theculturalconnect.com

Nadia Afrin, Business and Policy Advisor

Development Gateway Foundation

In an effort to keep apace with the exponential growth of globalization, many organizations and individuals dedicate their brain power towards fostering innovation in communication. As the Business and Policy Advisor for The Development Gateway Foundation, Nadia Afrin, 28, channels her business-savvy ways to draft policy and strategy papers for implementation. The Development Gateway Foundation is referred to as a "quiet achieving" non-profit organization because of its ability to produce successful programs that increase productivity and decrease costs. A leading innovator in the development of information and communication technologies, the Development Gateway promises to deliver effective information solutions and build power partnerships with leading international institutions such as the World Bank. To this date, their programs have been translated into 18 languages and contain national tenders from 35 countries. Take a moment to learn about how Nadia and The Development Gateway Foundation established themselves as a leading world innovator by reading this week's Non-Profit Spotlight.

Non-Profit

Development Gateway Foundation

Founded

July 2001

Website

www.developmentgateway.org

Name

Nadia Afrin, Business and Policy Advisor, 28

Hometown

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Current residence

Washington DC

Education

BA in Astrophysics and Business-Economics, Agnes Scott College, Graduated 2001
MA in Science and Technology Policy, George Washington University, Graduated 2003

Past Experience

Business and Policy Advisor, Development Gateway Foundation

Ethnicity

Bangladeshi

About the Non-profit

The Development Gateway Foundation seeks to promote effective development and good governance by leveraging information and communication technologies (ICT). Our projects include:

the Aid Management Platform (AMP), a web-based platform for streamlining the management of international aid
Country Gateways, which we are helping to establish in 50 countries as local web portals for development
dgCommunities, which are online knowledge-sharing and collaborative platforms
dgMarket, which enables governments to post public tenders on the web and
the e-Government Grants Program.

What are your responsibilities?

My responsibilities include drafting policies and strategy papers for implementation by the CEO and advising the CEO on matters related to the field of ICT for development. In addition, I forge partnerships and raise awareness about our programs.

Most notable milestones

The Development Gateway has been a quiet achiever. One of our most successful programs has been our online tender system, dgMarket. By making information readily available, dgMarket (www.dgmarket.com) has not only led to millions of dollars worth of cost-savings but also significant savings in time. It’s currently available in 18 languages and contains national tenders from 35 countries! Through dgMarket small and medium-sized business can now have access to tenders that were once only within the grasp of large corporations.

What's the niche?

We are an independent, innovative and action-oriented non-profit. We have a track record of delivering effective information solutions and building powerful partnerships and a heritage of close association with leading international institutions like the World Bank and UNDP.

What's the biggest challenge?

Striking a balance between the agendas of donor nations and the needs of recipient countries is one of the challenges we face. In addition, sometimes we have little control over our projects and are hit by unexpected delays and roadblocks. For instance, we were in the process of implementing an online tender system in Lebanon when the war broke out. Another challenge is that since we are in the business of providing IT solutions, we need to innovate constantly.

What's in store for the future?

We would like to extend our reach by expanding our partner base and setting up an agile and geographically-diverse team through off-shoring.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

We serve governments of developing countries, development organizations and development professionals worldwide. We work with partners from all sectors to achieve shared development goals.

« Previous 1 2 1 2 Next »

Guiding principle in life

The Development Gateway puts a lot of emphasis on adopting a collaborative approach. Although we are a relatively small organization our impact is sizable since we work in a decentralized fashion, through a network of partners to achieve shared development goals.

Yardstick of success

We measure our success by our ability to help governments as well as the development community deliver greater impact at lower cost.

Goal yet to be achieved

We would like to reduce dependence on expensive patented solutions and rely on open-source software, which can be redistributed and modified more easily.

Best practical advice

As a small non-profit, we cannot be everything to everyone. It is very important to choose your causes well and avoid spreading yourself too thin.

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

James Wolfensohn, the previous President of the World Bank and founder of the Development Gateway said “Technology doesn’t come after you deal with poverty but is a tool you use to alleviate poverty”

What motivated you to get started?

I am inspired by how technology can dramatically improve people’s lives and lift them out of poverty. Of course technology is not a cure-all and it is a “means” rather than an “end”. However, it has the potential to transform almost all areas of society including health, education, governance etc. One of the most inspiring examples is the Grameen village phones project, through which women entrepreneurs can start a business providing wireless payphone service in rural areas of Bangladesh.

What keeps you motivated?

Working in an international environment with dynamic and innovative individuals keeps me motivated.

Like best about what you do

I enjoy managing the annual $100,000 Development Gateway Award that recognizes outstanding achievement in the use of information and communication technologies for development. This year we will highlight ICT projects that empower and improve the condition of youth. There are about 1 billion young people, aged 15-24, in the world today and eighty-five percent of them live in developing countries. Young people play a central role in the information society as first adopters of information and communication technologies. The $100,000 award will help the winning organization expand upon its success and mentor other prospective leaders in the field of ICT for development.

Like least about what you do

Writing progress reports

Biggest pastime outside of work

looking up air fares to random destinations around the world
star-gazing, which occasionally includes dragging unsuspecting friends to the Air and Space Museum planetarium
philosophizing with friends over a round of shisha

Person most interested in meeting

Renowned author and inventor, Arthur C Clarke, is top on my list. He is a visionary, who effectively bridged the divide that often exists between the arts and sciences. Not only did he write some of the best science fiction but he also inspired an entire generation about space exploration and conceived the idea of satellite telecommunications.

Leader in business most interested in meeting

I would like to meet Pierre Omidyar, the founder of e-Bay, and Iqbal Quadir, the founder of Grameen village-phones project. Both individuals started profitable businesses, which lead to widespread social and economic empowerment.

Three interesting facts about yourself

I studied astrophysics in college and worked at a radio observatory. All traces of physics and math have since been erased from my brain.
I carry in my wallet a 9-year long "around the world" travel plan that encompasses 40 countries in 7 continents and ends with a trip to snow-covered Antartica
I am very interested in the interdisciplinary field of Futures Studies which lays out various scenarios for the world future, and points out how our actions and policies NOW will help to determine which of these scenarios actually transpires in the future.

Three characteristics that describe you

Curious, open-minded, versatile

Three greatest passions

Reading Sufi poetry, blogging, sketching (although I don’t draw frequently enough or well enough)

Favorite book

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Favorite cause (outside of yours)

Looking into uses of space technologies and applications for development (e.g. disaster management, urban planning, environmental monitoring, agricultural planning etc)

« Previous 1 2 1 2 Next »

Development Gateway Foundation

Credits

Also this week

Don't forget!