ICTs and Poverty Reduction: A Social Capital and Knowledge Perspective

Abstract

The efficacy of information and communication technology (ICT) projects and initiatives in developing countries, and how they may assist poverty reduction or otherwise improve the quality of life for communities in those countries, is still a topic of debate. Knowledge empowers people, while information technology integrates such knowledge for purposeful action and reaction. This paper describes a framework, based on social capital and knowledge management theories, which aims to further that debate in the field of information systems. The framework is primarily a sensitising device, designed to assist thinking about how social capital and knowledge theories facilitate ICT interventions for poverty reduction. The framework has four stages, the process of ICT development, the ICT intervention, the evaluation of the impact of the ICT intervention and the process of poverty reduction, which is the final and most contested stage of an ICT intervention. Each stage of the framework is discussed, using illustrations from various development projects. Finally, the paper draws some conclusions about the contribution of social capital and knowledge management theories to the issue of ICT intervention and evaluation in developing countries.

Systematic Mapping Study of Information Technology for Development in Agriculture (The Case of Developing Countries)

“…For example in the context of ICT, Urquhart et al (2008) present a framework that relates ICT infrastructure with social capital formation and cultural dimensions. Their framework has four stages -the process of Information system development, the information system intervention, the evaluation of the impact of the ICT intervention and the process of poverty reduction.…”

Exploring the Link between ICT and Development in the Context of Developing Countries: A Literature Review

“…The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries www.ejisdc.org ICT4D research focuses on different subjects such as the diffusion of ICT artifacts, infrastructure building and the implementation of ICT services (Braa & Hedberg, 2002;Meso et al, 2005;Walsham & Sahay, 1999), impact evaluation of ICT interventions (Kumar & Best, 2006), linking ICT and Development (Avgerou, 2003;Ngwenyama et al, 2006;Urquhart et al, 2008), and the digital divide (Warschauer, 2003). Research related to implementation issues analyzes the different social and technical factors as well as the actors who impede the implementation process.…”

“…First, there is clearly still a need for more knowledge on the link between ICT and development. Even though several researchers have emphasized the need to understand this connection (Avgerou, 2003;Nair, 2002;Urquhart et al, 2008;Walsham, 2013), little has been done to address this aspect. One of the main reasons why this has not yet been addressed is due to the difficulty in identifying and isolating the factors that explain how ICT contributes to development, since there is an ongoing interplay between ICT and other factors, such as the social, cultural, political, and economic-related issues.…”

“…Several research strands and approaches may be introduced to understand the interaction and interplay between the various factors. For example, by combining social capital (Urquhart et al, 2008) and the CA (Ibrahim, 2006;Zheng & Walsham, 2008) with actor network theories (Walsham, 1997;Walsham & Sahay, 1999), we may increase our understanding of the social changes, and of the role of various stakeholders and technologies.…”

ICT and socio-economic development: A university's engagement in a rural community in Yola, Nigeria

“…The challenge of how best to use ICT to empower communities and reduce poverty is still an area which needs further research; nevertheless, the debate on the utility of ICT in developing countries has largely been won [3,38,40]. In Africa, the public, governments and the donor community see ICT as a powerful tool in poverty reduction.…”