Subject: ESD.S20, 11.S941 "Evaluation of Technologies for International Development"
Professors: Bish Sanyal (sanyal@mit.edu), Oli de Weck (deweck@mit.edu)
Schedule: Mondays, 3:30-5:00
Location: 4-253
Description:
Animated by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to establish the Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation (CITE) at MIT, this seminar will serve as a forum on developing new methodologies for assessment of products intended to improve the quality of life of low-income households in developing countries. Sessions will explore methods of evaluation from various fields to ensure that these products are technically suitable, scalable and sustainable. In addition, the course will focus heavily on addressing real-world constraints and problems faced by development agencies, governments, NGOs, and development practitioners in general. Led by faculty and research scientists from Engineering Systems Division and Urban Studies and Planning; and drawing on presentations by practitioners from USAID, Partners in Health, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Consumer Reports and others this seminar will facilitate and discuss the very process of cross-disciplinary learning, incorporating knowledge and techniques from many fields including Systems Engineering, Institutional Analysis, Experimental Design, Supply Chain Analysis and Community Development. As a final project, students will be expected to develop an individual research proposal and evaluation plan focusing on a specific product. Students who write the most promising proposals may be asked to formally join the CITE research team by the end of the seminar and continue to work closely with CITE team leaders to conduct fieldwork over summer 2013.