Ground-Potentialising — Sensing Zaria

Purpose: Explains field research goals, leaderboard system, and how individual vs team sensing works.

🌍 What is Ground-Potentialising?

Ground-Potentialising means going into the place — meeting people, listening, and collecting evidence before building.

This section captures individual and team field work and rewards those who gather deep local insight.

Why It Matters

🎯 Real problems come from real people, not assumptions
📊 Evidence-based solutions are more likely to succeed
🤝 Community trust is built through listening, not telling
🏆 Quality research is recognized and rewarded

🎯 Key Goals

1. Listen to Local People and Record Real Problems

What this means:

Spend time in the community observing and asking questions
Talk to people affected by the problem, not just experts
Document what you hear in their own words (quotes)
Understand context: why does this problem exist? What have people already tried?

Not acceptable:

❌ Assumptions based on what you think the problem is
❌ Solutions looking for problems
❌ Interviewing only your friends or family

2. Gather Evidence for Every Meaningful Discovery

Minimum requirements for each field visit:

✅ 3 photos — showing the problem context, people, place
✅ 3 quotes — direct statements from people affected
✅ Short video (60-120 seconds) OR audio recording with transcript

Why this matters:

Evidence proves you did the work
Photos and quotes make your story compelling
Video/audio captures tone and context that text misses

3. Turn Insights into Problem Statements and Prototypes

The progression:

Field research → Collect evidence and quotes
Synthesis → Identify patterns and root causes
Problem statement → Clear articulation of who, what, where, why
Prototype idea → Testable solution based on insights

Example progression:

Field research: “Vendors say drains block every 2 days”
Synthesis: Waste collection is individual, expensive, inconsistent
Problem statement: “200+ vendors lack affordable collective waste collection”
Prototype: Shared collection drum with micro-payment system

🏆 Leaderboards & Incentives

Points are awarded for quality field research and documentation:

Point Categories

📸 Evidence uploads — Photos, videos, audio with proper captions
📝 Pull Requests (PRs) — Submitted documentation
🎤 Presentations — Sharing learnings at events
💬 Quality quotes — Direct, specific, attributed statements
✅ Consent documentation — Proper ethical practices

See the Incentives page for detailed point values and prizes.

What Gets Rewarded

High points:

✅ Deep, specific insights from multiple sources
✅ Evidence showing real people in real contexts
✅ Proper consent documentation
✅ Honest reflection on what you learned

Low/no points:

❌ Generic observations without evidence
❌ Staged photos or fake quotes
❌ Missing consent
❌ Copying others’ work

📋 Quick Start Checklist

Before your first field visit:

Read the Regenerative Development Principles
Prepare consent forms (see FAQ)
Charge your phone/camera
Review the individual sensing template
Identify 3-5 people you want to interview

After your field visit:

Upload photos to Drive immediately
Transcribe quotes while fresh in your memory
Document consent (who agreed, what they agreed to)
Write your reflection (200-300 words)
Submit via the upload form

💡 Tips for Effective Field Research

Before You Go

Research the context — What’s already known about this problem?
Prepare questions — Open-ended, not yes/no
Bring consent forms — Get permission before recording
Go with a partner — Safer and you can compare notes

During Your Visit

Observe first — Spend 15-30 minutes just watching
Ask “why” and “how” — Not just “what”
Record exact words — Don’t paraphrase quotes
Take contextual photos — Show the place, not just close-ups
Note what surprises you — Assumptions that were wrong

After Your Visit

Upload immediately — Don’t lose photos or forget details
Reflect honestly — What did you learn? What confused you?
Share with team — Discuss patterns and insights
Follow up if needed — Sometimes you need a second visit

🤝 Ethical Field Research

✅ Explain who you are and what you’re doing
✅ Ask permission before taking photos or recording
✅ Offer anonymity if people prefer
✅ Show people what you captured (if possible)
✅ Document their consent

Respect and Reciprocity

Respect people’s time — Keep interviews to 10-15 minutes unless they want to talk longer
Give back — Share your findings, offer to help if you can
Be honest — Don’t make promises you can’t keep
Protect privacy — Don’t share identifying information without permission

See Regenerative Development Principles for more on ethical engagement.

📊 Quality Standards

Good Field Research

✅ Specific and detailed

“Vendors spend 30-45 minutes daily sweeping plastic from their stalls”

✅ Multiple perspectives

Interviewed vendors, customers, waste collectors, market manager

✅ Evidence-backed

Photos show the problem, quotes explain impact, video demonstrates scale

❌ Poor Field Research

❌ Vague: “The market has a waste problem”
❌ Single source: Only talked to one person
❌ No evidence: Just descriptions, no photos or quotes

Individual Sensing Template — How to document your field visits
Team Discovery Template — How teams synthesize research
Regenerative Development — Ethical field research principles
Systems Thinking — Analyzing what you discover
FAQ — Common questions about consent and evidence

Ready to start? Fill the [Intake Form] and upload your first field evidence to [Drive] today!

Questions? Check the FAQ or ask in the community channel.