Telecentre

Information Economy Report 2007 - 2008: Science and technology for development: the new paradigm of ICT

Prepared by: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Source: http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/sdteecb20071_en.pdf

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the 'Information Economy Report 2007 – 2008: Science and technology for development: the new paradigm of ICT'. The report analyses the current – and potential – contribution of ICT to knowledge creation and diffusion. It looks at how developing countries use technology to generate innovation that improve the livelihoods of the poor and support enterprise competitiveness. And it examines the impact of ICTs on productivity and growth, international trade and employment in developing countries.

The eight chapters of this report illustrate the applications of the new paradigm for the economic development of developing countries, in an international context characterised by a still substantial digital divide between developed and developing nations, and at the same time by the dynamism of some developing countries that are becoming competitive in few ICT sectors.

Realising the importance of telecentres in poverty reduction, the report has a dedicated chapter on telecentres called 'Promoting livelihoods through telecentres'. To understand how telecentres are currently supporting livelihoods, UNCTAD has surveyed a number of telecentre networks. The survey assessed what services telecentres are providing, who benefits from them, and what are the key environmental and institutional factors influencing the ability of telecentres to support livelihoods.

The results show that most telecentres are concentrating their efforts on providing access to ICTs and developing basic ICT skills. In line with the type of services offered, telecentres are primarily used for informational and educational purposes. However, wider access to ICTs and general training in ICT skills are not sufficient to support the livelihood of people living in poverty. There are some good examples of how telecentres provide access to business-related services, most notably access to government services and employment-related information. However, there is limited support for crucial business-related services such as banking or access to finance. Access to relevant information and knowledge is crucial for livelihoods, and telecentre network leaders believe that improvements would be most valuable in increasing the availability of relevant content.

Telecentres can better support economic activities when providing value-added services, and not only connectivity. For instance, the availability of training to develop skills important for undertaking economic activities is still limited. Telecentres should provide a continuum of training, from basic ICT skills training, and support customers in putting those skills into practice. There is also scope for providing wider range of services, such as access to finance or to expertise in specific sectors.

Special efforts are needed to support those in weaker positions. Such support may be provided by a intermediary who can offer adequate information, specific programmes targeted to disadvantaged groups and special services to support their economic activities. Policy makers and telecentre managers may consider some useful measures to ensure that telecentres support the livelihoods of people in living in poverty.

From The Ground Up

(The Evolution of the Telecentre Movement)

Editors: Andy Carvin and Mark Surman
Source: http://ebook.telecentre.org/pdf/telecentre_ebook.pdf

The book provides an insight into the role telecentres have been playing across the world in bridging the digital divide. It provides a snapshot of the evolution of telecentre movement across the world and the way telecentres have changed the lives of millions. Tracing the evolution of the telecentre movement, when its main goal was to provide people a chance to access and learn about technology, the book gives deep insight into the changed dimensions of the contemporary telecentres. Telecentres are not mere information hubs anymore but are playing an important role in areas like public health, education, etc.

The book focuses on the role telecentres are playing on the issues like:

Empowerment of the communities
Connecting isolated villages
Spread of new technology
Economic opportunity for all
Unleashing new voices and using media for the benefit of the community
Establishment of knowledge centres in the villages

It provides a quick glimpse into the life of a few people who are leading the telecentre movement in their own countries and the people who are befitting from there local telecentres in their own villages.

The book was developed though a partnership between telecentre.org programme and Education Development Centre's Digital Divide Network. The book is a collective endeavour and is built from the words, images, ideas and passion that people from across the world have shared.

Empowering the Poor: Information and Communications Technology for Governance and Poverty Reduction - A Study of Rural Development Projects in India

Authors: Roger Harris and Rajesh Rajora
Source: http://www.apdip.net/publications/ict4d/EmpoweringThePoor.pdf

Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP) released a study on 'Empowering the Poor: Information and Communications Technology for Governance and Poverty Reduction - A Study of Rural Development Projects in India'. This publication with a foreword by Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, systematically analyses 18 projects in India that use ICT for the benefit of poor people.

The intention of this research study was to understand what influences will determine the extent to which projects like these can be scaled up from what often appears to be a perpetual pilot syndrome; either to greater use within existing recipient beneficiaries (infusion) or among wider beneficiary populations (diffusion), or both. Projects were analyzed and ranked by their relevance, service delivery, community participation and empowerment, equality in decision-making and benefits, sustainability, replicability and their prospects for being scaled-up.

This research study is a joint initiative of APDIP, United Nations Development Programme India and the Government of India's Department of Personnel and Training. It was guided by an advisory group of eminent researchers and practitioners.

Questionnaires were completed by 2,156 project beneficiaries and interviews were conducted with project stakeholders and personnel. The lessons learned from India's experiences can guide the Nation's future directions, as well as that of other countries. The publication is an ideal resource not only for government officers, but also development practitioners and ICT for development researchers.

Review of Research on Rural PC Kiosks

Editors: Renee Kuriyan and Kentaro Toyama, PhD
Source: http://research.microsoft.com/research/tem/kiosks/Kiosks Research.doc

This insightful review was based on the research of Researchers from Microsoft Research India, University of California, Berkeley, and London School of Economics. All the three institutions have undertaken several formal studies of kiosks and participated in numerous informal discussions with stakeholders over a period of three years. With the goal of understanding social, cultural, economic, and technical aspects of kiosk projects, they have undertaken qualitative and quantitative studies involving,

Surveys of 300 kiosks, 1000 kiosk customers and non-customers
In-depth interviews of 100 kiosk operators
Conversations with 60 proponents, observers, agencies, government officials,
Site visits to 200 kiosks spanning 20 kiosk agencies
Intensive participant observation of 30 kiosks in operation
Software-based logging of kiosks in 13 kiosks
Reviews of relevant literature in social science, development, and technical journals

These studies have been conducted in India, Ghana, and Kenya, with a major focus on projects in India, where the most kiosk experiments have been conducted.

This document synthesises the main findings to-date in an easily digestible format. It is believed that this document will be of some value to those considering or implementing rural kiosk projects. Most importantly, this is a living document that undergoes occasional revision.