What do we mean by ICTs?

At the broadest level, information communication technologies are any type of equipment people use to broadcast or receive information and knowledge. This may be as simple as a megaphone or camera, or inexpensive as a silk-screen printing system. However, often when people talk of ICTs they are referring largely to electronic media, including the Internet, email, mobile phones and audio-visual equipment such as video.

The area is fast moving, and new products are being developed all the time, usually in response to the needs of the typical computer user who can afford to spend money on new equipment and software. Meanwhile the communication needs of the majority of poor and marginalised people in the world are still not catered for specifically, except by a few non-profit initiatives.

What can ICTs do for us?

While the IT industry does not cater for the world's poor, and information technology risks enhancing the gap between rich and poor, development NGOs need to adopt ICTs in their work to address issues such as:

• Access to information: ICTs can be used in a variety of ways to provide people in rural or marginalised areas with the information they need, or a space to make their voice heard. For example, the Internet has been used to provide rural medical workers with specialised advice and information, for distance education, or to provide relevant local information on prices, weather, government schemes etc.;
• Internet diversity and equity: The average user of the internet is male, urban and well-educated. For the internet community to be more diverse requires content in more languages, and access through other means than text and special attention to be paid to the needs of other types of users;
• Information services: NGOs can take a role providing information services to the poor and marginalised: researching, translating and disseminating information in response to their stated needs;
• Strengthening the voices of the poor: NGOs may use ICTs to capture and disseminate the voices of the poor and marginalised, pushing local perspectives onto broader policy platforms and diversifying the content of the Internet and other information sources. These same systems should enable the voices of the poorest and most marginalised to be heard in the NGO's own planning and reporting processes;
• Networking for change: the Internet and other ICTs have an important role to play in networking people and organisations working towards the same ends. This may mean people learning from each other, or using technology to facilitate international campaign actions.

In this Reflect and ICTs project we aim to give some poor and marginalised people a chance to identify technological solutions to their communication and information problems. This may mean developing new uses for existing technology, new partnerships, or even influencing the thinking of the IT and NGO sectors as regards the types of ICT products the majority of people actually need.

Technology in practice:

ActionAid and Reflect can both draw a lot of examples of using communication technologies for rights-based development work. A major example is that of participatory video, where people are able to get their voices heard directly by policy-makers, or hold those in power to account. Cameras have also been used, giving people a chance to document and give their perspective on local issues.

The ICT for development field is quite young, but already has many examples of ways in which ICTs can be used for pro-poor development, including some important lessons. Some types of ICT for development projects include:

• Community information resources: these are projects aiming to increase the pool of information available to communities, the opportunities for accessing information or documenting local knowledge. Examples include telecentres and community radio stations;
• Specialised information networks: these aim to provide information for particular sectors and create virtual communities of practice, linking people and institutions around particular themes and activities. Examples include telemedicine whereby hospitals share information and strategies for dealing with HIV/AIDS and other health issues, SchoolNet in Africa, and the Global Campaign for Education.
• Governance: ICTs can be efficient tools for good governance, enabling people to access information on their rights and entitlements, contribute to debates, or even vote online.
• Commerce: ICTs can be used to access information for commercial activities, such as prices, or sources of inputs; as an online space for direct and fair trading for poor farmers and producers, or as a source of income themselves, as with the Grameen Bank project where mobile phones provide a source of income for poor women.

Converging technologies:

There have been many different types of technology developed in response to different communication needs and problems. In many cases the best solution to an information gap requires a combination of ICTs. This can overcome issues of access, for example using the radio, telephone or printer to give people access to the information from the internet, or it can overcome people's fear of modern technology or lack of literacy, using computers to access information which is then translated into another medium for dissemination.

Case studies of ICT4D projects:

Provided are some case studies of ICT for development projects in India and Uganda as a guide to the types of activities which have been attempted, and potential networking. (download Word document)