*iHub_ Research

Projects

In-house Projects

ICT Hubs

iHub Research is initiating a research series that will disaggregate the unique factors that make up ICT hubs in Africa (Afrilabs). The series will have a special focus on the role of ICT hubs in fostering innovative entrepreneurship.

iHub Research will use mixed methods to engage with active members within each hub space around Africa, including focus groups, open workshops and e-surveys. For more information contact Hilda Moraa at: hilda@ihub.co.ke

Infographics

Mobile Statistics in Kenya

Mobile Statistics in Uganda

Governance

SPIDER and iHub Research

The Governance project launched in September 2011 and is an attempt to address the fact that the Kenyan government has been slow in providing adequate and quality services to its citizens in various sectors like agriculture, health, water, education, and finance. This has hampered the sustainable development in the country. Leveraging the extremely high mobile penetration and uptake of mobile applications across the country, research at iHub is exploring the conditions needed for successful use of mobiles that will bypass the need for physical interaction and communication. Eliminating such physical interactions has great potential to reduce opportunities for corruption and also add value to government services by delivering them to citizens' doorsteps.

Technology Innovation

InterNews and iHub Research

Internews examines how technology affects information, audiences, and content providers. We are working with Internews to investigative the effectiveness of its pilot projects across Africa. Beginning with the first pilot, to increase revenue for community radio stations in Kenya, the research will examine not just whether the new system makes money for the stations, but also if it strengthens community ties and improves the flow of information. iHub Research and Internews have partnered with other African researchers to begin investigation into the effectiveness of two other Internews pilot projects, a mesh network to share information in a region of the Niger Delta without cell phone reception, and a human trafficking helpline in Ghana.

Refugees United and iHub Research

iHub Research and RU have crafted an exciting research project based around assessing RU's mobile WAP tool as well as the processes surrounding the use of the tool. Refugees United is an organization that empowers refugees to directly search for and reconnect with missing family and friends through a mobile and web-enabled family tracing platform. The RU sign-up process was updated 5 months ago from a cumbersome, paper-based system to a quicker, more efficient WAP-enabled sign-up via mobile phones. The RU family tracing and search tool is currently being rolled out across Kenya through local partner organizations: Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) and Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).

In order to optimize the Refugees United family tracing service, iHub Research will be conducting a 5-month tech assessment with the aim of mapping out the concrete challenges related to the sign-up of refugees via the RU mobile application and potential solutions to these. We are also interested in monitoring the process of conversion from non-user to active user. Our final report will include specific recommendations for RU's tech development going forward, especially looking at what tools RU needs to more effectively solve the challenges related to sign-ups and conversion rates. The final report will also include our analysis of the potential scaling up of this system in other countries and recommendations for avoiding future design flaws