BACK: Decide on the best option

2.6 Think twice before you build a new tool

Building a new tool took longer and cost more than the organisations we spoke to expected. When it was finished, the new tool also rarely did exactly what they needed.

You should only consider building a new tool if you have significant time, technical skills and resources to design and adapt it.

Describe how you will prepare for delays and respond to unexpected problems while building your new tool.

research

Organisations built or commissioned new tools (rather than existing ones) in more than half the cases we saw.

Many problems arose, most often problems in the relationship with suppliers or technical partners (3 out of 10 in Kenya; 4 out of 11 in South Africa). Read more about it in the research report.

resources

Consider reusing and improving existing tools as means to tailor a tool to your specific needs.

- Use, modify and extend existing tools, platforms, and frameworks when possible.
- Read about Kopernik's catalogue overview that features a compilation of low-cost, information communications, technology-based tools intended to help peers in the development sector collect data, communicate with their clients and measure their impact.

Alidade

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

CONGRATULATIONS

2.6 Think twice before you build a new tool