Social impact work requires unique knowledge, skills, and approaches, but importantly the right mindset. IEEE SIGHT has learned that training and professional development in the social sciences is key for SIGHT Groups to implement sustainable and impactful projects with local communities. With that in mind, IEEE SIGHT has determined five key subject areas: 1) Overview of sustainable development; 2) Engineering and sustainable development; 3) Human-centered & community-based solutions; 4) Social impact project management; and 5) Social impact assessment.
Below are an initial set of learning materials under each subject area. Please reach out to email hidden; JavaScript is required for additional information.
Recommended resources by subject area:
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addOverview of Sustainable Development
Every SIGHT volunteer should have basic knowledge of the field of sustainable development. The resources below provide an entry way into understanding the industry:
[ Books/Articles ]
Development as Freedom, Amartya Sen
Poor Economics, Esther Duflo & Abhijit Banerjee
Small is Beautiful, EF Schumacher
[ UN Sustainable Development Goals ]
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
Guardian Article about Sustainable Development Goals
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addEngineering and Sustainable Development
Every SIGHT volunteer should understand an engineer’s role in sustainable development. The sampled resources provided give an overview of an engineer's role in social impact and development projects.
[ Webinars/Online Classes ]
EGD 101 (coming 2016)
[ Books/Articles ]
“Appropriate Technologies in the Globalized World: FAQs“
Mastering the Machine: Poverty, Aid, and Technology, Ian Smillie
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addHuman-centered & Community-based Solutions
Every SIGHT volunteer should learn about human centered and community-based solutions. The example tools and methods provided can be applied to your project approach, research, and execution.
[ Toolkits & Methods ]
Portland State’s A Model for Sustainable Humanitarian Engineering Projects
Frog Design’s Collective Action Toolkit
Cornell University’s BOP Protocol
IDEO’s DesignKit
Stanford University d.School’s Use Our Methods
Nesta’s DIY Toolkit
[ White Paper ]
GATD & Catapult Design’s Demand Driven Innovation
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addSocial Impact Project Management
Every SIGHT volunteer should learn about social-impact project management and implementation. The tools and methods below are a few ways to get started:
[ PM Toolkits/Methods ]
E4C’s How to Write a Proposal for Development Work in Your Community
Frog Design’s Collective Action Toolkit pgs 32-36
Community ToolBox’s Developing a Plan for Increasing Participation in Community Action
[ Project Implementation Tools/Methods ]
SSIR Article on Lean Methods for Social Impact Projects
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addSocial Impact Assessment
Every SIGHT volunteer should learn about social impact assessment. The resources listed provide an overview of impact assessment and sample tools to utilize in your projects:
[ Impact assessment resources: ]