Using microcomputers to monitor remote projects

In the past decade or so, development aid has tended to shift from the big capital projects to small projects at times initiated by the local communities. This is especially true in the fields of water supply and sanitation, squatter up-grading, irrigation and housing infrastructure. In spite of the advantages this shift has brought about, however, it has tended to highlight the difficulty in effective monitoring of any mini-projects spread over wide areas. In many circumstances, these projects have to be coordinated from a central point either at the agency's headquarters or at regional offices. The problem is how to access, update and analyse information about the performance of these projects both individually and collectively with a degree of reliability and speed for planning purposes. This paper looks at how the micro-computer can help in this task thereby enhancing the possibility of completing the projects on time, within budget and hopefully to the desired specifications.