Desperately Seeking Systems Thinking in ICT4D

Turpin, Marita; Alexander, Patricia M

doi:10.1002/j.1681-4835.2014.tb00435.x

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…There is also a common assumption, again contrary to experience relating to both public and private sector organisations in highly development economies, that only the documented, formal information system need be considered. In practice this often has limited relevance for the effective information system, which can only be understood by detailed observation and analysis (‘Soft Systems Analysis’ [ 13 ] is commonly used in the private sector for this purpose). There seems a serious risk that rather than reforming health information systems in ways that encourage improved policy making and hence better health outcomes, ICT innovations may improve some technical aspects of data availability, timeliness or quality, while failing to address inherent weaknesses in the overall system whereby information feeds into the policy making process [ 14 ].…”

Section: Literature Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond pilotitis: taking digital health interventions to the national level in China and Uganda

Blaschke²,

2017

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BackgroundInnovation theory has focused on the adoption of new products or services by individuals and their market-driven diffusion to the population at large. However, major health sector innovations typically emerge from negotiations between diverse stakeholders who compete to impose or at least prioritise their preferred version of that innovation. Thus, while many digital health interventions have succeeded in terms of adoption by a substantial number of providers and patients, they have generally failed to gain the level of acceptance required for their integration into national health systems that would promote sustainability and population-wide application. The area of innovation considered here relates to a growing number of success stories that have created considerable enthusiasm among donors, international agencies, and governments for the potential role of ICTs in transforming weak national health information systems in middle and low income countries. This article uses a case study approach to consider the assumptions, institutional as well as technical, underlying this enthusiasm and explores possible ways in which outcomes might be improved.MethodsLiterature review and case study analysis.ResultsThe two systems considered have had considerable success in terms of gaining and maintaining government support and addressing the concerns of providers without compromising their core elements. In Uganda, the system has flourished in spite of severe resource constraints, using a participatory approach that has encouraged a high level of community engagement. In China, concern with past failures generated the political will to build a high quality surveillance system, using the latest technology and drawing on a highly skilled human resource base.ConclusionsBoth example stress the importance of recognising the political, social and historical context within which information systems have to function. Implementers need to focus as much on the perceptions, attitudes and needs of stakeholders as on the technology. Implementers should distinguish between factors which may influence engagement at an institutional level and those aimed at supporting and supervising individuals within those institutions. Finally, we would suggest that designing interoperability into systems at the outset, rather than assuming that this can be achieved at some point in the future, may prove far easier in the longer term.

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Section: Literature Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond pilotitis: taking digital health interventions to the national level in China and Uganda

Blaschke²,

2017

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“…A system may also be a subjective mental construct that depends on the observer's viewpoint, which defines the system's boundary to limit its function and purpose [1], [34]. A system's structure is derived from repeated events or patterns described through stakeholders' mental models [8] -that is, the implicit structures of assumptions and meanings, preconceived ideas, values, beliefs, and personal philosophies of individuals and in groups that act as the inner rules of causal relationships.…”

Section: Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Systems thinking focuses on the whole system to study its structures and behaviours to understand better how the deep roots of complex behaviours adjust their outcomes. Systems thinking recognises the importance of feedback mechanisms in the system [8], [34], [38]. Identifying the patterns and interrelationships can help to solve complex problems.…”

Section: Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systems Thinking for the Digital Economy: A Sociotechnical Perspective

Oosthuizen

Manzini

2022

SAJIE

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The digital economy has radically changed the way services and products are developed and deployed. Digital information and communication technology connects increasing numbers of people, organisations, and other systems. The interconnectedness of services and products in an organisation and the outside world drives complexity. These interactions include humans interacting in social networks with one another, the technology, and the environment. Therefore, systems thinking approaches are required to help develop these systems and resolve the complex problems encountered in this space. This paper proposes a systems thinking framework to address the challenges of the digital economy from a sociotechnical perspective, based on an exploratory literature review. This will serve as a guideline for implementing various systems thinking tools to support a successful digital transformation. Keywords digital economy; systems thinking; sociotechnical; transformation

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“…There is widespread agreement in ICT4D research on the importance of context (Andoh‐Baidoo, ), for instance, the way in which the outcome of ICT4D projects is influenced by the interests of stakeholder groups (Bailur, ); by developmental goals (Prakash & De, ); by local language and culture (Sinha & Hyma, ), etc. Conversely, lack of engagement with context is a criticism of some ICT4D research and practice (Dodson, Sterling, & Bennett, ; Turpin & Alexander, ). Critical realism can help address these contextual issues: it requires an investigation of context because context is represented by the domain of the real.…”

Section: Critical Realism and Ict4d Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical realism and ICT4D research

Heeks

Wall

2018

E J Info Sys Dev Countries

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There is little overt engagement with research paradigms in ICT4D research, but what there is shows a dominance of positivism and interpretivism. In this paper, we explore the value of a "third way" research paradigm: critical realism. We concisely review the main features of critical realism: its ontological realism combined with epistemological relativism; its iterative, pluralist, and reflexive methodology; and its emancipatory values. Alongside the general value of explicit use of any research paradigm, we argue two particular types of value of critical realism for ICT4D research. First, generic values including exposure of context, a contingent causality that reflects real-world ICT4D experiences, support for use of theoretical frames in ICT4D, legitimisation of different stakeholder views, and reduction of research bias and support for ICT4D's interventionist approach and its goal of delivering international development. Second, specific value in addressing current trends in ICT4D research: The growing search for causal links between "ICT" and "D," and the political and ethical turns in ICT4D that are spurring researchers to engage more with issues of power, rights, and justice. But delivery of critical realism's utility will require the ICT4D research community to take actions that enable this emergent research paradigm to flourish. KEYWORDS axiology, critical realism, epistemology, information and communication technology for development (ICT4D), methodology, ontology, research paradigms

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Desperately Seeking Systems Thinking in ICT4D

Cited by 13 publications

References 13 publications

Beyond pilotitis: taking digital health interventions to the national level in China and Uganda

Beyond pilotitis: taking digital health interventions to the national level in China and Uganda

Systems Thinking for the Digital Economy: A Sociotechnical Perspective

Critical realism and ICT4D research

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