Comments on: Emerging markets for NGO technology choices http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/ because information can save lives Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:15:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul Currion http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-136158 Paul Currion Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:20:28 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/#comment-136158 Jayne, thanks for the compliment. The good news is that most of the agencies that I've worked with now have coherent IT strategies (nothing to do with me, they've just recruited good IT staff, mainly from the private sector). The bad news is that we've yet to realise - as you point out - that we need to make sure that the governments we work with also benefit from such strategies. Now, I might disagree with those strategies - particularly over issues such as Open Source or Web2.0 - but at least a coherent strategy gives us something to talk about... Jayne, thanks for the compliment. The good news is that most of the agencies that I’ve worked with now have coherent IT strategies (nothing to do with me, they’ve just recruited good IT staff, mainly from the private sector). The bad news is that we’ve yet to realise – as you point out – that we need to make sure that the governments we work with also benefit from such strategies.

Now, I might disagree with those strategies – particularly over issues such as Open Source or Web2.0 – but at least a coherent strategy gives us something to talk about…

]]> By: Tom Longley http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-136150 Tom Longley Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:49:23 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/#comment-136150 YET to deliver, Paul ;) Failure is a rather more terminal state. Anyhow, yes, thanks for the elaboration, which puts some meat on my thoughts about the topic. YET to deliver, Paul ;) Failure is a rather more terminal state. Anyhow, yes, thanks for the elaboration, which puts some meat on my thoughts about the topic.

]]> By: Jayne Cravens http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-135675 Jayne Cravens Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:52:38 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/2008/01/25/emerging-markets-for-ngo-technology-choices/#comment-135675 Paul, what a great blog -- I'm ashamed that I'm only reading it now. I agree with so much of what you are saying. I have been continually dismayed when working for development agencies, whether the UN or a government, to find that there's no IT strategy, no guiding philosophy, no sharing of how we were all using tools... complete trust was put into the IT staff to make all decisions, and while I really like IT staff people (they always know the best food in town), I'm not sure that they should be making all the tech decisions. I'm an outreach person, and even in Afghanistan, IT was an incredible tool for message delivery and interaction with various audiences. But the IT department freaked over my using Flickr, for instance, and just couldn't get their head around why it was important. And *forget* about open source -- they preferred pirated tech to legit-but-free/lowcost-open source. And I could go on and on... and I have... Paul, what a great blog — I’m ashamed that I’m only reading it now. I agree with so much of what you are saying. I have been continually dismayed when working for development agencies, whether the UN or a government, to find that there’s no IT strategy, no guiding philosophy, no sharing of how we were all using tools… complete trust was put into the IT staff to make all decisions, and while I really like IT staff people (they always know the best food in town), I’m not sure that they should be making all the tech decisions. I’m an outreach person, and even in Afghanistan, IT was an incredible tool for message delivery and interaction with various audiences. But the IT department freaked over my using Flickr, for instance, and just couldn’t get their head around why it was important. And *forget* about open source — they preferred pirated tech to legit-but-free/lowcost-open source. And I could go on and on… and I have…

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