General Interest | International Development Innovation Network

Using the IDIN Brand: A Resource for Partners and Network Members

IDIN Communications

The IDIN logo is a visible and recognizable symbol of the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN) brand. By consistently applying the logo on all program communications from 2013-2017, we have built public awareness and promoted the program’s work.

The following guidelines govern the use of the IDIN logo and corresponding brand after most official program activities close on September 30, 2017. Please review this guide if you use the IDIN logo or name on any digital or print materials, and adjust your materials accordingly.

Author:

IDIN

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Investigating the requirements of an online emergency response platform

Research

This paper highlights some of the difficulties experienced by volunteers and members of the general public when coordinating a response to an emergency in Pakistan, and discusses a participatory approach to investigating the requirements of an online emergency response platform that links volunteers with donors. The approach builds upon the use of a prototype platform in a simulated emergency situation with real users to test assumptions and learn about the design requirements for such a platform. The paper details the design process and the features of the prototype, and the feedback it received from users.

Author:

Sacha Ahmad

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The Metrics Café

How-to

Funders need impact metrics. Grantees do, too. So who decides what gets measured?

Because funders’ and grantees’ measurement needs clash, they wind up with reporting systems that serve neither. This framework can help reconcile their needs, turning a tangle of metrics into genuine learning.

We explore four models:

Prix Fixe: All grantees report on same set of metrics.
A La Carte: Grantees choose from a menu of standard metrics.
Made-to-Order: Funder and grantee work together to come up with a set of metrics.
Bring your Own Lunch: Grantees come with their own metrics.

The framework presents pros, cons, implications and recommendations for each model. Drawing on cases from Root Capital, Development Innovation Ventures at USAID, Mercy Corps’ Social Venture Fund, and the Autodesk Foundation, this framework can help funders decide what model is right for them.

Author:

Laura Budzyna

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Handbook for Biomass Cookstove Research, Design, and Development

How-to

This handbook presents insights and methodologies from recent biomass cookstove R&D programs at multiple institutions to achieve higher performance, lower cost, and improved usability. This handbook will help cookstove designers and enterprises to integrate the latest R&D innovations into their products and support further innovation.

This handbook was written by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology D-Lab, led by Dan Sweeney, with research and editorial support from Megha Hegde, Kendra Leith and Amy Smith, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. This was inspired by their work with small- and medium-scale cookstove and fuel manufacturers, including at the International Development Design Summit for Cookstoves in East Africa in 2017. Participants used design thinking and cookstove R&D to develop creative solutions to challenging problems in household and commercial cooking in the region.

Author:

Dan Sweeney, Megha Hedge, Kendra Leith, Amy Smith

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Build-It: Maize Sheller

Build-It

Build-It instructions for a handheld maize sheller. This build-it is designed to be taught to a group of all skill levels, and teaches hands-on basic metalworking techniques to those that participate. This design requires a specific jig for crimping (blueprints included), which can be made by any metalworker with basic welding supplies.

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