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Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Inclusive and sustainable livelihoods
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is to tackle the burden and obstacles faced by women in two type of job roles: one one hand, traditional herbal medicine vendors at the brink of extinction, and on the other, young women absent from STEM careers. In both cases, women remain invisible and precarious. We see women losing a traditional trade, while at the same time, a new generation, not accessing emergent labor markets. The two extremes of female precarity.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
The Central Platform Primero de Mayo is the most important medicinal herb wholesale market in Quito, located in San Roque. 200 vendors, and over 100 herbalists who grow or collect medicinal plants from the Andean region sell their products here. In 2022, Ecuador´s Accelerator Lab collaborated in the Territorios that Heal Project, and coordinated an innovation minga to respond to challenges faced by herbal market vendors. The intervention culturally adapted Design Thinking Methodology to a popular context. Three thematic challenges were tackled: harnessing of medicinal plants, ancestral knowledge preservation, and climate change. This report is a result of collaborative work during 8 months divided in four stages: 1) Empathize and define the problem, 2) ideate, 3) prototype, and 4) test solutions with accessible technologies in a constant exercise of collective intelligence.
This year, we will implement products with the evidence collected from its experiments in a broad portfolio: Firstly, a water irrigation system will be evaluated and socialized to potential adopters for a growth phase. Secondly, a composting model will be introduced in the market to move towards a circular economy; and thirdly, creating a cooperative of dry plants will be piloted to target new customers.
As for women in STEM COVID-19 pandemic affected working conditions worldwide, generating a more significant impact on women and young people. According to the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, in April 2022, the labour market presented the following figures:
• Unemployment at the national level was 4.7%, with a higher incidence in women (5.8%) and young people (9.3%).
• Underemployment was 23.9%, with a higher incidence in young people (29%).
• The average income for women at the national level was US$400.3, and for young people US$375.7, considering that the basic family basket was valued at US$728,68.
On the other hand, the pandemic accelerates the digital process and promotes the technology sector, increasing the demand for a skilled labour force worldwide. In 2019, the International Data Corporation referred that Latin Americans had a deficit of 55% of programmers, and in Ecuador, this rises to the absence of 9,201 experts. According to the IDB, these figures will increase, and by 2025 the regional economy will demand 1.2 million programmers. Moreover, the need for skilled labour is contrasted with the large gender gap in the technology sector. UN WOMEN data (2022) showed that the representation of women in the tech industry is lower than 22%.
The project aims to improve women's and young people's programming and digital skills to promote employment opportunities in the technology sector. Finally, by reducing the gender gap in the tech industry in Ecuador, we aim to generate good governance in the sector and foster inclusive growth in its ecosystem.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
The pandemic accelerated the digital process and promotes the technology sector, increasing the demand for a skilled labour force worldwide. In 2019, the International Data Corporation referred that Latin Americans had a deficit of 55% of programmers, and in Ecuador, this rises to the absence of 9,201 experts. According to the IDB, these figures will increase, and by 2025 the regional economy will demand 1.2 million programmers. Moreover, the need for skilled labour is contrasted with the large gender gap in the technology sector. UN WOMEN data (2022) showed that the representation of women in the tech industry is lower than 22%.
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
1. Quito´s municipality lacks information on how much organic and inorganic waste its markets produce. Having access to this information can provide a methodology, but most important, shifting to composting would be the first experience in the city. We want to prove that is is possible in a decentralized matter, after several centralization documented failures.
2. Water irrigation is fundamental to agriculture, we seek to prove savings in time and effort and in water consumption with a frugal open source solution.
3. Fresh plants are sold at low prices and surplus lost. Dehydrating and accessing direct costumers could improve livelihoods.
Women and young people in STEM
The project has promoted an employment opportunity process for women and young people in the technology sector through three outputs:
Output 1, Private sector mapping: to identify the positions companies require in the fields of programming and digitalization. The Ecuadorian Chamber of innovation and technology (CITEC) has been an ally in this process. This mapping also served as an input to develop the digital skills Bootcamp syllabus managed by UNDP. This signifies that the learning process has been custom fitted to the needs of the technological sector in Ecuador.
Output 2, Digital Skills Bootcamp: a six-month UNDP Bootcamp is being implemented to provide digital skills (python and data analytics) to 60 participants to improve their employment opportunities. This process has included mentoring hours provided by CITEC members related to technology SMEs and digital start-ups. Moreover, the agreement with CITEC will allow UNDP to identify partners that will guarantee employability options for the participants of the Bootcamp.
Output 3, Technology job fair: at the end of the training process, participants will access job offers in the technology sector through a job fair developed by UNDP and CITEC. Hence, generating a virtuous cycle of employment for women and young people.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
1.Traditional medicinal herb vendors resist extinction with Accelerator Lab collective intelligence design interventions.
Women and young people are at the forefront of the digital divide; it is fundamental to equip them with new knowledge and tools.
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Plataforma 1ero de Mayo
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Herbalists- they are the direct participants in the project.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Museo de la Ciudad
What sector does our partner belong to?
Private Sector
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Founder of the project, strategic ally. We focus on livelihoods they focus on heritage and culture. Joint efforts to greater positioning.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Municipality
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
We will socialize results and recommend policy design one new authorities take over (JUNE).
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Chamber of Innovation and Technology of Ecuador
What sector does our partner belong to?
Private Sector
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
CITEC provides the knowledge regarding the need of employability of the private sector in Ecuador.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
How much waste and what kind does the Plataforma Central 1ero de Mayo generate?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Explore
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
In alliance with students from a University, they will do field work to classify, weigh and register waste produced, while also interviewing market vendors to understand the dynamics. (What do they do with their waste, how do they handle it, is there willingness to change, what main obstacles do they report to change)
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
How much and what type of waste is generated by markets is the main information gap. Municipality has a bulk number of waste provided by enterprises in charge of collection but not dis-aggregated.
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
What does the organizational model look like in practice and prototype for a cooperative chain value of dehydrated plants?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Test
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Firstly, community asset mapping will be carried out to find out the strengths, abilities, roles and desires of the herbal medicine vendor team or network. Because they do not commercialize dry plants, they need to organize themselves into a cooperative, by prototyping the chain value.
Prototyping a solidarty based, gender senstive and cooperative chain value will be the second step. Along the chain valure, co-creation of a trademark, packaging method will be done.
Finally,product delivery will be piloted with a potential client called, Tippy Tea.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Gravimetric analysis is necessary to calculate equivalence of fresh medicinal herbs to dehydrated product. We will need to measure time, humidity, weigh, volume in a controlled manner.
Consultative workshops are fundamental to organize and put in practice a cooperative model.
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
*Digital tools Bootcamp*: Can we generate a employability cycle by developing skills needed by tech enterprises in women and young people?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Test
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
We have designed a pilot bootcamp by using design thinking that tackles the capabilities that tech enterprises of Ecuador need. Moreover, we have generated a cycle of mentorships to allow the private sector to be part of the experience. Finally we aim to do a match between our participants and vacancies that are needed so that they can be employed.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
By performing a pilot based on user reviews (private sector) and mapping key stakeholders to be part of the experience we are adding value by generating a minival value propositon that will generate employability in women and young people in Ecuador.
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
Can the use an irrigation system with hygrometer contribute to save time and effort as well as increase water consumption efficiency?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Test
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
An experiment will be designed in two orchards- intentional sampling.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Water consumption data has not been measured when water source is not the network. Observational data based on reservoirs and consumption is needed. On the other hand, water irrigation is based on traditional practices, yet, the exact humidity amount needed is information crucial for water efficiency. This will be collected with a hygrometer.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
*Herbal medicine market*: Providing evidence on a circular economy model and water irrigation system.
*Young women and STEM*: For women and young people in STEM, we are hoping that the pilot can be scalated with the cooperation of the Academia or other financing multilateral institutions.
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5Gender equality
6Clean water and sanitation
12Responsible consumption and production
17Partnerships for the goals
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