THE ECHO PROJECT

SECTION I The central problem of showing foreign aid success lies in the name itself: foreign aid. Its being carried out hundreds or thousands of miles away, difficult to see or touch. In a local community, if a neighbors house burns, we rush to help and see the success of our ongoing efforts to assist and rebuild. We feel empathy because of our proximity. What if we could make it possible to become as close as neighbors with distant people in distant places? If we aim to raise awareness of the success of aid, we need to find ways to shrink the world we must directly connect communities separated by geography and build relationships between them. This is the goal of The Echo Project, to enable the everyday human actions of people to echo across the globe as an indication of aid success. Well accomplish this by measuring actions that have previously been immeasurable, establishing a collection of real-time data streams, and using that information to tell meaningful stories of foreign aid progress. 1. TRACKING ACTION IN A RADICALLY NEW WAY As large data sets become more ever-present in the public sector, analyzing them will create new opportunities for innovation. But analysis of existing data from aid donations will not yield revolutionary insight and subsequent perception change. To break new ground, we must tap into new types of data. We aim to measure actions indicative of foreign aid success; simply tracking the arrival of an aid package at its delivery site will never be enough. Instead, well track the actual implementation

and operation of aid itself. In place of tracking dollars, or numbers of units delivered, well track actual human activity. To accomplish this well initiate the design of low-cost, lightweight, purpose-built devices that track a finite number of physical activities. All in real time. Collectively, the devices will utilize simple sensors, microcontrollers, and cellular telephones to transform physical actions and movements into data points. Human activities and movements, augmented with these devices, will generate Echoes with worldwide reach. Our goal is to facilitate the design and development of devices that track nearly any existing aid action. For example, tracking devices on a water pump will sense when the handle is operated and those on a syringe sharps container will sense each time a syringe is discarded following a vaccine injection. Likewise, pressure sensors in the entryway of a hospital will detect the movements of people in and out of the building. And these technologies are not future thought; they exist today, and well work with the best of industry partners like Green Goose (http:// greengoose.com/) for low-cost hardware solutions. 2. DATA GENERATING ECHOES When a device is activated by physical action, it generates an Echo. Echoes are our universal file format no matter the source, the data is kept standardized and readable. In its simplest form, an Echo represents basic on/off activity nothing more than a binary bit (either there is an action, or there is not). But an Echo can also contain a name, a text description, GPS location, photos, and more. The unified data packaging will maintain consistency across many different aid efforts and keep data contribution, organization, and access simple. The Echo Project will adhere to open source development principles and include a robust API, allowing any web-connected or cellular device to send or receive Echoes.

3. WHY DO THIS? STORYTELLING. By tracking activity and aggregating real-time data, well create a unique window into the world of aid implementation and its success but this data would be useless without meaningful display. For this reason, we provide the other side of the Echo equation: Echo Streams. Our open API will allow anyone to tap into The Echo Project, requesting customized data streams such as those based on location, aid organization, type of activity, etc. Well create standardized data widgets to display these streams (for use by online organizations that cant commit resources to building their own) but the goal is to fuel a wide variety of data visualizations, interactive experiences, web and mobile applications, and public artworks created by third parties that convey the progress and effect of foreign aid. The Echo Project makes it simple to add a data layer to any product, interface, art project or event. Imagine drinking fountains that activate when clean water is used in the developing world; an electric toothbrush that receives a partial charge each time a child is vaccinated; and twinkling lights in the hands of an audience at a concert that blink as patients move throughout a new hospital. By giving people the ability to easily tap into this stream, we allow data to be stitched into the foundations of everyday life, creating daily encounters with the progress of foreign aid.

SECTION II To adequately validate The Echo Project, a Phase I experimental plan must first test the delivery of action oriented data sets in a controlled, localized area. For this initial trial, we will identify a set number of actions throughout the New York City area and collect corresponding data output in a custom developed server-side database. The granted $100,000 allotment will be initially divided between hardware purchases from preferred technology partners (server hosting, wireless communication devices, sensors + microprocessors) and internal billable hours devoted to design and development of The Echo Project platform (functionality and user experience design; database modeling and API development; etc.) and its associated experimental output interactive displays and experiences. We estimate that 15-20% of the grant will go towards purchasable hardware with the remaining budget allocated to an eclectic team of user experience designers, creative technologists, and front-end and server-side developers. Pending budget flexibility following initial testing, subsequent trials will be attempted in developing areas. At the end of the testing period, success will be measured via the accuracy of collected Echoes, integration into The Echo Project platform and resulting API, and impact of corresponding visualizations and tools created. These customized experiences will be publicly disseminated to measure shift in sentiment upon user engagement. Upon completion, overall program efficacy will be established and, if successful, widened to larger population areas, increased data sets, and more varied user action.