Designing Technology for Existing Infrastructure in the Developing World

Abstract

Technology can be built for the developing world using existing infrastructure. Mobile and web technologies have become sufficiently ubiquitous that they can serve as powerful platforms even in low-resource settings where connectivity is intermittent or unreliable. This growth has been rapid and driven by demand from both individuals and organizations. The projects in this dissertation demonstrate ways that such existing technological infrastructure can be harnessed to augment and enhance existing workflows. I present two tools that can be deployed on this infrastructure, describe a model for matching requirements with available technical expertise, and show that threat models in data collection projects in the developing world are not fundamentally different from those in resource-rich settings. Ultimately I conclude that settings in the developing world do not present a fundamentally new class of problems. Focusing on similarities leads to recognizing the merits of existing infrastructure, building tools that fit into existing workflows, and playing to strengths on the ground.