BOOK
Connecting ICTs to Development
Heloise Emdon | Laurent Elder | Ben Petrazzini | Richard Fuchs
(2013)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Over the past two decades, projects supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) have critically examined the ways in which information and communications technologies (ICTs) can be used to improve learning, empower the disenfranchised, generate income opportunities for the poor, and facilitate access to healthcare in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Considering that most development institutions and governments are currently attempting to integrate ICTs into their practices, it is an opportune time to reflect on the research findings that have emerged from IDRC’s work and research in this area.
“Connecting ICTs to Development” discusses programmatic investments made by IDRC in a wide variety of areas related to ICTs, including infrastructure, access, regulations, health, governance, education, livelihoods, social inclusion, technical innovation, intellectual property rights and evaluation. Each chapter in this book analyzes the ways in which research findings from IDRC-supported projects have contributed to an evolution of thinking, and discusses successes and challenges in using ICTs as tools to address development issues. The volume also presents key lessons learned from ICT4D programming and recommendations for future work.
Laurent Elder is the program leader of the Information and Networks program at IDRC in Ottawa, Canada.
Heloise Emdon is manager of international projects at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.
Richard Fuchs is the founder and CEO of Futureworks Consulting, Inc., Hantsport, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Ben Petrazzini is a senior program specialist in the Supporting Inclusive Growth program at IDRC, Ottawa, Canada.
Digital technologies are an indispensable facet of every aspect of our society. Even in the developing world, mobile phones have transformed the lives and livelihoods of average citizens. Yet, two decades ago, when there were more phone lines in Manhattan than in most of Sub-Saharan Africa, only a few visionary institutions could have imagined that computers, the Internet and mobile phones would be so prominent in poverty-stricken environments. One of these visionary institutions was the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), which recognized the important but complex role that information and communication technologies (ICTs) would have in fostering human development and reducing poverty. IDRC-supported projects critically examined the ways in which ICTs could be used to improve learning, empower the disenfranchised, generate income opportunities for the poor, and facilitate access to healthcare in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Their research focused on development priorities that were defined in collaboration with researchers from the Global South, civil society organizations, government officials and policymakers. By supporting research in this field since 1996, IDRC has become one of the leading institutions and key contributors to the growth of the “ICTs for development” (ICT4D) field, specifically because of its strategic decision to focus on building the capacity of Southern researchers and policymakers to explore how ICTs can continue to change people’s lives in the developing world.
Considering that most development institutions and governments are currently attempting to integrate ICTs into their practices, this is an opportune time to reflect on the research findings that have emerged from working alongside researchers in this area. In particular, this book examines how research has helped IDRC contribute to building the ICT4D field based on a nuanced understanding of the relationship between ICTs and development goals. It also discusses programmatic investments made by IDRC since the late 1990s in a wide variety of areas related to ICTs, including infrastructure, access, regulations, health, governance, education, livelihoods, social inclusion, technical innovation, intellectual property rights and evaluation.
Each chapter in this book analyzes how the research findings from IDRC-supported projects have contributed to an evolution of thinking, and the successes and challenges in using ICTs as a tool to address development issues. Each chapter also presents key lessons learned from ICT4D programming and makes recommendations for future work. The book illustrates how IDRC’s focus shifted over time from looking specifically at issues of access to understanding the implications of ICTs in the lives of citizens in the developing world.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecting ICTs to Development_9780857281241 | i | ||
| Title | iii | ||
| Copyright | iv | ||
| CONTENTS | v | ||
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | vii | ||
| Introduction Part I FROM HERESY TO ORTHODOXY: ICT4D AT IDRC | 1 | ||
| The IDRC Idea | 2 | ||
| Reorganizational “fog” | 2 | ||
| A New ICT Convergence | 3 | ||
| “Dancing on Someone Else’s Stage”: A Decade of Celebrity | 5 | ||
| G7 Ministerial Conference on the Global Information Society | 5 | ||
| The Information Society and Development Conference | 6 | ||
| Global Knowledge Partnership: Knowledge for Development in the Information Age | 7 | ||
| The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) | 8 | ||
| Regional Roots | 9 | ||
| Decentralized and regional | 10 | ||
| From country to region to network | 12 | ||
| Building the Field: A Decade of Achievement | 12 | ||
| A Good Time, Not a Long Time | 15 | ||
| A Great Transformation | 16 | ||
| References | 17 | ||
| Introduction Part II FROM BEGINNING TO END TO BEGINNING AGAIN | 19 | ||
| Notes | 25 | ||
| References | 25 | ||
| Chapter 1 CATALYZING ACCESS THROUGH SOCIAL AND TECHNICAL INNOVATION | 27 | ||
| Part I: Demonstrating the Feasibility of and Demand for ICTs (ISPs, IXPs, VSATs and Bandwidth Consortiums) | 28 | ||
| Internet service providers (ISPs) | 29 | ||
| Internet exchange points (IXPs) | 31 | ||
| Very small aperture terminals (VSATs) | 34 | ||
| Consortiums for the bulk purchase of broadband connectivity | 36 | ||
| African research and education networking | 37 | ||
| E-Link Americas | 39 | ||
| Part II: Demonstrating the Feasibility of and Demand for ICTs (Telecenters and Community WiFi Networks) | 40 | ||
| Telecenters | 41 | ||
| Telecentre.org | 42 | ||
| Community WiFi networks | 44 | ||
| Mesh networks | 45 | ||
| Star typology networks | 46 | ||
| Relay devices | 47 | ||
| Long-range WiFi networks | 48 | ||
| Financial sustainability | 48 | ||
| Human resources | 49 | ||
| Regulatory framework | 50 | ||
| Conclusion | 51 | ||
| Notes | 53 | ||
| References | 54 | ||
| Chapter 2 CATALYZING ACCESS VIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY AND REGULATORY RESEARCH | 57 | ||
| Tracking ICT Access and Usage Indicators | 59 | ||
| LAC | 59 | ||
| Africa | 61 | ||
| Asia | 64 | ||
| Investigating Policy and Regulatory Environments | 64 | ||
| Conclusion | 70 | ||
| Notes | 71 | ||
| References | 71 | ||
| Chapter 3 ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE AS A NEW PARADIGM FOR RESEARCH ON ICTs AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY | 75 | ||
| Linking Theory and Practice among IPRs, ICTs and Development | 77 | ||
| Reviewing the Research | 80 | ||
| Exploring open source and development | 80 | ||
| A focus on access | 81 | ||
| Research across Access, Production and Publication | 84 | ||
| Exploring Open Business Models in Latin America and the Caribbean | 85 | ||
| Understanding Media Piracy in Developing Countries | 86 | ||
| Conclusion | 87 | ||
| References | 88 | ||
| Chapter 4 ICTs AND SOCIAL INCLUSION | 91 | ||
| Conceptual Framework | 91 | ||
| Gender Relations, ICTs and Social Inclusion | 93 | ||
| Gender and ICTs: Nature of use | 94 | ||
| Gender and ICTs: Purpose of use | 97 | ||
| Gender and ICTs: Ends of use | 99 | ||
| Cultural Diversity: Using Local Language to Access ICTs | 100 | ||
| Culture and ICTs: Nature of use | 102 | ||
| Culture and ICTs: Purpose of use | 104 | ||
| Culture and ICTs: Ends of use | 106 | ||
| Youth: Responding to Demands | 107 | ||
| Youth and ICTs: Nature of use | 107 | ||
| Youth and ICTs: Purpose of Use | 108 | ||
| Youth and ICTs: Ends of Use | 109 | ||
| Conclusion | 110 | ||
| Appendix 1. Conceptual Framework | 111 | ||
| Notes | 111 | ||
| References | 112 | ||
| Chapter 5 ACCESS AND USAGE OF ICTs BY THE POOR (PART I) | 117 | ||
| Background on ICT and Poverty Research: Moving from the Digital Divide to Digital Poverty | 118 | ||
| The poor’s access to and use of ICTs | 120 | ||
| Why the poor use ICTs | 123 | ||
| Affordability of ICTs | 124 | ||
| Positive and negative aspects of ICT use | 126 | ||
| Understanding the Relationship between Poverty and ICTs: Analytical Frameworks | 128 | ||
| Digital poverty | 129 | ||
| Applying Theory – The Nexus of ICTs and Poverty | 130 | ||
| Discussion | 131 | ||
| Conclusion | 132 | ||
| Notes | 132 | ||
| References | 133 | ||
| Chapter 6 LOCAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ICTs: HOW ICTs AFFECT LIVELIHOODS (PART II) | 137 | ||
| Informal Employment Profiles: Farmers and Micro-entrepreneurs | 138 | ||
| Farmers | 139 | ||
| Micro-entrepreneurs | 140 | ||
| Information Level Changes with Use of ICTs | 142 | ||
| Livelihood Outcomes with Use of ICTs | 145 | ||
| Information costs | 145 | ||
| Income and profitability | 147 | ||
| Productivity | 150 | ||
| Local micro-entrepreneurs | 151 | ||
| Business growth | 152 | ||
| Poverty Reduction through Informal Employment | 153 | ||
| Government Policy | 154 | ||
| Conclusion | 156 | ||
| Note | 158 | ||
| References | 158 | ||
| Chapter 7 RESEARCH ON eHEALTH ACROSS HEALTH SYSTEMS: CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN A FIELD | 161 | ||
| Definitions and Conceptual Framework | 162 | ||
| eHealth and mHealth | 162 | ||
| Health outcomes | 164 | ||
| Field building | 165 | ||
| IDRC Approach to Supporting eHealth Research | 166 | ||
| Different eHealth study designs | 168 | ||
| Outcomes Contributing to Strengthened eHealth Research | 170 | ||
| Health outcomes | 171 | ||
| Evidence contributing to potential outcomes | 172 | ||
| Process outcomes | 173 | ||
| Health status outcomes | 176 | ||
| Research for development outcomes | 177 | ||
| Networks and networking | 177 | ||
| Capacity development | 179 | ||
| Influencing policy | 183 | ||
| Contributions to Strengthening the Field of eHealth Research | 185 | ||
| Research and knowledge | 186 | ||
| Leaders and mentors | 186 | ||
| Strengthening individuals and organizations | 187 | ||
| Supporting spaces and forums | 188 | ||
| Mobilization of resources | 188 | ||
| Future of eHealth Research Support at IDRC | 189 | ||
| Conclusion | 190 | ||
| Notes | 191 | ||
| References | 192 | ||
| Chapter 8 MAKING THE GRADE: THE ROLE OF ICTs IN PROVIDING ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE | 197 | ||
| The Challenges of Improving Access | 198 | ||
| A Shift in Focus: From Access to Pedagogy | 203 | ||
| Exploring the links between pedagogy and student performance | 205 | ||
| From Pedagogy to Social Inclusion | 206 | ||
| Conclusion | 207 | ||
| Notes | 210 | ||
| References | 211 | ||
| Chapter 9 E-GOVERNMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT: ICTs IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND THE EVOLVING CITIZEN–GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP | 215 | ||
| Strengthening Government Administration and Services | 217 | ||
| Digitizing administrative processes | 217 | ||
| eFez, Morocco | 217 | ||
| LOG-IN Africa | 219 | ||
| Sierra Leone project | 220 | ||
| Common service centers | 221 | ||
| Regional e-government initiatives | 222 | ||
| RED GEALC | 222 | ||
| Lessons learned | 223 | ||
| Facilitating Political Participation and Democratic Empowerment | 224 | ||
| CITRED in Northern Ghana | 225 | ||
| Peñalolén, Chile | 226 | ||
| Asia | 226 | ||
| Lessons learned | 227 | ||
| Exploring Emerging Tensions | 227 | ||
| ONI-Asia on censorship and surveillance practices in Asia | 228 | ||
| Transparency versus privacy | 230 | ||
| Judicial information in Latin America and the Caribbean | 230 | ||
| Citizen awareness and policy measures regarding data protection and privacy in Latin America and the Caribbean | 231 | ||
| Privacy issues in Asia | 232 | ||
| Findings of ICT4D-funded research on emerging tensions | 233 | ||
| Conclusion | 233 | ||
| Notes | 235 | ||
| References | 236 | ||
| Chapter 10 INNOVATIONS IN EVALUATING ICT4D RESEARCH | 241 | ||
| Outcome Mapping and Gender Evaluation Methodology | 242 | ||
| Outcome mapping (OM) | 242 | ||
| Gender evaluation methodology (GEM) | 245 | ||
| Evaluating impact | 250 | ||
| Impact assessment frameworks | 251 | ||
| Assessing the impact of public access to ICTs | 253 | ||
| Supporting and Strengthening Evaluation Use and Capacities by ICT4D Researchers and Practitioners | 256 | ||
| Reflections to date from DECI | 257 | ||
| Sensitization to UFE | 258 | ||
| Selection of primary intended users | 259 | ||
| IDRC and DECI | 260 | ||
| Conclusion | 262 | ||
| Notes | 262 | ||
| References | 263 | ||
| Chapter 11 CONCLUSIONS: A DECADE OF INNOVATION THAT MATTERS | 267 | ||
| Avoiding Technological Colonialism | 268 | ||
| “Making” the Market | 269 | ||
| Capacity Development | 270 | ||
| Partners, not Projects | 272 | ||
| How to Fund Research that Makes a Difference | 273 | ||
| Supporting Research through Networks | 274 | ||
| Competitive Grants: Seeding Innovation? | 275 | ||
| A New Era of ICT4D | 276 | ||
| Notes | 277 | ||
| Reference | 277 | ||
| Epilogue INTO THE FUTURE: NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN A GLOBAL NETWORKED SOCIETY | 279 | ||
| Challenges in an Increasingly Networked World | 280 | ||
| IDRC’s Role in this Agenda: Information and Networks Program | 281 | ||
| The enhanced quality of openness | 282 | ||
| The protection of citizens’, consumers’ and prosumers’ rights | 283 | ||
| The inclusion of marginalized communities in the benefits of information networks | 284 | ||
| References | 284 | ||
| AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES | 287 | ||
| Editors | 287 | ||
| Contributors | 288 |