Tech Review

Tech Reviews are a synthesis of people’s experience during the field test. The review has several functions. But, its primary purpose is to help you collectively decide if it’s ready for use among your network and what might be required for uptake. The objective of the Tech Review is to help the focus group participants reflect on their experience with the tech and genuinely consider if it makes it in the bag. For this activity you will write a collective review of the tech.

Desired Outcomes:

• Understanding of if the tech is viable and for whom

• Understanding of what must change if the solution is relevant, but not viable

• Insight into how the tech can further adapt or be enhanced for your local context

Tech Review Template

The tech review template is an outline of information to include in your review of the technology solution.

To Write:

Based on the group discussion, come to a consensus on the following variables. These are in place to help guide you in delineating why or why not a technology solution may be viable in your local context.

• Function: Does it work? Based on the rating and descriptions in the form, you will be able to spot and document performance or usability issues that created problems.

  • Bonus: Report bugs to open source projects

• Bottom Line/TLDR: Does the tech satisfy a basic need? What must be present for it to be viable for audiences in this local context? Based on the group’s experiential knowledge of the local context and time with the tech, write a short narrative describing what the technology must have. If it satisfies a baseline need already, describe why. Below is a sample:

  • There are mixed opinions about the usefulness of SWOB in Southern African countries in its current state. Some rated it not relevant because it didn’t work. Some said it would be useful if it supported 2-way communication. Others can see the potential for use among specific stakeholders if the current issues are resolved. For SWOB to be viable in this local context, it must:

    • Be compatible with (ie. send messages through) relevant platforms including WhatsApp and Signal. WhatsApp being the most important.

    • Have 2-way communication or at least indicate that the message has been sent.

    • Be easier to set up

• Immediate Audience: Who can the tech empower right now? Call the person to mind. Who is this person? What are they doing? And what specific part of what they are doing can the tech help them with? When or in which situation would they be using it? Why?

  • After you’ve defined what the basic tech enables this person to do, discuss how it could be enhanced to meet the need or situation (condition) of this person?

• Potential Audience: Identify which stakeholders you would want to empower and for what particular reason.

  • For example: “It could be useful for a health worker to send info to partners and others to respond to an urgency that may be happening to a particular community when there’s no network coverage.”

  • Once you’ve identified who and for what purpose, explore which features or capabilities would be required to reach this audience.

• Safety & Risk Tolerance: Can it be used without breaking the law? Which questions do you have about data privacy?

To Rate

The factors you rate the tech on should be tailored to you. If you haven’t already, use the values exercise to determine which factors to use for your context. Below is an example of the factors used in the Southern African context:

• Easy to Grasp: When learning about it for the first time, it's easy to see how and why to use it.

• Easy to Set Up: I can get set up within minimal, understandable steps. After setting up, I can explain what I just did.

• Easy to Teach: It's easy to explain to someone else and to help them get set up.

• No Cost Barriers for Safety Features: Security and safety features are not exclusive to Pro versions of the app.

• Accessible to Non-Reading Audiences: Non-reading individuals can understand and navigate the tool. This is important for broad adoption among the general public.

Share the Tech Review within your organization and with the open source team. For the tech team, there’s value in understanding the values and needs of the people using what they build.