Communications is an ever-changing, ever-dynamic industry reflecting the way that we as a society interact with each other. For Vodafone, a company in the communications sector, it is essential that we match this change with fresh innovation to maintain our leading position.
Our corporate responsibility activity is no different; it is essential that corporate responsibility communications reflect these changes in methods of communications and keep pace.
The online world now has a second generation of internet capabilities including blogs, wikis and social networking. From a corporate responsibility point of view, there is the opportunity for the second generation of internet capabilities to be used as tools within our programmes, creating exciting new ways that we can interact with people, sparking debate and engaging around our products and services. However, the effect of this Web 2.0, as it is known, is mixed. There are plenty of issues that these capabilities trigger: for instance, bloggers causing big damage to a company’s reputation – both warranted and unwarranted; the potential for incorrect information to spread like wildfire, and so on.
Share Ideas
A recent Vodafone initiative that shows how these more interactive online capabilities can be used as part of a corporate responsibility strategy is www.shareideas.org. The site also shows the benefits of ensuring a two-way dialogue with key stakeholders – as the idea behind it actually came as a direct response to an NGO.
The concept for the site came from a conference where examples of innovative projects and applications that had used mobile technology were presented to over 100 NGO representatives. The NGOs were positive about the examples of what mobile technology could achieve and from this we were challenged to create a handbook that could display the work achieved and help others to do the same.
The aim was for the tool to – literally – help share ideas on how to use mobile communications for social and environmental benefits. The first suggestions were to create a book or a leaflet. However, the static format was limiting, so we looked at how this could be an innovative medium, particularly as for both Vodafone and Nokia (our co-sponsor on the site) the internet leads in all other work.
We wanted to create something that would stay alive and have lasting, and hopefully increasing value, which fits online. The desire for the site to have longevity led us to have Share Ideas structured as a wiki. This means people can edit, update or comment on case studies and stories on the site and add their own from wherever they are in the world. The wiki format also allows visitors to discuss common problems and solutions, to stimulate dialogue with each other.
Although initially created with support from Nokia and Vodafone, the site will be developed by a wide range of individuals and organisations interested in using mobile services for social change. For us at Vodafone, it enables us to act as a sensor on societal needs. If we know more about what the needs are we can react to them and help find solutions.
On the site, case studies are grouped into six key areas – civic engagement, economic empowerment, education, environment, health and safety and humanitarian relief projects – topics chosen after consultation with many NGOs.
Stories already shared on the site include how the development of an SMS alert system has made it possible for one organization to mobilize hundreds of volunteers to carry out emergency clean up efforts in the event of an oil spill in the Baltic Sea. Other examples include how mobile games have been created in Africa and India to educate the public about HIV/AIDS and prevention measures, and how teachers in remote areas in the Philippines are receiving training and state of the art learning materials through a simple SMS message. You can see a full example of a story from the site in the section below – Cell-Life: Using Mobile Technology to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
We launched Share Ideas this June, so it is still early days in terms of evaluating success; the challenge now is to make sure that the tool that has been created stays alive. The response so far has been very positive though, with a lot of visitors to the site and many of those spending their time contributing ideas and discussing others.
The next six months are important in proving its worth and we have ambitious targets. Success for us would mean that in time over 100 studies are uploaded and around five projects have been replicated somewhere showing that the tool is helping create change.
I am excited about Share Idea’s potential. If the wiki format works, the feedback may well help shape our future corporate responsibility strategy. More importantly, though, is the impact on society that the site may help drive. Share Ideas will hopefully go one step further than just showing Vodafone as a responsible company; it could help drive positive social change.
Here is an example of a case study that has been uploaded to Share Ideas. As well as the story itself, visitors can see which technology was used, who has contributed to the write-up on the web and they are also offered a series of relevant web links.
Cell-Life: Using mobile technology to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in South Africa
An estimated 5.5 million people, or one in five South Africans, is HIV-positive, with up to 600 people dying each day from HIV/AIDS related illnesses. An estimated 220,000 of the nation’s citizens are currently accessing free anti-retroviral treatment (ARV) for the disease. Due to logistical and other challenges (e.g. severe side effects associated with some medications), many have difficulty obtaining medical assistance to monitor and modify their treatment.
Started by professors at the University of Cape Town and Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cell-Life has developed technology-based solutions to improve treatment for those with HIV/AIDS, and prevent the disease’s spread. The “e-health” company capitalizes on the fact that up to 60 per cent of South Africa’s population uses mobile phones, with mobile networks covering 94 per cent of the country.
One Cell-Life initiative allows doctors and caregivers to monitor patients receiving ARV treatment and identify problems before they become life threatening. Vital patient information (e.g. patient symptoms, medications, dosage, dietary concerns, and other health information) is recorded using a cell phone equipped with a special menu that allows it to capture specific data. The information is transferred via SMS to an information database, with doctors and/or nurses accessing the database over a secure connection.
Whereas as in the past it could have taken weeks, or even months, for health care professionals to retrieve patient data collected in remote locations by hand, now steps can be taken immediately to improve a patient’s status. In the event of emergencies, doctors can also be automatically contacted via SMS. To protect patient confidentiality, the database stores information according to unique patient numbers, and is password-protected.
Through another initiative, developed in cooperation with the Academy for Educational Development, Cell-Life has engaged representatives from up to 10,000 schools to report on the number of HIV peer education sessions that take place. The school representatives send a simple SMS to Cell-Life, which consolidates the information in a database designed to monitor HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.
Cell-Life, which works in partnership with the Vodacom Foundation among others, is currently developing an aggregated reporting capability that will allow it to generate key findings from its central database for use by government officials and/or funders. The applications will also allow for numerous other cell phone solutions to be expanded upon, which is very important in the context specific public health sector.
Cell-Life believes that flexibility and scalability are very important in the resource limited, context-specific settings of South Africa. The organisation uses a wide range of mobile phone technologies to facilitate the advancement of skills and solutions. The latest project includes the development of a laboratory module (used to transfer HIV/TB lab results from testing station to remote clinics) through mobile technology.
Dr Charlotte Grezo is Trustee of the Vodafone Group Foundation and Vodafone Group’s Director of Corporate Responsibility. Grezo joined Vodafone in January 2001 from BP, where she was Director of Global Environmental Issues.
COMMENTS