Thank you Randy for coining “Frameworks R us”
I was invited by IRD to contribute and share analysis on USAID’s $155m initiative to build 400 schools in Sindh Pakistan, where I met a very interesting individual. Randy Hatfield was from Oklahoma but had lived in Pakistan longer than I had. He spoke the language, he enjoyed the food, he was not your typical USAID employee, he actually understood Pakistan.
The most memorable part of my meeting was when he used the phrase Frameworks ‘R’ us. I told him that I am going to shamelessly take ownership of this phrase (fingers crossed, I hope he does not ask for royalties).
Randy and I were in the same workshop, our group was tasked to discuss issues surrounding of “Monitoring & Assessments” of the 400 schools. I think Randy saw my frustration when I was unable to connect with my group. I was advocating frameworks and technology as a solution, and in turn I was facing resistance from the group.
It felt like no one from my group was able to address issues surrounding scale-up and sustainability by leveraging technology. I wish the would-be recipients USAID’s funds had researched how USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) was supporting projects in Africa by coming up with small technical innovations to solve problems that could become choke holds.
Have a look at the following numbers to understand the magnitude of the 400 schools project, and maybe you can relate to my frustration of not using technology frameworks:
– 400 schools will be (re)launched
– 25,000 teachers who will be up-skilled for their competencies
– 8,000 community members trained
– 750,000 students whose skills in math an reading will be improved
These are staggering numbers by any account. Fortunately since we are living in 2014, we have numerous tools and technologies at our disposal to bring structure in the management of such projects. I believe the resistance that I was facing was mainly because the key stakeholders of this project had yet to overcome their fears and inhibitions of technology.
While listening to other workshop leaders, I got a feeling that while a majority of the people were talking about KPIs, and Assessments, and Evaluation, unfortunately no one was addressing how to power all of this using technology, or where to house this data, or how to e-manage the entire operations. More worrying was that only a handful of participants (an ex Citibanker, and a lawyer from UK) had seen technology frameworks in action. No one was thinking about migrating the data into Oracle, or SAP, or to Assessment Hub, no one was talking about the use of smart phones as a tool to collect primary data. Its seemed like some of the participants did not know that in 2014, you can use smartphone apps to collect data on KPIs like school attendance, or entering students’ test grades, or report a breakage/leakage etc. When I mentioned the concept of smart phones to collect primary information, one of the participants in my workshop chuckled and replied “we do not get 3G service”. At that point in time I realized that my group did not have exposure to a lot of cutting edge technology, they probably could not to relate to what I was saying. I was getting firsthand experience of the digital divide.
I wish there was a way to get through to my group and show them that a lot is possible in 2014 because frameworks today can be powered by technology. Gone are the days where we data was collected on paper, only to be filed away and collect dust. Gone are the days when reports took months to generate. In 2014, data can be collected electronically using smart phone apps, and stored on servers. In 2014, analysis on data can be done in real time, and reports can be accessible to all who are given permission. In 2014, we are able to predict and forecast the shortfalls and inadequacies of a system. In 2014, we need to stop implement solutions of 1994.
There is a lot that USAID’s project can achieve in 2014. The project managers just need to reach out with a willingness to unlearn frameworks to relearn technology frameworks.
We owe it to the people of Sindh, we owe to the Government of Sindh, and most importantly we owe it to my friend Randy who coined the phrase Frameworks ‘R’ us