P ractical Answers How it Works by Margaret Rukwaro

1. Practical Answers How it Works by Margaret Rukwaro

2. An international development agency working with poor communities to help them choose and use technology to improve their lives today and for generations to come Mission - To use technology to challenge poverty, working with poor people Vision - Sustainable world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used for the benefit of all Practical Action Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

3. Practical Action • Practical Action works with poor communities to help them choose and use technology to improve their lives for today and generations to come. We focus our efforts, skills and resources around four international programmes: • Reducing vulnerability - We help reduce the vulnerability of poor people affected by natural disasters, conflict and environmental degradation. • Making markets work for the poor - We help poor people to make a better living – by enabling producers to improve their production, processing and marketing. • Improve access to services - We help poor communities gain access to basic services – water, sanitation, housing and electricity • New technologies – help poor communities respond to the challenges of new technologies, helping them to access effective technologies that can change lives Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

4. Practical Answers • Knowledge sharing service of Practical Action • Disseminators of practical information and knowledge to development practitioners • We specialize in knowledge about appropriate technologies • A service created to provide a means of accessing the wealth of technical information held by Practical Action • People who need knowledge about technology have access to relevant knowledge resources. • Assist in sharing knowledge internally & externally Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

5. Pillars of Practical Answers • Resource Centre • Technical Enquiry Service (TES) • Technical information online (TIO) • Mass media • Offline (traditional) Communication • Localized Knowledge products • Knowledge Nodes Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

6. Technical Enquiries Service (TES) • First enquiry recorded in 1968 in response to unsolicited enquiries sent to ITDG (Practical Action) • TES based on direct contacts with knowledge seekers • First point of contact in information Sharing • Sharing what we know • Scaling up our impacts • Broker in information sharing • Currently more 300 Technical Briefs in the website Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

7. How TES Works Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

8. Sources of Enquiries • Development workers • Community based organizations • NGOs and other agencies using appropriate technologies to implement sustainable development • Individuals • Students • Researchers Enquiries are received through: • Face to face • Letters • Telephone • E-mail • Website • Thr’ Programmes Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

9. Data Collection • Collect the following data that guides us: • Category of the enquiry • Classification / category • Mode of Communication • Name of the enquirer and contacts • Country of origin • County of application • Date received / Date responded • Gender • Demand of information • Analysis of data collected give the trend of knowledge • What to acquire for the community / enquirers • Future decision making e.g. project conception Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

10. Technical Enquiry Process Request for knowledge Phone, face to face contact, letters, visit, email, project staff, website Response preparation Instant, material search, share with experts, material collection Delivery of information/material, data recording Follow up Follow up impact, document stories of change Analysing data & Reporting

11. TES Statistics Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

12. TES Database Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

13. Localization of Knowledge Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

14. Measure the impact of the information provided User follow-up Do a follow up by calling the enquirers and visiting them We want to know if our info is useful if not how can we improve on it Want to know who are our beneficiaries and the number of beneficiaries. What other information would have been useful? What was missing in the information received? How was it implemented? Difficulties faced in implementation? What type of knowledge information is difficult to get? What form of knowledge product they would prefer? Suggestions from enquirer Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

15. Sources of Knowledge http://www.developmentbookshop.com/ Published & printed material Practical Answers CD Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

16. Lessons from experience Access to accurate and timely information by rural men & women can result in enhanced economic and social development. People in rural areas are hungry of knowledge that can improve their livelihoods despite their age or status Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

17. Sharing Info with Communities Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

18. Sharing knowledge with Communities Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

19. Adopted technologies by schools Water Distiller • Students getting access to our info thr’ community knowledge centres e.g. ALIN and adopting the technology • Adopted from Practical Answers CDROM and “works miracles” words of one of the teachers. It featured in 2009 “International Climate Challenge (ICC)” Exhibition/Competition for schools with Lariak Day Secondary School. • How it works • Made like a trough and has two outlets (pipes) one for putting H2O other for removing condensed vapour. • Inside painted black to absorb heat, water almost boils, it evaporates then finds the covering glass which is cold because of the air outside • Vapour condenses on the glass. There is a gutter round the box which acts as the outlet, a polythene put at the other end to collect the condensed vapor in form of water • Any impurities left in the box • Can do 10 liters in a day depending on the weather; the hotter the weather the more purified water one gets • Water is then put in clean bottles/flasks fro drinking by students and techers Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

20. Stabilized Soil Blocks Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

21. Our story: localized solar drier Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

22. Adopted technologies : Energy Saving Jiko This is adopted from one book donated by ‘Practical Action’. It was adopted by Mr. Ben Mathenge. Many households in the area, including schools have benefited. It’s the right step in addressing the issue on ‘Climate change’ Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

23. Simple Technologies Application of ash in crops to prevent insects attacking the plants - This crucial information has been practiced by many members as can be seen at the base of the mango tree Squirrel trap: Now used in many farms adopted from a magazine donated to Ngarua Maarifa the centre. Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

24. Individually we know very little but together we know a lot or everything – Information shared is information doubled Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010

25. Thank you “The gift of material makes people dependent. The gift of knowledge makes them free” E.F. Schumacher Founder - Practical Action Technical Enquiry Service (TES) - How it works 29th Nov. 2010