2017 ICT4D Conference

Ready to implement a new technology -- trade in the paper for smartphones, start administering surveys via SMS, transition to a new CRM system? Worldwide, social impact organizations are seeking technology solutions to better manage data, measure performance, report to donors, & address inefficiencies in programs/operations.

When it comes to implementing a new tech tool, how do we gauge whether an organization is “ready”? What happens when the technology implementation - inadvertently or advertently - leads to upheaval in the organization’s processes? How can we ensure that technology is a tool underpinning quality delivery, with the focus on impact rather than on the tool itself?

Vera has had the opportunity to work with 180+ such organizations, all of whom sought to improve their efficiency & effectiveness by using technology & data to inform their operations. Several of our partners have grappled with these questions -- some used tech explicitly for M&E, while others found that that the technology happened to bring quality data, accountability, & improved feedback loops with it.

During this session, three Vera partners - FMCH India, Liberty Asia, and Pollinate Energy - will discuss their struggles and triumphs with being “ready” to use technology to advance their work in health, anti-slavery, and energy respectively. Participants will leave with a ‘Readiness Checklist’ that builds on Vera’s experiences helping our partners implement tech systems for the development sector.

Panel: - Vera Solutions builds cloud & mobile technology to help social impact organizations to better track their impact & streamline their operations - FMCH India supports mothers/children in underprivileged Indian communities by providing preventive health/nutrition services at their clinics in Mumbai - Liberty Asia works to prevent human trafficking through legal advocacy, technological interventions, & strategic collaborations with NGOs/corporations in Asia - Pollinate Energy is a social business that provides India's urban poor with renewable energy solutions on payment plans.