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Seldom Asked Questions

What is an Open Innovation Initiative?

An Open Innovation Initiative (OII) is a self-organized and collaborative endeavor into building a digital solution that could become valuable to FRI's projects. OIIs are modeled after the idea of open technology ecosystems. An OII is not directly tied to any FRI project and therefore developed (primarily) outside the realm of regular FRI activities, using external resources. OIIs are based on two key principles – namely those of:

• inclusiveness, and
• openness.

As a concept, the OII is also an attempt to answer the question "What is the long-term sustainability plan for innovations coming out of the Hangar?"

What is the meaning of openness here?

To be more open in this context means:

• To practice co-creation and involve the wider community in the design and production stages of the solution.
• To aim for a high degree of collective ownership.

Who is creating an OII?

OIIs are developed under the loose supervision of the Hangar team. People who contribute to an OII may be FRI employees, volunteers, members of the Hangar team, or anyone interested and willing to contribute (on a voluntary basis). Companies and other organizations who could benefit from, and share the interests of the project are encouraged to participate.

What can become an OII?

OIIs should work towards the goals of FRI and align with some broader, long-term digital development goals shared by organizations in the ICT4D community, namely to:

• Bridge the digital divide (the disparity between technological "have" and "have not" geographic locations or demographic groups); and
• Aid economic development by ensuring equitable access to communications technologies.

A good OII is one that leads to digital tools and services that:

• Are affordable;
• Meet high standards of quality;
• Maintain low barriers to access; and
• Reach and address the needs of a large number of people.

What is the role of Uliza in this?

Uliza is FRI's suite of interactive radio services. The Uliza services are not tied to any specific implementation, and an OII may fill the gap where a suitable technology solution does not already exist. A successful OII can thus eventually serve as one of the technologies that implement an Uliza service.

Is there an example of an OII?

Yes. I have started:

1. The Open Survey Engine project. Join me and the rest of the Hangar team in creating a modular and open architecture for interactive radio campaigns. The Open Survey Engine could one day power the Uliza Polls. See this campaign web page.
2. These Living Dashboards may become useful for real-time visualization of campaign results.