ICTlogy

Notes from the Fourth IPID ICT4D Postgraduate Symposium 2009, held in the Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom, on September 11-12th, 2009. More notes on this event: ict4d_symposium_2009.

Economic Impact of ICTs in Rural Markets
Giacomo Zanello

Most people live in low income countries, in rural areas, in small scale agricultural economies, farm oriented and non-market oriented.

Market orientation is required if you do not produce everything you need. To get what you lack, you need money, which you get by selling your production in the market. But the market implies transaction costs: proportional transaction costs like transportation and packing, and fixed transaction costs, like search for customers, bargaining or screening.

Research questions:

• In rural areas, transmission of information is difficult or impossible. Do ICTs have an impact on household production and market participation?
• Price dispersion across markets is common in developing countries. Do ICT affect the price dispersion and make market efficient?

Empirical framework: perform econometric analysis using treated-untreated group in Tanzania, taking the mobile network as the discriminating factor. With that, try and see the impact of ICTs at the household and market levels in matters of transaction costs, flow of market information, etc.

Contextual factors of e-Participation in the online global youth HIV/AIDS social movement
Santosh Vijaykumar

HIV problem: early sexual debut, lack of access to preventive & treatment services, poverty, education, unemployment, lack of youth involvement, lack of integration of youth into HIV programmes. Solutions? Integrating youth efforts, providing a common platform, representation of youth in policies & conferences. All by means of ICTs.

Global Youth Coalition for HIV/AIDS (GYCA):

• Online tools: e-consultations, e-courses, discussoin forums, listservs, online resources, social networking
• Different program areas: networking, technical assistance, policy advocacy, etc.
• Structure: decentralized

Research to analyze the success of the GYCA: what is the role of ICTs, how do Internet-based prevention programs work, understand the emerging trend of online collaborative networks in public health, see how different disciplines (social ecology, social informatics, social movements & social networks), computer-mediated communication) work together. The research will focus on what factors determine participation and collaboration in online platforms, in the specific case of online platforms that address HIV/AIDS topics.

A strength-based approach for innovative design of ICTs for Rural Development (ICT4RD) in Finland
Silvia Gaiani

94% Finland is rural and quite heterogeneous: How to deliver public services in the context of a decreasing and ageing population? How to overcome the difficulties for rural population to launch profitable activities and to fight unemployment, lower earnings and exclusion from the society? How to make rural areas appealing?

On the other hand, the latest ICT4RD projects reflect mainly a Web 1.0 idea of delivery, while the contemporary development in IT calls for Web 2.o idea of collaboration and participation and for Web 3.0 idea of pervasiveness.

Thus, develop a strength-based rather than a needs-based approach to rural development by means of ICTs, involving:

• the enhancement of the innovation capacity of communities: traditional knowledge for innovative practical solutions
• the valorization of the territory and of the human capital: enhancing the qualities and positive aspects of the rural villages and people
• the involvement of local inhabiants: capacity building + social inclusion and interaction
• aim at the promotion, preservation and valorization of local activities through the use of ICTs
• aim at the creation of a Global ICT4RD Network involving rural villages from all the five continents

The project intends to establish a Finnish ICT4RD Network made up of 3 rural villages, see their similarities and differences, etc.

Downloads

• Video of the session (part I) (163 MB)
• Video of the session (part II) (23 MB)

Notes from the Fourth IPID ICT4D Postgraduate Symposium 2009, held in the Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom, on September 11-12th, 2009. More notes on this event: ict4d_symposium_2009.

Extrending WiMAX coverage for providing Quality of Service in wide rural areas of developing countries
Carlos Rey Moreno

EHAS Foundation promotes the use of wireless technologies for e-Health in Latin America.

Health Care Centres are the reference point of many Health Care Posts, but the later are very far from the former. So, how to coordinate action?

Characteristics of the target areas:

• Isolated or hard to reach
• Low income
• Lack of constnat power supply
• Trnsmission of voice is paramount

Solutions based on:

• Wireless communications, as it is hard to wire the area
• License-free frequencies
• Low power consumption
• Low cost of operation

Cellular technologies (e.g. 3G) can only be applied in urban areas due to coverage. Satellite is expensive. Thus why WiFi or WiMAX.

Though WiFi is quite low cost and easy to apply, the usage of voice does require higher quality technologies, hence the usage of WiMAX: allows for long distance links, grants quality of service, etc. The problem being that there are few experiences with WiMAX in developing countries. On the other hand, WiMAX is more expensive and difficult to implement than WiFi. So, how to improve quality while making the whole system sustainable?

The proposal is to build a hybrid architecture that takes the best of WiFi and WiMAX: 802.11e EDCA in the access tier, and 802.19-2009 in the backhaul tier. Another optino being the usage of WiMAX Relay Mode (IEEE 802.16j), which is compatible with fixed WiMAX devices.

There are parallel projects that focus in transferring not only the technology but in training the end-user in their management and, actually, its improvement. A network management system is also being developed so that the project improves in self-management, autonomy and sustainability. This knowledge transfer — besides technology transfer — is made in partnerships with local institutions like governments and the local health care system.

There’s also an ongoing work with simulations that enable testing before final implementation.

Factors influencing the adoption of mobile phones among the farmer in Bangladesh: theories and practices
Sirajul Islam

What is adoption? It is not diffusion, but the decision of a group or individual to make full use of an innovation. It is about the users deciding about how and when they will use a specific technology.

Research objectives: understand relevant theories and models of the technology adoption process, develop hypothetical model and test it, identify the adoption factors relating to other technology and mobiles inparticilar, and explain the factors pertinent to rural Bangladesh.

Relevant theories of technological adoption

• Diffusion of Innovation, Rogers (1995)
• Theory of Reasoned Action, Schiffman & Kanuk (2004)
• Theory of Planned Behaviour
• Technology acceptance model, Davis et al. (1989)

Factors of adoption of technology: age, gender, culture, income & household, occupation, education, agroecological…

Own model, specific for mobile phone adoption:

• facilitating conditions
• awareness, social influences
• demographic factors
• individual factors
• perceived ease of use
• tech-service attrributes
• perceived usefulness
• behavioural intentions
• actual use

The use of mobile phones in education: Evidence from two pilot projects in Bangladesh
Ahmed T. Rashid & Mizan Rahman

The second millennium development goal as a background: the importance of education in development. ICTs a key solution?

Why mobile phones? m-Learning attractive because mobile phones:

• Most ubiquitous
• Specially good “leapfrogger”
• Not juzt voice but data transfer

Theories of mobile learning:

• The role of mobile in improving access to education, the basis of distance education. Rural and remote areas where communication is barrier; mobility/portability breaks barriers of time and space; reduction of substitution cost (e.g. less travel); flexibility.
• The role of mobiles in promoting new learning, how mobile phones can transform education. Learner centred, because it is participatory, customizable; learning with understanding, accessing specific information; situated and constant learning that occurs outside classroom.

Investigate how mobile phones alone (no blended learning, though lab controlled) could be used to introduce interactivity, and copare it to face to face and sitance education with SMS enabled questions. Test outcomes similar, though some evidence of enthusiasm among.

Determine whether mobile phone supported distance education could serve as effective modality for teacher training. Findings indicate that there is very little evidence between study and control groups. Lack of English competency and technological problems being the main problems found. interaction between trainers and trainees which possibly facilitated new learning.

Conclusions are not conclusive. Mixed outcomes in terms of both facilitating access and promoting new learning, though there are signs that it could be possible.

Downloads

• Video of the session (part I) (161 MB)
• Video of the session (part II) (71 MB)

Notes from the Fourth IPID ICT4D Postgraduate Symposium 2009, held in the Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom, on September 11-12th, 2009. More notes on this event: ict4d_symposium_2009.

ICT4D Research Workshop
Chairs: John-Sören Petterson

Issues in ICT4D research

• Low acceptance of the field in Computer Science
• How to plan?
• How to deal with statistical significance? How to be statistically significant? Can one be significant without using stats?
• Objectives of ICT4D research?
• “4D” is only in developing regions or is it possible to deal with ICT4D in a much broader sense? Can we make research “for” developing regions while based in developed ones? Where has research to be located?
• How to replicate research results in other scenarios? What kind of research design allows for replication (e.g. what to do if done research in Ghana and want to replicate it in Afghanistan?
• How to cope with the speed of change of ICTs if research has a slower path?
• Lack of research to back ICT4D implementation projects. How to do research that helps in practical application?
• How do you collect data?
• What is science/research and what is not (i.e. falls in the practitioners’ side). How to bridge research and practice? Is ICT4D an applied science? Or could it be performing, as a discipline, basic research?

Discussion

Is ICT4D a science? What’s ICT4D research?

In ICT4D, you want to have some idea of the impact or the implications of your research.

Research has to be generalizable.

If the whole research is threatened by a single change of technology, maybe we should reshape our research goals.

We should have a clear methodology relying on a strong theoretical basis to back the results and the decisions arising from them.

Sometimes we will find that what we did was not research, but knowledge transfer of acknowledged knowledge to places where this knowledge was either unknown or just not applied.

What are the goals of ICT4D research?

ICT4D research necessarily needs a multidisciplinary approach.

Research should be “demonstration” focused. Indeed we could begin with an existing practical issue and do the research it requires.

Funding research is easier if problem-solving aimed.

ICT4D research should provide evidence of what works and what does not work.

We focus too much in the “T” of ICTs, and very few in the Information and Communication part.

Update: Via twiter by @shikohtwit: Goals: Empowermnt thru appropriation existing ICTs and Creation of New ICTs to cater for challenges facing devlpmt.

Notes from the Fourth IPID ICT4D Postgraduate Symposium 2009, held in the Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom, on September 11-12th, 2009. More notes on this event: ict4d_symposium_2009.

eGovernment: Understanding the dynamics between adoption, social inequality and empowerment
Mishra Gaurav

Most of the eGovernment debate nowadays is, surprisingly, more focused on data than on citizenship, the citizenry or empowerment. Indeed, research has focused in impact assessment, sustainability or the digital divide.

Research gaps? Impact assessment in terms of development, understanding adoption and usage in developing country perspective; coordination and transformation process; quality and efficiency of services; empowerment related issues of disadvantaged groups. In general, eGovernment has been focussing in itself rather than in impact.

Goals

• Factors influencing adoption and use of eGovernment services by rural people: how do SES, type of government, etc. determine eGovernment adoption
• How eGovernment addresses the issue of social inequality, how does eGovernment affect social inequality
• To examine the role of eGovernment in empowering people: what type of eGovernment fosters empowerment

Theoretical framework:

• Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) Venkatesh et al. (2003)
• Capabilities framework-motivated from Sen (1999)

More information

V. Venkatesh, M. G. Morris, G. B. Davis, and F. D. Davis, User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view MIS Quarterly, vol. 27, pp. 425-478, 2003

eRebellion: The role of ICT on changing government policies and regimes
Amara Thiha

The web 2.0 has enabled several new ways for information to circulate and citizens to state their opinions publicly. But it also has enabled amplification of propaganda issued by extremist and minority groups that just seldom represent e.g. the people inside a country (Myanmar case). We don’t have to take for granted that “2.0 agencies” are more neutral than traditional news agencies.

Research questions

• What is the boundary between Democratic and Undemocratic with self amplified information and news?
• How to control this participation which lead to undemocratic situation in democratic manners
• What is this process and what is the common model of this participation in web 2.0

Towards Open Government in Morocco
Asmae El Mahdi

There has been a rapid expansion of ICTs in Morocco, but they have still to hugely impact both the Administration and the citizens. Indeed, research has been done about enabling the shift from manual to automated service delivery of public services, dealing with issues like labor intensive and paper-based back offices, the integration of back-office and front-office, the provision of citizen-friendly instant service delivery, etc.

A second kind of research was focussing in the adaptation of the electronic front-office to illiterate end-users.

Open ICT4D is the use of new ICTs to engage in “open ” processes to achieve developement goals, IDRC.

A third research, eFES, focused on the impact of these new technologies applied to the Administration, on assessing ICT influence on development, while shifting towards open government:

• Fez Municipality: shift away from telecom operators towards city-wide wireless open spectrum: joining up
• Local Public Administration: shift away from mere comsumption to prosumption: user-driven innovation
• Civil Servants: shift away from closer practices to encouraging open practices: self-service touch-screen kiosks
• ICT4D team: shift away from proprietary software to free software: per-poor model of development

Results: efficiency gains evidenced in several indicators. Indeed the scheme has been replicated so far in 50% of the administration offices.

Challenges: institutional weaknesses, severe deficit in capacities; policy matters: human choices weakening innovation systems.

Downloads

• Video of the session (156 MB)

Notes from the Fourth IPID ICT4D Postgraduate Symposium 2009, held in the Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom, on September 11-12th, 2009. More notes on this event: ict4d_symposium_2009.

A New Educational Program in Tanzania. A Rought Road to Success
Matti Tedre, Tumaini University, Tanzania

Project held in Tumaini Univeristy, a University in the Iringa region, to build the B.Sc. Program in IT.

A contextualized programme: practical, problem-based, interdisciplinary, context-sensitive, internationally recognized, research-based (the six pillars).

Learning is a strong commitment for the whole community: the community collects money to send one member to the University. This person becomes aware of the importance of learning and of strongly committing with his own learning. Hence, students usually collaborate and learn together.

Main problems: corruption, politics, natural disasters, economics, ecology and recycling, geography and climate, tropial diseases, bureaucracy, tampering and theft, illiteracy, power problems, scarcity of basic hardware, gender roles, lax standards, cultural conflicts, local purchase and manufacturing, manufacturer policies, customs and shipping, transportation, maintenance problems…

Things that you would have liked to know from the start:

• Double check: remind people about stuff, double-check, follow-up, attend lectures to check lecturers are there, use a penalty clause in contracts to enforce them
• Be flexible: adapt to the environment (my way is not the only way), plan short-term, readiness to change the plans, agile methods, democratic leadership might not work
• Make budget locally
• Make rules clear: very different “unspoken” rules, decide what you can’t give up, listen to others’ views, make the rules clear, share the pain
• Clarify goals: to students (IT as a profession, life-long learning), to all colleagues (goals of their work, goals of education), find out motivations
• Recruit early: staff, students, sudden changes, plan to recruit more than you need
• Communicate: spoken and face-to-face is preferred, talk face-to-face even when you know it’ll end in a clash (you’d better face it), try to have someone who can smooth out the friction
• Create ownership: if you install some infrastructures (e.g. a computer lab), you have to assign ownership of the lab to the community or to specific people, and they will take care of it. If there’s no ownership, it’s noone’s… or everyone’s
• Don’t panic: most of the anxiety is needless, take it as it comes
• See the big picture: try to distance yourself, try to see how your actions change the dynamics of the place

Summing up, some questions about what’s really important in this kind of work:

• Why am I here
• What is the most important thing I want to achieve in my work
• What should i do today to get closer to my goal

Downloads

• Video of the session (105 MB)