The potential of ICT‐supported participatory communication interventions to challenge local power dynamics: Lessons from the case of Togo

Abstract

This paper adds to the debate on the contribution of ICT towards improving the quality of local governance. The data presented were collected during the scoping phase of an ICT‐based participation platform aimed at improving local governance in Togo. We combine original data from a social network analysis and a representative household survey. Based on these data, we conclude that the success of ICT interventions to transform local power structures depends on their adequate adaption to the political and technical environment. Decisions about the stage of the public policy cycle at which ICT projects intervene must be informed by the nature of local power relations and the distribution of access to ICT and participation opportunities across the intervention's target population.

Digital platforms for development: Foundations and research agenda

“…Issues such as having minimum digital capabilities and access to the platforms commonly appeared, as well as the role played by relevant institutions for putting the minimum infrastructure in place (whether financial, regulatory or other). We also found emerging work that noted the risk for these platforms to end up exacerbating further existing inequalities, instead of being able to deliver developmental benefits for all (e.g., Breuer et al, 2018;Schwittay & Braund, 2019). Table 4 captures the key developmental dimensions, types and functions of platforms and examples emerging from the literature review.…”

“…The literature also raised the issue on who benefits from transaction platforms in the context of the global South. If, as the studies showed, the marginalised groups of society lacked the means to participate or access these platforms, those that are already privileged end up capturing most benefits (Breuer et al, 2018;Schwittay & Braund, 2019). The papers highlighted the importance of developing and managing the platform in inclusive ways to account for the participation of otherwise marginalised groups.…”

“…The notion of ecosystems as well as different governance models were implicitly present in many of the papers. For example, Breuer et al (2018) discussed a case where a non-governmental organisation worked together with the public sector in setting up a citizen participation platform, noting the underlying power structures and their effects in the functioning and governance of the platform.…”

The 2030 Agenda as Agenda Setting Event for Water Governance? Evidence from the Cuautla River Basin in Morelos and Mexico

“…It is an empirical method to study social relationships between a set of actors. In contrast to other methods that compare the characteristics of individual actors, SNA is a relational approach that focuses on the identification of structural characteristics of actor networks [24,25]. For the purpose of the SNA, we developed a survey questionnaire that asked respondents to indicate whether over the past twelve months they had communicated with other national WEF-actors either at the federal level or at the sub-national level (federal state or municipality) and if so, with what frequency.…”

“…In order to illustrate the water governance challenges described in the previous sections and to examine them in greater detail, in this section, we present and discuss the results of a Social Network Analysis (SNA) among WEF-Nexus actors in our research region. As pointed out in Section 2, SNA is a relational approach that focuses on the identification of structural characteristics of actor networks [24,25]. SNA investigates and visualizes "links" between "nodes"-with "nodes" representing actors, and "links" representing the relation between these actors.…”