Beyond technology: making information work for livelihoods

David J. Grimshaw

'Farmers can access market prices with a mobile phone, but if there is no road, how do they use that information?'

(IFAD, 2003: 15)

The introduction to the book provides the reader with an overview of the six research projects within a research programme called 'Knowledge Networking for Rural Development in Asia Pacific' (ENRAP 2009). The role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in development is first explored. The chapter then goes on to discuss the role of ICT to support livelihoods in the rural context of developing countries. A discussion of the livelihoods framework provides the overall conceptual framework that has been used by each of the projects. Some of the problems of using this framework in the context of an ICT intervention are elaborated and ICTs are positioned as having a functional role.

This volume attempts to do something new by reporting on a research programme that was specifically designed to measure impact on livelihoods. In five out of six chapters the methodology employed is derived from that used successfully in medicine: a control trial. The pros and cons of this methodology are discussed, including some of the ethical implications of using the method in a development intervention. The chapter concludes with an overview of each of the projects featured in the book.

The wider context

We all have visions. The vision at the heart of this book is that the communications and knowledge sharing capabilities of information and communications technologies (ICTs) will enhance the livelihoods of the rural poor. This is a big vision and sceptical readers will immediately wonder how computers or other technologies can deliver clean water, irrigation, improved yields, education, maternal health, etc.

All these 'things' or technologies depend on 'know how' or knowledge to make them work. ICTs can facilitate the exchange or sharing of knowledge. Thus in the language that we develop later in the chapter, this book is about the functional role of ICTs in promoting rural livelihoods. Knowledge and information cannot be easily pinned down; in fact some have described the process as 'trying to nail jelly to a wall'. How do we measure the impact of knowledge and information on livelihoods? Many attempts have been made to measure the impact, often using case studies that were never designed as research projects; rather, they were development interventions.

This volume attempts to do something new by reporting on a research programme that was specifically designed to measure impact on livelihoods. In five out of six chapters the methodology employed is derived from that used successfully in medicine. A medical intervention, typically the trial of a new therapeutic drug, is assessed by a randomized control trial. Broadly, the idea here is to have two groups: an intervention group that takes a prescribed drug and a control group that takes a placebo. The results from the two groups are then analysed. In the sixth project, based in China, the impact of the intervention is analysed via a survey. All the projects yield both quantitative and qualitative data.

The application of these approaches to ICT4D interventions has not been systematically applied previously. The reader should be aware of some inherent problems that are presented. First, unlike a prescribed drug that can be given to someone in a measured dose and where others are excluded, information when given to one person can be shared at little or no cost. This is what economists call a zero marginal cost of production. Secondly, information needs to be timely, accurate, verifiable and relevant for its use to be transformative. In practice many imperfections can be either knowingly or unknowingly introduced.

The contribution that this book makes to the field of ICT4D is twofold. First, there is a contribution to the literature on ICTs for rural livelihoods that each of the chapters makes by contributing to the known evidence in the field. Secondly, there is a contribution to impact methodology.

The role of ICTs in development

Many international initiatives have been established to harness ICTs for development on a global scale, in particular since the publication of the World Development Report on Knowledge for Development (World Bank, 1998). These include the Global Knowledge Partnership (founded in 1997), the DOT-Force (created in 2000) and the UN ICT Task Force (created in 2001). The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has hosted an international summit on the Information Society in 2003, the second phase of which took place in 2005. These initiatives aimed to build partnerships between civil society, the public and the private sectors to harness ICTs for development (Chapman et al., 2003).

One of the outcomes of The World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva in December 2003 was a declaration of principles, one of which stated that: 'We strive to promote universal access with equal opportunities for all to scientific knowledge and the creation and dissemination of scientific and technical information, including open access initiatives for scientific publishing'.

(WSIS, 2003: 28)

In the same declaration a further principle is around the issues of intellectual property rights and knowledge sharing:

'... the wide dissemination, diffusion, and sharing of knowledge is important to encourage innovation and...