Roger Harris Associates

2. Case Studies, Contemporary Issues and Current Research

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND RURAL

DEVELOPMENT

Roger W. Harris PhDRoger Harris Associates

Hong Kong

China Agricultural University2010

Agenda

Case studiesIssuesResearch

Case studies eBario Khoun Radio M-PESA Mission 2007 India

Issues Sustainability Evaluation Scaling up Mobiles vs. Computers Indigenous peoples & ICTs

Research Teaching ICT4D Why do research Publishing: conferences Publishing: journals Getting cited in ICT4D

Agenda

Case studiesIssuesResearch

Case studies eBario Khoun Radio M-PESA Mission 2007 India

Issues Sustainability Evaluation Scaling up Mobiles vs. Computers Indigenous peoples & ICTs

Research Teaching ICT4D Why do research Publishing: conferences Publishing: journals Getting cited in ICT4D

e-Bario Telecentre, Sarawak, Malaysia

BarioRemote, isolatedFly-in onlyStarved of informationPoor communicationsIndigenous, minority cultureDwindling population

e-BarioTelecentre with satellite Internet and solar powerProject began in 1998 by Universiti Malaysia SarawakNow owned by the communityContributing to local development; culture, tourism and tradeWon multiple awards.ReplicatingImplementing Community Radio

Khoun Community Radio - Laos

On air since October 2007UNDP, Ministry of Information and Culture and the Province Department of InformationCommunity-led, operated by volunteersLocal line agencies broadcast information Broadcasts in three local languagesRadio is in 61% of households Radio is rated as the most useful medium for receiving information.

M-PESA

Mission 2007 India Grameen Gyan Abhiyan, Rural

Knowledge Movement Multi-stakeholder partnership network Nation-wide initiative launched in 2004

to facilitate setting up knowledge centres in each of India’s 600,000 villages by 2007

412 partners: Private sector Academic Health Bi-lateral/ Multi-lateral Donors Civil Society International Outreach

Jamsetji Tata National Virual Academy

Agenda

Case studiesIssuesResearch

Case studies eBario Khoun Radio M-PESA Mission 2007 India

Issues Sustainability Evaluation Scaling up Mobiles vs. Computers Indigenous peoples & ICTs

Research Teaching ICT4D Why do research Publishing: conferences Publishing: journals Getting cited in ICT4D

Telecentre Sustainability Sustainability usually means the ability to

generate revenue to cover operational costs

Market-based approaches fail the poorest The more a telecentre is required to

generate revenues, the less emphasis it will place on supporting development and the more it will place on revenue-generating services

But without incentives for generating some revenue, telecentres will continue to depend on subsidies

Necessary to strike a careful balance between subsidy and revenue

Universal service funds can support telecentres, the same way other public services are supported, which are often enjoyed by the rich

Who pays? – Multiple models

Government Malaysia: two schemes under two ministries Vietnam: ‘Culture Points’ under Ministry of Info & Comms

Universal Service Funds Subsidy schemes: Malaysia ‘Kedai.com’, libraries Least cost auctions: Nepal

Private sector New entrants: Sri Lanka, with decreasing subsidies Corporations: ITC India – e-Choupal

Civil Society NGOs CBOs Research institutions

Evaluation Why evaluate? Evaluate what?

Outputs Outcomes

When to evaluate? Independent? How to interpret the results? Success or failure?

We have

this indicator that

measures...

...let me tell you

a story..

.

We have this indicator

that measures...

...let me tell you a story...

Evaluations look for this

Evaluations downplay these

Evaluations probably miss

these

UnexpectedExpected

Desirable

Undesirable

Time

Evaluations don’t look for this

Scaling up The difference between pilot projects and scaling projects.

The need for coordinated delivery of public e-services

The importance of methodologies.

Establishing the telecentre eco-system; Universities Businesses Development agencies NGOs Media Government

Mobile vs. ComputersComputersMobile

Positive

Negative

• Affordable by BOP• Low power use• Approaching ubiquity• Grass-roots driven applications

• Endless innovation with function

• Low cost internet access• Nearly free to operate• FOSS keeps costs down • Many to many

• Walled garden; cost of entry• Limited functionality• Difficult to modify• Metered use• Centralised systems - vulnerable

to disasters and government control

• Hub and spoke

• Unaffordable domestically• Telecentres have limited reach

and sustainability issues

False Dichotomy: Convergence of applications and services which interoperate seamlessly over mobile networks and the Internet

e-Inclusion for Indigenous Peoples

5% of the world’s population, 15% of the world’s poor.

350 million, 70% in Asia. Least-served, poorest and most

vulnerable. Perceived as being against

development. Many of the characteristics of new

media lend themselves to solutions to the problems faced by indigenous peoples.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides an opportune platform for action.

The eBario Vision for Indigenous Peoples and ICTs.

Agenda

Case studiesIssuesResearch

Case studies eBario Khoun Radio M-PESA Mission 2007 India

Issues Sustainability Evaluation Scaling up Mobiles vs. Computers Indigenous peoples & ICTs

Research Teaching ICT4D Why do research Publishing: conferences Publishing: journals Getting cited in ICT4D

Teaching ICT4D – Multi-Disciplinary

Information Systems What can be done with technology and how to get the most from it.

Computer Science How the technology works.

Development Studies The causes of poverty and efforts to alleviate it.

Social Sciences Social impacts

Communication How the media, including new media, promotes social change

Economics Micro enterprises, social enterprises and ICTs

Why do research?

To obtain a degree Satisfy the examiner

To advance an academic career Publish Publish Publish

To influence practice Multiple communications

To enjoy the lifestyle To change the world Some or all of the above

Researching ICT4D

Impact and evaluation Poverty reduction – really? Technology appropriation Unexpected but desirable outcomes Gender differentiation

Sustainability Types of sustainability Who pays?

Replication Conditions required for successful replication and scaling

Technology diffusion and convergence Mobiles, internet, radio etc. E-inclusion for vulnerable groups Regulatory reform

Publishing; Conferences

International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Development ICT4D 2010 London

IFIP9.4 Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries 2011 Nepal

eIndia July 2011

eBario Knowledge Fair November 2011

Journals - Impact

African Journal of Information & Communication Technology

International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions

Information Development

Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries

Asian Journal of Communication

International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology

African Journal of Information and Communication

Information Technology for Development

Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries

Information Technologies and International Development

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Getting cited in ICT4D

90% of Social Science conference papers are never cited.

The average citation rates in computer science conferences are much higher.

The average citation rates in multi-disciplinary conferences such as the ICTD conferences that span both the technical and the social, are somewhere in between.

Therefore: Conference papers should be the

lowest priority (but there are many other good reasons for presenting at a conference).

Publish in the top 3 journals

THANK YOU

Roger Harris Associates

Roger W. Harris PhDRoger Harris Associates

Hong Kong