{"id":8466,"date":"2013-02-20T06:01:15","date_gmt":"2013-02-20T11:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=8466"},"modified":"2013-03-24T15:26:56","modified_gmt":"2013-03-24T20:26:56","slug":"caribbean-tech-mover-shaker-dr-kim-mallalieu-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2013\/02\/caribbean-tech-mover-shaker-dr-kim-mallalieu-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Caribbean Tech Mover and Shaker: Dr. Kim Mallalieu (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

We continue our Caribbean Tech Movers and Shakers series with Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Kim Mallalieu of Trinidad and Tobago.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Dr.<\/a>

Dr. Kim Mallalieu<\/p><\/div>\n

In the first half of our interview with educator and game-changer, Dr. Kim Mallalieu, we learnt about the Master in Regulations and Policy in Telecommunications degree programme she developed, along with her thoughts on the changes that have occurred in STEM education over the last 20 years. In this the second and final part, we discuss her involvement in mobile application development and Open Data; her views on how telecoms\/ICT are evolving in the Caribbean, along with her thoughts on opportunities in the tech\/ICT space in the region.<\/p>\n

ICT Pulse:\u00a0 Many persons might not be aware, but you are one of the \u201cmovers and shakers\u201d behind the mFisheries project,<\/a> which has won a number of regional and international awards. In a nutshell, what is the mFisheries project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kim Mallalieu:\u00a0 mFisheries (\u201cmobile fisheries\u201d) is a project that was conceived within the Caribbean ICT Research Programme (CIRP), launched towards the end of 2009. The general objective of CIRP is to promote multi-stakeholder knowledge exchange and dialogue about the potential contribution of ICTs for economic development and poverty alleviation in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

The Trinidad and Tobago arm of the programme, CIRPTT, sought to explore the opportunities for mobile innovations among the region\u2019s poor and to develop capacity to pursue these opportunities. It also sought to provide related advice to policy makers, regulators and other relevant stakeholders; and to recruit, cultivate and encourage young Caribbean ICT researchers and entrepreneurs to adopt pro-poor research and development agendas as well as \u00a0\u00a0pro-poor business strategies.<\/p>\n

On an approach for mobile training support for fishers by the Director of the Distance Learning Secretariat in the then Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, I decided to make small scale fisheries the focal point for the CIRPTTmobile research. The mFisheries project itself comprises several components including:<\/p>\n

\"mFisheries<\/a>

mFisheries mobile app user interface<\/p><\/div>\n

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                  1. Development of a map of mobile application and service use among fisher folk, with particular emphasis on the Caribbean, based on desk research and stakeholder consultation<\/li>\n
                  2. Analysis of mobile opportunities among Caribbean fisher folk, based on extensive empirical data and stakeholder consultation<\/li>\n
                  3. Collaboration with MIT\u2019s NextLab Team on mobile application development<\/li>\n
                  4. Development of a suite of mobile applications, \u201cmFisheries\u201d, designed to address key livelihood challenges of Trinidad and Tobago small scale fishers<\/li>\n
                  5. Development of a mobile service cost model for mFisheries<\/li>\n
                  6. Implementation of a resource pack for development-focussed mobile innovation<\/li>\n
                  7. Facilitation of a number of training programmes and competitions aimed at encouraging pro-poor research agendas and business strategies amongst existing and potential mobile application developers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n

                    The mFisheries project is most known as the mobile application suite that was designed and implemented for, and deployed amongst, local small scale fishers. The mobile suite, with its Web companions, revolves around five application components, variously implemented for Android smart phones with data service; regular phones with SMS service; and the mobile and fixed Internet, as follows:<\/p>\n

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                    1. A Virtual Market Place comprising Got Fish Need Fish<\/i> and Prices<\/i> applications<\/li>\n
                    2. At-sea Navigational and Safety facilities comprising a Compass as well as S.O.S and GPS applications; and a Location Tracker with a companion Web application for monitoring by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard<\/li>\n
                    3. Training Applications comprising multimedia First Aid Training Companions and audio podcast Tips covering several themes related to operations, safety and regulations<\/li>\n
                    4. A Citizen\u2019s reporting Camera Tool with logging, annotation and transmission facilities<\/li>\n
                    5. Info Zone comprising an online survey tool (mTellUs), an open-ended mFisheries Feedback facility and several Web Links to fisheries and related online content and information services.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      The suite was bundled with a number of open source applications that provided real time weather and tidal information as well as multimedia training in Spanish.<\/p>\n

                      mFisheries is an action research project which, by design, was able to build new knowledge while at the same time facilitating a community intervention.<\/p>\n

                      ICTP:\u00a0 In what ways are you involved in the project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      KM:\u00a0 I am the principal investigator of the umbrella Caribbean ICT Research Programme (Trinidad and Tobago), CIRPTT, within which the mFisheries project was conceived and conducted. As principal investigator, I formulated the concept and sought resource support for it. I have directed all research aspects and led the multi-disciplinary Team of Kevon Andrews, Candice Simonta-Dyer, Candice Sankarsingh, Mark Lessey, Tremayne Flanders, Jevon Beckles, Yudhistre Jonas, Amanda Suraj and others who pitched in at various times along the journey.<\/p>\n

                      \"Dr.<\/a>

                      Dr. Mallalieu at an mFisheries pre-trial event<\/p><\/div>\n

                      ICTP:\u00a0 At what stage is the project? Has it been fully implemented as yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      KM:\u00a0 The first cycle of the mFisheries project is now complete, with all relevant CIRPTT objectives met. At present three lines of analytical investigations, informed by mFisheries\u2019 empirical studies, are underway. These include strategies to strengthen information security amongst low digital literacy mobile users; strategic frameworks for building digital literacy amongst traditionally marginalized users; and techniques to extend mobile coverage at sea. Following the current phase of analytical work, further empirical studies are expected to be articulated and pursued.<\/p>\n

                      ICTP:\u00a0 What successes have been realized to date?<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      KM:\u00a0 To date, the project has led to a number of meaningful outcomes amidst the rich portfolio of outputs and findings. Even among the varied profiles of field trial participants (vendors, processors and fishermen) changes in livelihood-related behavior, capacity and attitude have been observed. For example:<\/p>\n