Development as Freedom in a Digital Age

The Missing Link for the Impact of ICT on

development

Björn-Sören Gigler

Innovations in Governance

World Bank

April 22, 2015

@bgigler

Presentation Outline

I) Research Questions

II) Research Focus

III) Background

IV) Theoretical Framework

IV) Hypotheses

V) Methodology

VI) Case Studies

VII) Main findings

VIII) Conclusions

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Development as Freedom in a Digital Age

I) Research Questions

1) Under which conditions can ICTs enhance the well-being of indigenous communities?

2) Which factors influence whether IP can enhance theirhuman capabilities through the use of ICTs and thusimprove their well-being?

3) What is the role of intermediary organizations, suchas grassroots organizations, NGOs or governmentsin the process of introducing ICTs to indigenouscommunities?

II) Research Focus

• Alternative Evaluation Framework for ICT

- Unpack the link between ICTs and economic/social development => going beyond access and usage (micro-level analysis)

• Information as a critical Human Capability

- Operationalize and expand the CA => application to the

evaluation of ICT programs

• ICT Impact chain

- Develop a causal link between the access & use of ICTs & enhanced human capabilities

• Intermediary process

- Focus on change processes and on economic & human development not on technology itself

III) Bolivia: Indigenous Poverty Analysis

• Reduction of poverty at national level however not in indigenous communities (1992 to 2001)

• Important regional differences between Western highlands and Eastern lowlands (Geographic Clusters)

• Lack of economic opportunities in rural areas=> large scale migration to urban centers

• Strong social networks & institutions (social capital)

• Persistent challenge to achieve inclusive development

• Lack of access to basic productive and social services (rural roads, education, health, energy)

• Continuous severe socio-economic differences between indigenous vs non-indigenous peoples

Incidence of Extreme Poverty (2001)

IV) Theoretical Framework

• Expand the CA by introducing the concept of

‘informational capabilities’

• Develop an Impact evaluation framework for ICT

programs based on CA (outcome and process)

• Integrate CA into the sustainable livelihood framework

(Bebbington)

• Emphasis on Information as a human capability for

economic and social development

• Emphasis on empowerment: Include an analysis of

institutional analysis and social structures into the CA

(‘Conscientization’- Freire)

Informational Capabilities

1. ICT capability -to use ICTs in an effective

manner

2. Information Literacy- to find, process,

evaluate, and use information

3. Communication Capability: to effectively

communicate with family members, friends,

and professional contacts

4. Content Capability: to produce and share

local content with others through the network

The concept of Informational Capabilities

Empowerment through ICTs framework

Develop Alternative Impact Evaluation Framework based on Informational Capabilities (2004)

Link to the Impact Evaluation Framework

V) Hypotheses

1. The access and use of ICTs have to be facilitated by

an effective and local intermediary organization, in order

to enhance peoples well-being

2. ICT’s have to be locally appropriated and owned by

local communities, in order to enhance peoples well-

being

H1: Effective and local Intermediation

How does the process work?

How is the intermediary organization perceived by the indigenous community?

• Proximity to local communities is essential (High level of intermediation)

• Demand-driven: respond to local needs

• Clear understanding of communities information needs

• Knowledge of traditional communications channels (community radios, printed media, etc.)

• Integrate ICTs into development priorities of community

• Combine technical know-how with knowledge of social and community structure

• Support community in adopting technology to local and cultural context

• Organization has to enjoy the trust of the community

H 2: Local Appropriation

=> dynamic process of adopting the technology to people’s needs– Iterative Process of Technology

Adoption---Structuration Theory

ICTs have to be financially sustainable- individual business plans need to fit local markets and socio-cultural context

ICT have to be socially sustainable –embedded into existing social community structures

=> demand-driven and respond to real needs

Strengthen local Human Capital to ensure that people can be involved in the Management of ICTs

VI) Methodology

Comparative Case Study Analysis

(i) contextual conditions are key to understand different

outcomes (how and why ?)

(ii) compare two cases with each other which are similar

in their socio-economic situation- variation in ICT

Triangulation:

(i) Quantitative Methods:

- Surveys with non-users (n=365) and ICT users (n=148)

- National UNDP ICT survey (n=3600 users)

- Multi-variant Logistical Regression Analysis

(ii) Qualitative Methods:

- In-depth interviews (24)

- Focus groups with specific groups (12)

ICT Impact Chain

Unpack the causal relationship between ICT and Development based on the concept of Informational Capabilities

Link to the ICT Impact Chain

Information Needs Assessment

• value horizontal information exchanges (between communities) more than vertical information exchanges

• strong distrust about the information provided by the national government

• local government information is rated much higher

• information from local organizations highly valued

• information from other communities in Latin America highly valued

a large majority of IP believe that access to information is very important to enhance their well-being (75%)

• information flow between national government and IP is very problematic

• information flow between national organizations and IP is also with problems

Information Needs Assessment

Importance of Horizontal Information Exchanges

38

41

45

46

57

58

58

42

32

33

32

25

30

26

20

26

22

22

19

12

16

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Local Org. and NGOs

Poor peoples Org. at the intern level.

Local org. and the government

Local org.and international donors

Poor people orga. at the national level

Between communities

Local org. and Communities

A lot Little Nothing

Need to go beyond ICT access

No Access

36%

Don’t know

how it works

21%

Other

5%

N/a

14%

All

7%

Language

problems

6%

Not useful

2%

Very expensive

9%

Principal Reasons for not using the Internet

Primary Data: ICT user survey

• What factors (individual and/or socio-economic) influence whether or not a person is able to use ICTs?

• To what extent do these factors influence peoples’ ICT capabilities?

Individual factors Socio-Economic Variables

• Age - Geographic Location

• Gender - Unsatisfied Basic Needs

• Education - Human Development Index

• Language spoken - Illiteracy Rates

• Profession - Population Density

- ICT infrastructure (Access)

- ICT intermediary

Results from ICT user survey

• High correlation between ethnicity, geographic location, and Internet use and ICT capabilities (rural urban)

• Significant disparities among various indigenous groups

• Socio-Economic factors (Literacy rates, belong to IP, poverty, location) and not individual factors (age, gender, education) are critical in explaining digital inequalities

• Education is a key variable to explain differences in Internet use, however ICT capabilities are independent from education

• Internet use and capabilities are independent from age, gender and profession

• Intermediary factors are by large the strongest determinant influence in a person’s use/non-use and on his/her ICT capabilities

Ethnicity is a key variable

ICT capabilities by ethnicity

22.8 24.1

47.2

28.3

35.2

48.9

40.7

26.4 26.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Non-Indigenous Indigenous Total

Ethnicity

Perc

enta

ge (

%)

Advanced Intermediate Basic

Within Group Differences

Internet Use by ethnic groups

65.0 66.7

35.0

19.6

33.3

80.4

49.2 50.8

0

20

40

60

80

100

Principal language spoken in HH

%

No 49.2 65.0 80.4 66.7

Yes 50.8 35.0 19.6 33.3

Spanish and/or

English

Spanish and

indigenous

Aymara Quechua

Intermediary factor is a key variable

ICT capabilities by program

5

19

28

45

2428

19

50

18

44

11

36

28 26303032

43

61

7076

31

44

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

CID

OB

CIO

EC/líder

es

CIO

EC-P

otos

i/Or.

CO

NAM

AQ

ENLA

RED

FONDO

INDIG

ENA

ICO

-CO

MAR

APA

OM

AK

ICT Program

Perc

enta

ge (

%)

Advanced Intermediate Basic

Results from Impact user survey

• In which dimensions (economic, political, social and cultural) do local communities perceive ICTs to have the greatest impact on their well-being?

• To what extent does the use of ICTs enhance peoples’ human and social capabilities?

• Social dimension is perceived to have the greatest positive impact

• Economic dimension is the most polarized- 52% vs 24%

• Political dimension is perceived to have the weakest positive impact

• None of the socio-demographic variable (age, gender) influence peoples perceptions

• People’s perceptions vary significantly dependent on (I) ICT program, (ii) informational capabilities (iii) rural vsurban

Results from Impact Survey

Results from Impact Survey

Perceptions on the Impact of the Internet

on people's well-being

(National Grassroots-led programs)

38

38

54

62

69

77

62

62

46

23

23

15

0

0

0

15

8

8

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Political

Perconal

Cultural

Organizational

Economic

Social

A lot Somewhat None/NA

VII) Case Studies

Organization Type Highlands Lowlands

Grassroots organizations

High Level Intermediation

CIOEC - Oruro

CIOEC - Potosi

OMAK – Tihuanacu*OMAK – youth

CIDOB

APCOB - Concepción

NGOs

Intermediate Level IntermediationICO – Comarapa

National organization

Intermediate Level Intermediation

CONAMAQ CONAMAQ

International organization

Low Level Intermediation

Fondo Indígena Fondo Indígena

Government

Low Level IntermediationEn la Red Municipal -

Batallas, *

En la Red Municipal –

Comarapa *

Case Study 1 : Tiahuanacu- An Andean

Perspectives

VII) Tiahuana- a rural Aymara community

• Ayllu- traditional governance has been fragmented by syndicalism and ‘green revolution”

• High levels of extreme poverty (92%) &very low HDI (0.34)

• Small-scale subsistence farming (Minifundistas)

• Severe effects of natural disasters (El Nino)

• Very high levels of temporary and permanent migration

• Lack of access to basic social services (education/health)

• Most important archeological site in Bolivia, however benefits don’t reach local Aymara population

• Livelihood strategies based on traditional local knowledge & partial integration in labor market

• Lack of accountability of local government: limitations of Law of Popular Participation

VII) OMAK- Tihuanacu

(Grassroots Organization)

• High ownership by local women’s organization

• Strong linkages to traditional community structures (Mallkus, Ayllu, women’s groups)

• Responsiveness to local demands

• Dynamic process of cultural appropriation of ICTs

• Lack of information needs assessment

• Strong family and kinship networks (bonding social capital)

• Issue of indigenous leadership and patronage system early enthusiasm => controlled by a small group of leaders

High level of local intermediation

Enhancements in Human Capabilities (Self-esteem, political dimension)

Limited capacity to implement project

High dependency on international donors

Lack of continuity due to changing priorities by donors

VII) NGO: Instituto de Capacitación del Oriente

• Information needs assessment

• ICT fully incorporated into agricultural project

• Continuous capacity-building program

• Convergence of technologies (radio and Internet)

• Special focus on youth and indigenous women

Intermediate level of intermediation through local NGO- issue of dependency & overly technocratic approach

=> Increased self-esteem of vulnerable groups (women, youth)

enhanced informational capabilities (market prices, education)

economic capabilities enhanced? (i.e. negotiation power)

Market structures remain the same (small-scale producers, intermediaries, transportation costs)

Case Study 2: Comarapa- A perspective of small-

scale farmers

Comarapa- a community in the Santa Cruz

Valley

• 75% of population lives from agriculture produced for the

Santa Cruz market

• Improvements in living conditions and access to basic

services

• Important inequalities between rural and urban population

• Relatively strong local governments but weak social

control by the community

• Low Vertical accountability of the local government

• Lack of strong community-based organizations

• Strong presence of international donors and local NGOs

Comarapa- A perspective of small-scale farmers

Promote Sustainable Economic Development i) Improve access to markets

ii) Strengthen productive organizations

iii) Improve access to rural infrastructure (electricity, irrigation, roads)

iv) Develop regional development plans based on the common cultural background of communities (Mancumidades)

Reduce Existing Regional Disparitiesi) Abolish existing gaps in agricultrual productivities

ii) Improve incomes in the informal sector

Support Income Generating Activities (i) Promote the production and export of products in agricultural market

niches (i.e. fair trade, organic products)

(ii) Eliminate price discrimination by middlemen (transport)

Enhance Access to Rural Finance (i) Improve access to microfinance

(ii) Set up financing mechanism through Micro-credit institutions

VII) Case Study 3: En la Red Municipal- Comarapa

(Government)

• Context: Decentralization- Law of Popular Participation

• Pilot program in 15 municipalities

• Very ambitious and poorly focused objectives

• Overemphasis on technology (Portal, connectivity)

• Lack of local ownership by municipalities and communities

• Local content production and dissemination (radio, newspapers)

• Information needs and evaluation (surveys)

Low level of intermediation through centralized approach

Political character of implementing agency (FAM)

Low capacity of local governments to implement project

Political changes in local governments <=> Sustainability

Low level of appropriation of technology

Limited Effects on the Enhancement of Human Capabilities

VIII) Main findings

Hypothesis 1: Intermediation

• Local intermediation is key (content, training, sustainability)

• Absence of National government ICT program

• Strong role of local and international NGOs

• Uncoordinated and isolated programs

• Limited local impact

• Overemphasis on technology issues

• Continuous dependency (same approach as in other sectors)

Hypothesis confirmed however it is key to strengthen the capacity of central government

Structural problems: high costs, lack of basic infrastructure, low-level of education

VIII) Main findings

Hypothesis 2: Appropriation of ICTs

• ICT programs are being frequently managed outside the community

• Existing inequalities within communities impede widespread benefits

• Danger that a few community leaders appropriate themselves of the ICT program

• Capacity-building and local presence are key success factors

• Convergence of Technology (Internet and Community Radio– (Comarapa)

• Badly managed project– negative effects on community

VI) Conclusions

• ICTs can play an important role in enhancing the human capabilities of the poor (literacy-ICT skills)

• The extent to which the uses of ICTs expands peoples ‘informational capabilities’ is critical for positive impact of ICTs on economic and social development

• The expansion of peoples ‘ICT capabilities’ is not sufficient

• Need to fully integrate ICTs into other sectors (i.e. education, agriculture) <=> Stand alone projects

• Local intermediation is key (Content, Capacity-building, Connectivity, Continuity)

• Convergence of technologies most effective (Radio & Internet)

VI) Conclusions

• Dynamic interaction between people, cultures and technology

• Program evaluations should be based on the priorities of ICT users themselves

• Social, organizational, political and cultural factors key while technical issues are minor for the outcomes of ICT program

• Direct impact of ICTs on ‘self-esteem’ (subjective well-being)

• Long-term financial and social sustainability is critical for ensuring a positive impact of ICTs

Please contact me for any

questions or comments:

@bgigler