Post on 13-May-2015
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20131
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.2013
V.11
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20132
UNICEF creates and guides approaches that are transformative, at scale, for the world’s most vulnerable children.
Innovation at UNICEF is collaboration that translates
ideas, technologies, and partnerships into products,
services, and processes to bring about better, more
equitable results for children.
INTRODUCTION
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20133
UNICEF Global Innovation
There are hundreds of innovative programmes and projects throughout UNICEF.
This document highlights work that has been supported by the New York Innovation Unit (OED), and where solutions have gone to scale.
Current initiatives
Upcoming initiatives
Innovation Labs
INTRODUCTION
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20134
Programmes
Using new technology, ideas,
and feedback loops to serve
the hardest-to-reach and most
vulnerable communities.
Products
Co-creating products and their
supporting systems, suited to
the needs of the most vulnerable
populations.
Processes
Improving UNICEF’s ability to target
resources and monitor and manage
results to increase efficiency in
difficult economic environments.
Partnerships
Building partnerships to bring
different sets of skills, viewpoints
and influence to bear on global
challenges.
At UNICEF, we focus on four key areas of Innovation.
INTRODUCTION
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20135
Models for Accelerating Innovation
Systems and Tools Research
Principles Initiatives Partners
Health
USER
HIV/AIDS
RapidSMS
Prototype National
Benificiary Frontline Provider
Multi-countryUN Staff Government and Policy Makers
Nutrition
RapidFTR
Sub-national
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Education and Learning Child Protection
Social Inclusion Emergency FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
STAGE IN PROCESS
Initiatives are further categorized by one or more of the following tags:
This document breaks down work into three major areas, with “initiatives” or “projects” being further broken down by type, and tags.
FOCUS AREA
INDEX
pp. 6-7
pp. 10-18
pp. 8-31
pp. 19-27
pp. 32-36
pp. 28-31
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20136
Five principles are fundamental to UNICEF’s Innovation work.
1. User-Centered, Equity Focused
2. Built on Experience
3. Open and Inclusive
4. Sustainable
5. Scalable
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20137
User-Centered, Equity-Focused
Respond to user needs, be context appropriate
and designed in collaboration with end users.
Be developed incrementally, using iterative
user testing system models and modified as
appropriate.
By designing for the most difficult-to-reach
first, we build equitable solutions that scale.
Sustainable
Be viable in the long term, factoring in support
infrastructure, maintenance and running costs.
Involve governments in the development of
solutions.
Encourage the involvement and training of
local experts (technical and otherwise).
Scalable
Be replicable and customizable in other
countries and contexts.
Factor in partnerships from the beginning and
start early negotiations.
Look towards locally available technologies
and use what already exists in the ecosystem.
Built On Experience
Be built upon previous experience and
incorporate best practices into the design of
products, services and processes.
Facilitate open access to information.
Documentation, content and learning can be
shared and accessed by anyone.
Open and Inclusive
Make knowledge around the innovation
publicly accessible and prioritize openness as
an approach to solving problems.
Build technology that is free and open source
so that it can be shared with interested parties
and adapted by others.
Principles
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20138
1. Models for Accelerating Innovation
2. Systems and Tools
3. Research
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Initiatives address pressing challenges facing women and children.
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.20139
Models for Accelerating Innovation
1. Community Health Worker Backpack PLUS2. 1000 Days Project / Scaling-Up Nutrition Initiative 3. UNICEF Ventures: Scaling Social Innovations4. Innovation Fund5. Country Innovation Labs 6. Innovation in Learning7. Child-Friendly Technology Framework
Systems and Tools
1. Safe Pregnancy and Delivery, RapidSMS Rwanda 2. Patient Tracing and Results Delivery, Results160 3. Health Information and Reminders, RemindMi4. Nutrition Monitoring, Anthrowatch Tools 3. and 4. combine to form the Mwana Initiative5. Making People Count by Counting People, SMS Birth Reporting 6. Ensuring Supply of Essential Commodities, MTrac 7. Monitoring and Visualizing Status of Public Services, DevTrac 8. School Monitoring System, EduTrac 9. Connecting Young People to Government, uReport10. Applications for Family Tracing and Reunification, RapidFTR 11. Emergency Response Simulation Game 12. Design for UNICEF Curriculum 13. Rugged Technology Kit
Research
2013
1. How can mHealth innovations be used as health system strengthening tools? 2. How can UNICEF leverage real-time monitoring? 3. How do we engage with mid-career professionals in UNICEF Innovation work?
2012
4. How can we use mobile phones to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV?5. How can we undertake Open Research?
2011
6. What is the future of real-time information?7. How can mobile phones support Community Case Management? 8. How do Community Health Workers use mobile phones?
2010
9. How can UNICEF partner with mobile service providers?10. How can mobile financial services support development?11. What is the future of health technology?12. How do adolescent girls use technology in developing world?13. How do you build an education technology project?
2009
14. What are key trends in technology for children?
pp.10-18
pp. 19-27
pp. 28-31
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201310
Models for accelerating innovation include
guides, frameworks, funds, and partnerships to
create sustainable solutions that have impact at
scale.
Initiatives
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201311
Health, Nutrition
Community Health Worker (CHW) Backpack PLUSchwplus.tumblr.com
The Backpack PLUS Toolkit is a set of solutions aimed at empowering
and supporting CHWs, widely recognized as being a crucial resource for
achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to health. It
includes key drugs and supplies used by CHWs as well as plans for “soft”
elements, such as training and access to supervisors.
For some people, the only link to the health system may be through
CHWs: often unpaid volunteers who work at the ‘last mile’ of health
delivery. When deployed well, CHWs can reduce child mortality in
communities by 25 percent or more.
unicefstories.org/model/chwbackpackplus/
USER Frontline Provider
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF Innovation Unit
STAGE IN PROCESS Prototype
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201312
Health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition
1000 Days Product / Scaling-Up Nutrition Initiative
With the launch of the global Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) project,
UNICEF has developed a mobile service product to support essential
interventions in the 1000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her
child’s second birthday.
The 1000 days mobile tool strengthens front-line health services by
providing mobile services for support across the entire continuum of
care throughout the same time period.
This support includes mobile services for growth monitoring, antenatal
and postnatal visit reminders, HIV/AIDS lab results delivery, and supply
and logistics support for essential medicines.
unicefstories.org/model/1000days/
USER Frontline Provider
FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RapidSMS
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-2139/Esteve
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201313
UNICEF Ventures: Scaling Social Innovations
For UNICEF Ventures, ‘scale’ means ensuring that good ideas reach a
large percentage of a target audience. Impact (for Ventures) means that
UNICEF can help transformative products and services have a positive
effect on the poorest parts of society.
Almost $1 billion is invested every year into a rapidly growing and
increasingly crowded field of social entrepreneurs who are developing
innovations for the poor.
Most social innovations do not achieve widespread adoption, either
because the problem being solved is not well understood, the solution
developed is not designed for scalability or the entrepreneur is not able
to connect with relevant local decision makers and networks.
This initiative will leverage UNICEF’s expertise, reach, and evidence base
to help funders:
1. Vet early stage social investments
2. Support the most promising social entrepreneurs
3. Achieve scale when successful
unicefstories.org/model/unicefventures/
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0288/Holt
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201314
PRE-FUND INNOVATION[6-12 MONTHS]
EARLY-STAGE INVESTMENT[9-12 MONTHS]
LARGE-SCALE INVESTMENT[ONGOING]
RAPID
ASSESSM
ENT
[1-2 WEEKS]
RAPID
ASSESSM
ENT
[1-2 WEEKS]
Country-developed prototypes with 100% internal funding; no funding to go further
Selected projects get second round of funding; projects sale as appropriate
Failed projects are shared pubicly
Successful projects get added funding for large scale release
Failed projects are shared publicly
Struggling projects continue without added funding
Innovation Fund
The UNICEF Innovation Fund has been modeled on venture investment
structures that can quickly assess, invest in, and scale innovations that work.
It offers staged financing to manage risks, globally rigorous yet regionally
sensitive evaluation and monitoring, and a portfolio-based approach to
UNICEF’s challenges, with technical assistance from the internationally
recognized UNICEF Innovation Unit.
unicefstories.org/model/innovationfund/
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0156/Quarmyne
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201315
Country Innovation Labsunicefinnovationlabs.org
Country Innovation Labs are physical spaces that bring together
academia, government, civil society and the private sector, as well as
young people. Labs are places to co-create sustainable, open-source
solutions for pressing challenges.
By using new technology and ideas in its programme work, UNICEF
reaches out to communities and the most vulnerable children and
families and creates solutions across borders.
unicefstories.org/model/innovationlab/
USER Benificiary, UN Staff
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF Innovation Unit
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201316
Education and Learning
Innovation in Learning
The Innovation in Learning model maps global innovations in learning
around five key areas: 1) access to learning opportunities; 2) quality of
materials; 3) experience working with teachers in new ways; 4) creating
and teaching skills for the 21st century; 5) using technology to refine
learning experiences.
unicefstories.org/model/innovationinlearning/
USER Frontline Provider
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF Innovation Unit
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201317
Education and Learning
Child-Friendly Technology Framework
Having a holistic and nuanced understanding of communities and
contexts where you work is critical to a successful programme. The
specific characteristics and needs of the community should inform the
project design and technology selection.
Child-Friendly Technology is a framework to inspire brainstorming
sessions with teams and communities and consider issues during the
development of effective interventions using technology.
unicefstories.org/model/childfriendlytechnology/
USER UN Staff, Government and Policy Makers
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Photo: UNICEF Innovation Unit
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201318
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
1000 Days Project / SUN Initiative
Innovation Fund
UNICEF Ventures: Scaling Social Innovations
Country Innovation Lab
Innovation in Learning
Child Friendly Technology
Sub-national Global
Overview of Models
ThematicallyBroad
ThematicallyFocused
CHW Backpack PLUS
National
Models for Accelerating Innovation
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201319
Innovative systems, tools and products address
the needs of the most vulnerable.
Initiatives
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201320
FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Health
Safe Pregnancy and Delivery, RapidSMS Rwandarapidsms.moh.gov.rw
The system helps CHWs track pregnancies, report on danger signs
during pregnancy, subscribe to emergency alerts to ensure that women
can access emergency obstetric care, and provides a real-time national
surveillance mechanism for maternal health.
Rwanda has deployed this system nationwide.
Health, HIV/AIDS
Patient Tracing and Results Delivery, Results160
Results160, used in the Mwana Initiative, has improved test result turn-
around time by over 50%. It delivers early infant diagnosis (HIV) results
to rural and under-served communities in Zambia and Malawi via text
messages rather than paper.
CHWs also register births and trace patients via SMS to ensure that they
receive key childhood interventions.
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
RapidSMSRapidSMS
Frontline ProviderFrontline Provider
Multi-countryNational
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
unicefstories.org/tool/safepregnancy/ unicefstories.org/tool/patienttracing/
Photo: UNICEF Innovation UnitPhoto: UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0356/Asselin
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201321
Health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition
Health Information and Reminders, RemindMi
RemindMi is a SMS reminder system to help CHWs follow up with
mothers and their infants.
CHWs register births over their phones and receive timed reminders to
follow up with mothers to ensure that they are getting essential health
services for their infants, such as HIV testing and immunization.
Nutrition
Nutrition Monitoring, Anthrowatch
Anthrowatch is being used for nutritional surveys and as an ongoing
nutritional monitoring tool in times of food insecurity.
The system provides feedback on the child’s status and tracks progress
over time; it then aggregates the data at a national level. It also addresses
issues of loss-to-follow-up by alerting staff to children who have missed
appointments.
RapidSMSRapidSMS
Frontline ProviderFrontline Provider
Multi-countryMulti-country
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
unicefstories.org/tool/healthreminder/ unicefstories.org/tool/nutritionmonitoring/
Photo: UNICEF Innovation UnitPhoto: UNICEF Innovation Unit
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201322
Child Protection
Making People Count by Counting People, SMS Birth Reporting
In Nigeria, every birth is reported using text messages and the data is
gathered at a national level. Since 2010, the system has been used to
track the registration of over 8 million births.
The Government of Nigeria use this real-time data to pinpoint teams that
are not performing and identify and solve important bottlenecks.
Health
Ensuring Supply of Essential Commodities, MTraccvs.rapidsms.org
MTrac is an SMS-based disease surveillance and medicine tracking
system. It provides real-time data for response while monitoring health
service delivery performance.
The initiative integrates governance and accountability through
citizen feedback, an anonymous hotline and public dialogue sessions.
UNICEF Uganda and the Ministry of Health are currently rolling this out
nationwide (2012-2014).
RapidSMSRapidSMS
Frontline ProviderFrontline Provider
National National
FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
unicefstories.org/tool/smsbirthreporting/ unicefstories.org/tool/mtrac/
Photo: www.cvs.rapidsms.orgPhoto: UNICEF/NYHQ1993-0407/LeMoyne
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201323
Health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, WASH, Education & Learning, Child Protection
Monitoring and Visualizing Status of Public Services, DevTracdevtrac.ug
DevTrac is a tool for monitoring development investments made in a
country.
An online map makes national data and real-time information on
development projects available for analysis, accountability and advocacy.
It is currently being used nationwide in Uganda.
Education and Learning
School Monitoring System, EduTracedutrac.blogspot.com
EduTrac is a mobile-phone based data-collection system that helps
the Ministry of Education and Sports collect real time data including
attendance, enrollment, etc.
EduTrac helps districts improve their education planning and provides
better and more timely supervision to schools based on system reports.
It is being rolled out nationwide in Uganda.
RapidSMSRapidSMS
Frontline ProviderFrontline Provider
Sub-national National
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
Systems and Tools
unicefstories.org/tool/devtrac/ unicefstories.org/tool/edutrac/
Photo: UNICEF/BANA2013-00714/KhanPhoto: www.devtrac.ug
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201324
RapidSMSRapidSMS
Benificiary, Government and Policy Makers Frontline Provider
Multi-countryMulti-country
Social Inclusion
Connecting Young People to Government, uReportureport.ug
uReport is an SMS based system that creates dialogue and an essential
link from young people directly to the Government and media. As of
June 2013, there were 210,000 young Ugandans who receive weekly polls
to their phones on community services and relevant issues, and in return
receive results and useful facts for action.
UNICEF publishes results in newspapers, radio and television and
engages members of the parliament and other leaders in dialogue
through media.
Emergency
Applications for Family Tracing and Reunification, RapidFTRrapidftr.com
RapidFTR helps humanitarian workers in emergencies quickly collect
vital information about children who have been separated from their
caregivers, and share it securely with people who can get them help and
find their families.
This open source set of APIs was one of the first projects fully developed
within UNICEF Innovation. It started as a student project in the NYU/ITP
Design For UNICEF class.
FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
unicefstories.org/tool/ureport/ unicefstories.org/tool/rapidftr/
Photo: UNICEF Innovation UnitPhoto: www.ureport.ug
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201325
Emergency
Emergency Response Simulation Game
The Emergency Response Simulation Game balances realistic immersion
and game-like experience to illustrate the challenges of humanitarian
relief work.
The open-source, two-hour simulation is aimed at increasing awareness
and developing empathy around emergency humanitarian relief efforts.
UN Staff
Prototype
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
unicefstories.org/tool/emergencysimulationgame/
Photo: UNICEF Innovation Unit
Education and Learning
Design for UNICEF Curriculum
Each year, students take on a particular challenge area, in a particular
geography, and work closely with end-users in UNICEF Country Offices
to develop relevant solutions.
This class has resulted in products like the water canary and RapidFTR
which have gone on to win awards and go to national scale. This
curriculum has been taught for five semesters at NYU’s Interactive
Telecommunications Program (ITP), and used in varying forms at Aalto,
Art Center College of Design, CUNY, IIT Delhi, and Stanford.
Benificiary
Multi-country
unicefstories.org/tool/designforunicef/
Photo: UNICEF Innovation Unit
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201326
Education and Learning
Rugged Technology Kit
Over the years, the Innovation Unit has experimented with various
solutions to extend access to information and opportunities. Two historic
examples are the Digital Drum from 2002 and the Bee from 2008.
Currently, the Uganda Country Office is working on the Digital School in
a Box, a solar powered communication hub that can be used to provide
communications, education, connectivity and emergency support in
places lacking electricity, Internet, telephone, radio and other connections.
Benificiary
Prototype
USER
STAGE IN PROCESS
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
unicefstories.org/tool/ruggedtechkit/
Photo: UNICEF/UGDA2011-00100/Tylle
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201327
SMS Birth Reporting
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Systems and Tools
RapidFTR
uReport
Design for UNICEF Curriculum
DevTrac
Emergency Simulation Game
Rugged Technology Kit
EduTrac
MTrac
RapidSMSRwanda
RemindMI
Results160
Anthrowatch
Overview of Tools and Systems
Sub-national National Global
ThematicallyBroad
ThematicallyFocused
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201328
Innovation Unit research is both operational and
strategic, modeling for new solution spaces and
creating a 3 to 5 year portfolio of future options.
Initiatives
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Research
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201329
unicefstories.org/research/mhealth_tools
How can mHealth innovations be used as health system strengthening tools? 2013 / UNICEF, WHO, Johns Hopkins University and Frog Design
publish mHealth framework in Journal of Global Health: Science and
Practice provides a new framework that lays out 12 common mHealth
applications used as health systems strengthening innovations across
the continuum of care.
unicefstories.org/research/rtmmv/
How can UNICEF leverage real-time monitoring?2013 / Practices, contextualized country studies, and user-friendly
resource materials to inform real-time monitoring work across UNICEF
field offices.
unicefstories.org/research/fellows/
How do we engage mid-career professionals in UNICEF Innovation work?2013 / Research into the concept of an Innovation Fellow, an
entrepreneurial, flexible, self-starter from the private-sector who
collaborates directly with Country Offices.
unicefstories.org/research/hivtransmission/
How can we use mobile phones to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT) of HIV?2012 / Report on how mobile phones can change the way eMTCT health-
care is delivered in the most rural and underserved parts of the world
through real-time, two-way communication with communities.
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Research
Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ2006-2706/Noorani
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201330
unicefstories.org/research/openresearch/
How can we undertake Open Research?2012 / A template for conducting Open Research - research that has
“open and accessible content” where anyone can participate as an editor,
writer, or researcher.
unicefstories.org/research/psfk1/
What is the future of real-time information?2011 / Report identifying emergent key trends around the capture and
transmission of real-time information streams.
unicefstories.org/research/ccm/
How can mobile phones support Community Case Management?2011 / CHWs can use their phones to get information, ask for advice, re-
order life-saving drugs, and receive feedback from the formal health system.
unicefstories.org/research/chw/
How do Community Health Workers use mobile phones?2011 / Investigation, development and documentation of mobile tools
that support the needs of CHWs in resource constrained environments.
unicefstories.org/research/m4d/
How can UNICEF partner with mobile service providers? 2010 / Study identifying ways in which UNICEF and partners use mobile
technology and engage with mobile operators.
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Research
Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ2012-2178/Nesbitt
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201331
unicefstories.org/research/mmoney/
How can mobile financial services support development? 2010 / Assessment of opportunities to integrate mobile financial services
(sending and receiving money using mobile phones) into UNICEF’s work
in the areas of health, social protection, and finance and administration.
unicefstories.org/research/psfk2/
What is the future of health technology? 2010 / Emerging industry- and user-trends in health technology with inputs
on creative solutions and ideas from top creative agencies in New York.
unicefstories.org/research/teen_tech/
How do adolescent girls use technology in developing world?2010 / A chapter in “Adolescent Girls, Cornerstone of Society” (The New
School) on how adolescent girls interact with technology, with strategies
for collaborating and empowering them.
unicefstories.org/research/edutech/
How do you build an education technology project?2010 / Guide for UNICEF Country Offices to assist in the planning of
technology and education, and providing a framework of considerations
and processes for implementing programmes at scale. This fed into
development of the Child-Friendly Technology Framework Model, 2013.
unicefstories.org/research/m4c/
What are key trends in technology for children? 2009 / A chapter in the academic text “Mobile Technology for Children”
on how to create appropriate technology for, and with, young people,
exploring open-source licensing, co-creation, and user anthropology.
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS Research
Photo: UNICEF/INDA2013-00096/Singh
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201332
Partners bring different skills, viewpoints and networks around global challenges.
1. International Agencies and Organizations
2. Private Sector
3. Academia
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201333
International Agencies and Organizations
Partnerships allow us to bring different sets of
skills, viewpoints, and influence to focus on the
challenges facing women and children.
The Innovation Unit’s partnerships are
built around five key principles (pp. 6-7)
which ensure that innovations developed in
collaboration are in the public domain, focused
on end users, and created in a way that builds
local talent and capacity.
Partners:
FEMA
Global Pulse
UNDP
UN Foundation
UNFPA
USAID
WHO
World Bank
unicefstories.org/partners/international/
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201334
Private Sector
Private sector innovation and parastatal
partners have a keen interest in the Technology
for Development ecosystem.
Partners:
Frog Design Inc.
GE
Johnson and Johnson
MTN Nigeria
Thoughtworks
Uganda Telecom
unicefstories.org/partners/private/
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201335
City University of New YorkCUNY’s Design for UNICEF Challenge is
based on the user-centered design principles
developed in the NYU courses, but open
to CUNY’s 270,000 students, and aimed at
developing solutions to stop some of the main
killers of children under five.
Indian Institute of Technology, DelhiA short, one-week version of “Design for
UNICEF” was taught to IIT graduate students.
The university is also exploring plans to
develop a UNICEF Innovation Lab aimed at
exporting open-source solutions developed
locally.
Aalto UniversityAalto University has sent students to Uganda
to work in collaboration with Makerere
University and end users in the field. Aalto
students explore solutions for water, sanitation,
and other areas of UNICEF interest.
Art Center College of DesignWorking with the Art Center College of Design,
UNICEF has supported the Media Design
Matters Program to create an engagement
with students where they spend six weeks in a
Country Office. They work closely with UNICEF
staff and partners as well as with the end users
in the field.
Academia
Academic collaboration involves a wide range
of UNICEF staff working with students to
explore new ways of solving problems. These
collaborations have produced different ways of
thinking about key commodities and systems,
compelling research, and vibrant new staff
members.
unicefstories.org/partners/academia/
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201336
Academia
PRINCIPLES . INITIATIVES . PARTNERS
Makerere UniversityMakerere University‘s ongoing relationship
with UNICEF Uganda supports joint events such
as the RapidSMS / FrontlineSMS Learning Fair
and the World Bank Institute sponsored WASH
Code Jam.
New York UniversityUNICEF staff co-developed and co-teach the
Design for UNICEF class at NYU’s Interactive
Telecommunications Program. A number of
projects, including RapidFTR, have come out of
this class.
Singularity UniversityUNICEF and Singularity will be working
together to engage graduate students around
issues of global impact, and then situating
dynamic problem-solvers in the UNICEF
Innovation Lab network in the field.
Stanford UniversityStanford University’s Mechanical Engineering
310 course has been focused on innovations
in child survival – particularly looking at
Community Health Workers and delivery of
services at the last mile. A group of students
from Stanford traveled to Nigeria and worked
with the Country Office to test their prototype
in the field with end users.
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201337
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201338
RapidSMS - a system that uses basic mobile phones and SMS messages to improve the speed and quality of data collection - was awarded Gold and Silver IDSA Awards.
The Digital Drum was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the Top 50 inventions of 2011.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) eHealth Award, has recognized the Ministry of Health of Uganda for its MTrac initiative, describing it as one of the top ten eHealth projects of 2013.
UNICEF Innovation Labs won a Redhat Prize for being one of the world’s top four open-source projects.
Awards and Recognition
Core 77 Design Awards, student runner-up Elephant-Tap is a hard-wearing, theft deterrent water tap developed by Aalto University and UNICEF Finland. It has been designed for schools in developing countries.
UNICEF Emergency Response Simulation Game received the professional notable recognition at the Core 77 Design Awards. It balances realistic immersion and game-like experience to illustrate the challenges of humanitarian relief work.
In recognition of the innovative and ground-breaking work being done by many the UNICEF’s Country Offices, and the ability of UNICEF to scale successful, open-source projects, Christopher Fabian and Erica Kochi were awarded TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013.
With an introduction by Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter, TIME highlighted RapidSMS and real time information for action.
UNICEF INNOVATION UNIT ANNUAL REPORT 07.2012-07.201339
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