EDM Case Study 1

• Determine the facts in the situation

1. 1. 1. Lesotho is a small developing country in South Africa
      2. The information we need for them is crucial
      3. We are not providing them with financial compensation for the work they are doing for us.
      4. The water source is public
      5. The people in this country don’t know their water isn’t safe/that it is causing disease
      6. Research is done to understand the lifecycle and characteristics of the pathogen.
      7. Future plans involve the development of chemical additives for safe drinking water.

• Define the stakeholders

1. 1. 1. Members of the Lesotho community
      2. Government of Lesotho
      3. team of academic researchers who are doing the research
      4. Journals which will publish this paper
      5. Water management companies
      6. Sellers/consumers of chemical additives 
      7. Organizations funding the research

• Assess the motivations of the stakeholders

1. 1. 1. Academic researchers want to have publications
      2. Lesotho community wants to have safe water
         1. Does the community even know they don’t currently have safe water
         2. Even if it is identified they don’t, will anything change in their water source
      3. New scientific research, and possibly finding, will be produced
      4. Grantgivers want the work to be successful because they want to advance science 

• Formulate at least three alternative solutions (potential solution, ethical principle or code, pros, cons).

1. 1. 1. Pay them.
         1. Potential solution: pay for time and effort, hire a few people dedicated to your research, pay them the standard rate in country or more depending on the rigor of the work
         2. Ethical principle or code:
         3. Pros: 
         4. Cons:
      2. Identify if the chemical additives can cause health complications before using/selling it
      3. Identify community stakeholders and partner with so that can revise and approve the research 
      4. Identify the sources of water yourself
      5. Work with a local university 

• Seek additional assistance, as appropriate

1. 1. 1. Speak with different researchers who have previously worked in the Lesotho community/different projects completed there
      2. Reach out to local NGOs to identify how to address the community/about cultural 
      3. values
      4. Reaching out to local government for more trustworthy information 
      5. Identify who are local partners that can provide more reliable and long term information than random community members
      6. Code of ethics for microbiology research?
      7. Previous researchers who have done similar work
      8. Go to program managers and talk to them about words of wisdom for the research 

• Select the best course of action

1. 1. 1. Proceed with the research but pay the participants 
      2. Partner with the local government on obtaining water resource information in order to obtain more reliable facts and prevent disruption to the community. (hands off collection)
      3. Spend time learning about the community and cultural values through NGOs to discover the best way to address the community with these questions
      4. Educational workshop for the community 
      5. Work with the university in country
      6. Get the village elder to nominate a person you can work with
      7. Look at experts who have done similar work

• (If applicable) What are the implications of your solution on the venture

1. 1. The chemical company makes profits and takes away from the growth of local industries.

Answers

1. Funded by grant
2. Public property
3. The people don’t realize that their water is unsafe
4. All over the country, they are testing water sources

Is it Ethical to conduct this study? (what other people said)

1. Non-ethical: The team comes in without establishing connections who will be involved on-site (not sustainable and won’t benefit the community)?
2. Non-ethical: Potential further perpetuation of economic disparity by driving up costs of water based on study findings? (bad take KJ didn’t like that)
3. Ethical if you pay them 

Not human subject

Ethical study, therefore (although methods may be questionable).