Still in the first steps of a barefoot knowledge engineering

This paper reviews and offers some reflections on the current state and potential of expert systems (ESs) for human and sustainable development (HSD) in the context of developing countries (DCs). We propose a framework for the evaluation of ES development projects, and assess some significant recent applications drawn from three areas of relevance for HSD: health care, agriculture and water resource management. In the light of the foregoing we draw some conclusions and suggest some preliminary methodological guidelines to address the objective of a “barefoot” knowledge engineering for “appropriate” ESs, i.e., ESs that indeed meet HSD objectives in the context of DCs.