1. Session 3 “ICTs for Development” course
Implementing ICT4D
Session 3
“ICTs for Development” course
Aim – to explain how best to put ICT4D into practice
Objectives – participants will be able to:
- Explain the steps of ICT4D strategy
- Describe good practice in ICT4D implementation
- Utilise the design-reality gap model in ICT4D implementation
- Identify key determinants of ICT4D adoption and use
- Summarise key ICT4D evaluation frameworks and issues

2. Intermediates / Deliverables
The ICT4D Value Chain
Precursors
-Data systems
-Legal
-Institutional
-Human
-Technological
-Leadership & Vision
-Drivers/Demand
Inputs
-Data
-Money
-Labour and Knowledge
-Technology
-Values and Motivations
-Political support
-Goals and Objectives
Intermediates / Deliverables
-Locations (e.g. telecentres)
-ICTs (e.g. PC, mobile, tablet)
-Software applications
Outputs
-New communication patterns
-New information and decisions
-New actions and transactions
Outcomes
-Financial and other quantitative benefits
-Qualitative benefits
-Disbenefits
Development Impacts
-Public goals (e.g. SDGs)
- Other impacts (intended and unintended)
Strategy
Implementation
Adoption
Use
Exogenous Factors
READINESS
UPTAKE
IMPACT
AVAILABILITY
Sustainability
Scalability
Enablers
Constraints
Last session introduced the ICT4D value chain and looked at boxes on left half of the model: the component foundations that make up ICT4D. This session switches from boxes to arrows: the processes that make up ICT4D: strategy, design/implementation, adoption/use, evaluation of impact.
Adapted from Heeks 2014b

3. Overview of ICT4D Strategy
How do we get there?
Where are we now?
Where do we want to get to?
3.1. ICT4D Strategy
Overview as three questions:
Where are we now: what is the current status of ICT4D?
Where do we want to get to: what should be the future of ICT4D?
How do we get there: what actions should be taken to transform the current situation into the future one?

4. Steps of ICT4D Strategy 1. Create ICT4D Planning Structures/Roles
2a. Audit Current ICT4D
2b. Get Guidance from Wider Strategy
3. Set ICT4D Objectives and Principles
4a. Determine ICT4D Technical Architecture
4b. Determine ICT4D Social Architecture
5. Disseminate and Plan ICT4D Actions
6. Manage, Evolve and Review ICT4D Strategy
Steps of ICT4D Strategy
Understand ICT4D strategy as a series of steps:
1. Create ICT4D Planning Structures/Roles: set up a strategy group to oversee the process.
2a. Audit Current ICT4D: “Where are we now?”: available data and information (I); data flows, interactions and transactions (C); technologies are available and used (T); general state of socio-economic development (D).
2b. Get Guidance from Wider Strategy: “Where do we want to get to?”: align ICT4D with wider strategy –development goals of community or organisation or government or donors.
3. Set ICT4D Objectives and Principles: what change is ICT4D intended to deliver and what principles will it follow when it does that.
4a. Determine ICT4D Technical Architecture: ICT4D strategy can be seen as needing to lay out the ITPOSMO dimensions for the future.
Then proceed to slides 5 and 6 before returning via slide
Later:
5. Disseminate and Plan ICT4D Actions: disseminate defined ICT4D strategy statement and break into detailed implementation plans.
6. Manage, Evolve and Review ICT4D Strategy: cyclical approach so monitor implementation: performance against objectives; unintended benefits and problems; resource usage; contextual changes. May lead to incremental or more major changes to the strategy; the latter leading full cycle to repeat.
EXERCISE
Analyse content of CRS (2010) source (see Box 3.2).
Then move to slide 7.
Adapted from Heeks 2006a

5. ITPOSMO Checklist and Design-Reality Gaps
Technical
Architecture
Information
Technology
Processes
Objectives and values
Staffing and skills
Management systems and structures
Other resources
Reality
Design
Gap
Social
Architecture
Reminder of ITPOSMO dimensions, and division into two architectures.
Later:
4b. Determine ICT4D Social Architecture: final four OSMO dimensions covering management of change, management systems, methodologies for ICT4D development, training, financing approaches.
Then return to slide 4.
Adapted from Heeks 2002b

6. ICT4D Technical Architecture
Development processes
Data management
ICT
Data
Telecommun- ications
Hardware
Software
Data flow
Use Chapter 3 explanation of data model, process model, ICT model, data flow model, data management model.
Then return to slide 5.

7. ICT4D Project Evaluation
“World Bank ICT projects with the objective to directly promote target access for the underserved and the poor had limited success; only 30 percent have achieved their objectives” (IEG 2011:xiv)
“we follow the prospects of 36 private telecenters which were opened at various times between November 2001 and February By May 2005, 32 of these 36 telecenters had closed.” (Best & Kumar 2008:31)
“Of the papers examined, 70% (28 of the 40) referred to or reflected on some level of failure or unintended negative outcomes related to the use, uptake, or adoption of ICTs in developing communities” (Dodson et al 2013:23)
3.2. ICT4D Design and Implementation
ASK – what would you conclude from this slide?
>There’s a lot of ICT4D failure around.
>Not unique to ICT4D but wasteful.
>Try to avoid this: see Figure 3.4 in textbook – ICT4D project implementation principles aiming to avoid failure and increase success rates

8. Principles for Digital Development
ICT4D project implementation principles draw particularly from Principles for Digital Development.
DISCUSSION
Look through the Principles for Digital Development ( Select the one principle that you feel is most important. Why is that the most important?
>No right or wrong answer here but discuss and reflect.
>Also see link to design-reality gap model (see slide 5 for reminder): there is always a gap between the design of an ICT4D system, and the reality into which it is introduced. The larger that gap, the greater the risk that the ICT4D project will fail.
>E.g. “Design with the User” principle ensures designers understand user realities so design is closer to those realities, creating a small gap.
EXERCISE: Select one principle that you feel is most important. Why is that the most important?
Image source:

9. ICT4D Project Design-Reality Gap Actions
Evaluate Size of Design-Reality Gaps
Identify Problematically-Large Gaps
Take Action to Close Those Gaps
Key task of ICT4D project managers is to evaluate design-reality gap size; identify large gaps; and reduce them by changing design or changing reality.
EXERCISE
Use a design-reality gap case study analysis (e.g. and make recommendations for action to reduce size of design-reality gaps.

10. The ICT4D “Prime Question”
“What’s In It For Me?”
3.3. ICT4D Adoption and Use
Foundational Models of ICT4D Adoption and Use
Strategy, design and implementation are not enough: need to ensure users adopt and use ICT4D systems.
They ask ICT4D prime question: “What’s in it for me?”, so focus on motivations, incentives and ensure fit of both social and technical design.

11. Diffusion of Innovations Curves
Diffusion of Innovations Theory
First, the social part: two curves from Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory:
Bell curve: staggered nature of adoption over time by different types from innovators to laggards.
- S-curve: cumulative adoption over time – slow at first then rapid take-off then plateau.
Understand both different ICT4D users and points in adoption cycle.
Image source:

12. Diffusion of Innovations Attributes
Relative Advantage
Compatibility
Complexity
Trialability
Second, the technical part and five attributes of any technical innovation.
Use description of five attributes in Section
EXERCISE
Compare two different ICT4D systems e.g. feature phone vs. tablet in terms of the five attributes.
Discuss whether one emerges as clearly better, or whether each has a role to play in ICT4D.
Observability

13. ICT4D Evaluation Overview
Why?
For Whom?
What?
How? (1)
When?
How? (2)
Pilot & Action
3.4. ICT4D Monitoring and Evaluation
An Overview of ICT4D Evaluation
Key foundational questions when planning ICT4D evaluation:
- Why doing this – to find out what has been achieved; or to predict what might happen in the future; to be held to account for expenditure?
- Who doing this for – who exactly is the audience?

14. Changing Focus for ICT4D Evaluation Over Time
Readiness
- Awareness
- Infrastructure
- Digital Divide
Uptake
- Demand
- Usage
- Use Divide
Impact
- Micro-Outputs
- Outcomes
- Development Contribution
Level of ICT4D Activity
Availability
- Supply
- Implementation
Changing focus for ICT4D evaluation over time:
- 1990s: are countries ready for ICT4D?
- Turn of century: is ICT available in developing countries?
- 2000s: how much are ICTs being adopted and used in developing countries?
- 2010s: what development impact are ICTs having?
Adapted from Heeks 2009a and Heeks 2014b

15. Increasing Complexity of ICT4D Evaluation
Single Goal
Single Method
Multi-Goal
Multi- Stakeholder
Multi- Method
Different Approaches to ICT4D Evaluation
Growing complexity of ICT4D evaluation: more goals, more actors, more methods inc. triangulation of evidence.
EXERCISE
Select an ICT4D case study (e.g. one from Box 3.7): what would the main goals of the different main actors have been?

16. ICT4D Evaluation Issues
Perception vs. Reality
Whose Evaluation?
Unintended Outcomes
Negative Outcomes
- Attribution
Perspectives on ICT4D Evaluation Results
Perception vs. Reality
- Respondent perception may not match reality and/or there may be a reporting bias.
Whose Evaluation?
- Alternative approach of evaluation owned, designed, driven by beneficiaries.
Unintended Outcomes
- See Figure 3.10 allowance for ‘other impacts’ not just focusing on initial goals.
Negative Outcomes
- Incorporate “digital harm”: computer crime, pornography, gambling, threats to privacy and security and freedom of expression, etc.
Attribution
- What causes observed ICT4D outcomes: the technology, parallel social changes, some combination?

17. Perspectives on ICT4D Impacts and Causes
Optimism (“It will be good”)
Impacts Associated With ICT4D
Mixed (“It will be good and bad”)
Pessimism (“It will be bad”)
Summary of different views on ICT4D impacts and their attribution (see discussion in Section 3.4.3).
DISCUSSION
Where do your views fit into the diagram? Are there right and wrong perspectives?
Technological determinism (ICTs cause…)
Socio-technical contingency (It depends…)
Social determinism (Society causes…)
Causes Of Impacts Associated With ICT4D
Adapted from Heeks 1999