Skip to main content

David Salomão

University of Lugano, NewMine Lab, Phd

Followers

101

Following

66

Co-authors

11

Public Views

Cumbula Salomão David or “just” David, is a Mozambican friendly, enthusiastic, optimistic and easy going person who does like to learn.
He lived 5 years in India where he acquired is Bachelor Degree and Master’s Degree in Computer Science and Information Technology at Osmania University.
He worked at University Eduardo Mondlane as Software Analyst and Database Administrator.
He does try to pass on to his community what he learned, and believes a friendly word can make difference.
Currently he is a junior researcher at the NewMinE Lab where he is involved in the RE-ACT project.
His research interests includes: New media technology, Digital Literacy, Information Technology in rural area, eLearning, Intercultural Communication, development and health communication and mass communication .

less

Lorenzo Cantoni

Universita' della Svizzera Italiana

The University of Sheffield

University of Fribourg

Salomao Cumbula

Amalia Sãbiescu

Loughborough University in London

Caitlin Bentley

Royal Holloway, University of London

InterestsView All (7)

Uploads

Papers by David Salomão

Exploring and Experimenting Cooperative Design

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2015

This paper describes a community co-design approach performed in rural Mozambique. It discusses t... more This paper describes a community co-design approach performed in rural Mozambique. It discusses the experiences and experiments performed in a community multimedia center towards creating services with inherent values for daily community activities. The design approach pursues a holistic interpretation of community needs, and discusses emerging, new and creative applications for future community binding.

From Exploration to Design: Aligning Intentionality in Community Informatics Projects

J. Community Informatics, 2015

This article focuses on a particular aspect of research and design processes in community-based p... more This article focuses on a particular aspect of research and design processes in community-based projects: the transition from exploratory stages, concerned with knowledge production, to design stages, in which goals for action-taking are formulated and desired directions for change are envisioned. This paper offers a reflection about the methodological processes that underpin this transition, in response to the questions : How are design goals formulated in community informatics interventions that rely on data-intensive exploratory methodologies, and what factors and dynamics shape them? Guided by these questions, we shed light on various issues related to this transition by recounting and analysing cases taken from field experiences within three different community projects in Syria, Brazil and Mozambique. The article proposes that the transition is associated with shifts in intentionality, which are elusive and hard to grasp, particularly in participatory approaches. Three analyti...

Natural-Language Neutrality in Programming Languages: Bridging the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2016

This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the... more This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the Software Engineering field using their individual native languages. Natural-Language Neutrality (NLN) aims to bridge the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering by providing tools and methodologies to allow speakers of different Natural Languages to learn, practice and collaborate in an environment that is Natural-Language agnostic.

Social Representations of Multimedia Community Centers (CMC) in Mozambique

ABSTRACT This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Center... more ABSTRACT This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) in Mozambique, aimed at understanding different perspectives on them by Staff members and Users. By applying the Social Representations theory, social meanings attached to the CMC, and its individual components (Telecentre and Community Radio) have been investigated, unveiling that only a few of them are shared within or among individual stakeholders&amp;#39; groups. Such analysis has been done through personal semi-structured interviews, and further supported and expanded thanks to photo-elicited interviews, which enable researchers to &amp;quot;see&amp;quot; elements otherwise not accessible to them. The presented research is of interest not only for its theoretical value, but also for the contribution it provides to CMC managers and policy makers, as well as to the ICT4D methodologies&amp;#39; toolbox.

Methodologies for sense-making in community-based research

Community-based research can generate high amounts of data. Data elicitation typically involves s... more Community-based research can generate high amounts of data. Data elicitation typically involves settings where what is shared by participants far surpasses what can be represented and stored. A common distinction is made, in this process, between knowledge, information, and data. Knowledge is thought to be alive, embedded in social practices, and produced in collaborative settings. Information is a set of representations of prior episodes of knowledge production (Christie, 2004). In social science research, "data" refers to information gathered to understand phenomena in a certain context (Leech and Onwuegbuzie, 2008). Ideally, for research conducted in community settings to adequately grasp participants' meanings and understandings, the information gathered should maintain some fragrance of the context in which knowledge was firstly shared. In the process that converts knowledge to the information used for research and design purposes, some of this fragrance is inevitably lost. Additionally, data generation methods are never neutral, and due attention should be given to choosing relevant instruments to genuinely search for surfacing community understandings and meanings. This panel engages with these issues, focusing on methodologies for community-based research that share a concern for understanding community views and visions. Three data gathering methods are explored, and examples are given of their application within three international research projects in Syria, Mozambique, and South Africa. The comparison and discussion over these cases aims to examine the impact of methodological choices on the outcomes of community-based research, clarifying implications for two complementary, yet distinctive, purposes: 1) generating genuine community meanings and understandings; and 2) informing design of relevant community information systems and communication artefacts.

Co-design information and communication technologies

From learning to designing action: Uncovering obscure processes in participatory community-based research

ABSTRACT Participatory design and research frameworks in community informatics seek to condense e... more ABSTRACT Participatory design and research frameworks in community informatics seek to condense experiences taken from accumulating practice in field work to describe and theorize processes for data generation, analysis, and stakeholder involvement in the design of programmes, activities or technology. This paper focuses on a particular aspect of participatory research and design processes in community-based projects: the transition from an analytical stage, characterised by observation, reflection and knowledge construction, towards designing action. Despite the wealth of conceptual and methodological literature on participatory research and design with communities, we gathered upon noticing that the topic of transitioning from exploration to designing action in community-based participatory research is relatively obscure, and merits more reflection and discussion. The paper offers a view into the processes that underpin this transition, in response to the questions: How is community-generated knowledge infused in design? What are the processes that unfold during this transition, and what roles do various stakeholders play? What are the key enabling factors and what challenges are associated with these processes? Guided by these questions, we shed light on various issues related to this transition by recounting cases taken from field experiences within different community projects in Syria, Brazil and Mozambique. By reflecting on these cases, we highlight how designed actions came into being, the roles of various stakeholders in making design choices, how constructed knowledge informed those actions, and the compromises that had to be balanced.

Natural-Language Neutrality in Programming Languages: Bridging the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering

by Ivan Ruby and David Salomão

This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the... more This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the Software Engineering field using their individual native languages. Natural-Language Neutrality (NLN) aims to bridge the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering by providing tools and methodologies to allow speakers of different Natural Languages to learn, practice and collaborate in an environment that is Natural-Language agnostic.
A Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering is constituted by the differences in the knowledge assimilation capability, between native English-speakers and ELLs, due to the English-language barrier.
NLN intends to provide standardized methods to enable already-existing and new Programming Languages to be accessible to learners in their Natural-language context. The tools created to achieve this purpose, Glotter, Glotation and the Collaborative Model, are described.

Centros Multimédia Comunitários em Moçambique: um mapa

by Sara Vannini, David Salomão, and Salomao Cumbula

Emerging spaces in community-based participatory design: reflections from two case studies.

by Lorenzo Cantoni, David Salomão, and Izak Van Zyl

In Proceedings of the 13th Participatory Design Conference: Research Papers-Volume 1, 2014

This paper engages with issues of universality and locality in the context of community-based par... more This paper engages with issues of universality and locality in the context of community-based participatory design (PD), and focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with incorporating local views and forms of participation in the design process. The notion of 'designing for participation' is advanced as a quintessential perspective for approaches in which design practices are re-configured from a community-centric standpoint. Building on insights from PD and community development studies, as well as on empirical evidence from two community design studies, we argue that designing for participation appears to be located in a space between the designer's and local views of participation, which are at times both ambiguous and conflicting. To overcome these tensions, we argue for the importance of engaging critically and reflectively with PD in community contexts, and in this process capitalising on disciplinary dialogues that can expand the viewpoint from which PD projects are negotiated and evaluated.

Co-design with Communities. A Reflection on the Literature.

by Lorenzo Cantoni and David Salomão

Proceedings of the 7th International Development Informatics Association (IDIA). Conference: Public and private access to ICTs in developing regions., 2013

This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicabili... more This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicability in the field of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD). Texts dated from 2002 to 2013 have been surveyed, covering both subjects: "codesign" and "development". Based on their disciplinary orientation, three clusters were identified: (1) information and communication for development, with a focus on developmental goals; (2) information systems, with a concern for technology design; and (3) social design, in which social issues are prioritized. The analysis reverted on the identification and discussion of the themes emphasized in the literature as the most important aspects for linking co-design activities with development. Five themes emerged from the analysis: stakeholders, context, ownership, social learning, and sustainability. The paper defines each theme and shows how it has been approached differently in the three clusters of related literature. This review is meant to inform future co-design studies in community settings, by providing a map of the most important research issues in this field coupled with considerations on how different disciplinary orientations -developmental, information systems, and social sciences -are likely to inform different approaches in dealing with these issues.

Commitment, Proctivity and Trust: Ingredients for Successful Cooperation in Community Development Actions.

by David Salomão, Sara Vannini, Amalia Sãbiescu, Lorenzo Cantoni, Salomao Cumbula, and Salomão David

Proceedings of CIRN 2013 Community Informatics Conference: Community Archives meets Community Informatics., 2013

This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research a... more This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research and development project RE-ACT (Social REpresentations of Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique and ACTions for Improvement) on Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in Mozambique. The project sets out to study the perceptions about CMCs held by different social groups and consequently to assist local stakeholders in the design of small projects for improving the performance of CMCs. The paper focuses on the second part of the project, in which nine CMCs with a representative coverage of Mozambican regions were involved in the co-design of development actions for the provision of new services with inherent relevance for the communities. Actions were designed through the cooperation of the CMC directors and staff, the affiliated communities, and the RE-ACT team. The implementation was entirely managed by the CMC staff, with remote assistance from the RE-ACT team. The nine cases had different rates of success, ranging from successful ones to failure in achieving the objectives set. The paper focuses on one of the most successful cases, involving a CMC located in Quelimane, which provided ICT training addressing particularly underprivileged youth. Through the project, 79 youth were trained over one year in using ICTs and managing radio programs. The paper offers an analysis of this case and outlines the most important factors underpinning its successful implementation.

Co-designed Improvement Actions in Mozambican Community Multimedia Centres.

by Salomão David, Lorenzo Cantoni, Sara Vannini, and David Salomão

In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Social implications of Computers in Developing Countries., 2013

Social Representations of Multimedia Community Centers (CMC) in Mozambique.

by Salomao Cumbula, Lorenzo Cantoni, David Salomão, Gertrudes Macueve, Alexandre Baía, and Sara Vannini

Revista de Ciências Socias e Humanas, 23(3), 2014

This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) i... more This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) in Mozambique, aimed at understanding different perspectives on them by Staff members and Users. By applying the Social Representations theory, social meanings attached to the CMC, and its individual components (Telecentre and Community Radio) have been investigated, unveiling that only a few of them are shared within or among individual stakeholders' groups. Such analysis has been done through personal semi-structured interviews, and further supported and expanded thanks to photo-elicited interviews, which enable researchers to "see" elements otherwise not accessible to them. The presented research is of interest not only for its theoretical value, but also for the contribution it provides to CMC managers and policy makers, as well as to the ICT4D methodologies' toolbox.

Centros Multimédia Comunitários em Moçambique: um mapa

A longo do relatório os preços são expressados em Meticais (Mzn). 1 Mzn corresponde a 0.037 USD o... more

Co-desining information and communication technologies applying community of practices contextualization for social groups in Mozambique

Co-design with communities. A reflection on the literature

This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicabili... more This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicability in the field of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD). Texts dated from 2002 to 2013 have been surveyed, covering both subjects: "codesign" and "development". Based on their disciplinary orientation, three clusters were identified: (1) information and communication for development, with a focus on developmental goals; (2) information systems, with a concern for technology design; and (3) social design, in which social issues are prioritized. The analysis reverted on the identification and discussion of the themes emphasized in the literature as the most important aspects for linking co-design activities with development. Five themes emerged from the analysis: stakeholders, context, ownership, social learning, and sustainability. The paper defines each theme and shows how it has been approached differently in the three clusters of related literature. This review is meant to inform future co-design studies in community settings, by providing a map of the most important research issues in this field coupled with considerations on how different disciplinary orientations -developmental, information systems, and social sciences -are likely to inform different approaches in dealing with these issues.

Commitment, Proactivity and Trust: Ingredients for Successful Cooperation in Community Development Actions

This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research a... more This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research and development project RE-ACT (Social REpresentations of Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique and ACTions for Improvement) on Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in Mozambique. The project sets out to study the perceptions about CMCs held by different social groups and consequently to assist local stakeholders in the design of small projects for improving the performance of CMCs. The paper focuses on the second part of the project, in which nine CMCs with a representative coverage of Mozambican regions were involved in the co-design of development actions for the provision of new services with inherent relevance for the communities. Actions were designed through the cooperation of the CMC directors and staff, the affiliated communities, and the RE-ACT team. The implementation was entirely managed by the CMC staff, with remote assistance from the RE-ACT team. The nine cases had different rates of success, ranging from successful ones to failure in achieving the objectives set. The paper focuses on one of the most successful cases, involving a CMC located in Quelimane, which provided ICT training addressing particularly underprivileged youth. Through the project, 79 youth were trained over one year in using ICTs and managing radio programs. The paper offers an analysis of this case and outlines the most important factors underpinning its successful implementation.

Co-designed improvement actions in Mozambican Community Multimedia Centres

by David Salomão and I. Rega

Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique: a Map

by David Salomão and Lorenzo Cantoni

Exploring and Experimenting Cooperative Design

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2015

This paper describes a community co-design approach performed in rural Mozambique. It discusses t... more This paper describes a community co-design approach performed in rural Mozambique. It discusses the experiences and experiments performed in a community multimedia center towards creating services with inherent values for daily community activities. The design approach pursues a holistic interpretation of community needs, and discusses emerging, new and creative applications for future community binding.

From Exploration to Design: Aligning Intentionality in Community Informatics Projects

J. Community Informatics, 2015

This article focuses on a particular aspect of research and design processes in community-based p... more This article focuses on a particular aspect of research and design processes in community-based projects: the transition from exploratory stages, concerned with knowledge production, to design stages, in which goals for action-taking are formulated and desired directions for change are envisioned. This paper offers a reflection about the methodological processes that underpin this transition, in response to the questions : How are design goals formulated in community informatics interventions that rely on data-intensive exploratory methodologies, and what factors and dynamics shape them? Guided by these questions, we shed light on various issues related to this transition by recounting and analysing cases taken from field experiences within three different community projects in Syria, Brazil and Mozambique. The article proposes that the transition is associated with shifts in intentionality, which are elusive and hard to grasp, particularly in participatory approaches. Three analyti...

Natural-Language Neutrality in Programming Languages: Bridging the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2016

This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the... more This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the Software Engineering field using their individual native languages. Natural-Language Neutrality (NLN) aims to bridge the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering by providing tools and methodologies to allow speakers of different Natural Languages to learn, practice and collaborate in an environment that is Natural-Language agnostic.

Social Representations of Multimedia Community Centers (CMC) in Mozambique

ABSTRACT This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Center... more ABSTRACT This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) in Mozambique, aimed at understanding different perspectives on them by Staff members and Users. By applying the Social Representations theory, social meanings attached to the CMC, and its individual components (Telecentre and Community Radio) have been investigated, unveiling that only a few of them are shared within or among individual stakeholders&amp;#39; groups. Such analysis has been done through personal semi-structured interviews, and further supported and expanded thanks to photo-elicited interviews, which enable researchers to &amp;quot;see&amp;quot; elements otherwise not accessible to them. The presented research is of interest not only for its theoretical value, but also for the contribution it provides to CMC managers and policy makers, as well as to the ICT4D methodologies&amp;#39; toolbox.

Methodologies for sense-making in community-based research

Community-based research can generate high amounts of data. Data elicitation typically involves s... more Community-based research can generate high amounts of data. Data elicitation typically involves settings where what is shared by participants far surpasses what can be represented and stored. A common distinction is made, in this process, between knowledge, information, and data. Knowledge is thought to be alive, embedded in social practices, and produced in collaborative settings. Information is a set of representations of prior episodes of knowledge production (Christie, 2004). In social science research, "data" refers to information gathered to understand phenomena in a certain context (Leech and Onwuegbuzie, 2008). Ideally, for research conducted in community settings to adequately grasp participants' meanings and understandings, the information gathered should maintain some fragrance of the context in which knowledge was firstly shared. In the process that converts knowledge to the information used for research and design purposes, some of this fragrance is inevitably lost. Additionally, data generation methods are never neutral, and due attention should be given to choosing relevant instruments to genuinely search for surfacing community understandings and meanings. This panel engages with these issues, focusing on methodologies for community-based research that share a concern for understanding community views and visions. Three data gathering methods are explored, and examples are given of their application within three international research projects in Syria, Mozambique, and South Africa. The comparison and discussion over these cases aims to examine the impact of methodological choices on the outcomes of community-based research, clarifying implications for two complementary, yet distinctive, purposes: 1) generating genuine community meanings and understandings; and 2) informing design of relevant community information systems and communication artefacts.

Co-design information and communication technologies

From learning to designing action: Uncovering obscure processes in participatory community-based research

ABSTRACT Participatory design and research frameworks in community informatics seek to condense e... more ABSTRACT Participatory design and research frameworks in community informatics seek to condense experiences taken from accumulating practice in field work to describe and theorize processes for data generation, analysis, and stakeholder involvement in the design of programmes, activities or technology. This paper focuses on a particular aspect of participatory research and design processes in community-based projects: the transition from an analytical stage, characterised by observation, reflection and knowledge construction, towards designing action. Despite the wealth of conceptual and methodological literature on participatory research and design with communities, we gathered upon noticing that the topic of transitioning from exploration to designing action in community-based participatory research is relatively obscure, and merits more reflection and discussion. The paper offers a view into the processes that underpin this transition, in response to the questions: How is community-generated knowledge infused in design? What are the processes that unfold during this transition, and what roles do various stakeholders play? What are the key enabling factors and what challenges are associated with these processes? Guided by these questions, we shed light on various issues related to this transition by recounting cases taken from field experiences within different community projects in Syria, Brazil and Mozambique. By reflecting on these cases, we highlight how designed actions came into being, the roles of various stakeholders in making design choices, how constructed knowledge informed those actions, and the compromises that had to be balanced.

Natural-Language Neutrality in Programming Languages: Bridging the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering

by Ivan Ruby and David Salomão

This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the... more This paper introduces an approach to allow English Language Learners (ELLs) to collaborate in the Software Engineering field using their individual native languages. Natural-Language Neutrality (NLN) aims to bridge the Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering by providing tools and methodologies to allow speakers of different Natural Languages to learn, practice and collaborate in an environment that is Natural-Language agnostic.
A Knowledge Divide in Software Engineering is constituted by the differences in the knowledge assimilation capability, between native English-speakers and ELLs, due to the English-language barrier.
NLN intends to provide standardized methods to enable already-existing and new Programming Languages to be accessible to learners in their Natural-language context. The tools created to achieve this purpose, Glotter, Glotation and the Collaborative Model, are described.

Centros Multimédia Comunitários em Moçambique: um mapa

by Sara Vannini, David Salomão, and Salomao Cumbula

Emerging spaces in community-based participatory design: reflections from two case studies.

by Lorenzo Cantoni, David Salomão, and Izak Van Zyl

In Proceedings of the 13th Participatory Design Conference: Research Papers-Volume 1, 2014

This paper engages with issues of universality and locality in the context of community-based par... more This paper engages with issues of universality and locality in the context of community-based participatory design (PD), and focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with incorporating local views and forms of participation in the design process. The notion of 'designing for participation' is advanced as a quintessential perspective for approaches in which design practices are re-configured from a community-centric standpoint. Building on insights from PD and community development studies, as well as on empirical evidence from two community design studies, we argue that designing for participation appears to be located in a space between the designer's and local views of participation, which are at times both ambiguous and conflicting. To overcome these tensions, we argue for the importance of engaging critically and reflectively with PD in community contexts, and in this process capitalising on disciplinary dialogues that can expand the viewpoint from which PD projects are negotiated and evaluated.

Co-design with Communities. A Reflection on the Literature.

by Lorenzo Cantoni and David Salomão

Proceedings of the 7th International Development Informatics Association (IDIA). Conference: Public and private access to ICTs in developing regions., 2013

This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicabili... more This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicability in the field of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD). Texts dated from 2002 to 2013 have been surveyed, covering both subjects: "codesign" and "development". Based on their disciplinary orientation, three clusters were identified: (1) information and communication for development, with a focus on developmental goals; (2) information systems, with a concern for technology design; and (3) social design, in which social issues are prioritized. The analysis reverted on the identification and discussion of the themes emphasized in the literature as the most important aspects for linking co-design activities with development. Five themes emerged from the analysis: stakeholders, context, ownership, social learning, and sustainability. The paper defines each theme and shows how it has been approached differently in the three clusters of related literature. This review is meant to inform future co-design studies in community settings, by providing a map of the most important research issues in this field coupled with considerations on how different disciplinary orientations -developmental, information systems, and social sciences -are likely to inform different approaches in dealing with these issues.

Commitment, Proctivity and Trust: Ingredients for Successful Cooperation in Community Development Actions.

by David Salomão, Sara Vannini, Amalia Sãbiescu, Lorenzo Cantoni, Salomao Cumbula, and Salomão David

Proceedings of CIRN 2013 Community Informatics Conference: Community Archives meets Community Informatics., 2013

This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research a... more This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research and development project RE-ACT (Social REpresentations of Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique and ACTions for Improvement) on Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in Mozambique. The project sets out to study the perceptions about CMCs held by different social groups and consequently to assist local stakeholders in the design of small projects for improving the performance of CMCs. The paper focuses on the second part of the project, in which nine CMCs with a representative coverage of Mozambican regions were involved in the co-design of development actions for the provision of new services with inherent relevance for the communities. Actions were designed through the cooperation of the CMC directors and staff, the affiliated communities, and the RE-ACT team. The implementation was entirely managed by the CMC staff, with remote assistance from the RE-ACT team. The nine cases had different rates of success, ranging from successful ones to failure in achieving the objectives set. The paper focuses on one of the most successful cases, involving a CMC located in Quelimane, which provided ICT training addressing particularly underprivileged youth. Through the project, 79 youth were trained over one year in using ICTs and managing radio programs. The paper offers an analysis of this case and outlines the most important factors underpinning its successful implementation.

Co-designed Improvement Actions in Mozambican Community Multimedia Centres.

by Salomão David, Lorenzo Cantoni, Sara Vannini, and David Salomão

In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Social implications of Computers in Developing Countries., 2013

Social Representations of Multimedia Community Centers (CMC) in Mozambique.

by Salomao Cumbula, Lorenzo Cantoni, David Salomão, Gertrudes Macueve, Alexandre Baía, and Sara Vannini

Revista de Ciências Socias e Humanas, 23(3), 2014

This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) i... more This article presents an extensive research conducted on ten Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) in Mozambique, aimed at understanding different perspectives on them by Staff members and Users. By applying the Social Representations theory, social meanings attached to the CMC, and its individual components (Telecentre and Community Radio) have been investigated, unveiling that only a few of them are shared within or among individual stakeholders' groups. Such analysis has been done through personal semi-structured interviews, and further supported and expanded thanks to photo-elicited interviews, which enable researchers to "see" elements otherwise not accessible to them. The presented research is of interest not only for its theoretical value, but also for the contribution it provides to CMC managers and policy makers, as well as to the ICT4D methodologies' toolbox.

Centros Multimédia Comunitários em Moçambique: um mapa

A longo do relatório os preços são expressados em Meticais (Mzn). 1 Mzn corresponde a 0.037 USD o... more

Co-desining information and communication technologies applying community of practices contextualization for social groups in Mozambique

Co-design with communities. A reflection on the literature

This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicabili... more This paper reviews the literature focused on co-design with communities, studying its applicability in the field of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD). Texts dated from 2002 to 2013 have been surveyed, covering both subjects: "codesign" and "development". Based on their disciplinary orientation, three clusters were identified: (1) information and communication for development, with a focus on developmental goals; (2) information systems, with a concern for technology design; and (3) social design, in which social issues are prioritized. The analysis reverted on the identification and discussion of the themes emphasized in the literature as the most important aspects for linking co-design activities with development. Five themes emerged from the analysis: stakeholders, context, ownership, social learning, and sustainability. The paper defines each theme and shows how it has been approached differently in the three clusters of related literature. This review is meant to inform future co-design studies in community settings, by providing a map of the most important research issues in this field coupled with considerations on how different disciplinary orientations -developmental, information systems, and social sciences -are likely to inform different approaches in dealing with these issues.

Commitment, Proactivity and Trust: Ingredients for Successful Cooperation in Community Development Actions

This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research a... more This paper outlines an analysis of an action research initiative undertaken within the research and development project RE-ACT (Social REpresentations of Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique and ACTions for Improvement) on Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in Mozambique. The project sets out to study the perceptions about CMCs held by different social groups and consequently to assist local stakeholders in the design of small projects for improving the performance of CMCs. The paper focuses on the second part of the project, in which nine CMCs with a representative coverage of Mozambican regions were involved in the co-design of development actions for the provision of new services with inherent relevance for the communities. Actions were designed through the cooperation of the CMC directors and staff, the affiliated communities, and the RE-ACT team. The implementation was entirely managed by the CMC staff, with remote assistance from the RE-ACT team. The nine cases had different rates of success, ranging from successful ones to failure in achieving the objectives set. The paper focuses on one of the most successful cases, involving a CMC located in Quelimane, which provided ICT training addressing particularly underprivileged youth. Through the project, 79 youth were trained over one year in using ICTs and managing radio programs. The paper offers an analysis of this case and outlines the most important factors underpinning its successful implementation.

Co-designed improvement actions in Mozambican Community Multimedia Centres

by David Salomão and I. Rega

Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique: a Map

by David Salomão and Lorenzo Cantoni

From Exploration to Design: Aligning Intentionality in Community Informatics Projects

by Ammar Halabi, Sara Vannini, Amalia Sãbiescu, and David Salomão

This article focuses on a particular aspect of research and design processes in community-based p... more This article focuses on a particular aspect of research and design processes in community-based projects: the transition from exploratory stages, concerned with knowledge production, to design stages, in which goals for action-taking are formulated and desired directions for change are envisioned. This paper offers a reflection about the methodological processes that underpin this transition, in response to the questions: How are design goals formulated in community informatics interventions that rely on data-intensive exploratory methodologies, and what factors and dynamics shape them? Guided by these questions, we shed light on various issues related to this transition by recounting and analysing cases taken from field experiences within three different community projects in Syria, Brazil and Mozambique. The article proposes that the transition is associated with shifts in intentionality, which are elusive and hard to grasp, particularly in participatory approaches. Three analytical categories are put forward to illuminate the dynamics of intentionality shifts along the continuum of transitioning from exploration to design. Reflections based on the empirical cases are contributed.