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A Big Year for Innovation: What technology Does for USAID

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Ann Mei Chang is the Executive Director of the U.S. Global Development Lab at USAID (U.S. Agency for Internal Development). This special sector of USAID was created last April to heighten awareness toward the application of science and technology for a greater impact in helping end extreme poverty worldwide. There are 9 areas of focus for this mission:

  1. Food security & nutrition modernizing food assistance
  2. Ending preventable child & maternal deaths
  3. Energy access
  4. Water solutions
  5. Child literacy
  6. Financial inclusion
  7. Human rights
  8. Participation & accountability
  9. Humanitarian response

These areas are of top priority to the new lab and can be supplemented by technology. The Center for Data Analysis & Research is composed of team members who are responsible for gathering and analyzing the data from said projects being conducted by USAID. With so much hype surrounding data and analysis now there are many new technology companies designing software and platforms to help extract knowledge from your data.

ChalkLabs has been involved in helping companies innovate with specialized knowledge discovery solutions for years. We provide the expertise and speed of the leading competitors such as SAS, Oracle, and SAP minus the typical large company cost. Featuring true in-memory computing, Pushgraph PaaS exceeds the standard speed and scalability of the biggest names on the market. Monitor millions of real-time events to discover valuable and actionable insights. Find out exactly where funding is being wasted and prevent duplication in programming, research priorities, et. al. Former and current ChalkLabs clients include National Institute of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and even the USDA.

 Free Live Demo

(usaid.gov)

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Big Data & a Big Impact on Govt

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By now you may have heard of the Big Data “revolution” that is taking many industries by storm. What you may not realize is how much there is to gain by utilizing information extracted from Big Data to help guide and improve the future of various companies and organizations, such as those within our government.

A great example of an organization which could benefit from Big Data analytics, USAID has its hands full trying to feed the world and provide new and untapped resources to those who live in some of the most difficult places in the world. Right now USAID is working on meeting some very important world goals and every dollar of funding needs to be guided to the right place to make the largest impact. USAID works hard to bring markets for sale of goods and services to those who cannot reach them. This is important work and the money that goes into it affects millions of people all over the globe.

In the 2014 report titled Big Data Seizing Opportunities, Preserving Values,  “properly implemented, Big Data will become a historic driver of progress, helping our nation perpetuate the civic and economic dynamism that has long been its hallmark.”

Photo credit- Wired.com and NIST.gov

Photo credit- Wired.com and NIST.gov

So how exactly can we take big benefits from Big Data?

Identifying and removing duplicated projects for large organizations is one of the ways that Pushgraph can help your business save time and money. Uncovering redundant or out-dated business operations that can be closed or improved is another. Visual analytics and predictive analysis  provide proactive insight into future decision-making. Some government agencies, such as the NIH, USDA, and USAID, are already gaining knowledge and insight by utilizing Big Data. One of these organizations achieved 2083% ROI by using Pushgraph PaaS. With better metrics than all of the leading competition, an easy-to-use interface, and fast deployment time, Pushgraph can save your large organization lots of time (i.e. money).

Pushgraph PaaS is designed to process large amounts of structured or unstructured data at speeds which far surpass that of the some of our competitors (e.g. SAS, SAP, Oracle). ChalkLabs professionals build your applications on this incredible platform by analyzing and modeling your existing workflows. We are highly experienced in consulting, data management, web development, and are dedicated to ensuring you get the most ROI on your investment. Why wait until another year passes?

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(source – http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/economic-growth-and-trade)

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/)(http://1.usa.gov/1ky0reK)

 

 

USAID is “Feeding the Future”

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The U.S. has been a leader in global aid efforts and reform initiatives for decades now.

By 2050 there will be about 9 billion mouths to feed which means we have to double our current food production to compensate.

world_hunger

After the extreme increase in food costs in 2007-2008, President Obama decided to take action to begin helping the 800 million people who suffer from hunger.

Since the launch of Feeding the Future Initiative backed by the government in 2010, the impact of the educational efforts and time spent changing lives by U.S organizations has shown substantial benefits in so many countries.

Now, USAID faces the never-ending challenge of helping to reduce the amount of people who have to go to bed hungry every night as well as the number of children facing malnutrition.

The primary problem? World hunger. The solution? Access to adequate farming resources and knowledge of better crop-growing practices and the development of small and mid-sized agriculture businesses worldwide.

USDA is also helping USAID in the allocation of resources to those in need. The USDA has helped train more than 145,000 farmers and small to mid-sized food producers on new and improved methods of farming and food safety practices.

Thanks to Feed the Future Initiative, we now see countries like Zambia, Ethiopia, Honduras, and Tanzania (to name a few),  producing up to 32% more crops to feed their people.

ChalkLabs currently offers solutions to farmers in need of technology to track weather information, improve crop yield, and show where they are wasting resources among many other benefits within the overall knowledge of your business endeavors.

If you would like to see all of the recent details from the recent year on the USAID website, please visit the link below.

Feed the Future Fact Sheet

(usaid.gov)

ChalkLabs Website