I do a lot of work with World Vision Canada and have this week met with some great people working on an innovative project that could have significant impact above and beyond their initiative. It's called "Last Mile Mobile Solutions" and it's a partnership with FieldWorker Mobile Technology Solutions to produce mobile units that speed up, and digitize, the process of food distribution in poverty and crisis relief programs. Here's a video that illustrates the technology and its potential:

This quote from the website contextualizes the potential for innovation with this device/concept:

LMMS replaces an intensive manual, paper-based process. Crucial information is captured using handheld computing units that wirelessly transmit that information to permanent database storage, analysis and reporting. The mobile features enable staff to roam and send and retrieve data that they need. Bar-coded identity cards link beneficiaries to a wireless data management system, which enables faster and more efficient field operations. Preliminary results indicate a 75% reduction in beneficiary processing and verification times at food distributions. LMMS eliminates the reliance on paper-based systems, automates calculations and delivers faster web-based reports to donors and stakeholders. The project is an example of how the humanitarian and private sector have combined their respective strengthens to achieve substantial impact in improving efficiency and accountability in humanitarian action.

Update: Jay Narhan has setup a blog dedicated to the LMMS project.