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Kentaro Toyama Visiting Scholar University of California, Berkeley CITRIS Research Exchange

(Some of the) Ten Myths of ICT for International Development. Kentaro Toyama Visiting Scholar University of California, Berkeley CITRIS Research Exchange UC Berkeley – November 10, 2010. Where I used to work. Photo credit: Natalie Linnell. A Project.

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Kentaro Toyama Visiting Scholar University of California, Berkeley CITRIS Research Exchange

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  1. (Some of the) Ten Myths of ICT for International Development Kentaro Toyama Visiting Scholar University of California, Berkeley CITRIS Research Exchange UC Berkeley – November 10, 2010

  2. Where I used to work Photo credit: Natalie Linnell

  3. A Project

  4. A “writer” keeping records in a microcredit group meeting Photo credit: Aishwarya Ratan

  5. Hand-written records preferred, but • error-prone; • (2) difficult to digitize. Transaction record from a microcredit group meeting Photo credit: Aishwarya Ratan, PRADAN

  6. Electronic tablet – write on paper, digitize with real-time feedback Photo credit: Microsoft

  7. Microfinance self-help group “writer” testing the prototype Photo credit: Sunandan Chakraborty

  8. Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan, Sunandan Chakraborty, Pushkar Chitnis, Kentaro Toyama, Keng Siang Ooi, Matthew Phiong, Mike Koenig. "Managing Microfinance with Paper, Pen and Digital Slate.” To be presented at International Conference on Information Technology and Communication and Development, London, Dec. 13-16, 2010. Faster, Rs. 985  Rs. 946 (US$21.89) (US$21.02) Cheaper, More Accurate!

  9. Paper-and-Digital Forms Microfinance & Technology IT and Microentrepreneurs Microfinance PC + mobile Qualitative studies Business analysis Research only Microenterprise PC + mobile Mixed-method study Research only For NGOs PC + scanner HCI Research only Information ecology of very small businesses Potential of technology to support microfinance Easily digitized paper forms Kelsa+ Simultaneous Shared Access Featherweight Multimedia Information access PC Qualitative study Usage analysis Pilot Primary education PC HCI User studies Commercialization General education Electronics HCI User studies Ongoing research Free access PCs for low-income office staff Multi-user systems for educational Paper and cheap electronics for low-cost multimedia Text-Free UI Warana Unwired Digital Green Info systems Mobile Intervention Rural kiosks Pilot AgricultureVideo Intervention Control trials NGO spin-off User interfaces PC Design User studies Guidelines Substitution of mobile phones for rural PC kiosks Video and mediated instruction for agriculture extension Text-free user interfaces for non-literate users

  10. “Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…” “There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.” “Can the cellphone help endglobal poverty?” “The Internet should be a human rightin and of itself.” Sources: Negroponte, N. 2005, Friedman, E. 2008, New York Times, 2008; Best, M. L., 2004.

  11. The Myths

  12. You and a poor rural farmer are each given a single e-mail account and asked to raise as much money for the charity of your choice. Who would be able to raise more money?

  13. “The Internet democratizes…” “The world is flat…” Technology magnifies capacity, it doesn’t substitute for it. Tichenor et al., 1970 Agre, 2002 Warschauer, 2008 Myth 6 ICT undoes “rich getting richer.” Photo credit: Rikin Gandhi. References: Tichenor, P.J., Donohue, G.A., & Olien, C.N. (1970). Mass media and the differential growth in knowledge. Public Opinion Quarterly, 34, 158-70. Agre, P. (2002) Real-Time Politics. The Information Society, 2002. Warschauer, M., M. Knobel, L. Stone. Technology and Equity in Schooling: Deconstructing the Digital Divide. Educational Policy, 18(4): 562-588.

  14. Are you as rich as you’d like to be? Are you as educated as you’d like to be? Are you as compassionate as you’d like to be? Sources: http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+be+rich http://ocw.mit.edu http://zenhabits.net/2007/06/a-guide-to-cultivating-compassion-in-your-life-with-7-practices/

  15. Information is just one of many deficiencies in developing world. Other deficiencies: human capacity economics infrastructure institutional capacity political clout Information ≠ education Communication ≠ commerce Social networks ≠ community Technology magnifies intent. Myth 10 Information is the bottleneck. Photo credit: Kentaro Toyama

  16. If you had 20% of your annual income to spare right now, and had to spend it on one of the following, which would you spend it on…? • A part-time personal assistant • Travel and tourism • iPad or other gadget (*) Or, use your expected financial status as a working adult, if you’re a student.

  17. Needs are relative. Need ≠ demand “Needs assessments” say people need … Better healthcare Better education Better income opportunities But people spend lavishly on… Ring tones Music and movies Weddings and funerals Customized photos Technology magnifies intent, but intent is hard to gauge. Myth 3 Needs are more pressing than desires. Photo Credit: Udai Singh Pawar Sources: Udai Singh Pawar, Nimmi Rangaswamy, Thomas Smyth, Etc.

  18. Should members of the army have guns? Should police officers have guns? Should ordinary civilians have guns? Should 5-year-old children have guns? Should convicted serial murderers have guns?

  19. Myth 12 Technology’s impact is only positive. Widespread technologies also have negative impacts… • TV: violence, political propaganda, material envy, Jersey Shore • Internet: illegal content, piracy, terrorism, political oppression, cat videos • Mobile phone: corruption, (ship) piracy, gender politics, consumption displacement Technology magnifies positive and negative intent. Photo credit: Thomas Smyth

  20. “… X has never been used to its full capacity in support of economic development. It may be financially impossible to use it in this way. But still the possibility is tantalizing: What is the full power and vividness of X teaching were to be used to help the schools develop a country’s new educational pattern? What if the full persuasive and instructional power of X were to be used in support of community development and the modernization of farming? Where would the break-even point come? Where would the saving in rate of change catch up with the increased cost?” X = “television” Source: Schramm, Wilbur. (1964) Mass Media and National Development: The Role of Information in the Developing Countries. Pp. 231

  21. Wasn’t true for X = radio, TV, or landline phone, despite initial expectations and significant penetration. Doesn’t seem true for X = PC. How about X = mobile phone? Technology magnifies intent and capacity. Myth 1 Technology X will save the world. Photo credit: Tom Pirelli

  22. Obvious, right?

  23. “Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…” “There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.” “Can the cellphone help end global poverty?” “The Internet should be a human right in and of itself.” Sources: Negroponte, N. 2005, Friedman, E. 2008, New York Times, 2008; Best, M. L., 2004.

  24. Agricultural Systems? Credit card Low literacy in local lang expert farmer No bank account Poor roads Market No unique ID Volume buyers Poor quality control Expensive credit Device and connectivity not enough!

  25. E-commerce? Credit card Parcel service Low literacy in local lang buyer seller No bank account Poor roads ongoing business opportunity Ill health No unique ID Small scale production/ quality diff Expensive credit Device and connectivity not enough! HH consumption pressures

  26. Rural Telemedicine? Credit card Trust absent without healthworker Low literacy in local lang doctor patient No bank account Poor roads Poor access to drugs No unique ID Medicine Expensive credit Device and connectivity not enough!

  27. Rural Telemedicine with new device? Credit card Trust absent without healthworker Low literacy in local lang doctor patient No bank account Poor roads Poor access to drugs No unique ID Medicine Expensive credit Device and connectivity not enough?

  28. Successes Exist PCs for NGO / MFI back ends • Unsung success Grameen Village Phone • Mobile killer app: voice! M-PESA • Money transfer ($160M in first year) Same-language subtitling for literacy • Better literacy for 200M+ people Long-distance WiFi for eye care • Enabled 50,000+ consultations Photo credit: Indrani Medhi

  29. Technology is Just One Part Physical building, goods, transport, roads Human education, computer literacy, motivation, awareness Social institutions, norms, political support Financial operational costs, maintenance, training Digital hardware, software, connectivity, content

  30. In the Developed World… (includes wealthier segments of developing countries) Digital hardware, software, connectivity, content Physical building, goods, transport, roads Human education, computer literacy, motivation, awareness Social institutions, norms, political support Financial operational costs, maintenance, training

  31. In the DevelopingWorld… Digital hardware, software, connectivity, content

  32. What to do?

  33. Technology magnifies human intent and capacity. Technology itself requires support from well-intentioned, capable people or institutions. For best results, use technology to augment institutions already having positive impact.

  34. A competent non-profit (PRADAN) and a self-help group make the technology work. Photo credit: Aishwarya Ratan

  35. Why the Myths Persist

  36. “Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…” “There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.” “Can the cellphone help end global poverty?” “The Internet should be a human right in and of itself.” Sources: Negroponte, N. 2005, Friedman, E. 2008, New York Times, 2008; Best, M. L., 2004.

  37. “Twitter is changing the way we live.” “The Internet democratizes access to information.” “Social networking will transform learning” “Each of us is simultaneously an individual person and a global publisher.” “The Internet changes everything.” Sources: Time Magazine, Nonprofit Technology Conference, The Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Cybermedia.

  38. Google ARPANET Cellphone Microsoft iPhone WWW PC Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Wikipedia

  39. Summary Myths of ICT4D • ICT undoes “rich getting richer.” • Information is the bottleneck. • Needs are more pressing than desires. • Technology’s impact is only positive. • Technology X will save the world. Conclusion • Technology is a magnifier of human/institutional intent and capacity. Recommendation for ICT4D interventions: • Augment institutions already having positive development impact.

  40. Thanks! kentaro_toyama@hotmail.comhttp://www.kentarotoyama.org Boston Review article: http://www.bostonreview.net Photo credit: http://visionhelp.wordpress.com

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