Communities must be at the centre of Social Innovations to enable Digital Transformation

Speaking at the ITU Global Innovation Forum, Phumza Dyani, Broadband Infraco’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer addressing a topic titled: Building ecosystems trust and collaboration for digital transformation’, echoed the importance of communities being co-creators in the Innovation process.

Inclusion is critical to building the foundation of trust and is embodied in the universal consensus on the slogan: ‘Leaving no one behind’. We now have to be specific and intentional about the points at which we start including ‘all’ in the creation process as well as commit to doing it with authenticity. Creating innovations and then expecting communities to adapt has not created success with adoption in the past. Instead, it has created white elephants and distrust for the very same communities we innovate for.

Placing communities at the centre of innovation helps all to craft value statements that resonate with all involved parties effectively. It helps communities to buy into the process as well as understand the possibilities that innovation can create. It provides communities with knowledge and options. It creates a positive relationship of trust and empowerment, where communities become agents of change and advocates of the process.

Localisation and faster Adoption

Communities provide the local essence and cultural aspects which enhance the innovation to be locally relevant. The adoption becomes faster as the innovation addresses specific pain points. Communities also bring in their own innovation and build on the platforms to introduce even more creative solutions. The fear and distrust is dealt with in the process of engagement as they start seeing benefits of using the innovation.

Scale

The sooner there is adoption, there is also fast-tracked use of innovation and the multiplier effect and leverage on innovation is realised sooner.

Sustainability

As communities buy into these innovations, the underlying infrastructural assets are protected by communities as they take accountability for their security understanding the value they bring. Surprisingly, communities add other service aspects that they are willing to pay for.

Take a community of Zenzeleni Networks, a Project started between the academic institution (UWC) and the community of Zenzeleni. The Project deployed technology with a community at the centre, where the community were participants in the building of the network and could also be trained to use the technology for their own community upliftment. The Project enables the community to become ISP co-operatives and participate in the shared value of affordable and meaningful connectivity for South Africans. The Project won the Best Innovation at the Social Impact Award 2017. We need more of these community oriented innovations.      

Equally, a national Project called SA Connect included elements of community inclusion where infrastructure is being deployed to rural communities of South Africa. The main architect of the Project is based on a State owned Company providing the national backbone. The last mile is then provided by the local ISPs, who are in touch with the communities and have leveraged the efficient deployment for job creation, for growth and for building their own networks sustainably.

There was a unanimous agreement from all participants that communities are critical to building trust and humanistic solutions that incorporate ethics and values of society.