The Impact of Public Access to ICTsFindings from a Five-Year, Eight-Country Study

François Bar, Chris Coward, Lucas Koepke, Chris Rothschild, Araba Sey, George Sciadas

ICTD 2013Cape Town, South Africa

8 December, 2013

The solution to development!

Invest, invest, invest!

(SIMPLISTIC) HISTORY OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO ICTS

High expectations!

peregrinari

Mark Surman

Mark Surman

CSC India

PUBLIC ACCESS ICT RESEARCH

Major ICTD research focus in the 2000s, but…

Overall evidence is inconclusive

Anecdotal evidence of impact

Scattered, isolated studies

No studies on indirect impacts or impacts on non-users

Claims “disadvantaged” populations not being reached

Conflicting claims about public access ICT models

ARE PUBLIC ACCESS ICT VENUES…

failures?

make_change

frivolous?

mikekogh

needed? digital.democracy irrelevant? DFID

RESEARCH DESIGN

this is a blank slide for photos or graphics

Lithuania

Ghana

Botswana

South Africa

Bangladesh

Philippines

Chile

Brazil

RESEARCH SITES

libraries telecenters cybercafés

DIFFERENT MODELS OF PUBLIC ACCESS

SURVEY SAMPLE

8

Venue breakdown by country

Libraries Cybercafés Telecenters Other Total

Bangladesh 4 99 148 0 251

Brazil 6 192 39 5 242

Chile 71 109 22 41 243

Ghana 4 220 14 12 250

Philippines 18 229 13 1 261

Total 103 849 236 59 1,247

User Survey:Non-User Survey:- 5,010 total (~1,000 in each country) - 2,000 total (~400 in each country)

Venue Survey: - 1,247 total (~250 in each country)

USER SNAPSHOTMajority of users are:

Young (68% under 25 years old) Male (65%) Educated (82% high school +) Students (44%) Employed (39%) Proficient in English (74%)

Majority of users: Have +3 years computer & internet experience

(60%) Have medium or high computer skills (80%) Have medium or high Internet skills (69%) Own ICTs:

• Computers (56%)• Internet access (28%)• TV (95%)• Radio (83%)• Mobile phone (96%)

Jewish Agency

Corycam

10

DIGITAL INCLUSION

Dorian V.

THE CRITICAL FIRST TOUCH

Bangladesh Brazil Chile Ghana Philippines0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

First use of computer at public access venueFirst use of Internet at public access venue

% o

f use

rs

A public access venue provided:• first ever contact with computers (50%) • first ever contact with the Internet (62%)

ONLY OPTION FOR ACCESS

Public access venues were the only source of access to the Internet for at least a third (33%) of survey respondents

The majority of respondents (over 55%) expect a decrease in their use of computers and the internet if public access venues are no longer available

To get help from other users

To get help from venue staff

Better equipment than home or work

No other option for computer access

To work or be with friends or other people

No other option for Internet access

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Main reasons for using public access venues

DEVELOPING ICT SKILLS

Public access venue

Home School0

10

20

30

40

50

60

ComputerInternet

Most important place where computer and internet skills were developed

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC IMPACTS

PERCEIVED IMPACTS VARY

Communication with family & friends

Education

Pursuing interests & hobbies

Meeting new people

Pursuing other leisure activities

Time savings

Access to employability resources & skills

Financial savings

Access to government information & services

Local language/culture activities

Health

Income

Sending or receiving remittances

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Positive

None

Negative

DOMAIN USE

Communications & Leisure

Education Employment & Income

Culture & Language

Health Governance0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

% of users engaged in each domain in the last 12 months

USER NEEDS DRIVE USE

Didn'

t hav

e th

e ne

ed

Didn'

t thi

nk o

f it

No sp

ecifi

c re

ason

Secu

rity

of m

y in

form

atio

n

Privac

y

Som

e ot

her r

easo

n0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Reasons for not using public access (by domain)

Employment & Income Education HealthGovernance Culture & Language

% o

f u

se

rs

Did you search for a job? (57%)

Did you find information to apply? (89%)

Did you apply? (91%)

GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Did you search for info on how to use government services? (64%)

Did you find information you were looking for? (94%)

Do you feel more knowledgeable on how to use? (95%)

Employment & Income

Governance

HIDDEN IMPACTS

DIRECT

19% of non-users surveyed were former public access users

35% of ex-users first used the Internet at a public access venue

INDIRECT

60% of non-users have family or friends who use public access

Up to 63% perceive positive impacts from family/friend’s use

COMMUNICATIONS CAN LEAD TO OTHER DOMAINS

21

MORE THAN FUN & GAMES

95%

6%

Has using public access computers for commu-nications and leisure improved your overall

ICT skills?

Yes No

Non-instrumental uses (gaming, social) can lead to instrumental

(employability) skills

Is public access a

stepping stone or complement

to private access?

MOBILE PHONE USERS Almost all users surveyed have a

mobile phone (96%)

The majority (88%) of public access users use a mobile phone daily or almost daily

Only 4% of non-users don’t use public access venues because of mobile phones ICT4Gov.net

In-depth study of South African teens:

Complementarity of mobile internet and public access

Opportunity for public access to better embrace mobiles

Marion Walton

PUBLIC + PRIVATE ACCESS

% of public access users with internet at home, by country

Many public access users also have home internet

SEEKING HELP: THE BANGLADESH CASE

All Bangladesh Brazil Chile Ghana Philippines0

10

20

30

40

50

% seeking staff assistance (every time or most times)%

of u

sers

26

STEPPING STONE AT WORK TOO

Some former public access users now use ICTs elsewhere

Former public access users who are computer users, by country (%)

POINTS TO PONDERWhere public access excels

• Digital inclusion – technology access, first touch, ICT skills• Opportunity for social & economic impacts• Benefits extend to non-users

Public access is a part of a larger information ecology• People use a variety of tools and resources for communication &

information needs• New technologies don’t always supplant older ones

Rethink the value of communications and “frivolous” activities• Communications and social networking is a critical asset for

economic, social, and personal well-being• Gaming and other non-serious uses have benefits for skills,

employability, and other instrumental outcomes

28

OPEN DATA

Inventory database

www.globalimpactstudy.org

Technology & Social Change GroupUniversity of Washington Information School

tascha.uw.edu | @taschagroup

Thank You

Chris Cowardccoward@uw.edu