Understanding the Role of Stakeholders in Fostering Sustainability of ICT4D Projects: Towards a Conceptual Framework

One of the significant determinant factors in relation to stakeholders engagement in development projects is the degree of their role. Sustainability of a project has a relationship with stakeholders\u27 involvement. However, in the ICT4D domain, there is a lack of insight, literature, theoretical models, and framework to understand stakeholder perspectives. In recent information systems literature, it is argued that there is a lack of formally capturing stakeholder perspectives and lack of knowledge related to stakeholder interactions in relation to sustaining ICT4D projects. This research-in-progress paper aims to explore this issue and attempts to address this gap by proposing a theoretical framework on how sustainability-related issues of ICT4D projects can be better understood through the lens of stakeholders theory and capability approach

The use of Audience Response Systems in the Faculty of Economics and Business: an case of study

We have investigated the effectiveness of clickers as a support tool of the learning process of economics in higher education, specifically on the subject of Principle of Economics. We assessed whether support teaching with the use of Audience Response Systems (ARSs) increase the probability that the student passes the examination in both its theoretical and practical. We propose a mixed methodology, a bivariate probit model framed by statistical causal inference, which provides robust results. We have found strong statistical evidence, that the ARSs offer outstanding support to teaching, although with constraints. First focuses on the aforementioned theoretical and secondly, the help offered by the students ARSs is clearly a function of the frequency of use thereof cited by students

Co-developing media literacy and digital skills interventions: report on preliminary results

The second Work Package of the REMEDIS project focusses on materialising the partnership with local organisations by co-developing opportunities for enhancing current ML&DS interventions. These organisations were carefully selected by each member university to collaborate throughout the project to strengthen links between academia and practitioners and learn from each other. An initial theoretical framework was proposed, based on the improvement needs identified during the preliminary stages of the Work Package 1 and based on researchers' expertise. This framework served as the basis from which define a more detailed theoretical framework during the co-development with partner organisations. The next stage in this process was initiating the collaborative work with the partner organisations, understanding their purposes, people involved, resources and expected outcomes to formulate improvement avenues. The co-development process concludes with the design and planning of the evaluation measurement instruments as part of Work Package 3, adapting questions and formats to the interventions' characteristics

Assessing Social Value in Open Data Initiatives: A Framework

Open data initiatives are characterized, in several countries, by a great extension of the number of data sets made available for access by public administrations, constituencies, businesses and other actors, such as journalists, international institutions and academics, to mention a few. However, most of the open data sets rely on selection criteria, based on a technology-driven perspective, rather than a focus on the potential public and social value of data to be published. Several experiences and reports confirm this issue, such as those of the Open Data Census. However, there are also relevant best practices. The goal of this paper is to investigate the different dimensions of a framework suitable to support public administrations, as well as constituencies, in assessing and benchmarking the social value of open data initiatives. The framework is tested on three initiatives, referring to three different countries, Italy, the United Kingdom and Tunisia. The countries have been selected to provide a focus on European and Mediterranean countries, considering also the difference in legal frameworks (civic law vs. common law countries)

Impact of ICT usage on indigenous peoples’ quality of life: Evidence from an Asian developing country

Indigenous communities across the world have been suffering disadvantages in several domains, e.g. erosion of land rights, language and other cultural aspects, while at the same time being discriminated against when prepared to integrate into the dominant cultures. It has been argued in the literature that information communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential of contributing to addressing some of these disadvantages – both in terms of rebuilding what has been eroded and facilitating integration into non-Indigenous societies. In trying to understand how ICTs can be useful for these processes, it is important to do so from a conceptual framework that encompasses the multi-dimensionality of the issues faced by Indigenous communities. The conceptual frameworks frequently used in the ICT literature tend to focus on adoption, use and diffusion of technologies rather than how the use of ICTs affects the livelihoods of the users, which is the focus of this paper. The conceptual framework is informed by the capability approach (CA), in particular by the five freedoms identified in the seminal work of Amartya Sen (2001), “Development as Freedom” (DaF). Data were collected from a purposive sample in an Indigenous community in Bangladesh, using a qualitative method to map how ICTs had affected the lives of these community members The findings suggest that the participants perceived that ICTs had made positive contributions, particularly the benefits they gained from learning how to use computers in the domains that are relevant from the perspective of the five freedoms espoused in DaF. The findings reported in this paper are useful for policy formulation in Bangladesh. As the study is contextualised in a transitional economy setting and can therefore not be generalised, but we believe that the conceptual framework has much to offer future research designed to understand how ICTs can improve the livelihoods of Indigenous individuals and communities

Development informatics research and the challenges in representing the voice of developing country researchers: A South African view

Indigenous or local researchers from developing countries have not made a leading contribution to development informatics (DI) or information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) research. This is noteworthy since these researchers should be in a prominent position to contribute to the discourse, where context knowledge is regarded as vital. Furthermore, a dependence on foreign scholarly direction can create a gap between research and reality in a way that affects the success of ICT programmes in African countries. Extant literature highlights this problem, but most studies stop short of considering the causes and proposing how to amplify the voice of developing country researchers. This paper documents the ICT4D/DI research discourse that took place during four seminal academic events in South Africa during the period 2012 to 2015. Those discussions are presented and analysed here to contribute to the wider discourse on ICT research and practice in developing countries, with the aim of enhancing the research contribution of developing countries. An interpretivist, involved researcher analysis of the workshop reports is conducted to gain an improved understanding of the South African ICT4D/DI researcher’s challenges to proportional participation. While this study takes a South African perspective, many of the findings could apply to researchers in other developing countries.CA2016www.wits.ac.za/linkcentre/aji

Empowerment in their hands: use of WhatsApp by women in Nigeria

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are reported to hold a lot of promise for sustainable development, poverty reduction and the empowerment of marginalized groups, such as women and minorities in developing countries. This paper discusses the relationship between women’s empowerment and ICTs, by investigating the promise of empowerment associated with the use of WhatsApp by women in Nigeria. It draws upon Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) to explore some implications of the use of WhatsApp mobile application on human development. We employed Sen's five instrumental freedoms to evaluate how WhatsApp has empowered women by concentrating on the opportunities provided for expanding their freedom to participate in social, economic and political activities. Our analysis shows that WhatsApp can contribute to the empowerment of women by enabling their freedoms to participate in developmental activities; however some contextual factors impede the ability of the women to take full advantage of these developmental opportunities that WhatsApp offers. The paper concludes with some implications for policymakers advancing an agenda for "ICTs for Development”

Information technology, innovation and human development: hospital information systems in an Indian State

This paper addresses the topic of how innovation based on information and communication technologies (ICTs) can contribute to human development. A theoretical framework is developed in two stages. Firstly, ICT-based innovation is conceptualized as involving technological, social and institutional innovations. Secondly, Sen’s capability approach is drawn on to theorize how such innovations can contribute to human development. The theoretical framework is used as a basis to explore a rich case study of the development and use of a hospital information system within the public sector of the State of Himachal Pradesh in India. The paper analyses both the potential that the system has to promote positive development outcomes in the State, but also the challenges which constrain that impact. Three human development themes are identified and discussed: strengthening processes to include the disadvantaged; empowering the patient and making communal voices count. Finally, it is argued that the theoretical approach in the paper may have applicability in other contexts where ICT-based innovations are aiming to support human development outcomes

The Impact of ICT Projects on Developing Economies: The Case of People with Physical Disabilities in Nigeria

This study investigates the use of computers by People with Disabilities (PWDs) and whether it improves capability and human development in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a case study’s findings and interviews with PWDs, we build on the Technology-Augment Capability Approach to show how computers as technical objects and caregivers as non-technical objects facilitate four key capabilities for PWDs, namely (1) Capability to education, (2) Capability to socio-economic activities, (3) Capability to social relations, (4) Informational capabilities and capability to employment. However, PWDs’ ability to convert the use of computers into capabilities is influenced by conversion factors, such as personal, social, environmental, technological, choice, and agency. Furthermore, our findings show also that there are enabling factors, such as accessibility, technological know-how, computer features, and Internet connectivity which facilitate PWDs’ achieved functionings

Exploring capability and accountability outcomes of open development for the poor and marginalized: An analysis of select literature

Open development concerns the application of digitally-enabled openness to radically change human capability and governance contexts (Davies & Edwards, 2012; Smith & Reilly, 2013; Smith, Elder, & Emdon, 2011). However, what openness means, and how it contributes to development outcomes is contested (Buskens, 2013; Singh & Gurumurthy, 2013). Furthermore, the potential of open development to support positive social transformation has not yet materialized, particularly for marginalized populations (Bentley & Chib, 2016), partly because relatively little is known regarding how transformation is enacted in the field. Likewise, two promising outcomes – the expansion of human capabilities and accountability – have not been explored in detail. This research interrogates the influence of digitally-enabled openness on transformation processes and outcomes. A purposeful sample of literature was taken to evaluate outcomes and transformation processes according to our theoretical framework, which defines seven cross-cutting dimensions essential to incorporate. We argue that these dimensions explain links between structures, processes and outcomes of open development. These links are essential to understand in the area of Community Informatics as they enable researchers and practitioners to support effective use of openness by and for poor and marginalized communities to pursue their own objectives