How Software can be used for Development in Cameroon the Cameroon Way.
My country Cameroon faces huge challenges at present and for the future. As a professional software engineer, I've always wished I could make a positive impact using my skill set in the development of my Country. Below is a collection of areas I believe software applications designed by Cameroonians can be effective in promoting positive development in our Nation. Note that I am stressing on 'designed by Cameroonians' as I believe that we as Cameroonians have a much better grasp of the problems we face and thence can provide a much more appropriate solution.
Software as a Service
In its basic form any piece of software that is built provides some kind of service. Software is not an accessory or status symbol. It's a programmed component residing within a computer that solves a specific problem within a specific domain. This concept is important to understand because the misuse of software can be a catastrophic waste of resources. There are three (3) main services that software applications provide:
- Improve process efficiency (reducing human intervention and errors);
- Increasing speed (computers are bloody fast!)
- Supporting Desicion Making (Trend Analysis & Decision Support Systems).
From data management systems to Aircraft positioning systems to Email software, each one provides one or more of the listed services above.
It's no surprise therefore that, there is a certain parallel between the services provided by software and Development. When we seek to develop our services we're seeking to make better decisions, improve our society's infrastructure, processes and systems. Sometimes, it's also important to reduce the time it takes for things to be done. So one can clearly see how some of the goals of development are similar to the services provided by software. This makes the perfect case for the use of software for development.
Application of Software for Development
As I said stated earlier, misuse of software can be a catastropic waste of resources. I will take a look at 2 areas where the application of software can make real difference in the life of the average Cameroonian. Education and Health.
Education
Education is key to development without wanting to state the obvious. However, the delivery of education is also key. Measuring and monitoring performance of schools, pupils, programmes and strategies is also key. without these measurements, it will be impossible to ascertain whether a particular school, pupil, programme or strategy is having positive results. The use of Data Storage and Management systems, statistical analysis tools will help in providing the required metrics for making assessments about perfomance. Software will encourage monitoring as this will be done automatically and consistently by Computer systems rather than error-prone/forgetful humans.
Health
The health sector also faces the same challenges and the same Computer systems will be required. However, there are issues relating to Patient Medical History and Drugs administration which are currently not managed properly using the right computer systems. There are examples of Doctors who use Microsoft Word for managing patient records. Though you might consider this as an application of software, it's clearly using the wrong software in the right place. A specialised sodftware for managing patient records will be more appropriate. In this instance the software is fulfulling two services (process efficiency & decision support). Currently in many hospitals, patients have to wait for hours before they're seen. Such long waits are usually due to burdening manual administration procedures that have to be performed by Doctors or their assistants before the patient is seen. An improvement in speed, as a result of the correct application of Software systems, can make the difference between life and Death.
The way forward
I would recommend that we actively seek new and beneficial ways of applying software to encourage development within Cameroon. The first step is for Cameroonian software developers to think out of the box.They need to take a look at their environment and ask the questions..."Would this process/system/method work better with Software?". If the answer is Yes, then we (as software developers) need to work with Marketing specialists to send the message out there about the benefits of using the software service.
Alot of excuses have been made in the past. It's too expensive, we do not have software developers, the people are not ready etc etc.. To me, these are irrelevant. The message has to be clear and followed up strongly. And I hope you reading this will be part of the Campaign to take the message out there.
Being based in the United Kingdom, I see daily how the application of software changes lives. Lives are being changed in cameroon too, the problem is, not at an acceptable rate. We can do more.