Delivering on your values

by kiwanja

I’m just back from my first visit to Harvard University where FrontlineSMS was presented with the 2011 Curry Stone Design Prize. The award ceremony on Monday was followed by a seminar on Tuesday, co-hosted by Nicco Mele and Ethan Zuckerman.

Our beliefs, values and approach come out strongly in this five minute video, put together by the organisers. FrontlineSMS is more than just a piece of software, and I’m equally as proud of the roots and ethos of FrontlineSMS as I am of the tool itself. (You can also watch this video on our community site).

I’ve been involved in international development in one form or another for the past 18 years, and have seen at first hand things that have worked, and things that haven’t. There’s much that’s wrong in the sector, but also a lot that’s right, and for me personally FrontlineSMS embodies how appropriate and respectful ICT4D initiatives can be run, both on a personal and professional level. There’s very little I’d do differently if I started it all over again.

As I wrote earlier this month after news of our Curry Stone Design Prize broke:

Over the past few years FrontlineSMS has become so much more than just a piece of software. Our core values are hard-coded into how the software works, how it’s deployed, the things it can do, how users connect, and the way it allows all this to happen. We’ve worked hard to build a tool which anyone can take and, without us needing to get involved, be applied to any problem anywhere. How this is done is entirely up to the user, and it’s this flexibility that sits at the core of the platform. It’s also arguably at the heart of it’s success.

These core values, built up over six years, remain central to our work. Here’s just a few:

Each and every one is important to us: Putting users ahead – and at the heart – of everything we do, striving for a positive interaction with anyone who comes into contact with our work, aiming to inspire others whilst respecting a diversity of views, always reaching for better, fostering a positive “anything is possible” attitude, making sure we continue to put people – and their needs – ahead of the aspirations of the tech community, managing expectations both internally and for our users, and finally – constantly reminding ourselves why we do what we do.

As we continue to grow as an organisation, maintaining and reinforcing these values will be an increasingly important part of not only who we are, but who we become.

15 comments

1 Ken Banks { 11.10.11 at 7:39 pm }: Doing what you think is right, in a way you feel is right. "Delivering on your values". http://t.co/Lz8iTgAO #ict4d #m4d #values
2 eileen lademar { 11.10.11 at 7:39 pm }: Doing what you think is right, in a way you feel is right. "Delivering on your values". http://t.co/Lz8iTgAO #ict4d #m4d #values
3 changefeed { 11.10.11 at 7:44 pm }: ->@kiwanja: Delivering on your values http://t.co/JiKJGyTE
4 Fr@nthro { 11.10.11 at 7:57 pm }: #anthro blog post: Delivering on your values: I’m just back from my first visit to Harvard University where Fr… http://t.co/2knmxA6L
5 Delivering on your values | Global Health Hub { 11.11.11 at 12:36 am }: [...] View original post here: Delivering on your values [...]
6 TechChange { 11.11.11 at 2:39 pm }: Great new post from @kiwanja on receiving the Curry Stone Design prize and beautiful @frontlinesms video. #ICT4D http://t.co/e9x5Gt64
7 Craig Zelizer { 11.11.11 at 2:43 pm }: Great new post from @kiwanja on receiving the Curry Stone Design prize and beautiful @frontlinesms video. #ICT4D http://t.co/e9x5Gt64
8 Ken Banks { 11.14.11 at 2:09 pm }: In #ICT4D, it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it. Are you delivering on your values? http://t.co/xpa0TbPr
9 Eunice Gnay { 11.14.11 at 2:10 pm }: In #ICT4D, it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it. Are you delivering on your values? http://t.co/xpa0TbPr
10 Samantha Burton { 11.14.11 at 2:15 pm }: In #ICT4D, it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it RT @kiwanja @FrontlineSMS http://t.co/Uu1QKTl4
11 Ben Tshin { 11.22.11 at 7:47 pm }: @FrontlineSMS values for all #ICT4D? User first. Positive interxns. People before technology. The bigger picture. http://t.co/QmLpdZjk
12 Ken Banks { 12.31.11 at 4:42 pm }: Now is a good-a-time as any to reflect on the values that drive us. Happy new year, everyone. http://t.co/Lz8iTgAO
13 Seth Cohen { 12.31.11 at 4:48 pm }: RT @kiwanja: Now is a good-a-time as any to reflect on the values that drive us. Happy new year, everyone. http://t.co/tTpUrlqD
14 Shikoh Gitau { 12.31.11 at 4:55 pm }: Now is a good-a-time as any to reflect on the values that drive us. Happy new year, everyone. http://t.co/Lz8iTgAO
15 Benjamin George Griffin { 02.14.12 at 7:25 pm }: And a Happy Valentines Day at the time of this posting.

I’m looking forward to getting involved in both the technical and organistational details of making this project bigger and having it contribute to mine.

It’s great to see someone else out there that is perhaps more interested in doing things than just evangelising.

Yours,
b