Developing ICT Services in a Low-Resource Development Context

Abstract

Despite an urgent need for social and technological innovation to improve wellbeing of people and communities in poor regions of the world, information and communications technology (ICT) service delivery has not yet been very successful in regions with low levels of literacy, poor infrastructures, and limited purchasing power. High rates of failure, reported in various studies, point at a frequent mismatch between deployed technologies and local needs and contexts. Still, no practical field-validated methodologies for ICT service innovation in low-resource development contexts have been proposed that offer adequate ways to meet local needs and contexts and assess sustainability before deployment. This article outlines a framework for development of ICT services in low-resource development contexts, covering the full lifecycle of ICT service innovation. This framework is based on extensive field research, and shows how a collaborative, adaptive, and iterative methodology can address a set of key sociotechnical concerns and issues widely encountered in developing and emerging countries.

An Open-Source Mobile Geospatial Platform for Promoting Climate-Smart Livelihood-Landscape Systems in Fiji and Tonga

“…We adopted an ICT4D framework proposed by Bon et al (2016) consisting of five components ( Figure 2). The framework is intended to support iterative development with ongoing stakeholder engagement: the components are not necessarily followed in order but can be configured as required.…”

“…Needs assessment refers to the identification and prioritisation of unmet needs for the use of geospatial data, or an unmet need which could be clearly or directly alleviated through the use of geospatial data. Bon et al (2016) defines needs as a 'state of deprivation of some basic satisfaction' and can be independent of a specific technology or system.…”

Changes in the Relationship Between ICT Use and Economic Development in EU Member States 2010-2016

“…The most obvious such effects are the number of people employed in the ICT sector and the level of spending on the ICT sector. (DOUCEK et al 2014).…”

“…Naturally, it has a serious impact on gross domestic product (GDP), international cooperation in finance, trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and Poverty reduction (BON et al 2016).…”

Systematic Mapping Study of Information Technology for Development in Agriculture (The Case of Developing Countries)

“…Namely: Understanding the link between ICTs and development; Understanding the cross-cultural and multi-cultural implications of ICTs; and Understanding how developing countries appropriate (adapt) ICTs. In a similar manner, (Bon et al, 2016) classified the scientific literature on ICT for Development as being roughly divided into three categories: (i) Social-science, often ethnographic, field studies that analyze the effects and impact of ICTs on people in developing regions; (ii) technical studies that describe developed local or regional ICT deployments or present technical tools; and (iii) desk research studies that consider various policy aspects at a high conceptual level. In this paper, we rephrased these into five research categories: linking ICT initiative with development; understanding context; method: ICT4A system design & development; user interface: designing interaction interfaces for illiterate users systems; and framework.…”