Roger Harris Associates INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR

Roger Harris Associates INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Principles, Practice and Policies. Roger W. Harris Ph. D Roger Harris Associates Hong Kong China Agricultural University 2010

The Lecturer Malaysia Nepal Vietnam Philippines China Sri-Lanka Lao PDR Cambodia India Thailand Taiwan Indonesia Papua New Guinea Mongolia Bangladesh Hong Kong Singapore � � � Ph. D in Information Systems Began researching rural ICTs for poverty reduction in 1997 Working as a consultant since 2001: � Policy advice � Programme design and implementation � Evaluations � Research � Work for an NGO using ICTs for rural development � Rural telecentre � Community radio roger. harris@rogharris. org http: //www. rogharris. org

Rural Telecentres in India

� � Global poverty � Information and poverty � Some Concepts � The digital divide � ICTs in China Agenda §Principles §Practice §Policies Principles � Practice � Internet � Mobile telephones � Community radio � Others � Policies � Global initiatives � National responses � Design approach � Lessons learned

Principles � Global poverty � Information and poverty � Some Concepts � The digital divide � ICTs in China � Practice � Internet � Mobile telephones � Community radio � Others � Policies � Global initiatives � National responses � Design approach � Lessons learned

Population living under US$1. 25 per day � � � China and India host more poor people than the entire population of Africa. Around three quarters of the world's 1. 3 billion poor people live in middle-income countries. China’s poverty rate fell from 85% to 15. 9%, or by over 600 million people Much of the poverty reduction in the last couple of decades almost exclusively comes from China accounts for nearly all the world’s reduction in poverty. Numbers are in millions http: //www-958. ibm. com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/visualizations/poverty-indicators

What helps move people out of poverty? Education � Employment � Enterprise development � Credit � Public services � Health care � Better agriculture � Information …. about all the above, ……. and the Technology to deliver it. �

Some Concepts � � Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) � The Information Society � � The gap between those with access to digital technology, and those without. E-Inclusion � � “Arguably mankind's greatest invention. ” The Digital Divide � � The interactivity of computers and communications technology. The Internet � � In which information is significant for economic, political, and cultural activity. New Media � � To handle information and aid communication, including computer and network hardware and software and the merging (convergence) of telephone networks with computer networks. Bringing the benefit of ICTs to all segments of the population; irrespective of education, poverty, age, gender, disability , ethnicity, and remoteness. Universal Service � The provision of telecommunication services to every resident of a country including those in low income, rural, and high cost areas.

Global ICT Development 2000 -2010

Global ICTs - 2008 Internet Users Mobile and Fixed Line Telephone Subscribers http: //www-958. ibm. com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/visualizations/mobile-and-fixed-line-telephone-su

The Digital Divide: Telephones and the Internet §In 2009, an estimated 26% of the world’s population (or 1. 7 billion people) were using the Internet. §In developed countries the percentage remains much higher than in the developing world where four out of five people are still excluded from the benefits of being online. 160 152 140 Number of phone subscriptions per 100 people 120 107 100 70 80 60 Number of internet users per 100 people 32 40 28 5 20 0, 1 1 0 2008 2000 2008 Countries with Very High Human Countries with Low Human Development Index

Mobiles � §In developed countries, the mobile market is reaching saturation with 116 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. §The developing world is increasing its share of mobile subscriptions from 53% of total subscriptions at the end of 2005 to 73% at the end of 2010. §In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates will reach 68% at the end of 2010 - mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. §India and China alone are expected to add over 300 million mobile subscriptions in 2010. §In Africa, penetration rates will reach an estimated 41% at the end of 2010 (compared to 76% globally) leaving a significant potential for growth. Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2010. % 2009/2010 Growth Rate % CIS Europe The Americas Arab States Asia & Pacific Africa

100 The Digital Divide: Households with TV, Computers & Internet §While Internet penetration in developed countries reached 64 per cent at the end of 2009, in developing countries it reached only 18 per cent (and only 14 per cent if China is excluded). §In Estonia, France, Finland, and Greece, Internet access has been made a human right 90 80 72% 71% 70 66% 60 Developed Countries 50 40 Developing Countries 23% 30 16% 20 10 0 1 2 3

ICTs in China: Exports §Manufacturing of ICT goods has created around 25. 5 million jobs for migrant workers. §They have contributed to reducing poverty in rural areas through an estimated $18 billion of remittances. § 30, 000 companies in Shenzhen shipped 145 million mobile phone units in 2009 (13% of all phones sold in the world) $450, 00 $430, 73 US$ Billion - 2008 $400, 00 $350, 00 $300, 00 $250, 00 $200, 00 $174, 86 $150, 00 $158, 67 $122, 99 $115, 62 $100, 00 $50, 00 $0, 00 1. China 2. USA 3. Hong 4. Singapore 5. Rep of Kong Korea

ICTs in China: Usage §China accounts for one-third of Internet users in the developing world. §With more than 420 million Internet users, China is the largest Internet market in the world. §More Chinese (87 %) see the Internet as a fundamental human right than do Americans (76 %). §More than half of fixed broadband subscribers in the developing world are in China. 80, 0 Compared to USA - 2008 74, 0 78, 7 70, 0 60, 0 50, 0 40, 0 22, 3 30, 0 23, 5 20, 0 6, 2 5, 6 10, 0 U Internet users per 100 Fixed broadband PCs per 100 people Ch inhabitants internet users per 100 inhabitants

� Principles � Global poverty � Information and poverty � Some Concepts � The digital divide � ICTs in China Practice � Internet � Mobile telephones � Community radio � Others � Policies � Global initiatives � National responses � Design approach � Lessons learned

Telecentres � Telecentre Diffusion in Asia � � � Telecentres provide shared access to ICTs for the purpose of community development and poverty reduction 11, 160 telecentres in 16 countries in Asia (UNESCAP) 2, 000 new telecentres established in India every year since 2001 Multiple models of ownership and operation Patchy impact Sustainability problems National programmes

Telecentre Information Services Category Examples Generic Information E-government, agricultural extension, distance education, ecommerce, e-health, news, weather, etc. Government and national/regional institutions. Institutional partnerships. ICT-focused Services E-mail, voice over IP, chat, internet searches, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, ICT training, printing, photocopying, scanning, newsletters etc. HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, micro-and small enterprise development support, skills training, micro-credit support, etc. Local telecentre owners, operators and staff. Creative and client-centric entrepreneurial activity at the telecentre. National/regional development initiatives. Pro-active marketing of telecentres among NGOs, and INGOs. Local laws, poverty reduction schemes, local NGO activities, yellow pages, job placement services, classified advertisements, market prices, etc. Local activists, NGOs, communitybased organizations, government offices, social entrepreneurs, volunteers, schools, etc. Community outreach, community mobilisation, Infomobilisation. Developmen t Programs Locallybased Information Source Delivery

Mobile Telephones � §SMS services §Voice applications §Web applications §Social exchanges §Emergencies §Informal networks §Business transactions §Weather updates §Market prices SMS Triples in 3 Years � More than half the world's population now pay to use a mobile phone � Developing countries account for about twothirds of the total mobile phones in use.

� m. Health Mobile Phones � Medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices � Tamil Nadu Health Watch allows health workers, even in remote areas, to immediately report disease incidence data to health officials � m. Learning � Learning with portable technologies � Graduate students at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology, North Bangkok, used mobile phones to participate in tests, and more than 90 per cent of the participants owned the mobile phones themselves � m. Finance � Mobile phones to facilitate banking activities; deposits, withdrawals, payments, transfers. � GCASH Philippines, turns a cellphone into an electronic wallet, for money transfers, shopping and � � � transferring money between cellphones m. Agriculture � Fishing boats in Kerala using offshore mobile phones to coordinate sales with traders m. Government � Delivery of government services and applications on mobile phones and other portable devices using a wireless infrastructure. � Income Tax Department of India - SMA to verify banks have uploaded tax deposits Crisis Management � Rapid. SMS enables mass-scale mobile data collection, messaging, and workflow management via SMS � deployed by UNICEF to track the distribution of Plumpynut during a hunger crisis in Ethiopia Conservation � Wild-life tracking, remote environmental sensing Advocacy/citizen mobilisation/social coordination � Frontline. SMS for text messaging to large groups

Community Radio � � � � Popular device, especially for local information 56% of farmer households in Vietnam have a radio Combined with telecentres = radio browsing Rapid diffusion of development information to remote areas Channel for interactive communication, dialogue and debate on rural development issues. A tool for cultural expression, local language use, entertainment. A platform for democratic expression of opinions, needs and aspirations of rural communities Radios per 1, 000 people 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 Low Middle High income East Latin Middle South Sub-Saharan Africa Asia & America East & Asia N. Africa Pacific Europe

Others � Television China Ministry of Agriculture TV channel. � � Almost ubiquitous in Asia � Main form of information and entertainment � Not used much for development, but notable exceptions are farmer information services in China and Vietnam Loudspeakers � Important in some contexts; China, Vietnam, India � Especially combined with other technologies; radio, internet. TV Sets (% of households) 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Africa Asia Latin America Global

� Principles � Global poverty � Information and poverty � Some Concepts � The digital divide � ICTs in China Policies � Practice � Internet � Mobile telephones � Community radio � Others � Policies � Global initiatives � National responses � Design approach � Lessons learned

Global Initiatives � � World Summit on the Information Society and the MDGs Two WSIS UN conferences on the information society; Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005. • Plan of Action for using ICTs to achieve the Millennium Development Goals; § Promote ICTs for development § Build infrastructure § Provide access to information and knowledge § Build capacity § Foster an enabling environment § Implement ICT Applications: • • E-government E-business E-learning E-health • • E-employment E-environment E-agriculture E-science • Calls upon countries to establish national targets as part of national ICT strategies: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Connect villages , education institutions, scientific and research centres public libraries, cultural centres, museums, post offices archives health centres, hospitals, local and central government departments and establish websites and e-mail addresses To adapt all school curricula to meet the challenges of the information society To ensure that all of the world’s population have access to television and radio services To encourage the development of content To ensure that more than half the world’s inhabitants have access to ICTs within their reach.

National Responses e-Sri Lanka � � ICT policies linked to poverty reduction e-Government �Enabling laws Telecommunications deregulation To promote: (i) The use of ICTs to enhance growth, employment, and equity through affordable access to means of information and communication; (ii) Access to and use o f public information and services on-line by citizens and businesses; and (iii) Competitiveness of the private sector, particularly of knowledge industries and SMEs. �Universal services �Education � Infrastructure Internet backbones Telecentre programmes �India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka…

Design Approach Begin with an awareness of the potential and limitations of ICTs for development and poverty reduction Against that background � ICTs will not turn bad development into good development, but they can make good development better. Define the development strategy Where development is going and why Define the information strategy What information is needed Define the technology strategy How the information can be delivered Define the sustainability strategy How the service can be sustained, extended Define the evaluation strategy How the outcomes can be identified

Lessons Learned � � � � Empowerment is not an automatic consequence of access, programmes need to go beyond access ICTs alone are insufficient, requires effective pro-poor policies for public service provision Institutional reforms are required for making effective use of ICTs Technical skills are necessary to complement poverty reduction efforts Capacity building is necessary at all levels Honest evaluations are necessary for evidencebased policy making and programme design In rural settings the technological infrastructure is always a challenge, but that task is relatively simple compared to establishing the information infrastructure. Whilst ICTs provide opportunities for development, desirable outcomes always arise from the actions of people.

Roger Harris Associates Thank you Roger W. Harris Ph. D Roger Harris Associates Hong Kong