Contextual reflections on innovations in an interconnected world: theoretical lenses and practical considerations in ICT4D

Introduction

Ongoing innovations in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support active participation in an interconnected world by all sectors of society, including marginalized or under-served groups who are at risk of being left behind, have made the study of ICTs for development an important means of understanding how improvements in people's lives may or may not take place through ICT implementations. The intersecting concepts of inclusive, sustainable and responsible social innovations in local and global contexts continue to be key areas of focus for researchers exploring the development of, access to, and usage of ICTs, particularly by people living in resource-constrained environments. Researchers continue to explore the interesting and significant question of how the results from ICT4D research can provide guidance on the ways in which ICTs can play a sustaining, value-adding role that enables societies to move beyond the conditions that cause discontent to those which enhance livelihoods and enable beneficial development for all.

The development community continues to highlight the importance of innovation in development contexts. For example, the Commonwealth Secretariat (2018) has recently launched the Commonwealth Innovation Hub to support the discovery and delivery of data and related information on innovative initiatives, highlighting the interconnected nature of our global and regional interactions. Unwin (2009, p. 16) notes that “Above all, globalization refers to the increasing inter-connectedness of human activity across the world”. The United Nations (2016) and Commonwealth Secretariat (2016) have also emphasized the role of ICTs and innovation in supporting the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key elements in the ongoing work towards sustainable development will be the ability of stakeholders in development initiatives to collaboratively and effectively design, implement and evaluate innovations that will be adopted and utilized within specific development contexts and environments. A sustainable world centers on supporting mechanisms involving the appropriate assessment of the context, suitable design and implementation approaches, the availability and use of appropriate resources, including relevant and suitable technologies, ICTs and digital innovations. Furthermore, supportive interactions at the individual, family, community, business and societal levels provide enabling environments for the development agenda within the specific contexts. Care has been taken to ensure that the process for development and use of innovations remains inclusive and does not contribute to an increase in inequities. Within these developing spaces, responsible and inclusive approaches combine to work towards appropriate and sustainable outcomes in the social, cultural, economic and environmental spheres and ecosystems. The continued development and use of appropriate research methods can assist in assessing, guiding and evaluating implementations in the progress towards appropriate global development. Within the context of this question is whether additional research methodologies (e.g. Osei-Bryson & Ngwenyama, 2014) should be applied in ICT4D research for the development of new theories on ICT and development.

An interconnected world can support integrated approaches, providing the enabling contexts for creation and utilization of digital innovations to support dialogue and cooperation in achieving global development and realization of the benefits for sustainable livelihoods. Jiménez and Zheng (2018) highlight that both individual and collective capabilities play a role in the outcomes of innovation processes, and the value derived in addressing concepts of empowerment and equalities. It is recognized that the process of innovation in ICT4D involves the development context, people and technologies. Ponelis and Holmner (2015) note the need for appropriate ICTs in community development and educational initiatives. Kleine, Light, and Montero (2012) highlight the participatory approach of co-design for development of appropriate ICTs. Exploration of appropriate technologies entails both an assessment of how they are being utilized, as well as the appropriateness of the actual devices (Hosman & Armey, 2017). Qureshi (2017a, p. 8) highlights that “Selecting the appropriate development outcome can have a significant impact on the type of contribution a study makes”.

Contextual reflections on innovations in an interconnected world: papers in this special issue.

The papers in this issue have been developed from a series of Workshops of the Association for Information Systems Special Interest Group on ICTs & Global Development (GlobDev). This has enabled the compilation of the Special Issue in two parts for this issue (Issue 3, 2018) and the next (the upcoming Issue 1, 2019). These workshops have provided a useful forum to facilitate the discussion and generation of research ideas to support the assessment and development of ICT4D innovations as we seek to contribute to inclusive, equitable development practices in an increasingly interconnected world. The interconnections among research projects, participants and researchers helps to further the knowledge of what we know about how ICT enables the global economy by enabling local needs to be met in a manner that preserves the ability of the planet to support human life.

It has been highlighted that research context is important, and these contexts form the basis for the categorization of the papers in this Special Issue. Davison and Martinsons (2016) note that that “Research is also situated in a particular context or contexts. A wide variety of contexts exist; they may be classified in terms of their geographical, cultural, organizational and human characteristics” and that “the findings and conclusions should be relevant and useful to an identifiable audience”. The papers of this special issue involve theoretical lenses and practical considerations in ICT4D. In particular, the papers can be considered to involve the following ICT4D research categories: Community Contexts in ICT4D, Government & Policy Making Contexts and Business Contexts. Papers in the categories of Community Contexts, and Government and Policy Making Contexts, are included in this first issue of the two-part Special Issue. The contributions of each paper within the main categories identified are discussed below.

Community contexts in ICT4D

The first two papers explore the usage of mobile phones to support development objectives in community contexts; the first in the agricultural sector in Burkina Faso, and the second in Brazil.

Mareida et al. in paper 1 (“Can mobile phone based animated videos induce learning and technology adoption among low-literate farmers? A field experiment in Burkina Faso”) explore the relative effectiveness of a creative use of ICTs in influencing low-literate farmers to learn and adopt two post-harvest technologies. Their results suggest that the ICT-based methods are as effective as the traditional methods in impacting learning and understanding of the post-harvest technologies. Advantages of the video technologies include the ease of adaptation and context-specific use across languages and cultures, ease of dissemination via phones, scaling up of training, appropriate formats for all levels of literacy and the ability to standardize user-friendly communication via this mechanism. In paper 2 (“Wired Mobile Phones: The Case of Community Technology Centers in Favelas of Brazil”) Nemer explores experiences in Brazil in relation to mobile phones and public access, e.g. community technology centres by investigating how favela residents appropriate mobile phones, posing the question, “How do Marginalized Populations Perceive CTCs in the Mobile Internet Era?” The author notes the complementarities between the usage of mobile phones and computers at CTCs. The article highlights the integration of the use of the ICTs, and the purpose for which each type of technology is used to support socio-economic development. Recommendations are made to enhance the use of smartphones at CTCs.

The third paper also focuses on the community-based aspects of ICTs for development, and shares interesting methodological considerations as with the earlier articles. Krauss in “A confessional account of community entry: doing critically reflexive ICT4D work in a deep rural community in South Africa” presents his reflections on community entry of an outsider into a traditional African village in the context of an ICT4D intervention. The paper demonstrates how cultural interpreters enabled the author to have a successful community entry, and describes experiences in doing critical self-reflexive work within the community.

ICT4D research recognizes that the relationships between ICT interventions and Development need to be explored in-depth and the analysis of these relationships should improve the understanding of both researchers and practitioners, and provide actionable guidance to practitioners. In paper 4 (“A Comprehensive four stage framework for evaluation of ICTD interventions”) Pandey and Gupta noted that despite decades of ICT4D research “the validity and effectiveness of the relationship between ICT and D (Development) are not clear”. Within this context, they argued that existing frameworks for evaluating ICTD interventions have several significant shortcomings (e.g. “they provide very general guidelines for evaluation which often do not take into consideration the development context of the intervention”; “most focus primarily on impact assessment of an intervention and overlook the evaluation of previous stages of implementation of an ICTD project”) and thus there is the need for a comprehensive framework for evaluating ICTD interventions that addresses these shortcomings and propose appropriate implementations. They evaluated a multi-stage framework which had been developed (i.e. 1: Needs Assessment, 2: Program Theory, 3: Process Evaluation, 4: Impact Evaluation) that considers the impacts of ICT4D interventions and other aspects of the project life cycle. The framework included an ICT innovation approach, and the evaluation was conducted in a community telemedicine context.

Government and policy making contexts

In paper 5 (“The Clinic-Level Perspective on mHealth implementation: A South African case study”), Wolff-Piggott, Coleman and Rivett use Activity Theory to identify themes which emerge in exploring the perspectives of clinic staff who are responsible for registering women for a free maternal health messaging service. The study focuses on analysis using Activity Theory and draws on contradictions to help explain the different configurations that the Activity System took under the influence of medical hierarchy and resource constraints. The findings contribute to research and practice in the use of mobile applications in the public health service.

In paper 6 (“Vendor Satisfaction of E-Government Procurement Systems in Developing Countries: An Empirical Research in Indonesia”), Seo, Tan and Warman noted that e-Government research has focused primarily on the citizen and supplier sides rather than on the demand side (e.g. vendors in G2B e-Government), particularly in the ‘developing’ country context. Thus they note that while there is a lot of research that focused on understanding factors that impact adoption of e-government services by citizens there is much less research that has resulted in explaining vendors’ willingness to engage in G2B. Further they note that various researchers have raised doubts about whether insights from e-Government research in ‘developed’ countries are applicable to ‘developing’ countries. They, therefore, articulated and evaluated a new theoretical model that considers performance failures of the e-government system “as object-based beliefs affecting vendors’ behavioral-based belief of service convenience”. They noted that the results of their research “contributes to an in-depth appreciation of key considerations in the design and evaluation of e-government procurement systems” and “can guide governments in optimizing resource allocation”.

Policy-makers and universities in both “developing” and “developed” countries are increasingly viewing online learning as an important component of their delivery portfolio. While there have been numerous studies on the antecedents of adoption of e-learning systems, Barclay, Donalds and Osei-Bryson in paper 7 (“Investigating Critical Success Factors in Online Learning Environments in Higher Education Systems in the Caribbean”) noted there is still the need to explore this issue within the context small island states. The results of their empirical analysis suggest that the critical success factors include “supportive cultural practices, access to computers, system or online environment availability, computer and online learning self-efficacy, user perception of usefulness and ease of use”.

In paper 8 (“Market influencers for ICT advancement in small states – a comparative analysis”), Larios-Hernández and Reyes-Mercado explore the relationship between ICT market variables and Internet usage, with a focus on small states. The authors highlighted that the levels of usage of digital applications by business, consumers, and also the social media space are influenced by the market drivers.

Together, the papers in this Special Issue – Part 1 reflect ICT4D research exploring innovations in an interconnected world, and sharing insights and contributions to theory, practice and policy in community, and government contexts.

Theoretical and practical considerations in ICT4D

Development contexts present varying environments for identifying innovative solutions in working towards achieving sustainable development in an interconnected world. Qureshi (2017b) highlights contextual challenges that the ICT4D field needs to consider in research and practice, and Poveda and Roberts (2018) note the need for ICTs to be used to address the causes of structural disadvantage and enhance development. The role of ICTs and new innovations, including social media, in facilitating intended and unintended outcomes, given the interconnected nature of our world continues to be discussed (Kamel, 2014).

The need for supportive environments at the familial and community levels; peaceful relationships within and between states; social unity; cultural unity; and tolerance are key areas for emphasis in discussions of global development. Papers in the Community Contexts category of this special issue may be considered as being related to exploration of the role of ICTs in supporting the realization of successful paths to national unity and stability in development contexts with a focus on nation building and sustainability in an interconnected world.

The concept of self-determination has been highlighted in relation to countries’ assessing their developmental goals and supporting mechanisms towards achieving the goals. Kivunike, Ekenberg, Danielson, and Tusubira (2011) discussed this in the context of the global goals in the form of the MDGs, and this discussion continues to be relevant in the context of the SDGs. Ratliffe, Rao, Skouge, and Peter (2012) note the promotion of self-determination in the context of changes related to the use of ICTs and social inclusion, and Gibson-Graham and Roelvink (2016) discuss the role of self-determination in relation to the reclamation of community economies and interdependence.

Other context-related questions that are worthy of consideration by ICT4D researchers related to the role of ICTs supporting countries’ self-determination in an interconnected world include:

• How can national Self-Determination be supported in the context of a supporting/unifying vs. isolationist international environments and influences?

• How can national Self-Determination be achieved in the context of resource constraints (e.g. economic, technological, transportation, expertise)?

• Is the achievement of Self-Determination by a developing country more likely within the context of a unipolar world vs. multi-polar world?

• What is the influence on the pace of national development in the context of the reclamation of traditional resources (e.g. land)?

• Can the pace of national development be improved in the context of the reclamation of traditional value systems?

Finally, a successful path to development of national unity in such contexts must include appropriate consideration and accommodation of the traditional values, interests and practices (e.g. cultural, linguistic, economic, religious, governance) of the constituent traditional nations. It may be useful for ICT4D researchers to explore how ICTs can support the realization of successful paths to national unity and stability in the context of supporting traditional nations.

Acknowledgements

We wish to express our appreciation to all the authors who submitted papers to the GlobDev Workshops and subsequently to the Journal. We also wish to express our gratitude to all of the associate editors and reviewers who diligently reviewed the papers in order to ensure that that there was appropriate quality and focus. We also specially thank Prof. Sajda Qureshi, Editor-in-Chief, for comments on this Special Issue Editorial.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Arlene Bailey is a Senior Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. Arlene's research areas include information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D), social and community informatics. Her work adopts a critical focus on the design and assessment of ICT-related policy and interventions for sustainable development and social innovations. Arlene currently serves as an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Information Technology for Development, and Senior Editor for the Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC); and also serves as Vice Chair, Research for the Association for Information Systems' Special Interest Group on ICTs and Global Development (AIS SIG GlobDev), as well as Secretary of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 9.4 on the Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries.

Kweku-Muata Osei-Bryson is Professor of Information Systems at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He is also currently a Visiting Professor of Computing at the University of the West Indies at Mona, and has also been Visiting Professor of Information Systems at the Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration. Previously, he was Professor of Information Systems & Decision Sciences at Howard University in Washington, DC. He has also worked as an Information Systems practitioner in industry and government in the USA and Jamaica. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics (Management Science & Information Systems) from the University of Maryland at College Park; a M.S. in Systems Engineering from Howard University; and a B.Sc. in Natural Sciences from the University of the West Indies at Mona. His research areas include: Data Mining, Decision Support Systems, Disaster Recovery Planning, Knowledge Management, IS Security, e-Commerce, ICT for Development, Database Management, IS Outsourcing, and Multi-Criteria Decision Making. His research published in various leading research journals, and he is author or editor of 5 books. Currently he serves as Associate Editor of the INFORMS Journal on Computing & the Journal of Information Technology for Development, as a member of the Editorial Board of the Computers & Operations Research Journal, and as a member of the International Advisory Board of the Journal of the Operational Research Society.