2013 think tank presentation on socio technical system design 03 compressed

Thoughts on Design of Complex Socio-Technical Systems

Think Tank on Citizen Engagement in Biomedical Research

Washington D.C., May 2013Olga Werby, Ed.D.Pipsqueak Productions, LLC

“This is not an information age,

itʼs an age of networked

intelligence, an age of vast promise.”

—Don Tapscott, Author and Professor, TedGlobal 2012

ICC  Forum.COM

4 Systems

Swahili for testimony

“Ushahidi uses a combination of citizen journalism, social activism, and geospatial

information towards increasing accountability.”

Geo-Temporal Crowd-Sourced Data Platform

World-wide Food Anthropology Project

Lowell High School ProjectSan Francisco

World-Wide Food Anthropology Project

Very successful:• for a small group of student data

collectors• and for a large group of first-time

Ushahidi users, learning to use the system

Less successful:• as a data collection site

World-wide Deployments of CrowdMaps

World-wide Deployments of CrowdMaps

Unfortunately, Vanuatu Hazard Map is a dead

map...

Unfortunately, Panther Project map is an empty map...

World-wide Deployments of CrowdMaps

Needed components for success:• team• training• trust• time• tenacity — Heather Leson, Ushahidi Director of Community Engagement

Geo-Temporal Crowd-Sourced Data Platform

The Company Therapist Project

The Company Therapist Project

Very successful:• for a small group of writers• and a large group of readers

The Company Therapist Project

Human Rights & International Criminal Law

Oversight Archived: 0

Prevention Archived: 0

Darfur Archived: 0Gaza (archived) 11,600

Gaza72,000

Oversight34,000

Darfur62,000

Prevention66,000

Reparations47,000

Mass Rape50,000

Libya 6,000

Lecture Series 19,000+ 11.5 hours of video

Gaza September 2010

Darfur January 2011

Oversight May 2011

Prevention October 2011

Libya Mini-Issue November 2011

ReparationsFebruary 2012

Mass RapeJuly 2012

Lecture SeriesJanuary 2013

LAUNCH

FUTURE5 months 3 months 5 months 4 months 5 months 8 months

(area and numbers reflect total number of words)

Human Rights & International Criminal Law

Innovating Justice Award 2012 2013 Computerworld Honors Laureate

Very successful:• for a narrow audience• & a narrowly-defined purpose

ICC  Forum.COM

Medical Memory Project

Unsuccessful:too hard to keep all the information up to date even when doing so results in better medical outcomes...(information hoarding and data silos

were big problems)

Medical Memory Project

ICC  Forum.COM

Participant/User

Motivation is the Driving Force of

Socio-Technical System

Success

Lessons Learned

"Social bonds and a feeling of membership augment the meaning

that comes from values-based work."ROSABETH MOSS KANTER

MOTIVATION:• mastery• membership• meaning

• money

Motivational Lessons Learned

Make Information Relevant to All Users:• COMPREHENSION: Information is understood by the people providing it• GOALS: The reason for collection of data is understood• PRIDE: People take pride in participating• INCLUSIVENESS: People feel they are part of the group effort• VISION: People know what will happen next

Make Information Easy to Provide:• TARGETED: Use only the level of security that is necessary to maintain the desired quality of data• STANDARDIZED: Use standardized input structures• STRUCTURED: Multiple choice is easier than fill-in the blanks• SUPPORTED: Create in-line help• VERIFIED: Provide confirmation that the data has been entered correctly• RESPECTFUL: Respect the user!

Motivational Lessons Learned

What Do Participants/Users Give to the Socio-Technical

System?

Amount of Dedication

Available Time

Level of Expertise

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Any group project can be analyzed by how much it asks of its participants:

• the time it requires,

• the level of expertise,

• and the amount of dedication.

On Individual Participant Level

Successful Group Projects

Expertise

Required Expertise

Dedication

Required Dedication

Time

Required Time

Required Time = User Availability

Required Expertise = User’s Level of Expertise

Required Dedication = User’s Interest & Dedication

On Individual Participant Level

Expertise

Required Expertise

Dedication Time

Successful Participants:• extra time and high

dedication can overcome the missing expertise

On Individual Participant Level

Expertise

Dedication Time

Required Time

Successful Participants:• extra dedication and high

qualifications can overcome low time availability

On Individual Participant Level

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Participants give up to the group:

• control• personal information• time

On Group Level

What Does the Socio-Technical System Give to its Participants/Users?

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Expertise

Required Expertise

DedicationRequired Dedication

Time

Required Time

Group gives its participants:

• social connections

• group support & recognition

• a sense of belonging

• trust

• meaning & purpose

• a sense of accomplishment

On Group Level

Very successful:• for a short burst of time &• a narrowly-defined purpose

CrowdMaps for Elections

In 2010, Ushahidi has come full circle since the 2007 elections with its Uchaguzi (Swahili for elections) initiative to monitor elections.

iHub Research

Think Tank on Citizen Engagement in Biomedical Research

Washington D.C., May 2013Olga Werby, Ed.D.Pipsqueak Productions, LLC

Design for Motivation

Solve Both Parts of the Equation, the Tech AND the Social,

of Complex Socio-Technical Systems