Selecting Sustainable ICT Solutions for Pro-Poor Intervention

Abstract

This chapter describes a Percolator model as a framework within which ICT solutions may be contemplated for communities under threat of digital exclusion. The model partitions the problem into manageable domains, within which realistic and appropriate ICT solutions may be progressively distilled. It gives an account of the generic attributes of information and communications and the manner in which these attributes map onto technical parameters of ICT. The model places a great deal of emphasis on contextualization, drawing on the Sustainable Livelihood Approach for intervention in economically poor communities. Its domains variously take account of the national or provincial developmental objectives in particular politico-cultural contexts as well as the social character of communities and their physical nature. Ultimately, contextualized technical parameters are used as the basis on which solutions are selected from among the available range of information and communications technologies. The general framework of the Percolator model is not limited to ICT. It may be applied to intervention based on a variety of technologies. 115 C H A P T E R 61 The authors acknowledge, with gratitude, the contribution of Akash Pooransingh in the acquisition of supporting resources for this work.

ICT for development in the context of the closure of Chernobyl nuclear power plant: an activity theory perspective

“…embedding the TIN into their own activities. The project was designed according to local realities, involving multiple stakeholders and encompassing sustainability ideals by fitting in with the broader local development objectives, echoing the suggestions of other ICTD researchers (Mallalieu & Rocke, 2007; Heeks, 2010).…”

“…Heeks (2010) suggests that successful ICTD implementations should address three key domains: (1) ensuring that designs are sufficiently aligned to local realities; (2) open governance which involves multiple stakeholders; and (3) ensuring sustainability from an economic and socio‐political perspective. Mallalieu & Rocke (2007) articulate two underlying attributes (1) interventions must be driven by national or provincial developmental objectives, and (2) these developmental objectives should be achieved through the parallel engagement of many sectors. These principles suggest that ICT interventions should be designed to fit the cultural‐historical context in which they will be utilised and shaped.…”

PeskAAS: A near-real-time, open-source monitoring and analytics system for small-scale fisheries

“…There are some examples of applications and tools to collect fisheries data on a small scale, the most successful of which are generally ‘high touch’, meaning they involve significant contextual development that cannot easily be scaled to other systems or geographies (see [ 12 – 15 ]). The danger in developing scalable technologies is that they are often imposed as prescribed ‘solutions’ on low-income countries, and can merely reinforce the capacity gap, alienate managers and stakeholders, and be ill-suited to the contextual reality [ 16 , 17 ]. There is an urgent need for a light touch, scalable and integrated approach to data collection and analytics, but thus far, this has been elusive in terms of getting simple, usable data in the hands of fisheries managers.…”