Title: The Indian web and mobile markets by the numbers
Author: Katie Fehrenbacher
Source: GigaOM
Date (published): 14/12/2011
Date (accessed): 15/12/2011
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Sometimes it’s just easier to get a high-level picture of a market if you look directly at the numbers. Google India Managing Director Rajan Anandan gave a fascinating talk to our Geeks on a Plane India group this week, giving us a snap shot of the data that is driving the consumers, entrepreneurs, trends and investors in the rapidly growing Indian web and mobile markets.

Anandan says: “We’re probably in 1996 in the U.S. in terms of the Internet market in India.” Here’s the stats from Anandan’s deck. India has:
..."

Title: ICTs and Informal Learning in Developing Countries
Author: Christopher Foster
Pages: 44 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-905469-16-1
Source: Working Paper Series, Paper No. 46, Development Informatics Group
Publisher: Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester
Date (published): 09/03/2011
Date (accessed): 04/12/2011
Type of information: working paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This paper presents an approach to understanding information and communication technology-for-development (ICT4D) interventions based around informal learning, where the ongoing process of using ICTs – rather than informational products – is seen as the principal development driver.

A conceptual model of informal learning in ICT4D is constructed. This model moves beyond the treatment of informal learning as a single unproblematic concept, to illustrate that there is a landscape of contrasting modes of informal learning and subsequent development outcomes that can occur within the processes of ICT4D projects.

We use this model to provide guidelines that will help practitioners to understand ICT process within their projects and how they might 'design' projects around informal learning; through linking actions and ICT use to desired development outcomes.

This study is supported by a review of the literature; in particular using case studies from India and Brazil to illustrate how informal learning can become the principal focus of an intervention, and potentially provide more appropriate ways to understand empowerment, social change and participatory production within ICT4D.

Educator's guide to student questions for this paper.

Table of Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
A. INFORMAL LEARNING IN THE LITERATURE………………………………………………….. 3
A.1. ICTs and Informal Learning in Developing Countries ……………………………….. 3
A.2. Theoretical Approaches …………………………………………………………………………. 5
B. THE 'THREE DIRECTIONS' MODEL OF INFORMAL LEARNING………………………… 6
B.1. A Critique of Development as Empowerment ……………………………………………. 6
B.2. Three Informal Learning Outcomes Beyond Empowerment………………………… 8
B.3. Pedagogical Approach within the 'Three Directions' of Informal Learning…..11
B.4. Summary – A Model for Informal Learning in ICT4D ……………………………… 14
B.5. Locating ICT4D Projects in the Three Directions Model ………………………….. 15
C. APPLYING THE 'THREE DIRECTIONS' MODEL…………………………………………….. 16
C.1. Learning and Radio in India…………………………………………………………………. 16
C.2. Networked Cultural Learning in Brazil ………………………………………………….. 21
D. PRACTITIONER ADVICE ON USE OF INFORMAL LEARNING APPROACHES ……… 29
E. CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………………………………………. 33
E.1. Informal Learning and ICT4D2.0 ………………………………………………………….. 33
E.2. Future Work………………………………………………………………………………………… 33
E.3. Final Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………. 34
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35"

Title: ICTs for Agricultural Extension: A Study in the Indian Himalayan Region
Authors: Vyakaranam L.V. Kameswari, Devash Kishore, Vinita Gupta
Pages: 12 pp.
ISSN: 1681-4835
Source: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, (2011) 48, 3, 1-12
Publisher: City University of Hong Kong
Date (published): 28/08/2011
Date (accessed): 20/11/2011
Type of information: peer reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This paper reports on the availability, use and information seeking behaviour of a farming community with specific reference to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It fills a research gap by examining what people do with a medium when they have access to it, rather than looking at barriers surrounding the use of ICTs and digital divide issues arising due to differential access and capabilities. The study was conducted in a state in North India, and provides insights into intentions and factors surrounding the use of various media by farmers. It highlights the socio-cultural context within which information seeking and use occurs in rural India."

Title: The Economic Impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Microenterprises in the Context of Development
Authors: Chew, H. E.; Vigneswara Ilavarasan, P.; Levy , M. R.
Pages: 19 pp.
ISSN: 1681-4835
Source: Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, (2010) 44, 4, 1-19
Publisher: www.ejisdc.org
Date (published): 06/10/2010
Date (accessed): 09/11/2011
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This paper investigates the impact of information and communication technologies, especially landline and mobile phones, computers, and Internet cafés in facilitating economic growth in the developing world. Data on access to ICTs, as well as business-relevant behaviors and attitudes, was collected by a multi-stage probability sample of women microentrepreneurs in Mumbai, India. Main findings include evidence that in urban microenterprises owned by women, business growth is a function of ICT access and is related to motivation to use ICTs for business purposes; and that the more positive a woman microentrepreneur feels about her status and power because of her business, the more she will be motivated to use ICTs in support of her business. Implications for the study of digital divides and strategies for studies of communication and technology more generally are considered."

Title: mAgri programme case study - India
Pages: 6 pp.
Source: GSMA
Date (published): 07/06/2011
Date (accessed): 18/10/2011
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) is a tri-lateral joint venture between the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), the largest farmers’ cooperative in India and airtel, the largest mobile network operator, along with Star Global Resources Limited, rural telephony experts who acquired 25% shares. IKSL provides voice-based agricultural information to empower rural farmers and reinforce the cooperative through the mobile network. After a successful pilot, the service launched in 2008.IKSL distributes airtel SIM cards branded ‘Green SIM’ to its IFFCO members and other farmers.

The Green SIM functions as a normal SIM as well as providing the agricultural valued added services (Agri VAS). The user receives 5 recorded voice messages, free of charge, each day covering both local and national agricultural topics. Green SIM users access an Agri Helpline where they can get answers from agri-experts to any farming question they care to raise.

The GSMA mAgri Programme provided a grant and technical assistance to IKSL. Our work aimed to strengthen the service and improve the ICT content systems to ensure efficacy and relevance for the end user - and to leave the project ready for further scaling. Today, the IKSL Green SIM service has 3 million users."

Title: Leveraging Information and Communication Technology for the Base Of the Pyramid
Authors: Alexandre de Carvalho, Lucie Klarsfeld, Francois Lepicard
Pages: 218 pp.
Source: TNO
Publisher: Hystra, Ashoka
Date (published): 14/09/2011
Date (accessed): 18/09/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"innovative business models in education, health, agriculture and financial services
…
New study reveals how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can viably provide access to education, healthcare, agro-services or financial services to the billions of people living with less than a few dollars per day, also called the Base of the Pyramid. Fifteen of the most ground breaking market-based business models, with a proven scale and results on the ground show that ICT can be a lever improving the living standards of the BoP. There are, however, large differences in financial sustainability across sectors.

The research was conducted by Hystra consultants and TNO researchers and sponsored by AFD, Ericsson, France Telecom-Orange, ICCO and TNO. The aim of the study was to see if and how ICT can have a sustainable contribution to poverty reduction and create new opportunities for the Base of the Pyramid. More than 280 initiatives were evaluated on their ability to create social impact, their scalability and their financial sustainability, ensuring that they can grow and last beyond an experimental phase.
An important insight from the research was that though a large number ICT initiatives can be found in developing countries, many of them were not financially sustainable. In order to grow from successful small or medium enterprises to large scale information and communication services, it is important to have a market driven approach and look at the Base of the Pyramid as customers in stead of beneficiaries. In addition, cooperation between companies in different sectors (ICT and Health, for example), between the private sector and non-profit (hospitals, development agencies) and between these sectors and government is crucial. Only then the ICT service had the potential to reach the scale necessary to improve living conditions and incomes of the billions of poor people in the world.
The study was based on a review of more than 280 initiatives set up by various types of actors (corporations, Citizen Sector Organizations, social entrepreneurs) in four sectors (education, health, agriculture and financial services)."

Title: From No Doctor to E-Doctors in Rural India
Author: Emily Singer
Source: Technology Review
Publisher: MIT
Date (published): 15/09/2011
Date (accessed): 18/09/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"A telemedicine company brings $1 virtual checkups to poor countries.

There aren't too many doctors in the village of Hari Ke Kalan, in the Punjab region of northern India. But for $1, residents who bicycle to a new health clinic can get an appointment with a physician appearing on a large-screen television and beamed in over broadband Internet.

The clinic, built by a startup called Healthpoint Services, is one of a network of eight "e-health points" that the for-profit company has built in India as part of a growing effort by entrepreneurs to capitalize on the rapid expansion of cellular and broadband access in the poorest parts of the world. With successes such as text-message-based mobile payments taking off in some countries, many experts see medicine as the next major application of technology in poor nations."

Title: Bottom of the Pyramid Expenditure Patterns on Mobile Services in Selected Emerging Asian Countries
Authors: Aileen Agüero, Aileen Agüero, Juhee Kang
Pages: 14 pp.
ISBN: 1544-7529
e-ISBN: 1544-7537
Source: Information Technologies & International Development; Vol 7, Issue 3 - Mobile Telephony Special Issue, 19-32 pp.
Publisher: USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
Date (published): 09/09/2011
Date (accessed): 13/09/2011
Type of information: Peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This article analyzes patterns of expenditure on mobile phone services at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP), following users in six Asian countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand. We examine whether mobile phone services in the selected countries display characteristics of a luxury good or those of a necessity. We first evaluate the expenditure patterns of mobile phone services among five income groups within the BoP. Then, we estimate the income elasticity of mobile phone services using Engel curves. Based on these analyses, we conclude that mobile phone services are necessities at the BoP. We also find that any increase in price or tax adds the greatest burden on the poorest of the poor. We argue that the current high tax on mobile phone services in developing countries in Asia has an adverse effect on the poor."

Title: Mobile Financial Services Development Report 2011
Pages: 221 pp.
ISBN: 978-92-95044-80-7
Publisher: World Economic Forum
Date (published): 16/05/2011
Date (accessed): 12/08/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTMl + pdf + zip)
Abstract:
"The Mobile Financial Services Development Report 2011 provides a comprehensive analysis of more than 100 variables across 20 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Developed in conjunction with the Boston Consulting Group, the report measures the critical factors necessary to achieve meaningful scale of mobile financial services and to meet the needs of billions of individuals excluded from the formal economy.

Defining mobile financial services devel­opment in terms of the key drivers across the institu­tional, market and end-user environments that lead to adoption and scale, the aim of the Report is to build consensus by proposing a taxonomy and analytic structure for assessing the mobile finance landscape in addition to the provision of a comprehensive data set.

The report takes a wide-ranging view in assessing the factors that contribute to the long-term development of mobile financial services. Along with including mobile payments and transfers, vital financial services such as savings, credit, and insurance are also within the Report’s scope.

Measures of mobile financial services development are captured across seven pillars:

Regulatory proportionality
Consumer protection
Market competitiveness
Market catalysts
End-user empowerment and access
Distribution and agent network
Adoption and availability

The report highlights that the adoption of mobile financial services is currently confined to a few countries where access to financial services has been historically constrained and the scope of services limited to mobile money transfer. The findings also suggest that the adoption of financial services such as savings, credit and micro-insurance are nascent and that regulatory environments, market competitiveness and the financial literacy of end-users all need to be collaboratively addressed before meaningful scale can be achieved.

Countries such as Kenya and the Philippines are among the few countries covered by the report that have achieved adoption levels of more than 10% of their total adult population. A defining characteristic of these countries is a dense network of agents – retail access points that are capable of registering account holders and handling cash transactions. However, as these countries look to achieve scale beyond payments, focusing on factors such as government disbursements through the mobile platform, the competitiveness of their financial and telecom sectors, and better data collection to facilitate “test and learn” approaches will need to become a priority.

Several countries such as Brazil and India demonstrate relative strengths when compared to those countries that have currently achieved scale in mobile payments. The ability to leverage existing agent networks and consumer protection in Brazil may facilitate the development of more complex financial services through the mobile platform. The widespread availability of mobile phones within India, the degree of competition within its telecommunications sector and recent regulatory changes may drive dramatic improvements in adoption levels."

Title: Sustainability First: In search of telecentre sustainability
Author: Harsha Liyanage
Pages: 171 pp.
ISBN: 978-955-599-507-8
Source: BookRix
Date (published): 05/04/2011
Date (accessed): 26/07/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"Sustainability First is a research project carried out to capture the key sustainability lessons emerging from this mix of dynamic and evolving efforts, which is unique due to the involvement of such varied participants, which include grassroots leaders, corporate executives, bureaucrats, and politicians. Although the word “sustainability” implies broader social, cultural, political, and environmental aspects, the attention of the current research was focused mainly on economic sustainability. The research was carried out over nearly two years, beginning in January 2007, and involved a deeper cross-section of the telecentre ecosystem, which started with telecentre operators from individual telecentres in South Asia, Africa, and South America and extended through the senior managers of selected corporate, civil society, and government institutions in Brazil, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Although this book derives its main lessons from five key case studies, which feature ATN (Brazil), Grameenphone CIC (Bangladesh), D.Net (Bangladesh), Drishtee (India) and Sarvodaya-Fusion (Sri Lanka), the overall content of the book was not limited to those lessons, but was derived from the broader spectrum of telecentre experiences studied in Africa, Asia, and South America. This book attempts to capture the rich lessons of that relatively complex larger research study in order to uncover the key constraining factors that work against telecentre sustainability, and then to derive key strategies for success from selected telecentre networks.
...
Table of Contents
...
Preface – Sustaining Telecentres in Development Landscape
Introduction
Research Methodology
Chapter 1 Sustainability Dream – Why is it Unsustainable?
Chapter 2 Sustainability – What Makes it Possible?
Chapter 3 The Silver Lining of the Sustainability Cloud; Building partnerships for telecentre sustainability, case study – ATN, Brazil; Tapping the bottom of the pyramid, case study – Drishtee, India Exploring the knowledge market at grassroots, case study – D.Net, Bangladesh • Telecentres as a corporate social responsibility, case study – Grameenphone CIC,
Bangladesh; Evolution of a social enterprise, case study – Sarvodaya-Fusion, Sri Lanka
Chapter 4 Social Enterprise Approach to Telecentre Sustainability
Conclusion and Recommendations
Bibliography "