ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development

by General editor Tim Unwin

• ISBN13: 9780521712361
• ISBN10: 052171236X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-02-09
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

ICT4D provides an authoritative and accessible account of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in contemporary development practice. It combines theory with practical guidance - including both a conceptual framework for understanding the rapid development of ICT4D, and practitioners' overviews of the use of ICTs in enterprise, health, governance, education and rural development. Boxed case studies provide detailed examples of issues and initiatives from a wide variety of countries and organisations. ICTs are becoming increasingly significant in making a difference and improving the impacts of development practice. However, ICT4D projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America have not always been as effective as their proponents had hoped. This book explores both the successes and the challenges facing such initiatives, and provides clear recommendations for how they can be developed in more sustainable ways for the benefit of poor people and marginalised communities. ICT4D is essential reading for anyone involved in planning, designing or implementing ICT4D initiatives.

Author Biography

Tim Unwin is UNESCO Chair in ICT4D and Professor of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is also Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Preface and acknowledgements	p. vi
Acronyms and glossary	p. vii
Contributors	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Aims and objectives	p. 2
Organisation and structure	p. 3
Contextual framework	p. 7
Development agendas and the place of ICTs	p. 7
Development agendas	p. 7
Case study: 'Across the wires th' electric message came, "He is no better; he is much the same"' (Richard Manning)	p. 12
Information and knowledge societies	p. 19
Technological interests and social change	p. 30
Information and communication in development practices	p. 39
Information and communication in development	p. 40
Information in development practice	p. 53
Effective communication in development practice	p. 61
Access, understanding and relevance	p. 69
The technologies: identifying appropriate solutions for development needs	p. 76
ICTs: a conceptual framework	p. 77
The capture and storage of information	p. 82
Case study: The Greenstone Digital Library Software (Ian H. Witten and David Bainbridge)	p. 84
Case study: The internet of things (Marco Zennaro)	p. 88
The physical infrastrucure	p. 92
Case study: Radio for education (David Hollow)	p. 102
User interfaces and information sharing	p. 104
Individuals and communities: debates over software and content	p. 114
Conclusions	p. 119
ICT4D implementation: policies and partnerships	p. 125
Global ICT4D initiatives	p. 126
Case study: The World Summit on the Information Society - a reflection (Mohamed Abida)	p. 142
Case study: Telecentre 2.0. What's next? Almost anything (Mark Surman)	p. 146
ICT4D national policies and strategies	p. 150
Case study: ICT and education strategies in the Pacific (Michael Trucano)	p. 156
Multi-stakeholder partnerships and the implementation of ICT4D initiatives	p. 159
Case study: LifeLines India (Melissa Gabriel and Adrian Godfrey)	p. 162
Delivering effective ICT4D partnerships	p. 170
Practical applications	p. 177
ICTs, enterprise and development	p. 177
ICT industries and ICT use	p. 177
ICTs and economic development	p. 179
Case study: Telecoms in post-conflict Afghanistan and Liberia (Michael L. Best and Charles Kenny)	p. 182
The scale of ICT use in the developing world	p. 185
The macroeconomic impact of use	p. 188
The microeconomic impact of use	p. 189
Success factors for ICT use	p. 196
Case study: Chilean ICT policies and micro-entrepreneurs (Dorothea Kleine)	p. 198
ICT in education: catalyst for development	p. 206
Introduction	p. 206
Education in developing countries	p. 208
Developing and implementing new educational models	p. 217
Case study: ICT and education in Rwanda (Alphonse Uworwabayeho, Jolly Rubagiza, Edmond Were, and Rosamund Sutherland)	p. 228
Case study: Eu-China GBEP - an ICT-supported system for school-based professional development (Bernadette Robinson)	p. 230
External involvement in enhancing educational delivery	p. 238
Conclusions	p. 242
E-health: information and communication technologies for health	p. 249
Introduction	p. 249
Definitions of e-health	p. 251
Historical development of e-health	p. 252
The contemporary e-health landscape	p. 254
Assessing the impact of e-health	p. 271
Limitations of e-health	p. 274
The future of e-health	p. 275
Conclusions	p. 276
E-government and e-governance	p. 283
Introduction	p. 283
E-government: its evolution and its challenges	p. 284
The technologies	p. 289
Case study: Local e-government services: Takalar, Indonesia (Martin Crow)	p. 294
E-governance as management of IT implementations in government	p. 296
E-governance as transformation of the relationship of government to citizens in an information society	p. 306
Key issues in formulating a development- and reform-based e-governance strategy	p. 310
Conclusions	p. 316
Information and communication technologies for rural development	p. 321
Introduction	p. 321
Stakeholder issues	p. 323
ICTs for rural development: beginnings	p. 327
Emerging possibilities	p. 335
Case study: The hole in the wall, or minimally invasive education (Sugata Mitra)	p. 340
ICT4RD: some future scenarios	p. 346
ICTs, knowledge management and a new shared vision for rural development	p. 351
Conclusions	p. 360
ICTs and development practices	p. 360
Principles for effective ICT4D implementation	p. 363
Towards a more effective global ICT4D agenda	p. 369
Case study: Empowering youth in Jenin (Jonatan Stanczak, Ziad El-Khatib and Mohammad Moawia)	p. 372
Index	p. 376
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