Uses of ICTs for Development

Devyani Mani, UNCRD

Is there sufficient knowledge on ICTs for Development?

Focus on need for incorporation of ICTs but… Limited documentation of best practices Documentation does not include political, cultural, and social concerns

ICTs and Human Security

Economic development of poor communitiesSocial development, empowerment, and social capitalEnvironmental managementCultural preservationAccountability and good governance

Economic development of poor

Creation of new economic activities and opportunities Increasing efficiency in existing activities

ProductivityAccess to marketsE-commerce

Constraints in using ICTs for the Poor

Heeks:Source proximityTrustKnowledgeConfidence and security

What do the poor need?

Ability to assess and apply informationLocally relevant informationICTs to give them voiceIntelligent and dedicated intermediaries

Poor and development agents, markets

Community intermediariesControl over technology

Social development

EducationTeachers vs. computersTopic-specific educationAdult educationRadio, TV

HealthHealth related information dissemination

Impacts on Women

Access to information for empowerment and participation in economic, community, and household activities Grameen mobile phonesWomen as sources of information Child care, crops, nutrition, local indigenous medicine

Empowerment and Social Capital

Strengthening of communities for participation in developmentLiberation of marginalized groupsLinking diverse communities (bridging)Linking communities with government (linking)

Environmental Management

Natural resources managementDisaster mitigationGeographic Information Systems (GIS)Information dissemination Communication between stakeholders

Cultural Preservation

Cultural heritage and diversityFundamentalism and ethnocentricity

Good governance, transparency, and accountability

“The right to information has often been described as one of the most effective tools in the hands of citizens not only to fight corruption and the arbitrary exercise of power in the structures of government, but also to participate in governance.”

Good governance

EfficiencyDecision-makingCoordinationInformation disseminationMulti-stakeholder participation Reduced corruption

Risks in using ICTs for improving governance and service delivery

Acceptance of concerned agencyReform agendaIdentification of information systems requirementsEvolutionary approachPrioritizationConsultation and participation of stakeholders

Experiments in Narrowing the Digital Divide

Two best practices

Gyandoot, Dhar District, Madhya Pradesh, India

Initiated 2000Stockholm Challenge Award 2000

Village Knowledge Centres, Pondicherry, India

Initiated 1998Stockholm Challenge Award 2001

ICTs for the rural poor:

Increase economic activity Provide social services Empowerment Both best practices have been replicated successfully throughout their regions

The Gyandoot Project

Aim: Establishment of Community ownedInnovative and Sustainable IT project In a very poor and backward area

(income < US$ 250/year).

Social and economic development needsE-governance, e-commerce, e-education

Information Demand from Villagers

Participatory Rural Appraisals Results

Information on agricultural produce auction ratesLand records Complaints and redressal – government services

Services provided Agriculture produce auction centresCopies of land recordsOn-line registration of applicationsOn-line public grievance redressalInformation on government programmesRural e-mailVillage auctionOn-line matrimonial siteAsk the expert Free e-mail facility on social issues

Project Reach

31 village information kiosksCovering > 600 villages (1 kiosk for 25-30 villages)Population 500,000 people (60% poor)Kiosks are located in village committee buildings, schools, or markets

Mode of Operation

Operator – Soochak Selected by village committee and local community after preliminary trainingSoochak is trained by District Council The kiosk is run on commercial lines Soochak is an entrepreneur and earns from user charges10% of income is commission to District for maintenance of network

Setting up a kiosk

Cost of a kiosk US$ 1500Private investment Bank loanCommunity

Entrepreneur pays US$ 100/year as license fees Operational cost US$ 20 per month Recovery from user feesIncome > US$ 800/ year

Funding of Project

Network Cost US$ 55,000No burden on government Sources of project funding

Private investment Village CommitteeCommunity

Observations Role of kiosk manager

Familiarize users with the technology; Manage the kiosk; and Collect and send feedback from the user to the main office at the district level that develops the content of the system.

Empowerment with informationAccountability and transparency in governmentResistance overcome by people’s demand

Issues to be overcome

Low participation of women Low community involvement in content creation Need for multimedia contentHigh dependence on kiosk managers Increasing usage of systems

Number of usersNumber of uses

Village Knowledge Centres

Initiated by an NGO Initial 10 telecentres established with donations from private group in Japan and Motorola CorporationAdopted by Union Territory Government for replication in all villages in jurisdiction

Concept

Pro-poor, pro-women, pro-environmentCommunity ownership of technology Collective action Local knowledge with value addition by experts Demand-driven content 50% of population in this area poor (income < US$25/month)

Services

Agricultural inputs- and outputs-relatedMarket informationEntitlementsHealthcareLivestock careTransport informationWeather

Method

Information gathered by local people, mostly women and fed into the intranetValue addition to raw information by local volunteersContent in local language and multimediaAll volunteers are trainedActive participation of villagersCulture-specific aspects

Issues to be overcome

Financial sustainabilityIntroduction of user chargesIncreasing usage of systems

Number of usersNumber of uses

Connection to government machinery

Efficiency of Service Delivery and Accountability