Applying what you've learned
Participants will be required to develop a Digital Critique Piece about a project, intervention or development framework, in the area of their choosing, using one, or a combination of the digital tools reviewed in the course which they will present on the second live session (October 10th). Additionally, participants will submit a Concept Note (3-4 pages) proposing an ingenious and creative way to use technology or digital media to help people solve a concrete problem related to community development. The concept can be inspired by one of the case studies included in the syllabus, or, designed from the participants' own professional background and life experiences, combining previous skills and knowledge with the concepts and principles reviewed in the Proseminar. Consider using multimedia storytelling platforms such as Atavist or Medium to publish your draft.
The Concept Note will consist of:
Project Summary
1-2 paragraph summary of the project highlighting the target area, beneficiaries, strategy and expected results. Write this section after you have completed all other sections of the concept note.
Problem
Briefly describe the problem being addressed
Target Area & Beneficiaries
Briefly describe the geographic target area and the people who will benefit from the program
Goal
Project Goal or Objective
Outcomes
Main Project Outcomes after the Intervention
Duration
Describe when the project will start and finish
Approach
Briefly describe the overall approach that you will use to solve the problem. If the approach is something that has been used before (e.g. Participatory Rural Appraisal, Community Radio, Social Media Campaign, etc.) then describe how it has been used previously and why you think it will be appropriate in your setting
Monitoring & Evaluation
Briefly describe how you will measure results. List the key indicators if appropriate
Budget
Give the total budget for the project
Sustainability
Briefly describe how the project activities will be sustained in the long term
How to begin...
Please watch this video, created by Laura Walker Hudson, from FrontlineSMS, on the challenges of applying technology to international development.
Observations
The concept note must have a title and can be formatted as a regular text document. Authors are invited to use figures, photographs, tables, links, and other editing resources to better illustrate the ideas presented. References and citations, if used, must be identified, in accordance to academic standards.
Deadline
In order to receive course credit, the paper must be submitted for evaluation no later than 3 weeks after the Pro-Seminar, on November 2nd.