Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed.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.
Overview
Prepared by (Name of the experimenter)
Cristhian Parra
On date (Day/Month/Year)
26/12/2023
Current status of experimental activity
Completed
What portfolio does this activity correspond to? If any
Citizen participation and governance
What is the frontier challenge does this activity responds to?
Citizen participation and governance
What is the learning question(from your action learning plan) is this activity related to?
What is the space of opportunity to design, develop and implement binding participatory processes in decision-making processes of interest for citizens at different levels(community, city, region, country)?
Please categorize the type that best identifies this experimental activity:
Pre Experimental (Trial and erros, prototype, a/b testing)
Which sector are you partnering with for this activity? Please select all that apply
United Nations agency, Public Sector, Academia
Please list the names of partners mentioned in the previous question:
UNDP Acceleration Lab, mentors associated from Codeando México, the Disaster Risk Management Council of Villeta Municipality, Catholic University of Asunción Guarambare campus,
Design
What is the specific learning intent of the activity?
How can young university students offer solutions to citizen participation challenges using technology?
What is your hypothesis? IF... THEN....
IF we train interested youth with some background knowledge in the use of civic
technologies for participatory governance THEN we can develop new experiences
and use innovative tools at local levels that broaden the scope of
participation
Does the activity use a control group for comparison?
No, it does not use a control group
How is the intervention assigned to different groups in your experiment?
Non-random assignment
Describe which actions will you take to test your hypothesis:
It consisted of a 40-hour internship, developed by one of the winning teams of the Civic Technology Hackathon held in March 2023.
During the internship, the students set out to implement a technological solution that can help in the registration and rapid assessment of damages and needs after a disaster. They worked with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the city of Villeta. Disaster Risk Management seeks to avoid or minimize the negative impacts of natural disasters through prevention, preparation, response and recovery, with the aim of protecting people and resources.
What is the unit of analysis of this experimental activity?
Participants and tutors of the training program, citizens representatives of neighborhood risk management committees of the city of Villeta
Please describe the data collection technique proposed
We ask participants to record their development process in a log, and then write a learning blogpost, with guiding questions that we offered. To collect citizens' opinions, we held a meeting where we validated the tool, and recorded videos with their comments.
What is the timeline of the experimental activity? (Months/Days)
5 months
What is the estimated sample size?
10-49
What is the total estimated monetary resources needed for this experiment?
Between 1,000 and 9,999 USD
Quality Check
The hypothesis is clearly stated, This activity offers strong collaboration oportunities, This activity offers a high potential for scaling
Please upload any supporting images or visuals for this experiment.
Please upload any supporting links
What are the estimated non- monetary resources required for this experiment? (time allocation from team, external resources, etc) If any.
Results
Was the original hypothesis (If.. then) proven or disproven?
The hypothesis was proven. During the internship, students responded to the challenge of implementing a technological solution that could assist in the rapid recording and assessment of damages and needs after a disaster. They chose the city of Villeta, a city close to the University headquarters, and worked closely with the Municipal Council for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, which seeks to prevent or minimize the negative impacts of natural disasters through prevention, preparation, response and recovery, with the aim of protecting people and resources.
The students learned that the Council focuses mainly on the most vulnerable neighborhoods in the district, where each community has a coordinator in charge of recording risks, damages and needs, which are then sent to the Municipality, where the Management Council, responsible for coordinating assistance If necessary, you can use the information to articulate response efforts. It is a collaborative effort that involves the Municipality, other local institutions, the private sector and citizens, so transparency in the process is crucial. The chatbot was designed so that, in the context of an emergency, territorial coordinators can evaluate needs and route them as quickly as possible.
Do you have observations about the methodology chosen for the experiment? What would you change?
From design to results, how long did this activity take? (Time in months)
Two months
What were the actual monetary resources invested in this activity? (Amount in USD)
Does this activity have a follow up or a next stage? Please explain
We wish to be able to work on risk management, in coordination with other programs of the country office
Is this experiment planned to scale? How? With whom?
Not right now
Please add any supporting links that describe the planning, implementation, results of learning of this activity? For example a tweet, a blog, or a report.
Considering the outcomes of this experimental activity, which of the following best describe what happened after? (Please select all that apply)
This experiment did not scale yet
Learning
What do you know now about the action plan learning question that you did not know before? What were your main learnings during this experiment?
An essential consideration in the development of GuarniBot was the geographical context in which the tool was deployed. In areas characterized by vulnerability and limited resources, access to technology is severely restricted. In recognition of this circumstance, a solution was devised that could be universally adapted. Given that mobile phones are prevalent among families in most instances, and text messaging is a familiar communication method, the designed solution aimed to ensure inclusivity.
What were the main obstacles and challenges you encountered during this activity?
After conducting research, the team had formulated an idea for developing a chatbot, but they encountered several challenges along the way. Initially, the cost of implementing a chatbot, with the intention of deploying it on WhatsApp due to its widespread use, posed a significant hurdle. Despite multiple attempts to create a WhatsApp-based chatbot, the team ultimately decided to launch their first fully functional prototype on Telegram.
Who at UNDP might benefit from the results of this experimental activity? Why?
It is our intention to take advantage of the knowledge and networks that we established in this experience for actions of the UNDP Social Inclusion program, which works on disaster risk management.
Who outside UNDP might benefit from the results of this experiment? and why?
Throughout this developmental phase, the student team received support from various entities, including the UNDP Acceleration Lab team, mentors associated with Codeando México, and the Disaster Risk Management Council. The experience proved to be excellent for the team's professional growth, enhancing their understanding of the challenges faced by individuals residing in risk-prone areas. This endeavor facilitated the integration of theoretical knowledge gained at the university with practical, real-life challenges.
Did this experiment require iterations? If so, how many and what did you change/adjust along the way? and why?
What advice would you give someone wanting to replicate this experimental activity?
From the users’ test conducted with Municipal Council coordinators and volunteers, we learned what are the most important features to improve in the next iterations of this tool:
1. Although the chat includes all national emergency contacts, it is also important to include local contacts.
2. The ability to access or automatically connect to the location and contacts of the contacts should be included based on the location of the reports.
3. The chat should provide the possibility to update contacts of community leaders and coordinators, as these individuals may change.
4. After large-scale weather emergencies, internet service can sometimes take a while to be restored, which means the chat may not be usable. Therefore, a functionality should be developed to allow users to temporarily save responses and then synchronize the information with the central database once the phone accesses a network, which can be located at strategic places during the emergency response.
Can this experiment be replicated in another thematic area or other SDGs? If yes, what would need to be considered, if no, why not?
GuarniBot facilitates swift and efficient communication of early warnings regarding natural disasters or risk situations, empowering individuals to implement preventive measures promptly. The data gathered by the chatbot can undergo analysis, assisting authorities in making precise, data-driven decisions. Furthermore, it fosters citizen engagement by maintaining a real-time record of needs.
The developed chatbot exhibits universal applicability, suitable for use in any city or town. Its high adaptability allows for customization to align with the specific requirements of municipalities seeking to implement it. The team envisions that their experience will contribute to Villeta's emergency management capabilities and advocates for the widespread adoption of civic technology in risk prevention.
How much the "sense" and "explore" phases of the learning cycle influenced/shaped this experiment? In hindsight, what would you have done differently with your fellow Solution Mapper and Explorer?
What surprised you?
11Sustainable cities and communities
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