Sustaining ICT-enabled development : practice makes perfect?
Document type: report
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Abstract:
To learn more about the issue of sustainability and ICT-enabled development, and particularly to explore ways to make such activities more sustainable, the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) convened a workshop in May 2002. Since the process used was participatory, only part of the many wide-ranging and diverse discussions could be captured. Hence, this summary only gives a flavour of the issues discussed. One of the main findings was that despite the ICT-focus of the workshop, classic organizational and developmental factors (like human and institutional capacities, culture, ownership, participation, political will, etc.) recur over and over as the real issues to be tackled in our search for sustainability. ICTs are not themselves inherently more or less sustainable than other development instruments. Therefore it is recommended to: stimulate ownership from the start; incorporate needs and demands into formulation and evaluation; envision the route ahead and the role of ICTs; integrate and anchor ICTs in wider organizational or development activities and processes; partner to reach results; foster creativity and entrepreneurship; strengthen capacities to design, decide upon, and execute ICT-enabled activities; and, influence policy and practice through networks, lobbying and dissemination.
Authors:
Ferguson, J.
,
Ballantyne, P.
,
Kora, G.
Series Title:
Research Report
Category:
General
Serial number:
9
Keywords:
information and communication technologies
,
participation
Language:
eng
Organization:
IICD - International Institute for Communication and Development
PAGE:
16
Place:
The Hague
Publisher:
IICD
Year:
2002
Right:
© 2002 IICD
Subject:
Information, Knowledge and Communication
Title:
Sustaining ICT-enabled development : practice makes perfect?