Inveneo ICT Sustainability Primer

Transcription

1 Invene ICT Sustainability Primer What t cnsider when designing ICT prjects fr lw-resurce envirnments Publicatin Date: September 2010 Prepared by: Invene 972 Missin Street 5th Flr San Francisc, CA inf@invene.rg

2 Page 2 f 9 Table f Cntents Overview... 2 Prject Management... 3 ICT Infrastructure... 4 Pwer Infrastructure... 5 Supprt... 6 Facilities... 7 Abut Invene... 9 Overview Invene specializes in delivering sustainable infrmatin and cmmunicatin technlgy (ICT) slutins fr challenging rural and underserved envirnments. We design and build affrdable, rbust and reliable ICT systems fr lcatins that have little pwer r Internet service. These areas ften lack the lcal expertise necessary t successfully deply and maintain technlgy. Therefre, we devte a large part f ur effrts tward skills develpment thrugh ur Invene Certified ICT Partner prgram, nw active in 24 cuntries, and ICTwrks where we share ur expertise publicly. Our effrts have paid ff handsmely. Since 2006, Invene and ur Certified ICT Partners have delivered innvative infrmatin and cmmunicatin technlgy (ICT) slutins reaching mre than 1,500,000 peple in ver 500 cmmunities in 25 cuntries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Suth Asia and Haiti. We ve learned a lt f lessns alng the way n hw t make an ICT prject sustainable in resurce-cnstrained envirnments, and we're like t share them with yu. Our gal with the Invene ICT Sustainability Primer is t present these lessns as guidance t thse planning ICT-intensive prjects in lw-resurce settings in rder t help them avid cmmn pitfalls. We cver everything frm prject management t ICT and pwer infrastructure, t supprt and facilities. Yet we dn't pretend t have all the answers - we welcme yur feedback and input t imprve the sustainability f all ICT prjects. Please submit yur cmments t inf@invene.rg and we'll incrprate them int future editins f the Primer. Invene Staff September 2010 This wrk is licensed under the Creative Cmmns Attributin-Nncmmercial 3.0 United States License. T view a cpy f this license, visit Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

3 Page 3 f 9 Prject Management Technlgy is smetimes the least imprtant factr in determining whether a prject becmes sustainable. Set clear bjectives - Whether the gal is t imprve healthcare, increase incme fr farmers r prmte awareness f the plight f peple living in refugee camps, ICT prjects shuld be designed t achieve specific, measurable bjectives. If the prject s gals are hard t measure directly, find prxy metrics that can be. Establish managerial wnership Nthing is mre imprtant t a prject's success than the genuine cmmitment f at least ne individual with apprpriate incentives t succeed. ALWAYS identify specific individuals t be respnsible fr verall prgram management, implementatin and ensuring that ICT and pwer equipment are kept in wrking rder (smetimes the same persn). Make sure that yu cmmunicate clearly and hnestly with these individuals and ther staff abut specific rles and expectatins. Whenever pssible, have a lcal prject manager/representative available in cuntry. Secure cmmunity buy- in and interest Be sure t secure lcal buy-in fr the prject, bth amng system users and, wherever pssible, within the wider cmmunity. This prcess ften takes time, but can be a critical factr in verall prject sustainability. Set realistic expectatins and budget ICTs can have impressive shrt-term impacts, but their impact is mre ften gradual as users build their skills and becme cmfrtable with new systems. Prjects smetimes fail due t dnr impatience during this ramp up perid. Ensure that funders have realistic expectatins arund prject budget. Give yurself plenty f time fr things like clearing equipment thrugh custms r prcessing frmal applicatins fr licenses. Delays are all t cmmn in many develping cuntries. Understand the regulatry envirnment Make sure yu understand hw technlgies such as WiFi and VOIP are regulated. Factr in ttal csts f equipment, including duties that may be assessed by custms. Plan use scenaris, but expect t imprvise Gd system design depends n a clear understanding f hw users will interact with new systems. It is crucial that lcal stakehlders - including actual users - are invlved early n in the prcess f designing the system. Even when users are directly invlved, expectatins may be wrng, especially where users are nt experienced with cmputers. Be prepared t imprvise and t adapt t actual needs/uses nce the system is in place. This requires a practive prcess fr evaluating prject utcmes and changing curse as needed. 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

4 Page 4 f 9 Prceed incrementally Take a phased apprach, starting with key infrastructure and basic capacity building and then add prgram elements piece-by-piece. This apprach helps avid crdinatin prblems and simplifies trubleshting if (when) smething ges wrng. Rushing a prject r trying t d everything at nce is likely t lead t big mistakes. ICT Infrastructure The chice f apprpriate ICT equipment fr a given prject is based n a number f factrs including the availability f pwer, envirnmental cnditins, the specific applicatins that the hardware must supprt and the skill f bth users and administratrs. In lw-resurce settings, the fllwing factrs can be critical t prject success: Use hardware with the lwest pssible pwer draw In ff-grid settings, pwer infrastructure can be much mre cstly than the hardware itself. Fr this reasn, free r dnated (secnd-hand) cmputers, which usually draw lts f pwer, are ften the mst expensive ptin. Select hardware that has the minimum pssible pwer draw that supprts required applicatins. Cmputers are nw available that supprt excellent perfrmance fr mst applicatins but that draw nly 10% f the pwer f an average desktp. Use equipment with as few mving parts as pssible Anther benefit f lwpwer-cnsuming hardware is that it creates less heat than standard equipment, which increases sustainability by eliminating the need fr fans (in extreme cnditins), a cmmn failure pint fr cmputers running in humid and dusty envirnments. Use field- serviceable and lcally available parts If parts are nt available lcally, they are difficult t replace. Fr cmputers, use standard ff-the-shelf parts, such as standard laptp hard disk drives, wherever pssible. Fr peripherals, especially printers, it is wise t use lcally available brands. Use virus prtectin Viruses are a majr challenge fr Micrsft-based ICT prjects. Typical virus cntrl measures dn't wrk well in uncnnected settings where definitin updates happen t rarely and USB drives are almst always infected. If using Micrsft s Windws perating system, prducts such as Farnic s DeepFreeze and Micrsft s SteadyState can prevent viruses frm being written t system files. Make sure that sftware is designed fr reality Sftware develpers ften assume bradband cnnectivity and high-pwer cmputers, neither f which exists in mst lw-resurce settings. Make certain that develpers design and test sftware fr cnditins that actually exist in the field. 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

5 Page 5 f 9 User- apprpriate sftware and hardware interfaces Simple is almst always better, especially with lw-skill and first-time cmputer users. Intuitive, uncluttered interfaces facilitate learning and encurage system use. Avid purchasing yur wn VSAT (satellite) link Smetimes VSAT is the nly ptin fr Internet cnnectivity. Often, hwever, there are better ptins. Cnsider extending lcally available cnnectivity frm service prviders thrugh technlgies like WiFi t yur prject area(s). Fcus n slid lcal cnnectivity Even where internet bandwidth is slw and expensive, lcal cnnectivity between sites (e.g. district hspital and health clinics) can be fast and cheap. Private (r shared) WiFi netwrks prvide reliable and affrdable bradband links between sites t supprt shared applicatins, cntent, internet, vice ver internet (VIP), etc. Benefits f this apprach include high speed, extremely lw reccurring csts and full cntrl ver the netwrk. Pwer Infrastructure An ICT system is nly as reliable as the pwer system that supprts it. Use a skilled electrician Prly designed systems are unreliable and can cst mre in the lng run. Fr example, systems that allw batteries t discharge cmpletely will dramatically shrten their lifespan. Wrse, imprperly designed systems can be dangerus, especially with the high currents that DC systems generate. Batteries shuld be prperly prtected and vented. Unless they have prven cmpetence in bth cmputing and pwer technlgies, avid using an ICT prfessinal t install yur pwer system. Think lw maintenance In ff-grid settings, lw-maintenance ften means slar, since fuel and maintenance csts fr generatrs quickly ffset upfrnt savings and are a majr failure pint fr prjects. Batteries shuld be maintenance-free, sealed lead-acid gel (SLA), preferably the AGM reinfrced type. These are smewhat mre expensive than the "wet" r "flded" cell batteries that require regular maintenance and checkups, but are much mre reliable in the lng term. Cnsider hybrid systems Hybrid systems allw batteries t be charged by mre than ne pwer surce; fr example, bth slar panels and a generatr, r generatr and intermittent grid pwer. Althugh hybrid systems are slightly mre cmplicated and expensive t deply, the redundancy makes them mre reliable. Reliability is usually quite imprtant fr prjects that invlve critical services, such as in healthcare r micrfinance. Include surge prtectin and vltage stabilizatin Generatr r partial-grid pwer can easily damage cmputers and netwrking equipment. Spikes in pwer r lw vltage is the mst cmmn cause. The equipment t prtect against this danger is 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

6 Page 6 f 9 relatively inexpensive, readily available in mst places and ffers cheap insurance against damage t mre cstly equipment. Therefre, these cmpnents shuld always be used with an AC pwer surce. Size systems carefully and cnservatively Where pwer is scarce, it is valuable. Design systems such that unintended pwer draw is minimized. Cnsider islating ICT pwer systems frm thers, reducing r eliminating extraneus utlets r pwering equipment directly frm DC. If pssible, size the system t supprt phne charging statins, electric lanterns r ther imprtant needs. Always budget at least 10% "headrm" fr expansin r unintended veruse. Build arund lcally available inputs As with ICT cmpnents, imprted parts that are nt available lcally tend nt t be replaced if they fail unexpectedly stp wrking. Develp relatinships with several suppliers f high quality batteries, chargers, slar panels, etc. Supprt Qualified and timely supprt can make the difference between success and failure. Few rganizatins have the internal skills t repair ICT r pwer equipment, s external supprt can be critical. In general: Budget fr supprt and maintenance Annual maintenance cst is usually 5% t 15% f the riginal ttal budget, as a rule f thumb, but csts will vary significantly based n terms f cntract. Define a tiered supprt strategy Train system administratr(s) n basic trubleshting and give them a direct link t 2nd tier supprt. Simple trubleshting cheat sheets can help in settings where system administratr turnver is high. Make sure system administratrs knw hw t maintain pwer systems as well. Fr example, t keep slar pwer systems wrking prperly, it is imprtant t clean panels regularly. Teach users abut prper equipment care New cmputer users may inadvertently mistreat equipment. User training shuld include basics abut hw t keep equipment in gd wrking cnditin (e.g. t be careful nt t spill fd r drink n keybards, nt t cut pwer t equipment while it is running, etc.) The verall gal shuld be t make users feel a degree f wnership f the equipment. Purchase pr- active site visits These visits are especially useful during the first 3-6 mnths, when misuse r equipment failure is mst likely. Supprt prviders can ften be enlisted t prvide training, as needed, fr system users. 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

7 Page 7 f 9 Buy supprt frm whever installed the system It can be hard t identify the surce f ICT prblems, much less t assign respnsibility fr fixing them. Purchasing supprt frm the equipment prvider helps t avid this challenge. Make sure yu negtiate fr bth up frnt. Facilities The physical infrastructure in which ICT systems are used can be an imprtant factr in prject utcmes. Here are sme key lessns in the areas f design and lcatin, cnstructin and security: Design and lcatin - The design and lcatin f physical infrastructure can have a significant impact n hw ICTs are actually used and, therefre, n prject success. Cnfrm with lcal design principles and use lcal materials. Lcatin can impact cnnectivity ptins (e.g., fr wireless shts r use f VSAT) as well as pwer ptins (e.g., reduced inslatin due t vegetatin cverage). Site yur facility carefully. Design fr air-flw bth building design and lcatin this helps with cmfrt as well as cling f equipment. Cnsider rm layut carefully fr example, in a schl setting simultaneus classes may require multiple/separate rms. If s, interir drs shuld be lckable t imprve security when rms are nt in use. Assign dedicated space fr pwer equipment this space shuld be ventilated, at least t the rest f the interir space and, if pssible, t exterir (if pssible withut cmprmising security). The best slutin is a lckable internal rm/clset. Fr teaching facilities, design classrm s that instructr can supervise what students are ding n the cmputers (screen visibility). Psitin facility manager near main entrance t cntrl access. Cnsider prviding tw chairs per cmputer t enable shared learning and maximize the use f scarce cmputers. Cnstructin - ICTs, and especially its electrical infrastructure, require specialized cnstructin cnsideratins fr ptimal lng-term usage. If building frm scratch, install chases fr electrical and/r ethernet t get thrugh cinderblck r cncrete walls. Install a steel chase fr electrical drp frm the rf array. 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

8 Page 8 f 9 Rf shuld be engineered t supprt slar array (as needed). Avid metal mesh prducts, which can blck wireless signals. If slar is needed, it is imprtant t plan fr sufficient suth-facing rf space fr the slar array. Avid rf pitches that are t flat r t steep. Security - Sme prjects require significant investment t prtect ICT and pwer infrastructure, while thers d nt. Cnsider the cntext. Only lcal knwledge can guide this decisin. Security shuld be as "passive" as pssible (e.g. bars vs lcking shutters). Metal, lcking drs and bars n all windws. Avid glass, especially at grund level. Relatively public lcatins can help minimize theft, but nly if slid basic prtectins are in place. Slar arrays shuld be secured with lcking frames. Based n lcal cnditins, wire mesh r ther screening may be required t prtect glass frm rcks, etc. If available, use impact resistant panels. Widespread cmmunity supprt fr the ICT system and/r the services they supprt can help t minimize the likelihd f theft r vandalism. 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg

9 Page 9 f 9 Abut Invene Invene is a 501(c)(3) nn-prfit scial enterprise whse missin is t cnnect and empwer rural and underserved cmmunities in the develping wrld with infrmatin and cmmunicatins technlgies (ICTs). We wrk with and serve rganizatins that deliver vital educatin, healthcare, ecnmic develpment and relief services t sme f the prest cmmunities in the wrld, enabling these rganizatins NGOs, gvernments and thers t mre effectively serve peple in need thrugh technlgy. Since 2006, Invene and ur Invene Certified ICT Partners (ICIPs) have delivered innvative slutins reaching mre than 1,500,000 peple in ver 500 cmmunities in 25 cuntries in Sub- Saharan Africa, Suth Asia and Haiti. Sustainable ICT Slutins fr Challenging Envirnments Invene specializes in delivering sustainable ICT slutins fr challenging envirnments. We design and build affrdable, rbust and reliable ICT systems fr lcatins that have little pwer r Internet service. Mst f these areas als have high levels f dust, heat, and humidity and very limited lcal ICT skills. We identify apprpriate hardware, pwer surces and cnnectivity ptins based n the physical envirnment as well as the specific needs f the rganizatin and the cmmunity being served. Building Lcal Capacity fr Ecnmic Develpment Rural areas ften lack the lcal expertise necessary t successfully deply and maintain technlgy. Therefre, we devte a large part f ur effrts tward skills develpment thrugh ur Invene Certified ICT Partner prgram, nw active in 24 cuntries. We invest in lng-term partnerships with lcal ICT entrepreneurs, prviding them with training t develp strng business and technical skills and cnnecting them with ther partners t share knwledge and ideas. This helps t build their businesses by prviding prfessinal pprtunities in rural and underserved areas. The use f lcal supprt helps t ignite sustainable jb creatin, t ensure prject sustainability, t stimulate demand fr mre rural ICT installatins. 972 Missin Street, 5 th Flr San Francisc, CA USA inf@invene.rg