Due by computer submittal April 25.  Please do not wait to submit until the 25th because the server we are using will only allow 10 entries per day day.

Two of the difficult aspects of designing for "customers" that are remote are undertaking a needfinding process used to define the solution and then having a way to validate the design decisions or iterations of a product as it develops. To facilitate these objectives we are going to collectively create a database that can include such resources as books, magazines, or webpages, but more critically must include actual people in those countries (with phone numbers) who have been contacted.

Yes, this will involve making phone calls. There are some good reasons for this. First is that in the context of a quarter-long course mail and or email is a back-and-forth process that often doesn't answer all critical questions at the time needed. Second, the person answering email (if an answer comes at all) may not be the best person to answer it or may not fully understand the question being asked. And lastly, in a verbal conversation you can gauge the level of competancy or appropriateness of the person you are talking to, and develop the phone skills to get referred to a better contact or more appropriate company or agency.

By all means, use the web (especially if you can use it to find phone numbers without using international directory assistance which can be expensive), friends, other classmates to home in on the contact you think is a good starting point, but do make the calls, and keep in mind that each contact is a potential source of more and perhaps better contacts.

Your assignment is to choose a developing nation or a region within a developing nation that you are very interested in and write a short summary of data that will be a part of our ongoing class database.  Enter your data on the online database at the following location:\
        Appropriate Technology Database

Country

Region (if Applicable)

Date of Report

Population

Land Area (of region if applicable)

Principle Industries, Top 5

Principle Agricultural Crops, Top 3

GNP (in US$)

 Major Ethnic or Religious Groups

Languages

Monetary Unit

Montary Conversion to US$

Typical Daily Wages (in US$)

Unskilled "Industrial"

Agricultural (if any)

Major Problems or Challenges. (From one to a few paragraphs at most describing the top issues)

At Least Two Organizations Involved in Appropriate Technology, Technology Transfer, Technology Education, or Small Business Development.

Include:

Organization Name

Address

Phone(s)

Email(s)

Url (if applicable)

Goals

Areas of Technological Expertise, (what types of technology could this organization or individual test, provide input for, or validate)

Major Funding Source(s)

Contacts with Titles

Contact Log: (this should be brief a description of conversations, what you learned, and any further contacts suggested, along with those contact details).