the UFE process indicate that PANACeA enhanced partners’ capacity in research design, improved eHealth infrastructure, and increased their readiness for conducting independent eHealth projects, while building members’ capacity in knowledge management and dissemination.
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    Developing evaluation capacity in ICTD - DECI (formerly REI) : DECI literature review
    (2009)
    This is a detailed examination of evaluation processes specific to the type of project being evaluated. Projects that seek to develop capacities need to understand change at both the individual and organizational level. Network or umbrella projects begin with attention to performance and then selectively expand to other frameworks. Mentoring projects will benefit from a review of communication, capabilities and gender frameworks. Specific field projects will benefit from a wide variety of frameworks, depending on their goal and objectives. The evaluation of projects that introduce new services or technologies should differentiate among the stages of access that users go through.
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    Report of Writeshop : a Writeshop to enhance the capacities of IDRC post Tsunami project partner in India on documentation, 29 September 2009 – 02 October 2009
    (Association for Stimulating Know How (ASK), Gurgaon, Haryana, IN, 2009)
    To assist researchers in understanding the importance of project documentation, a post-tsunami workshop was coordinated for practitioners in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction, and community resilience building, to help build capacities to document research and practice: being able to conceptualize the narrative text, comprising conceptual, technical [field tested methods (tools) and approaches (process)] and stories of community change (case studies). The writeshop facilitator and participants shared suggestions and comments for improving content for case studies.
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    MobileActive08.org "Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact", 13-15 October 2008, Wanderers Club, Johannesburg, South Africa : narrative report
    (MobileActive.org, New York, NY, US, 2008) MobileActive.org
    Attended by more than 380 people from 45 countries, this was the largest international event to date which focused on the role of mobile phones in development work. Participants included non-profit practitioners, mobile technologists, researchers, government officials, and representatives from the telecommunications industry and international donor community. The event was intentionally designed to be cross-disciplinary as learnings and experiences span various disciplines in this emerging field. The report details the organization of the event, programme and speakers, media and publications, documentation and sponsors.
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    Strengthening resilience in tsunami-affected communities : coastal bioshields, livelihood development, and village knowledge centres in India and Sri Lanka; final report (April 2006 to March 2009)
    (M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, IN, 2009) M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
    Mangrove and non-mangrove bioshields, livelihood development and diversification, and information and communications for resilience: all were addressed in this project. The project linked ecological rehabilitation, livelihood development, and access to information, through building local capacities of affected coastal communities and grassroots partner organizations. With participation of community and strategic partners, mangrove bioshield is established in about 280 ha, and non-mangrove bioshield in 27 ha and these strategies are showing promising results. Project components include community mobilization and organization, establishment of mangrove and non-mangrove bioshield, establishment of Village Resource and Village Knowledge Centres, strengthening livelihoods, and community-based disaster risk reduction.
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    Outcome mapping learning community : newsletter no. 2, 2009
    (ODI, London, GB, 2009) Cardoso, Eva; Hearn, Simon
    This issue presents the experiences of three organizations as they reflect on the applicability of Outcome Mapping (OM) within their contexts: the work of the PAN Localization project in developing a customized version of the OM toolkit specifically for incorporating gender sensitivity; how Plan UK is using and adapting OM to engage young people in the design of their governance programme; and from PSO, an association of Dutch development organizations, describing how and why OM is gaining increasing interest among these organizations. Resources from the community library are highlighted, as well as community news.
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    Utilization focused evaluation for development research to empower all Mongolians through information communications technology
    (2011) Chimed, Bazar; Zaveri, Sonal; Batchuluun, Batpurev
    The main objective of DREAM IT (Development Research to Empower All Mongolians through Information Communication Technology) is to influence the development of the ICT sector through policy, consumption (utility) and socio-economic research projects. Through the UFE process, and analysis of projects that are delayed and those on track, it became clear that delayed projects were far more innovative and complex than ‘on track’ projects. Management guidelines were then developed to respond to the degree of innovativeness and complexity of project, as well as guidelines detailing the role of management in policy influence, no matter how innovative the project.
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    Research support project on getting sex workers' voices heard in Asia
    (Tactical Tech, 2009) Tactical Tech
    This report details the activities, outputs and findings of a one year preparatory research support project carried out with partners in Cambodia and India to explore how digital advocacy technologies can be used to help sex worker's voices impact on policy in Asia.
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    Software for development : a documentary and case studies; technical report
    (UNDP Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP), Bangkok, TH, 2006) UNDP Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP)
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    Fostering sustainable disaster resilient communities : a concept paper, v2.1
    (LIRNEasia, Colombo, LK, 2008) Udu-gama, Natasha
    The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted the need for disaster risk reduction actions to minimize the harm that can be caused by hazards in general and by rapid-onset, large-scale geographical hazards such as cyclones and tsunamis. In 2006-07 LIRNEasia and Sarvodaya conducted a pilot project to evaluate last-mile hazard information systems in 32 tsunami-affected villages, in the context of Sarvodaya's strategic commitment to make all of their 15,000 villages (around 40% of the total in Sri Lanka) disaster resilient. Based on the research, it was concluded that disaster resilience would require a focus on village organization and an effective melding of communication over time (through contingency planning, training and simulations) and communication over space (using ICTs found to be effective in the pilot project). It is also necessary to have a hazard information hub (HIH) that functions on a 24/7 basis and effective protocols and procedures for its efficient and reliable operation. The planning, training and simulations have to be done on a continuing basis with the trainers returning to each organized village at regular intervals…
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    Two complementary mobile technologies for disaster risk reduction through warning
    (LIRNEasia, Colombo, LK, 2008) Samarajiva, Rohan; Waidyanatha, Nuwan
    Disaster risk reduction is a core function of government. It is possible to significantly improve this government function using mobile application and leveraging the explosive diffusion of the technology even among the poor in developing countries. Coordination within government, including communication to first responders responsible for evacuation and localized warnings, and communication to mass media who serve a critical function in public warning, can be achieved through the use of an SMS engine supplemented as necessary by an informative and robust website. Cell broadcasting can serve as an extremely useful addition to the conventional public warning methods, especially in countries with significant mobile penetration.
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    Last-Mile Hazard Warning System in Sri Lanka : performance of WorldSpace Addressable Satellite Radios for Emergency Alerts
    (LIRNEasia, Colombo, LK, 2008) Waidyanatha, Nuwan; Rangarajan, Srinivasan; Gow, Gordon; Anderson, Peter
    The WorldSpace Addressable Radios for Emergency Alerts (AREA) was developed to improve the “situational awareness” of all-hazards for communities at risk. The solution was field tested in Sri Lanka for the first time as part of the Last-Mile Hazard Warning System (HazInfo) research project. The HazInfo project realized that early warning via Information Communication Technology (ICT) had to be a point-to-multi-point application and was best accommodated by Information Communication Technologies [5]. The HazInfo Project further recognized the growing call for the use of a globally accepted content standard: Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for all-hazards, all-media alert and notification. AREA satellite broadcast system adopts CAP version 1.1. HazInfo project established last-mile networking capability with the AREA sets for 16 tsunami-affected villages and 34 District Centers in Sri Lanka in order to study the suitability for a standards-based community hazard information system. Specific measures were devised to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the technology. Initial field tests indicate that core alerting functions need to be strengthened to improve reliability and usability, but, overall, WorldSpace delivery of alert can serve as a key component in a regional last-mile alerting system. The objective of the scoring system was not to decide whether the technology was a winner but to find out how it can be improved to perform reliably and effectively in the difficult conditions of rural Sri Lanka.
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    Last Mile Hazard Warning System for disaster risk reduction in Sri Lankan villages : community organization
    (LIRNEasia, Colombo, LK, 2008) Udu-gama, Natasha
    The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was the largest natural disaster in recent memory in Sri Lanka and took more than 40,000 lives. In large part, due to the government’s lack of organizational capacity, despite the fact that inquiries had been made to implement a warning system much earlier. In March 2007, LIRNEasia, with the resources and coverage of Sarvodaya and its Community Disaster Management Center (SCDMC), successfully completed a pilot study of a “Last Mile” Hazard Warning System in thirty-two (32)1 Sarvodaya villages throughout Sri Lanka. The aim of this project was to evaluate the suitability of five ICTs deployed in varied conditions in selected villages for their suitability in the last mile of a national disaster warning system for Sri Lanka and possibly to other developing countries. As regards organizational capacity, the pilot demonstrated that mobile and fixed phones performed best since they required little or no training while more higher end technologies such as AREA, VSAT and RAD were more complicated, requiring more training. A hypothesis during the pilot phase purported that Sarvodaya level 4 villages would use and perform better with the ICTs than levels 1-3. Evidence found through the pilot demonstrates the congruity between highly organized communities and a better understanding and adoption of wireless technologies. This paper will address why community organization is significant to Sarvodaya and the HazInfo project within the context of disaster risk reduction, preliminary findings from the pilot supporting this argument, and policy recommendations for stakeholders.
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    Common alerting protocol message broker for Last-Mile Hazard Warning System in Sri Lanka : an essential component
    (LIRNEasia, Colombo, LK, 2008) Waidyanatha, Nuwan; Gow, Gordon; Anderson, Peter
    Last-Mile Hazard Warning System (LM-HWS) is an Innovation aimed at providing the Communities in Sri Lanka a system to receive hazard information for early warnings. A major component of the LM-HWS is the Hazard Information Hub (HIH) disseminating CAP Message in the 3 national languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English. These CAP Messages are sent to the Last-Mile Communities in the content-forms of audio and text. Reliability of the HIH performance must not be any less than a 95%. Such a high reliability is expected in order to give the Community First-Responders time to complete their Emergency Response Plans. The Live Exercises gave the HIH a Reliability score of 78%. For example an event such as the December 2004 Tsunami that had a minimal 90 minute duration between time of hazard starting and the time of impacting Sri Lanka; with a 78% Reliability, the function: Relaying of Message to the Last-Mile alone would take 20 minutes. Analysis also shows the Reliability to drop significantly when the combination of SISO relaying Applications increase. A MIMO Alerting Application such as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Message Broker would increase the performance of the HIH and give the hazard impacting Communities additional time to execute their ERPs.