Digital Pulse - Ch 2 - Sec 3 - Increasing the Relevance of ICT for Development

Summary

In the wider debate about ICT-for-development (ICT4D) there are three assumptions driving worldwide activities to enhance poor peoples access to information. These are that: (1) information and communication are vital for rural development, (2) ICTs extend and magnify their development potential, and (3) that “shared community facilities” are the most feasible approach to implementing universal ICT access. This brief paper focuses on the topic of “shared facilities” and the ways to make them more effective tools for development. It examines several aspects of telecentres and then looks at 10 major challenges for ICT4D and telecentre initiatives.

Key Points

The paper argues that despite some pessimism about the cost utility of ICT investment, societies that dismiss the potential of ICTs risk “stagnation in their Development Index.” The telecentre and the Internet are increasingly vital for national development and economic growth. Despite this, many societies are entering this arena with a considerable digital divide because of the inability for rural communities or individuals to access these resources. The concept of shared access development is seen as a partial panacea to this problem and has manifested itself in 3 principal tracks: the cybercafe, the information access point (IAP), and the telecentre. There are important differences between each. Telecentres tend to be public sector ventures, operated by governments or NGOs, with a mandate to serve low-income clientele by providing access to a broad range of communication services. Services are often free or heavily subsidised. Cybercafes are commercially inclined, private sector initiatives primarily providing basic web access for entertainment and personal communication to more urban and economically secure clientele. IAPs fall between the two, focusing on the Internet but primarily emphasizing information searches. These are often located in libraries, community centres and schools.

The first stage of making ICTs more relevant has been mostly devoted to institution building and connectivity within the telecentre movement. These efforts are characterized by E-Readiness assessments and the creation of Country Gateways. The next stage of telecentre development needs to concentrate on how to make ICT4D and telecentres more effective and to secure their sustainability and viability. The report notes the following 10 challenges facing telecentres in 2003.

1. There is a need for an effort to make telecentre content needs based and locally relevant. Quality information and services must be appropriate and demand-driven.
2. Policy-makers must commit to and provide funding and organizational resources for multi-year programs.
3. There is a need for regional and local NGO partnerships to bring action to and provide feedback for national policies. This does not entail centralized planning.
4. Local “champions” (innovators) are key to mobilizing others to accept and utilize ICT programs. Their relevance and application must be presented to the community.
5. Community volunteers are vital for telecentre operation and strategies must be developed to “Gain, Train, and Retain.” The presence of female volunteers is especially important.
6. Clustering and Networking of telecentres can enhance performance through resource sharing and support components that provide content, training, liaisons, and promotions.
7. There is a need for a systemic effort to increase community awareness about information and ICTs as useful resources. People must learn what ICTs can do for them.
8. Increased research on needs assessments and project evaluation will contribute to improvements in telecentre management and creation of simple monitoring tools.
9. Long term business plans that fit the community's culture, and manage a balance between income generation and the provision of public goods, are vital for sustainability.
10. Several obstacles to access must be overcome to ensure participation:
1. Economic obstacles, the community's ability to pay and perceptions of value.
2. Physical obstacles, the proximity of telecentres to established community meeting points.
3. Social obstacles, the need to create spaces for women and separate age groups.
4. Political obstacles, the avoidance of power struggles and inter-community disputes that foster exclusion and inhibit collaboration.
5. Public Awareness, both that the telecentre exists and the benefits that it offers.

The article also provides a more in-depth look at the particularly rigid barriers to women's access to ICTs and suggests that utilizing intermediaries and the already existing networks of women's self-help groups (SHGs) may offer significant promise. By providing ICT training to representatives of these micro-economic groups, access to information and knowledge can be broadened. The paper concludes by arguing that when properly structured and implemented, ICT initiatives can have a concrete impact on peoples' everyday lives.

Source: Paper was prepared for the govt. of China's international workshop on ICT for Poverty Reduction and Rural Development, January 15-19 2003. For earlier articles by the author that it was partially excerpted from follow this link.