Hug:software evaluation

From FOSSWiki

Code of Conduct

The ultimate purpose of a Humanitarian User Group (HUG) is the help alleviate suffering and help save lives, so we must ensure that the software solution being provided brings true value for this purpose. If using a particular software strategy is not appropriate in that particular circumstance, we must not push a software agenda as the humanitarian goals take priority.

Apart from this we should also strive to follow the proven and well established Red Cross/Crescent Code of Conduct in our activities in disaster response.

Measuring the Applicability of a Software Solution

The following provides some measures you can use to evaluate the applicability of a particular software strategy for humanitarian response.

• Effectiveness. Does the new system cut down on processing times for specific business processes? How much does the system improve the quality of decision-making within the organisation?
• Efficiency. Are response times faster, and by how much? Is it significantly easier to find critical data?
• Networking. Do staff see a measurably increase in their links to others within the organisation? Does the system improve the visibility of their role within the organisation?
• Access. How many staff have direct and indirect access to this? How many external stakeholders are involved (where appropriate)?
• Support. What level and type of support is available for users, either internally or externally? What are the response times for this support?
• Usability. Standard usability measures here.
• Impact. Do the above contribute to significant positive or negative change in the working practices and structures of the organization? What opportunity costs are associated with implementing the programme? How do staff respond to the introduction of the new technology?