Roger Harris Associates INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR

Roger Harris Associates INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2. Case Studies, Contemporary Issues and Current Research Roger W. Harris Ph. D Roger Harris Associates Hong Kong China Agricultural University 2010

� � e. Bario � Khoun Radio � M-PESA � Mission 2007 India Agenda §Case studies §Issues §Research Case studies � Issues � Sustainability � Evaluation � Scaling up � Mobiles vs. Computers � Indigenous peoples & ICTs � Research � Teaching ICT 4 D � Why do research � Publishing: conferences � Publishing: journals � Getting cited in ICT 4 D

� e. Bario � Khoun Radio � M-PESA � Mission 2007 India � Agenda §Case studies §Issues §Research Case studies � Issues Sustainability � Evaluation � Scaling up � Mobiles vs. Computers � Indigenous peoples & ICTs � � Research Teaching ICT 4 D � Why do research � Publishing: conferences � Publishing: journals � Getting cited in ICT 4 D �

e-Bario Telecentre, Sarawak, Malaysia Bario §Remote, isolated §Fly-in only §Starved of information §Poor communications §Indigenous, minority culture §Dwindling population e-Bario §Telecentre with satellite Internet and solar power §Project began in 1998 by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak §Now owned by the community §Contributing to local development; culture, tourism and trade §Won multiple awards. §Replicating §Implementing Community Radio

Khoun Community Radio - Laos §On air since October 2007 §UNDP, Ministry of Information and Culture and the Province Department of Information §Community-led, operated by volunteers §Local line agencies broadcast information §Broadcasts in three local languages §Radio 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

� e. Bario � Khoun Radio � M-PESA � Mission 2007 India � Agenda §Case studies §Issues §Research Case studies � Issues Sustainability � Evaluation � Scaling up � Mobiles vs. Computers � Indigenous peoples & ICTs � � Research Teaching ICT 4 D � Why do research � Publishing: conferences � Publishing: journals � Getting cited in ICT 4 D �

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 revenuegenerating 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 � � � Universal Service Funds � � � Subsidy schemes: Malaysia ‘Kedai. com’, libraries Least cost auctions: Nepal Private sector � � � Malaysia: two schemes under two ministries Vietnam: ‘Culture Points’ under Ministry of Info & Comms New entrants: Sri Lanka, with decreasing subsidies Corporations: ITC India – e-Choupal Civil Society � � � NGOs CBOs Research institutions

Evaluation � � Why evaluate? Evaluate what? � Outputs e have Wtheis h indicator this thinatdicator res. . . suat meath measures. . . let me te. . llll. lyoeyut me te ou a staory. . . story. . . � Outcomes � � When to evaluate? Independent? How to interpret the results? Success or failure? Time Desirable Evaluations look for this Evaluations don’t look for this Undesirable Evaluations downplay these Evaluations probably miss these Expected Unexpected

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 ecosystem; � Universities � Businesses � Development agencies � NGOs � Media � Government

Mobile vs. Computers Mobile Positive Negative Computers • 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 e. Bario Vision for Indigenous Peoples and ICTs.

� e. Bario � Khoun Radio � M-PESA � Mission 2007 India � Agenda §Case studies §Issues §Research Case studies � Issues Sustainability � Evaluation � Scaling up � Mobiles vs. Computers � Indigenous peoples & ICTs � � Research Teaching ICT 4 D � Why do research � Publishing: conferences � Publishing: journals � Getting cited in ICT 4 D �

Teaching ICT 4 D – Multi-Disciplinary � Information Systems � � Computer Science � � Social impacts Communication � � The causes of poverty and efforts to alleviate it. Social Sciences � � How the technology works. Development Studies � � What can be done with technology and how to get the most from it. 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 � To influence practice � Multiple communications � � � To enjoy the lifestyle To change the world Some or all of the above

Researching ICT 4 D � Impact and evaluation � � � Sustainability � � � Types of sustainability Who pays? Replication � � Poverty reduction – really? Technology appropriation Unexpected but desirable outcomes Gender differentiation 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 ICT 4 D � 2010 London IFIP 9. 4 Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries � 2011 Nepal e. India �July 2011 � e. Bario Knowledge Fair �November 2011

Journals - Impact Information Technologies and International Development Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries Information Technology for Development African Journal of Information and Communication International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology Asian Journal of Communication Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries Information Development International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions African Journal of Information & Communication Technology 0 0. 5 1 1. 5 2 2. 5

Getting cited in ICT 4 D � � 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 multidisciplinary 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

Roger Harris Associates THANK YOU Roger W. Harris Ph. D Roger Harris Associates Hong Kong