Crossing the Real Chasm in Technical Development Work

The history of humanitarian technology is replete with mismatched expectations between the practitioner and the community intended to benefit from the provided technology. Recent work examining the failures that result from this mismatch shows promise, but few actionable recommendations for closing the chasm between practitioner and community have emerged. There are frameworks and checklists to help promote "correct" community engagement, but these typically require the technologist to be as well-versed in social science methodologies as technology. While this combination is at the core of a handful of academic programs, the majority of humanitarian technologists do not have the time or resources to learn relevant social science theory and practice. From practical experience and research, we suggest five strategies and corresponding tactics to help address this problem.