Managing Gender‐Related Challenges in ICT4D Field Research

Abstract

A significant number of ICT4D projects funded by the developed world cannot meet their objectives. One cause of failures of ICT4D projects is likely to be the failures or shortcomings of the field research component since it is an integral part of a majority ICT4D projects. Hence, it becomes an imperative for researchers to be able to manage the challenges encountered in ICT4D field research. Project management principles (PMP) concerned with the scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, and risks related to a variety of projects may help researchers to manage ICT4D field research challenges. However, PMP developed in and for the developed world cannot be applied as is; they need to be customized to a developing nation context. This paper illustrates the culturally sensitive application of PMP to manage contextual challenges mainly consisting of gender-related challenges in field research with poor female mobile phone users in rural India. The communications and risk management principles were most useful when collecting quantitative and qualitative data from one of the most disadvantaged communities in the world. The insights into gender relations between the male researcher, the female local mediator, the female study participants, and their male family members would better equip researchers and practitioners to manage gender-related challenges in ICT4D field research. KEYWORDS:ICT for Development, ICT4D Field Research, Gender-related Challenges, Project Management Principles, and Cultural Sensitivity 1.INTRODUCTION The projects which (a) design information and communication technology (ICT) solutions, including information systems, to address the issues related to human development, (b) test ICT prototypes with disadvantaged communities, (c) deploy ICT solutions in disadvantaged communities, or (d) assess the impact of ICT solutions on the development of disadvantaged communities in developed or developing nations, are known as ICT4D projects. This paper limits the scope of the term ICT4D projects to developing nations. It is a well-documented fact that a significant number of ICT4D projects conceived in and sponsored by the developed world cannot meet their objectives. For instance, during the fiscal period 2003-10, the World Bank invested around $4.2 billion to support its ICT4D projects that promoted access to and adoption of ICT across all sectors in the developing world. In 2011, the Independent Evaluation Group, an internal division of the World Bank, revealed that 70% of its ICT4D projects failed to achieve their goal of universal access to ICT (World Bank, 2011).One cause of failures of ICT4D projects is likely to be the failures or shortcomings of the field research component since it is an integral part of ICT4D projects. Field research attempts to understand someone else's experience. It may not necessarily be always related to ICT4D projects. When unrelated, field research might aim to explore ways to generate more profits or reduce costs for companies. Such field resea...

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