I’ve worked at the intersection of community development, gender, youth participatory media, rights-based approaches and digital development since 1994, starting in El Salvador where I spent the 1990s.
I’m an anthropologist by degree and a participant-observer by nature.
I have been an independent consultant since 2014.
Current projects:
- supporting The Asia Foundation to develop and implement organization-wide responsible data policies and practices
- advising the Mastercard Foundation on MERL Tech, digital development, and responsible data
- working with iMedia to support the Gates Foundation and its partners with research and learning on digital social and behavior change communication (SBCC)
- supporting UNICEF (through Development Gateway) to develop organization-wide data governance strategy and practice
- providing training on digital safeguarding and data protection to members of the Funders Safeguarding Coalition
- developing online group moderation guidelines and a training pack for Save the Children International
- convening MERL Tech and Technology Salon NYC events
- working with a small group to address colonial practices in evaluation at individual evaluator and systemic levels
Recent projects:
- developed a report and framework for UNHCR on feasibility of designing safe digital mental health and psycho-social support for adolescents
- supported Amnesty International with scoping research for a new child/youth digital rights and wellbeing program
- coached a large social media company on child safety via Child Wise
- supported on-demand data privacy and ethical design support for Here I Am
- worked with a team to conduct an assessment of WHO’s chatbots
- researched Remote M&E during COVID-19 for ALNAP and for the International Development Law Organization
- provided responsible data governance and M&E support and guidance to CLEAR Anglophone Africa
- co-authored UNICEF’s manifesto on good governance of children’s data
- developed a report for Save the Children on digital safeguarding for migrating and displaced children
- conducted a gap assessment of the Principles for Digital Development and draft guidance on inclusion, transparency and accountability, and data responsibility
- created data responsibility guidance and two case studies for the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP)
I organize the MERL Tech conference and community of practice, which brings different disciplines together to discuss, learn, and intentionally shape how technology and (MERL) intersect. I also run the New York City Technology Salon, where we regularly convene to discuss and debate emerging issues at the intersection of technology and development, humanitarian, and social impact work.
In the past, I have supported CARE, Humanity United, Civic Hall, Farm Radio, Girl Effect, Catholic Relief Services, Girls Who Code, and USAID to develop responsible data principles, policies, guidelines, and practices. I also advised The Rockefeller Foundation on innovation and ICTs in evaluation. I previously worked at Plan International on youth engagement, child rights, digital development, and transparency & governance.
I’ve written reports, toolkits, guidance, and other publications related to digital development, data responsibility and digital safety. (See below for a list of publications). I also co-developed a satirical side project called WhiteSave.Me.
I’m a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM). I used to tweet as @meowtree but have moved over to Mastodon as @meowtree@mastodon.social.
Publications:
2022
Responsible Data Governance for M&E in the African Context. Part 1: Overview of Data Governance
Responsible Data Governance for M&E in the African Context. Part 2: Practical Guidance
Non-work obsessions include my cats, my neighborhood in Brooklyn, politics, music, my bike, and healthy food.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog/website are my own. They do not represent the views or opinions of my employers or affiliates, past or present.
Contact me at lindaraftree [at] gmail [dot] com.
Wait... What? 
WP – Better! Nice!
thanks Elisa! I feel like I finally graduated from blogging pre-school… 🙂
hello,
I love your blog. Am also involved in the same area at the coastal region of kenya and I want to see how I can Use ICT to share and generate knowledge. We can get intouch Ias I could greately benefit from your experince. I could offer my email address if its ok
Hi Teddy, thanks for reading! It would be great to connect about ICTs in the coastal region. It’s fine if you send me your email.
New blog looks great, Linda !
i like about this web site
[…] initially sought. In particular, the complicated nature of Africa mobile Internet was explained by Linda Raftree from her personal experience. Katrin Verclas, of Mobile Active, provided the initial introduction, […]
People sometimes get /amazingly/ offended and upset when I incorporate *blink* into online conversation.
Now I can say, “It’s no big deal. It just means something like ‘Wait, what?'”
thanks for this
and for the blog
stay well
ben
lraftree
I am getting so impressed about you and your activities. You are such a great innovitor. As I said, I need some partnership link with you. I need similar development for Liberia. The facts that You can leave your country to go to the remote parts of Africa and sit with African to help change their mind, It mean you are truly a African savior. I am so impressed about. Keep the good and God will help yoouu to achieve your goals.
Harris
Hi Harris and thanks again for the kind words. However I would say that you are doing more for the continent of Africa than I am with all of your efforts to train the youth in Liberia. I really congratulate you for that work and encourage you to keep it up! Have you contacted Computer Aid in Liberia? or Plan Liberia? You can probably find their contact information by doing a Google search to see if they are working on any programs in your district or if they would be interested in hearing more about what you are doing. Best, Linda
Very interesting blog!
I find your blog very interesting and you are just a wonderful multi-talented individual intervening in different aspects of human life.
Let me give you a typical Bafut interpretation of your Blog title Wait, What?
N yu’u ta ke? meaning, Take action.
Since you are focusing “on integrating new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and social media into community development programs and communications initiatives to improve impact, reach and quality, and to offer tools that can help increase youth participation and voice at local, national and global levels”, would you mind considering using video phone technology for distance learning progams? This is an area of interest to me and we could share ideas.
Thanks again Edmund for the comment, I really appreciate it! Are you using video phone technology for distance learning now? At what level? Primary, secondary or higher education? How has your experience been?
Hi Linda, you may remember me from the writing workshop in kenya earlier this year. I wanted to let you know that I finally got round to starting a blog – you might find some of it interesting and hopefully not too cynical! http://kitchenaid.posterous.com/
I read yours with interest. Take care!
Hi Leila! love your blog! have left mine a bit dormant this past month or so… too much going on…. hope you are well!
Hi Linda,
Working in Plan Sweden with Corporate Engagement in the Programme Department. Trying to learn more about ICT4Dev and Plans work in the area and came across your blog. Understand you are a key person in the field 🙂
Cheers
Elin Wallberg
Hi Elin – look forward to working together!
Hi Linda – I think you have a fabulous blog! You and your colleagues may be interested in this: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/onlinediscussion/
Hola Linda.
La felicito por su blog esta muy interesante, especialmente lo referente a El Salvador. Agradecería me enviara su dirección de correo electronico.
Atentamente
Luis Manzur
Amazing examples of how networking technologies can make such a difference to people in remote areas, and living in very difficult situations. I’ve been researching how different organizations are using mobile technology to develop services to alert and educate people. I never knew the power of something as basic as SMS. I did chat with FrontlineSMS recently and saw what a difference a small organization can make.
[…] Tech was started by Linda Raftree and Wayan Vota in 2014 with the M&E Tech Conference and Deep Dive, supported by The […]
Wow! great and outstanding contribution to Data Digitization. Thank you Linda.