Thursday, December 20, 2007

Minutes:Targeting the Meet - 1

Attendees: Aishwarya, Badhri, Jagan, Priya, Sarathy, Shabnam, Shashi

Introduction

Aishwaraya: Software, Pramati Tech., Hyderabad, India
Badhri: Electronics Design, Synopsys, Hyderabad, India
Jagan: Telecommunications, Muscat, Oman
Priya: Ph.D student, Texas, Biosciences, USA
Sarathy: Energy, California, USA
Shabnam: HR, Pramati Tech., Hyderabad, India
Shashi: Electronics Design, Synopsys, Hyderabad, India

Understanding of Purpose

(All)
  • Improve standard of living (SOL), don't wait for others to do it
What is instrumental for that?

(Badhri)
  • Awareness
  • Other factors play vital role too..but what are they? Open to debate
(Priya)
  • How are we planning to execute the projects?
(Aish and Badhri)
  • Form a framework of factors affecting SOL, choose projects to implement if they fit in it.
    • Research to know what the beneficiary is looking for (not what you want to give them).*
    • Research and brainstorm to find set up a system that serves the need continuously.*
    • Try not to give a temporary solution, unless it is done to gain the trust of the beneficiary.*
  • Choose projects that target different areas. (primary education, medical awareness)
    • Will ensure that most the components that contribute to SOL is covered
(Aishwarya)
  • Don't be rigid about framework. Choose project on merit, then try to modify and fit it in the framework
(Priya)
  • How do you think NRIs can contribute?
(Badhri)
  • As an NRI, you see the difference in SOL day-to-day. Share it!
  • The group has to stay connected regularly to brainstorm what is shared.
(Shashi)
  • Meet once every 15 days! (agreed by all!)
(Sarathy)
  • For NRI to do field work, start with your school, stress importance of non-academic learning (like safety). Influence friends to do the same
Miscellany

(Shashi, Priya)
  • May consider a limit on the number of people in the group in the future.
(Priya)
  • Make blog more appealing, give only relevant information and make it more explorable and inviting.

* Didn't mention the very point during the meet, but gave an example of a preliminary negotiations with Ananda Bharati, an NGO at Hyderabad. The example meant to deliver these points.

(Please feel free to make changes or add points in case I have left out anything important. I have a copy of the version currently posted for back up. But do mention the changes made in the comment field)

4 comments:

Dhaval Patel said...

please define project and what do u mean by it..wat is your inclusion criteria for starting up a project?
sol and medical awareness can be two different entities to deal with when you start working at the human level. (it will also help if sol is defined for that will give you concrete parameters to work on). to improve medical awareness the recipient of the knowledge has to care about the subject matter. to improve sol the recipient has to have some level of frustation with their sol. perhaps, a silly question but r u planning to aim to achieve multiple goals in a single project?
when do u plan to take up a project?
please do let me know if i can be of any help.
good luck guys. keep up the good work. in mahatama gandhi's words: you must be the change you want to see in the world.

The Traveling Quad said...

Hi Dhaval,

First of all, thanks for the flood of queries. Let me try and take them one by one:

PROJECT: Project is any activity that we will take up. To be sure, the meetings that we have conducted till now are not "The Project". When we start an activity, say, "helping ragpickers live a safer, better life", we will have meetings, we will sessions with the ragpickers, we may/will/should invoke the RTI (Right to Information) Act to see what provisions government has made for them, if any. At the same time, when we start a project we will have a goal in mind and also a timeline. This is to ensure that we are able to move on to other Projects once we accomplish our task. Again, this does not mean we are rigid. Goals may be extended and timelines may be stretched. Hope this gives you some clarity on What a Project is?

Standard of Living and Medical Awareness - Whether they are part of the same thing or they two distinct entities is a matter of perception. And both perceptions are equally valid and workable. About concrete parameters, you mean a set of goals/benchmarks by which we can say at any moment of time that "We are currently here and this is what we are yet to achieve". We will have such parameters but I hope you appreciate the fact that these will be different for different projects. So to start with we can have a broad set of principles ( I think that is what Badhri means by Framework)

Multiple Goals in a Single Project : Why not? Our considerations while taking a project would be the objective, our resources - physical as well as financial and our own abilities. Another point Badhri emphasises, and rightly, is on the fact that we do something which most often others won't.

Lastly, we will more than happy to have you in the group. Actually you can attend our next meeting. Will let you know the details. I was planning to mail you - that's why I took your email id- but was plain careless. Will do that at the earliest.

Driver said...

Project is a loose word and might not be applicable to what we believe we are focussed on. A project (dictionary.com: a specific task) has definite deliverables and deadlines.

I would prefer to use the word "Process". (dictionary.com meaning: a systematic series of actions directed to some end). A process is what is needed to achieve SoL (not as clearly defined as a project deliverable). A project may be a part of a process, but the focus should be on the overall process. According to me, the process has already started as far as this group is concerned.

How can anyone help? By taking part in the process now rather than waiting for instructions.

Dhaval Patel said...

aish dude..thanks for the answers.