open source raw data (as long as not personally identifiable etc and not then resold by someone for profit) would be one option
2 Likes
i think the impact is biggest from connectivity, platforms and data analytics - from what iâve seen inclusive business is often basically about using tech to collapse distance, make people more visible to each other and match their demands and skills better⌠the growth of mobile phones, the internet, automated translation, mobile money bank accounts, micro-lending etc have all been driving lots of real growth in skills and productivity. the challenge for these things is extending them to the very bottom of pyramid and maybe linking them to cash transfer programmes etc.
3 Likes
Or Trusted third party that would act as a sequester for data and would release after check. Half of the issue is the difficulty in determining what data could go to whom without breach of trust.
2 Likes
also most donors donât really know how to work with for-profits or MNEs, or maybe donât seem comfortable (or are not allowed to). certainly the UN looks at us as just donors ourselves. other bilateral agencies or foundations seem to be more open but never hire anyone whoâve worked in a business/MNE before, or by their culture just are not comfortable supporting a for-profit. the issue of âadditionalityâ is of course important, if the for-profit would have done it anyway. and of course the issue of actual social impact is important. but if donors were blind to the approach and the organisation type and only focused on sustainable and impactful outcomes, more money would go to for-profits, and less to non-profits!
2 Likes
[Q3]. As far as technologies are concerned, there is a huge potential for all the technologies mentioned in the report to achieve great impact. Of course, their maturity is varying. Mobile and Cloud have now reached a great level of maturity, even enabling access in areas where connectivity is not always present (with advanced off-line features). Other technologies are still being used in an exploratory mode: Blockchain, Drones and IoT belong to that category. While the technology is mature in itself, the supporting environment is not always there. Think about the new legislation, the infrastructure and the skills we would need if we were operating drones at scale to transport medicines⌠This is still a long journey to really scale these models.
The most unspoken area is the growing aspect of south-to-south technology transfer and how solutions built in some emerging countries could used more widely. As Evin mentioned, there is plenty of ground innovation happening but no real platform to cross-fertilize these across regions. We are aware of some initiatives in that space but thatâs an interesting one to observe. Can they disrupt disruptors?
3 Likes
Thinking of potential unintended consequences of new technology, the Reimagining Inclusive Business report has a really thoughtful section on this. From my own experience one that could be really challenging is farming. As an agriculturalist by training I understand that there is still so much potential capacity for increasing production that we donât need to worry about running out of food on this planet. However this means a productivity increase, driven by technology, which could leave millions of small farmers behind very quickly. Helping smallholder farmers to adopt a higher input/output farming system without incurring excessive risk is one of the biggest challenges I have seen in my career, so much easier to by-pass them completely. And the what will a country with surplus labour coming off the land do when (say) garments can be made much more cheaply by robots?
4 Likes
Certainly better use of data in profiling target customers and understanding them is important in identifying a segment and working out how to serve it. Mobile payments are really transformative. A lot of loan-based products formed from data are more hype than impact and are often just indebting customers. Being credit worthy is one thing, but how that credit is used (and thus enables repayment) is another thing. Areas like e-learning are still relatively unexplored as a form of training or reskilling; and few companies have scaled up smartphone based health solutions for the poor which can be transformative.
2 Likes
currently i see hype about working remotely (e.g. in The Economist) - apparently itâs a $150 billion a year industry and will create millions of new jobs that could be done in developing countries⌠but I think the rise of âgig economyâ platforms is actually tending to erode workersâ rights and pay and reinforce income and wealth inequality.
the value of platforms that redress health inequality and education inequality and probably underappreciated - and big data and AI could be massively valuable here. We are just starting to use data in health and education in countries in Europe in public health and education systems so when this hits developing countries quickly it is very impactful
2 Likes
Hi Adam, this is an interesting insight. Do you think promoting multi-donor and open access research initiatives could help with this issue? In view of the political element of aid, do you think this would be feasible or do you see little chances for this in the near-term?
2 Likes
It is in many cases too early to tell. Most impact (as is usual in tech) comes from copycats that take a cool look at what has been done before and twist it. One worrying unintended consequence is arbitrage though. As when people skimp on food and health to buy a TV, because it becomes suddenly affordable through credit.
3 Likes
Agree with you, Adam. I think thereâs too much painting MNCs as simply the money holders, and proclivity to prefer smaller solutions with clean lines vs the messy world of transformation.
I see digital access and new financial facilities as among the most important trends, with both, especially the latter, room to grow and further positively exploit and develop
2 Likes
In a different perspective, I see farmer centric initiatives very promising, able to act both on revenues and outcomes.
3 Likes
yes, i think it could work, and i am not sure politics would come up so much but i can see some challenges with other companies scraping the data and re-selling it, so the platforms/system would need to manage that. it could be a âmembershipâ system for responsible companies who sign agreements about accessing and use of the data. of course another option would be to charge for the data, and use that money for another fund, but that might be too sensitive.
3 Likes
Bangladesh is a fascinating example of a country where it is stereotypical to think of a grandmorther who worked in subsistence farming, a mother in a garment factory and a daughter in an outsourced coding job or call centre⌠the issue of agriculture being left behind, rural brain drain etc. is massive even in developed countries - perhaps climate friendly solutions like rewilding, reforrestation etc. can provide more value to land and remote gig economy working can provide some more value to digital saavy labour in these areas, but change is likely to see many left behind - the experience of Europe in using Social Cohension Funds and Regional Development Funds to balance out inequality over the past decades can provide some lessons for developing countries too. There are âvertical farmâ start ups combining techs like gene editing, robotics and AI to grow food super efficiently underground with UV lights in London right now, so it is indeed interesting to consider what impact this will have on food in future when it becomes very cost efficient.
3 Likes
yes, though we also need to not crowd out SMEs and make sure they are also getting opportunities, or partnering with MNEs
3 Likes
Francois, arbitrage is indeed a great point to watch out. Our research a few years ago in a refugee camps in Tanzania showed that a large proportion of refugees had already exchanged a food voucher against mobile phone credit. This raises many questions about the importance of connectivity but also on some side effects of it.
2 Likes
Thank you all - super interesting!
2 Likes
Thanks to our experts for their great insights! And thanks to the audience for joining us today to discuss how companies can use technology to make a deeper and more responsible contribution to inclusive business.
For more detail on the research please take a look at Accenture Development Partnershipsâ report, Reimagining Inclusive Business , and for more information on DFIDâs wider programme, Inclusive Business Boost.
2 Likes
Thank you everyone for this session and congratulations on the extensive and insightful report.
1 Like
Hi Evin, Is Accenture working in Uganda? I request toshare some ideas inline with what you support