ICT and Rural Livelihoods

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• ICT and Rural Livelihoods
• Paul Matthews
• Overseas Development Institute
• infoDev / ARD Workshop, Washington D.C. 5 June
  2007

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• The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA)
• ICT and the livelihoods framework
• Updating our knowledge

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The livelihoods approach

• Livelihoods
• the ways people realise goals for themselves,
  family and friends
• income generation opportunities, access to social
  networks, natural resources, public
  infrastructure human resources (skills, good
  health, confidence), input into policies

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Key features of SLA

• People-centred, focus on existing strengths
• Responsive and participatory
• Poverty as a multi-dimensional, multi-level
  problem
• Implemented through partnerships
• Holistic, cross-sectoral and dynamic
• Balanced economic, institutional, social and
  environmental sustainability

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ICT and the livelihoods framework

• ICT
• Information technology (Computing)
• Broadcast technology (TV Radio)
• Telecommunications and networking (Mobile
  fixed)

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ICT and the livelihoods framework
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Mapping ICT to livelihood assets 1
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Mapping ICT to livelihood assets 2
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A livelihoods approach to ICT (FAO/DFID/ODI, 2003)

• Use realistic technologies
• Build on existing systems
• Use local content
• Encourage equitable access
• Build capacity (local institutions)
• Encourage knowledge partnerships
• Share costs

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Implications for programme design

• Participatory needs assessment, system design and
  indicator negotiation
• Multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral consultation
• Iterative implementation and evaluation
• Putting the I C before the T
• Flexibility and mix and match in technology
  prescriptions

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Source ActionAid / Reflect - ICT
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Updating our knowledge

• infoDev-sponsored project
• January June 2007
• Literature review
• 6 Country studies
• Donor review
• Knowledge map framework paper
• Consultation
• Recommendations

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Priority topic areas

• Enabling environment
• Evaluation
• Partnerships
• Sustainability
• Scalability
• Appropriate technologies and local innovation

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1. Enabling environment

• State of knowledge base
• Top Harmonising policy with regulation
• Top Bottom exchange
• Bottom Literacy, connectivity, affordability
• Success stories
• Chile Universal Access Policy
• Work required
• Fostering productive partnerships
• Knowledge base on local energy and infrastructure
  options

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2. Evaluation

• State of knowledge base
• Good evaluations lacking despite wealth of pilots
• Exceptions
• UNESCO, ICCD, Reflect-ICT
• Work needed
• Further action research on using livelihoods ME
  approaches on ICT-enabled projects
• More academic studies of ICT impact

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3. Partnerships

• State of knowledge base
• Some partnership models better understood than
  others
• Success stories
• Infrastructure (local govt private sector)
• Content (government to private telecenter)
• Work required
• More work on adaptation of successful models
• Private sector participation

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4. Sustainability

• State of knowledge base
• 8 pillars stand up well
• Partnerships and intermediaries key
• Local ownership
• Success stories
• Micro ICT enterprises, cooperatives
• Work required
• Cross-sectoral sustainability

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5. Scalability

• State of knowledge base
• Local context often key to programme success
• Principles and approaches transferable
• Success stories
• IFADs First Mile (blending)
• UNESCO CMCs. (local ownership involvement)
• Work required
• More case studies

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5. Local innovation and appropriate technology

• State of knowledge base
• Blending important, internet overplayed
• Innovation spurred by capacity and culture
• Success stories
• Radio TV
• Mobile
• Work required
• Exchange on appropriate technologies
• Applications of mobile

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Outputs ongoing consultation

• http//www.ict4rl.info
• http//www.livelihoods.org
• p.matthews_at_odi.org.uk