Information and Communication Technologies for Poverty Reduction and Rural Development

1. Roger Harris Associates Information and Communication Technologies for Poverty Reduction and Rural Development 2. Case Studies, Contemporary Issues and Current Research Roger W. Harris PhD Roger Harris Associates Hong Kong China Agricultural University 2010

2. Agenda • Case studies • eBario • Khoun Radio • M-PESA • Mission 2007 India • Issues • Sustainability • Evaluation • Scaling up • Mobiles vs. Computers • Indigenous peoples & ICTs • Research • Teaching ICT4D • Why do research • Publishing: conferences • Publishing: journals • Getting cited in ICT4D Case studies Issues Research

3. Agenda • Case studies • eBario • Khoun Radio • M-PESA • Mission 2007 India • Issues • Sustainability • Evaluation • Scaling up • Mobiles vs. Computers • Indigenous peoples & ICTs • Research • Teaching ICT4D • Why do research • Publishing: conferences • Publishing: journals • Getting cited in ICT4D Case studies Issues Research

4. 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

5. 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.

6. M-PESA

7. Mission 2007 India • GrameenGyanAbhiyan, 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

8. Agenda • Case studies • eBario • Khoun Radio • M-PESA • Mission 2007 India • Issues • Sustainability • Evaluation • Scaling up • Mobiles vs. Computers • Indigenous peoples & ICTs • Research • Teaching ICT4D • Why do research • Publishing: conferences • Publishing: journals • Getting cited in ICT4D Case studies Issues Research

9. 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 revenue-generating 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

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

11. ...let me tell you a story... We have this indicator that measures... Evaluation • Why evaluate? • Evaluate what? • Outputs • Outcomes • When to evaluate? • Independent? • How to interpret the results? • Success or failure? ...let me tell you a story... We have this indicator that measures... Time Evaluations don’t look for this Evaluations look for this Desirable Evaluations downplay these Evaluations probably miss these Undesirable Expected Unexpected

12. 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 eco-system; • Universities • Businesses • Development agencies • NGOs • Media • Government

13. Mobile vs. Computers Mobile 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 Positive • 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 Negative False Dichotomy: Convergence of applications and services which interoperate seamlessly over mobile networks and the Internet

14. 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 eBario Vision for Indigenous Peoples and ICTs.

15. Agenda • Case studies • eBario • Khoun Radio • M-PESA • Mission 2007 India • Issues • Sustainability • Evaluation • Scaling up • Mobiles vs. Computers • Indigenous peoples & ICTs • Research • Teaching ICT4D • Why do research • Publishing: conferences • Publishing: journals • Getting cited in ICT4D Case studies Issues Research

16. Teaching ICT4D – Multi-Disciplinary • Information Systems • What can be done with technology and how to get the most from it. • Computer Science • How the technology works. • Development Studies • The causes of poverty and efforts to alleviate it. • Social Sciences • Social impacts • Communication • How the media, including new media, promotes social change • Economics • Micro enterprises, social enterprises and ICTs

17. Why do research? • To obtain a degree • Satisfy the examiner • To advance an academic career • Publish • Publish • Publish • To influence practice • Multiple communications • To enjoy the lifestyle • To change the world • Some or all of the above

18. Researching ICT4D • Impact and evaluation • Poverty reduction – really? • Technology appropriation • Unexpected but desirable outcomes • Gender differentiation • Sustainability • Types of sustainability • Who pays? • Replication • Conditions required for successful replication and scaling • Technology diffusion and convergence • Mobiles, internet, radio etc. • E-inclusion for vulnerable groups • Regulatory reform

19. Publishing; Conferences • International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Development ICT4D • 2010 London • IFIP9.4 Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries • 2011 Nepal • eIndia • July 2011 • eBario Knowledge Fair • November 2011

20. Journals - Impact

21. Getting cited in ICT4D • 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 multi-disciplinary 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

22. Roger Harris Associates Thank you Roger W. Harris PhD Roger Harris Associates Hong Kong