COSMOS - COntextualization of Software MethOds in the context of a Sustainable Intercultural Healthcare Platform.
Methods in software engineering are formulated in general terms, as if they were universally applicable. However, experience shows that they need to be adapted to fit the needs of specific development situations and domains. This is termed as ‘contextualization’. Since the adaptation normally occurs in industrial countries, it is taken for granted that certain assumptions hold in all contexts. The need for contextualization is much more radical in developing countries, in particular in rural areas, where the basic conditions expected in industrialized countries cannot be met. The main challenges for developing software in and for rural developing areas are:
- carcity of human resources, in particular regarding ICT experts
- The need for a low-cost heterogeneous technical platform
- Poor infrastructure in terms of energy and network availability
- Low education level of user groups and ‘professionals’
- Lack of established organizational structures in rural areas
Contact: Johannes Sametinger