Title: ICT for a greener economy : recommendations to the Dutch Platform Rio 20+
Pages: 8 pp.
Publisher: IICD - International Institute for Communication and Development
Date (published): 24/11/2011
Date (accessed): 03/12/2011
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) is being organized in pursuance of General Assembly Resolution 64/236. The Conference will take place in Brazil on 4-6 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level and will include Heads of State, Government officials and other VIPs. The Conference will result in a focused political document. It will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.

The Dutch government has launched the Dutch platform Rio+20 in order to involve many actors and views from different stakeholders in preparing recommendations for the UN conference on sustainable development.

Since IICD ́s mission and experience has generated a wealth of insights into how to assist developing countries to use ICT as a strategic tool for sustainable development and poverty alleviation, we would like to offer a contribution in the form of key recommendations relating to the role of ICT in achieving greener economies in developing countries."

Title: Electronic Payment Systems Development in a Developing Country: The Role of Institutional Arrangements
Authors: Austin Briggs, Laurence Brooks
Pages: 16 pp.
ISSN: 1681-4835
Source: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, (2011) 49, 3, 1-16
Publisher: City University of Hong Kong
Date (published): 24/09/2011
Date (accessed): 20/11/2011
Type of information: peer reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This paper examines the institutional arrangements in the development of Nigeria’s electronic payment system (EPS) using a new institutional economics (NIE) perspective. A case study of Nigeria’s EPS was carried out using semi structured interviews to collect data from 18 participating stakeholders; a thematic method was used for the data analysis. The study suggests that a well-functioning set of arrangements, which is lacking in the institutional setup in Nigeria may be required to build necessary institutional capacity suitable for development of safe and efficient electronic payment systems. Although the technological payment infrastructure in Nigeria is modern and of comparable standard, the failure to put in place reliable and relevant market and collaborative agreements has not enabled full exploitation of the available infrastructure. Current governance structures show elements of power struggle and distrust between stakeholders (players and regulators), hampering the creation of an environment that would sustain free market economic activities and effective development of payment systems."

Title: New Models of Technology Assessment for Development
Authors: Adrian Ely, Patrick Van Zwanenberg and Andrew Stirling
Pages: 50 pp.
ISBN: 978 1 85864 993 5
Source: STEPS Working Paper 45
Publisher: STEPS Centre
Date (published): 02/06/2011
Date (accessed): 13/07/2011
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"Technology assessment (TA) is a term for processes that collect, interpret and evaluate information and perspectives about different technological options, in order to inform investments, strategies or policies (see Figure 1). It can play an important part in steering science, technology and innovation towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and addressing the sustainability objectives at the centre of the Rio+20 summit in June 2012. This briefing outlines work conducted at the STEPS Centre that investigates how ‘new models’ of technology assessment may support these development aims.
...
What are the ‘new models’ of technology assessment?
The new models of technology assessment
- combine citizen and decision-maker participation with technical expertise
- can be conducted ‘virtually’ using new information and communication technologies
- are networked rather than being based in a single office of technology assessment
- are flexible enough to address issues across disciplines and
- are increasingly transnational or global in their reach and scope.

The STEPS Centre report...examines the utility of these ‘new models’ of technology assessment in a broad range of geographical contexts, asking to what extent they can be applied to improving the lives of poor and vulnerable populations in the developing world."

Title: Product Innovation Knowledge for Developing Economies, Towards a Systematic Transfer Approach
Author: Johan Carel Diehl
Pages: 303 pp.
ISBN: 978-90-5155-068-9
Source: Design for Sustainability program publication nr. 22
Publisher: University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Date (published): 26/11/2010
Date (accessed): 10/02/2011
Type of information: PhD Thesis
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"There are different strategies towards economical development for developing countries. One of them is to increase the local capacity and implementation of product innovation. According to the World Bank, OECD, and other financial and research institutions, the transfer of product innovation knowledge to developing countries is expected to be one of the key drivers for competitiveness and economical growth, and part of the solution to environmental and social challenges. However, at the moment, the majority of this knowledge is generated in developed countries. Because of the local deficiency in the coming decade in regional knowledge on product innovation, companies and universities in these countries have to (partly) rely on the acquisition of knowledge from outside sources until sufficient local capacity has been built up. The current transfer of product innovation knowledge is considerably finance and staff intensive and its content and transfer mechanisms do not always fit the needs and characteristics of the knowledge recipients in developing countries. Subsequently, in order to answer this increased need for knowledge on product innovation in developing countries, more efficient and appropriate knowledge transfer methods will be needed. Although interest in the transfer of product innovation knowledge to firms and universities in developing countries is increasing significantly, there is a general lack of systematic interest of knowledge institutions and international organisations in how the current transfer takes place and how it can be improved. The present study focuses on this underexplored research area."
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Title: ICTs: Digital divide or digital bridge?
Author:Aloyce Ndeleio
Source:www.thisday.co.tz
Publisher:
Date (published):30/11/2010
Date (accessed):02/12/2010
Type of information:article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
„ Fifteen years ago, the only option used to send an urgent two-paged document from Dar es Salaam to London was the fax. But, it was laborious, time consuming and sometimes difficult to send the documents, not to mention the costs.

Today, without worrying about time and costs, one sits behind a computer and send messages along with documents by electronic mail. On the other hand, in as much as it was difficult to engage yourself in debates and other discussions with people far away, nowadays, everything has changed for the better.

You can log on different websites and get a good picture of the current discussions and debates. The new information and communication technologies (ICTs) mean little less than a revolution when it comes to cost and convenience of communication for development organisations in most parts of this world.

This is a revolution that left a question that, revolution for how many? Nearly 90 per cent of all internet users are in industrialised countries according to the International Labour Organisation’s World Employment Report 2001.

In contrast, internet users in all of Africa and the Middle East together account for only one per cent of the global internet users, – the digital divide. Yet, the highest growth rates in internet users are found in Africa.”

Title: How Mobile Phones Jump-Start Developing Economies
Author: Antonio Regalado
Source: Technology Review
Publisher: MIT
Date (published): 22/11/2010
Date (accessed): 24/11/2010
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
„As one of the fastest-spreading technologies in history, the mobile phone has been transformative for the billions of people in the developing world who never had a landline or an Internet connection. One of the most unexpected benefits is its ability to deliver banking services.
...
Worldwide, dozens of companies are introducing mobile wallets that store money in cell phones instead of bank accounts. Such schemes help the vast ranks of the "unbanked"—those huddled masses who yearn to easily send funds to distant family members, pay bills, or even take out small loans, but don't have access to financial services. "The mobile wallet can be transformational," ...”

Title: Why Have Mobile Phones Succeeded Where Other Technologies Have Not?
Author:Jenny Aker
Source:Global Development: Views from the Center blog
Publisher:Center for Global Development
Date (published):03/11/2010
Date (accessed):04/11/2010
Type of information:blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"A few weeks ago, I was sitting on a panel for a conference on Information and Communications Technology and Development. The debate on my panel was a lively one, and came down to one issue: Can information technology (by itself) lead to development? Obviously there has been a lot of buzz about this topic — Jeffrey Sachs has called the mobile phone the “single most transformative technology” for development, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame once stated that mobile phones were becoming a “basic necessity” for Africa. Previously, I have argued that mobile phones are not the silver bullet for development (and I still believe this). But just because something doesn’t save the world doesn’t mean that we can or should dismiss it as the latest development fad, either. Mobile phones have something to teach us about the adoption of other technologies, and I think we have something to learn.
...
While this is a complex question, from a qualitative perspective, the answers might not be so difficult:

Unlike many technologies, mobile phones have multiple uses (voice, SMS and internet) and multiple purposes...
Many of these benefits are tangible and immediate...
Mobile phones (especially the voice operations) are fairly easy to use...
Not everyone needs to use a mobile phone to benefit from it...
Mobile phones can be easily adapted to local contexts...
The mobile phone distribution system – handsets, SIM cards, scratch cards and charging services – extends into urban and rural areas (Coca-Cola, anyone)?"

Title: Delivering Coherent ICT Policies in Developing Countries
Authors: Richard Heeks, Ping Gao & Angelica Ospina
Pages: 4 pp.
Source: e­Development Briefing No. 14
Publisher: Centre for Development Informatics, University of Manchester
Date (published): 09/04/2010
Date (accessed): 14/07/2010
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
We could trace the origins of information and communication technology (ICT) policies in developing countries to the 1970s – for example in India – when there were a few focused on helping develop the local IT industry. Or one could go decades further back to find roots in policies on media and telecommunications. However, documents called "national ICT policy" only really started to be made in the 1990s and early 2000s.
What have they achieved?

Title: Unveiling the Links between ICTs & Climate Change in Developing Countries: A Scoping Study
Authors: Angelica Valeria Ospina & Richard Heeks
Pages: 59 pp.
Publisher: Centre for Development Informatics, Institute for Development Policy and Management, SED, University of Manchester
Date (published): 26/04/2010
Date (accessed): 14/06/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
This document responds to the need to explore further the links between ICTs, climate change and development, as these fields become increasingly interlocked due to the magnifying effect of climate change on existing development challenges and vulnerabilities.

This scoping study targets an audience of development strategists and practitioners – working on ICTs-for-development (ICT4D), on climate change, on disaster response, and other focal areas – interested in gaining a better understanding of the current trends and perspectives in ICTs-and- climate change research, with a focus on developing countries. It seeks to raise awareness on the potential and challenges associated with the use of these tools from a developing country perspective. And it seeks to identify emerging issues and research gaps that require further academic analysis and/or multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Title: A New ICT Maturity Model for Education Institutions in Developing Countries
Author: Julian M. Bass
Pages: 43 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-905469-12-3
Source: Development Informatics Working Paper Series, Paper No. 44
Publisher: Centre for Development Informatics, Institute for Development Policy and Management, SED, University of Manchester
Date (published): 26/04/2010
Date (accessed): 06/05/2010
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf, 456 KB)
Abstract:
There is increasing interest in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education institutions in low-income countries. Developing ICT infrastructure is disproportionately expensive in developing countries and sustainable interventions are difficult to achieve: in part because leaders of educational institutions and donors have often not had the opportunity to develop ICT infrastructure planning and implementation skills. There has been a lack of concrete guidance regarding the stages of development needed to make efficient use of resources and maximise the chances of sustainable investments.

To address these needs, a novel ICT Maturity Model is presented here that provides a developmental framework for education institutions in low-income countries. The Model is unique in defining the ICT infrastructure resource levels required to achieve primary organisational objectives expressed in the form of student learning outcomes. The Model consists of eight levels, with the lowest levels defining the infrastructure required to enable initial computer training. The highest level applies to institutions where e-research is widely practised across the curriculum. The levels in the Maturity Model show management, teaching and technical staff, and donors how to make most efficient use of ICT resources by maximising opportunities for student learning.

The Maturity Model has been derived from documentary sources and an analysis of selected schools, colleges and universities in Ethiopia. The surveyed institutions include five primary schools, one higher education preparatory school, six teacher education colleges and five public universities. The Maturity Model was used as a prescriptive, developmental tool in one of the teacher education colleges and one public university. In this mode, the Model was shown to prioritise capacity building and infrastructure development initiatives that contributed to improving student learning opportunities. Although developed and tested in the context of one country, it is hoped that the Model will be applicable across a range of developing countries.

See also:
Educator's guide to student questions for this paper.