information and communications technology for development...

Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) Mainstreaming the use of ICT Solutions to improve CRS Programming Efforts

ICT4D Team 3/24/2010 ©2010 Catholic Relief Services All Rights Reserved

©Catholic Relief Services All Rghts Reserved Page 1

Table of Contents Overview and Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Strategic Drivers ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

What is driving our use of ICT in programming? ................................................................................... 4

Why do we need to sponsor an agency-wide approach? .................................................................... 5

What is the scope of ICT4D solutions? ........................................................................................................ 6

Applications or Uses of ICT4D Solutions......................................................................................................... 7

What are the trends in the relief and development sector? ............................................................... 7

Where should CRS focus? ................................................................................................................................. 9

What does focusing mean? ........................................................................................................................... 10

ICT4D Technology Choices ................................................................................................................................ 11

What companies provide ICT4D solutions today? .............................................................................. 11

What are the typical components of an ICT4D solution? ................................................................. 11

How should we go about building and maintaining an ICT4D portfolio? ................................. 13

Components of an ICT4D Support Structure .............................................................................................. 15

What are the timelines for supporting inclusive ICT4D deployment? ....................................... 15

What are the components of a support strategy we need to consider? ..................................... 16

Relationships that Benefit our ICT4D Initiatives ...................................................................................... 18

What types of relationships which benefit ICT4D projects today? .............................................. 18

Where should we focus our relationship building efforts? ............................................................. 18

Changing our Business Processes to Mainstream ICT4D Solutions ................................................. 19

Project Design and Proposal Development ............................................................................................ 19

Change Management ....................................................................................................................................... 19

Near-Term Work Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 21


Overview and Purpose

There is growing consensus across the relief and development sector that information and

communications technology (ICT) offers tremendous opportunity to improve programming

and overall performance, leading to greater impact on the lives of the poor. Over the past

two years, CRS has made significant improvements in its internal ICT capacity and has

upgraded its field office infrastructure and support systems. Recent changes in commercial

ICT in developing countries now offer us the possibility to extend the value and potential of

ICT to our partners and to communities through our partner field agents. (Note: we refer to

solutions that involve use of technology beyond the boundaries of CRS offices to improve

programming as ICT4D solutions throughout this paper.)

To take advantage of these developments, the CLO and PQSD launched a joint effort to work

out an approach to improve the quality of our programming efforts through routine use and

extension of ICT solutions to partners and communities. With the help of EOPS, MIT, and

HR, they formed an ICT4D Team to facilitiate this effort. The ICT4D Team:

Engaged Accenture Development Partners to survey both CRS use of ICT in field

programs as well as that of the relief and development sector at large,

Convened a two day workshop and developed a strawman ICT4D approach with the

support of a cross-divisional group of CRS staff members,

Engaged ICT4D thought leaders to provide CRS staff with an overview of their products

and their experience in using them in relief and development programs;

Conducted a 7-hour webinar to profile such leaders that attracted over 170 people

worldwide including both CRS staff and members of peer organizations;

Held an Innovation Conference in Nairobi and refined the draft ICT4D approach with

cross sector support of CRS staff from all regions of the world, from all programming

sectors, and from a range of disciplines including program quality, management quality,

monitoring and evaluation, business development, ICT, HR, finance, and regional and

country program management.

This paper summarizes the results of the conference. The paper is organized into the

following sections:

Strategic Drivers

Applications or Uses of ICT4D Solutions,

ICT4D Technology Choices

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Relationships that Benefit our ICT4D Initiatives

Changing our Business Processes to Mainstream ICT4D Solutions

Priority actions in implementing a change management approach include:


Build sponsorship for implementation of ICT4D solutions to improve program

quality

o Build a business case for a near term ICT4D Implementation Plan spanning

the next twelve months

o Use the business case to establish sponsorship for the ICT4D approach

starting with the ELT

Build an ICT4D Support Structure

o Establish an ICT4D Core Team and Working Group to assume the role of

change agents. Set up a cross-functional ICT4D team with the combination

of skills necessary to provide technical support to prioirity CRS programs

planning to use ICT4D solutions in their projects. This team will provide

relationship management, proposal, project design, implementation and

change management support.

o Build an active ICT4D community of practice. Expand CRS’ ICT4D knowledge

base to incorporate success stories and lessons learned from current and

prior ICT4D solutions, the materials and guidance needed to develop and

manage our ICT4D portfolio, and the materials required to support the key

changes in our business processes mentioned above. Identify CRS staff

with experience in deploying ICT4D solutions and engage them in providing

expert advice to projects launching new ICT4D efforts.

Launch a formal and on-going communications campaign to raise awareness of the

benefits of ICT4D solutions to our programming efforts and our experience in

implementing them.

o Segment staff into groups (e.g., country representatives, project managers,

technical advisors, ICT staff, HR staff) based on the impact and benefits

ICT4D solutions will have on their work.

o Identify key messages for each of these groups (e.g., benefits of ICT4D

solutions to their work, impact of solutions on their roles and

responsibilities, existence of field tested solutions, availability of resources

to support project design efforts);

o Identify the communication vehicles that will be used to deliver those

messages (e.g., annual meetings, Sharepoint ICT4D site, country-level town

hall meetings); and

o Identify the feedback loops needed to determine if the campaign is achieving

the desired results (e.g., Q&A sessions, Sharepoint discussion boards,

surveys);

Implement a formal program for rewarding and recognizing CRS teams and staff for

their work on the use of ICT in programming including such components as:

o Awards (e.g., submit applications for industry awards, give out CRS spot

awards, develop a CRS special recognition award),

o Publicity (speaking opportunities, recognition in internal and external

forums and publications),


o Learning opportunities (participation in conferences, training programs),

and

o Career opportunities (TDY positions, regional appointments, senior advisory

positions, succession plan consideration);

o Establish an Innovation Fund to support the piloting of new ICT4D Solutions

Near-Term Work Plan

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Strategic Drivers

What is driving our use of ICT in programming?

Today people in the developing world have access to new, innovative, and affordable ICT4D

solutions that just a few years ago were non-existent or out of reach. We believe that the use

of emerging ICT4D solutions offers us the ability to know, manage and improve the quality

of services that we provide to those we serve. The rapid exchange of data, information, and

learning that these ICT4D solutions enable allows us to understand and adjust our

programming efforts to improve their impact much more rapidly and effectively than we

have been able to in the past.

In addition, ICT4D solutions give us a significant opportunity to scale our programs to reach

more people at a lower cost per person. This ability is particularly important as CRS as an

agency shifts from projects that support thousands of people to projects that serve the

needs of hundreds of thousands of people. Mobile phones are one of the technologies that

enable this shift. Today, 64% of all mobile phone users are in the developing world. Studies

of this group of users show no significant gap in income in their use.1 By 2012, we expect

that half of all individuals in remote areas will have mobile phones.2 Programs across the

sectors we work in have started taking advantage of this technology to track plant pests and

diseases, share crop production and marketing information, improve literacy, monitor

patient adherence to HIV and AIDS treatment, rapidly assess needs during emergency

response efforts, and provide distance learning opportunities to community workers on a

scale not possible in the past.

The use of ICT in the field affords us opportunities to improve our accountability and

responsiveness to our program participants, donors, and other stakeholders.

1 There is a gender gap, however; a recent study shows that women in low and middle-income countries are 21% less likely to own a mobile phone (GSMA Development Fund, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. (2010) Women & Mobile: A Global Opportunity, London: GSMA) This should be seen as a great opportunity – 2 of every 3 potential new subscribers may be women – as well as a challenge to implement gender-sensitive ICT programming. 2 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Public Administration and Development Management, Compendium of ICT Applications on Electronic Government – Volume 1 Mobile Applications on Health and Learning (New York, United Nations, 2007).


Data collected with mobile devices in the field at the household level can be analyzed in the

field and used to provide basic services and information directly to beneficiaries. For

example, farmers can work with field agents to determine their fertilizer needs using

software calculators. Farmers can also work with field agents to determine their current

profitability and the gains likely if they adopt new technologies. Farmers can directly access

market information that enables them to attain better prices for their crops.

At the same time, information from the communities can be rapidly communicated from

many sites, aggregated, analyzed, and reported to key stakeholders on a cycle that meets

their individual demands. All of this information can incorporated into searchable

databases, plotted on maps, and used to monitor trends that help us better understand and

manage the impact of our programs. By enabling two way data exchange, ICT4D solutions

can offer all those involved in our field programs a level of transparency and involvement

that has been difficult to achieve in the past and can provide us the information we need to

better manage our efforts.

Finally the use of ICT offers us opportunities to improve agency credibility and

competitiveness in an area of growing importance and to ensure our donors, partners, and

the communities that we serve that they are receiving a good return on their commitment

to our programs.

Why do we need to sponsor an agency-wide approach?

ICT4D solutions are being piloted throughout the CRS world, in a variety of sectors and

areas. These pilots include a wide range of uses, for example: SMS messages to remind

patients about anti-retroviral treatments; mobile phone services to help farmers access

market prices; PDA-based forms to capture household data and aggregate it into a database

for analysis; and mini-laptops to enable field agents to collect cassava disease data and take

offline distance learning courses to help them better train farmer groups. Despite some

promising indications, agency uptake of ICT4D solutions remains relatively modest and

occurs largely as pilot initiatives, outside of mainstream programming. We need to scale up

the use of ICT more systematically so that we do not miss opportunities to improve

program quality and reduce the overall costs and learning time as we make this transition.

To do so, we need to identify effective tools to meet the needs of specific challenges,

socialize this information and refine the way we routinely design our field projects.

We also need to build our agency-wide capacity to manage and implement ICT4D solutions.

We need to:

Adjust our talent management systems to ensure that staff have the skills required;

Put in place mechanisms to leverage experience from one project to the next to

facilitate learning and reduce risks;

Identify ICT4D solutions that work well in the challenging operating contexts of so

many of our projects;


Develop a portfolio of field-tested ICT4D solutions that help us drive down costs by

reducing learning curves and taking advantage of scale procurements;

Enhance our field

support models to

accommodate the

diversity, skill levels,

and the scale of end

user populations;

Engage in new types of

partnerships with

technology companies

that help us build and

manage this entire

transition; and

Ensure that our

approach to managing

and implementing

ICT4D solutions is consistent with our principle of ‘do no harm’.

What is the scope of ICT4D solutions?

In thinking about the use of ICT in

field programming, we need to

consider the combination of technology (products and systems), people (roles and

responsibilities) and processes (business practices) which make up an ICT4D solution

(Figure 1). We also must consider how these solutions fit within the overall context of our

work.

Technology: ICT4D solutions include a combination of rapidly evolving technologies

ranging from mobile devices to emerging communication networks to web-based data

management systems used to consolidate, analyze and report data. We often focus on this

component of an ICT4D solution –

the new and exciting gadgets and

software we put in the hands of

users. In the end, choosing the right technology, while challenging, is a small part of the

effort required to deploy and sustain a successful solution.

People: An ICT4D solution introduces new roles and responsibilities that require many

people to learn new ways of doing things. These solutions not only involve new roles,

responsibilities, and competencies for CRS staff. More importantly, they require change

beyond CRS’ offices in the roles, responsibilities, and competencies of partners, field and

community workers, and the people we serve. Furthermore, as we introduce technology to

these new groups of users, we must be sensitive to both the positive and negative effects

they might have on the livelihoods of the people involved.

Figure 1. Introducing ICT4D solutions in Programming


Processes: Introducing an ICT4D solution can impact the entire project life cycle from

project design and proposal development to implementation and project closeout. While

integrating an ICT4D solution in the field context has many benefits, it also requires changes

in management and support processes at all levels within CRS and our partner

organizations to realize those benefits. In addition, rolling out ICT4D solutions into the

communities we serve requires us to identify and strengthen local institutions that can

manage, support and sustain their use over time.

Context: ICT4D solutions do not stand alone. They must fit with the context of

programming systems and processes already existing in CRS offices, in our partner

organizations and the communities in which we work. They must also reflect the local

culture, gender sensitivities, and social and political dynamics both within households and

in the wider community.Many of the ICT4D solutions in use today are not integrated with

project management systems – a particular challenge when we seek to strengthen the

capacity of local institutions to manage, support and sustain these efforts.

Applications or Uses of ICT4D Solutions

What are the trends in the relief and development sector?

The uses of ICT4D solutions vary across sectors. Figure 2 provides a sample of the range of

uses in the relief and development sector today. A more comprehensive list is provided in

the ICT4D Solution Spreadsheet. As you can see, these uses touch all the sectors in which

CRS works. Some of the uses are specific to the sector involved – others are cross-cutting.

In general, these uses of technology can be grouped into the following categories:

Remote Data Collection. Use of technology to collect data from partners, field

agents, community workers, and people we serve ranging from seed distribution to

patient data to buying habits.

Education and Awareness. Use of technology to provide information to partners,

field agents, community workers, and people we serve ranging from distribution of

market prices to medical reminders to arrival of emergency supplies.


Figure 2. Use of ICT4D solutions by Sector

Communications and Training. Use of technology to support two way

communication between CRS staff, partner staff, field agents and community

workers, and people we serve such as that inherent in distance learning programs,

emergency response coordination, or elections monitoring.

Analysis and Reporting. Use of technology to support data analysis and

reporting ranging from success of plant varieties to hunger and malnutrition

patterns to the health of mobile financial portfolios.

Tracking. Use of technology (including geographic information or mapping

systems) to monitor and track information and trends ranging from the spread of

plant disease to distribution of food and medicines to the monitoring of human

disease epidemics.

Remote Services. Use of technology to provide community services such as

patient diagnostics, post-disaster reunification services, or banking services.

Figure 3 shows the relative penetration of ICT4D solutions in each major relief and

development sector. The sectors with the most ICT4D experience include agriculture, food

security, and health (including HIV and AIDS), followed by microfinance, education, and

emergency (including preparedness and response). Our recent survey shows that CRS, like

many of its peers, has gained significant experience in the agriculture, food security, health,

HIV and AIDS and emergency sectors. Note that many instances of ICT4D within these

sectors are associated with the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of projects, but they are

not limited to M&E.


Figure 3. Relative Penetration of ICT4D Solutions in Sector Programming Efforts

Where should CRS focus?

The ICT4D Innovation Conference participants recommended that CRS take the following

approach in rolling out its strategy:

1. In the near-term (1 year) focus on:

a. The introduction of ICT4D M&E solutions to enhance the quality of

agriculture, food security, health, HIV and AIDS, and emergency

preparedness and response programming into selected EARO and SARO

multi-sectoral programs with strong church partners,

b. Priority ICT4D solutions for the Haiti Relief effort,

2. In the mid-term (2-3 years) focus on expanding the use of ICT4D solutions into

other sectors in large multi-sector projects, and

3. In the long-term (4-5 years) focus on making use of ICT4D solutions that improve

program quality in all sectors of CRS’ work.

We chose this approach since it allows us to focus first in areas where:

ICT4D solutions are quickly maturing,

We need to keep pace with our peers to maintain a leadership position, and

We already have experience and can demonstrate success in the implementation of

ICT4D.

Furthmore, this approach focuses on a cross cutting need: M&E solutions including the full

range of data collection, data analysis, mapping, reporting, and learning for innovative


action in regions that have

strong sponsorship and

capacity to take on the

implementation of ICT4D

Solutions.

Finally, this approach builds

on the lessons learned from

existing ICT4D projects.

These lessons learned

indicate that:

The design of an M&E

system must be

driven by

well-defined project objectives and measures, and must result in well-defined data

collection, management and reporting processes;

The existence of well-defined M&E System is a prerequisite for introducing M&E

ICT into a project mid-stream;

The business case for using ICT to enable an M&E system must be understood by

both the donor and the project team;

Implementation of an ICT-enabled M&E system, requires strong sponsorship from

the project management team.

Our near-term focus provides opportunities (such as implementation of M&E on upcoming

MYAPs) to consider the use of ICT to enable M&E at the early stages of project design and

proposal development where we can address these success factors up front.

What does focusing mean?

Focusing implies making a greater amount of resources available to projects in the areas we

choose and giving them priority consideration for private funding. So as illustrated in Figure

4, while we would capture and share lessons learned for all ICT4D projects, we would focus

on providing technical assistance only to projects in priority areas. We will develop global

technology alliances, guidance, and tools to support implementation of ICT4D solutions in

priority areas and to the extent

that they are cross- cutting,

projects in other areas will

benefit from this guidance and tools.

Figure 4. CRS Approach to Focusing its ICT4D Investments


ICT4D Technology Choices

Figure 5. ICT4D Solution Providers

What companies provide ICT4D solutions today?

An increasing number of service providers are providing new, innovative, and affordable

technologies to the developing world. Figure 5 provides a sample of those companies

working to support technology use in CRS relief and development sectors.

What are the typical components of an ICT4D solution?

As illustrated in Figure 6, ICT4D solutions can generally be broken down into a number of

components:


Figure 6. ICT4D Solution Technical Components

Mobile devices such as digital pens, mobile phones, PDAs, mini-laptops, GPS units,

cameras, and flip video recorders that are used to exchange data and information

with field agents, community workers, and people we serve,

Applications and forms used on those devices, often in off- and on-line modes,

Telecommunication and Internet services (as well as backup media such as

thumb drives) that are used to transfer data to and from data management systems,

Data management servers located in offices or data centers accessible via the

Internet and used to house data and information exchanged with the field,

Data management software ranging from general purpose packages such as

relational databases, geographic information systems, or statistical analysis

packages to specific-use systems such as inventory management, health records

management, or financial systems,

Laptops and desktops that allow office workers to access these systems and to

communicate with individuals using mobile devices in the field.

Error! Reference source not found. provides an example of how these components were

put together to support the M&E system for the six-country Great Lakes Cassava Initiative

(GLCI) in EARO and CARO.


The field system is comprised of Intel mini-laptops (AidStations) containing data collection

and distance learning software. The field workers learn how to help farmers and record

information using forms provided on the AidStations. Field workers travel from farmer

group to farmer group providing training and collecting data, using GPS devices to record

the geographic coordinates associated with that data, taking pictures and recording farmer

group conversations, and sharing them with the next group on their tour.

When they are connected to the Internet (using a device that utilizes the mobile network

such as a “dongle”, in an Internet café or in a partner office), they transmit the data they

collected to a central data base server in Baltimore. Whenever they connect they also

received updates to the data base on their laptops. The field workers are able to view

reports based on the data they entered and submitted right on their laptops.

Staff members in CRS and partner offices are able to use the data management application

hosted on the server to review all the data submitted, correct it, export it and analyze it.

This is one example of how an ICT4D solution can be designed to help manage a highly

decentralized project that involves many remote partners.

How should we go about building and maintaining an ICT4D portfolio?

We recommend that CRS build an robust portfolio of ICT4D solutions that not only puts in

place mechanisms to evolve our ICT4D solution options for CRS staff but also to extend this

rapidly emerging technology to our partners and target communities (Figure 8). CRS’

comparative advantage is our field-focus and subsidiarity principle, so solutions should

recognize and build from those strengths. This portfolio should be problem-focused; this

means it should be based on the main problems identified in various CRS country programs

Figure 7. Automated Support for the GLCI M&E System


and particular projects. It should provide guidance (e.g., a ‘decision-tree’) for identifying

which problems are most appropriately addressed by an ICT solution and for choosing an

appropriate solution. Solutions chosen should should be driven by:

1) Effectiveness. Our mission to reach the world’s poor is the foundation of every CRS

project. Thus CRS’ ICT4D solutions should aim to improve the impact of our projects

on the lives of the poor and/or allow us to serve more people.

2) Efficiency. A fundamental principle of CRS’ ICT4D interventions is good

stewardship. Therefore ICT4D solutions should aim to produce measurable,

increased efficiencies. For example, and ICT-enabled M&E system should be more

cost-effective and efficient than one that is not.

3) Ethical and environmental considerations. ICT use should “do no harm” in

communities and within households, especially in consideration of gender

imbalances, cultural norms, and environment.

This portfolio process will be developed through a collaborative process among

programming and ICT staff. It will consist of:

Detailed descriptions of the design and

components of ICT4D solutions that

have been field tested, including pros

and cons of each;

Guidance for choosing between

solutions to help project teams decide

on the types of technologies to meet

specific challenges;

Guidance for articulating the business

case for using an ICT4D solution,

including a project calculator that helps

teams estimate the cost of

implementing, deploying, and

maintaining a solution, as well as its

benefits (e.g., cost savings such as reductions in travel and data entry or efficiencies

such as improved access to and timeliness of information);

Guidance for describing and budgeting for these solutions in proposals;

A list of preferred technology providers and a description of their performance on

past projects;

Agreements with technology partners to provide the components of ICT4D solutions

and support for their implementation, operation, and maintenance;

Guidance for forming new agreements that build on past experience in partnering

with technology providers;

A list of consortiums and networks in which CRS participates that are involved in

ICT4D initiatives; and

Figure 8. Maintain CRS' ICT4D Portfolio


A list of donors who have funded CRS and other NGOs to implement such solutions.

In addition we recommend that CRS establish:

A set of principles to guide the evolution of this portfolio such as:

o Incorporate a set of solutions that cover the full range of programming CRS

needs including different levels of sophistication in data collection and

exchange activities;

o Support the full range of environments that CRS works in with varying

access to telecommunications, Internet and power, varying levels of literacy

and technology exposure, and variations in language and cultural norms;

o Do not proliferate similar technologies that unnecessarily increase learning

curves and maintenance costs and don’t allow us to take advantage of scale

procurements;

o Give preference to solutions that empower beneficiaries through two way

communication and data exchange;

o Give preference to solutions that simplify customization and data

consolidation tasks. Choose ’80-20’ solutions where 80% of project

requirements can be met by an ‘out-of-the-box’ solution with little to no

customization;

o Give preference to solutions that reduce the need for in-house hardware,

software, and support services (such as web-based software as a service

applications);

o Give preference to solutions that are device agnostic and allow reuse of

common back end data managment systems; and

o Form agreements that protect CRS’ intellectual property rights;

A support structure for customizing ICT4D solutions to project needs consisting of a

combination of in-house and service provider resources;

A formal process for evaluating emerging ICT4D solutions, piloting new ICT4D solutions and incorporating them into CRS’ ICT4D portfolio to take advantage of rapidly evolving technologies which are affordable and easily accessible.

Components of an ICT4D Support Structure

What are the timelines for supporting inclusive ICT4D deployment?

While CRS has made significant progress in upgrading connectivity at CRS country offices

over the past 2 years, this enhanced connectivity only accommodates a small number of

participants in CRS programs – those located in CRS offices. As we move beyond the walls

of CRS offices and take on a more inclusive deployment of ICT4D solutions to support

partners, field agents and communities we need to find ways of dealing with the realities of

challenging variations in power, connectivity, staff skill-sets, technology exposure, literacy,

and language. To achieve this change CRS will take on a three phase approach to deliver


ICT platforms that are also both manageable and sustainable. The three phases are as

follows (Figure 9):

Phase 1. ICT4D support over the past 2

years has focused on improving

connectivity, infrastructure, and ICT

support at the CRS country offices and

systems at HQ. This work will continue

as CRS shifts towards cloud computing3

and outsources basic ICT support

services - steps which will allow us as

an agency to achieve efficiencies in

providing data management,

communication, and support services.

Phase 2: Phase 2 aims to extend the

benefits of improved connectivity and

cloud computing to our partners. In the

next 3 years we anticipate that rolling

out connectivity to our partners

(including field agents and community workers) will require committed ICT4D support

from CRS country offices in terms of infrastructure, capacity building, staff support, and

program integration. It also require partnerships with local ICT companies to provide ICT

services at the scale needed. This is an investment in our partner capacity and agency

competitiveness.

Phase 3: While an initial set of investments are required to successfully enable partners

to leap the technology hurdle, long term use of ICT solutions within communities requires

provision of local service to community members and institutions at a cost that they can

afford. The third phase of our strategy therefore seeks to transition management of ICT

solutions to community institutions and to strengthen local ICT service providers capability

to provide such services to them on an on-going basis.

What are the components of a support strategy we need to consider?

To successfully deploy ICT4D solutions, we have identified five levels of at which support is

required to address the technical, process and people aspects of such solutions: (1)

Headquarters, (2) CRS regional and country program offices, (3) partner offices, (4) field

worker areas and (5) target communities:

3 Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand.

Figure 9. ICT4D Support Phases


1. Headquarters. Headquarters

ICT4D support will focus on

implementing global systems,

developing stronger partnerships

with consortium partners such as

Nethope, and deepening our

business links to the ICT private

sector community, including such

companies as INTEL, Inveneo, and

ESRA. Headquarter activities

will focus on introducing new

process technologies that will

increase our overall efficiency and

enabling CRS to take advantage of

bulk purchase discounts on

components of effective ICT4D

solutions.

2. CRS Regional and Country

Program Offices. Regional and

country level ICT4D support will enable project managers to implement ICT4D

solutions by maintaining adequate ICT infrastructure; maintaining adequate levels

of telecommumications and internet service; participating in CRS’ global support

structure, broadening the roles, responsibilities and competencies of country level

ICT staff to participate in design of ICT4D solutions; and developing local

partnerships with private sector ICT companies.

3. CRS Partners: ICT4D support at the partner level will enable partners to access

appropriate and effective types of ICT4D solutions, in many cases for the first time.

Support will include identification and assessment of partner current management,

financial, and programming systems, processes, and skills and enhancement of those

systems, processes and skills to support integration and deployment of selected

ICT4D solutions. Partners will need to develop strong partnerships with local ICT

business development services to maintain their systems and provide basic staff

training. CRS in turn will need to extend our partner support and better account for

and respond to increased demands on partner capacity.

4. Partner Field Staff: A critical part of supporting field staff use of ICT4D solutions is

implementation of technologies and processes that support the transition from fully

connected office environment to one that ‘occasionally connected’ – one that

typically encounters significant challenges with power, connectivity, people skills

and process changes. At the same time, this is the area where ICT4D solutions will

provide significant gains through the use of distance learning, text messaging, and

VoIP technologies. Field staff will require intensive training in basic ICT use,

distance learning methods and application of the tools that support data exchange in

Figure 10. Components of an ICT4D Support Sturucture


areas such as mobile M&E. CRS can start this support process as we introduce the

technology for the first time, but will need to quickly devolve this support service to

local ICT providers as they are identified, strengthened and integrated into our

overall support program.

5. People we Serve: An entirely new area of ICT4D support is emerging as the

communities with whom we work begin utilizing ICT. While training and support

for the use of such solutions may initially come from CRS and partner field staff,

such support will need to be rapidly transitioned to local community institutions

and businesses in order to address the scale of the communities we serve and to

provide long term community support

Relationships that Benefit our ICT4D Initiatives

What types of relationships which benefit ICT4D projects today?

Today the range of organizations using ICT for programming (Figure 11) includes:

Technology providers that supply hardware, software, communications, and technology

support services for one or more components of ICT4D solutions,

Non-profit organizations, including consortia or networks of these actors, that focus on

using these solutions

in the field that use

their scale to reduce

ICT4D costs and

accelerate learning

across their

membership,

Public and private

donors that have a

particular interest in

the benefits and use of

ICT4D in field

programming, and

Governments, universities and private companies that contribute management and

technical support and funding for implementation of ICT4D solutions.

Where should we focus our relationship building efforts?

CRS is starting to form strategic relationships and alliances with technology providers, but

this is happening in a limited number of new projects. Relatively few global alliances which

take advantage of CRS’ scale or participation in consortiums have been formed. In the past,

CRS has not participated extensively in consortiums (with a few exceptions) or public

Figure 11. Sample Organizations Involved in ICT4D


private partnerships that strongly feature the use of technology. In looking at the range of

relationships that are possible, we recommend the following approach:

1. Monitor the relief and development sector to identify emerging leaders with whom

we might want to build relationships;

2. Build relationships with consortia such as NetHope, universities such as Cornell,

foundations such as Gates, and private donors with a particular interest in the use of

technology to attain resources and funding that would allow us to try out new

ICT4D solutions;

3. Form global alliances with technology providers that would help us scale up these

solutions quickly, drive down our project implementation costs, and extend our

reach; and

4. Develop relationships with local government institutions, business, and spin-offs to

obtain the services necessary to sustain those solutions over time.

Changing our Business Processes to Mainstream ICT4D Solutions

Project Design and Proposal Development

As indicated above, mainstreaming ICT4D solutions re quires changes to all phases of our

project life cycle, as well as to CRS’ systems for building the talent, knowledge and

capabilities to manage such processes. Figure 12 lists areas of significant impact. We

recommend that, in addition to creating the documentation associated with the ICT4D

portfolio described above, we focus on the following priorities to make this transition:

Update Propack, TAG, M&E Standards and SMILER to reflect the use of ICT4D

solutions in project design, including

staff training and support, ICT

support models, and budgeting;

Provide new consortium formation

and corporation vetting guidance.

Change Management

To step up our use of ICT4D solutions

rapidly, we also recommend using a formal

approach to manage required changes to our

standard business practices. Such an

approach would include the activities

required to build a shared understanding of

the roles that CRS staff need to play in

making these changes and to prepare and

support staff in performing those roles.

These roles include:

Build CRS ICT4D Capacity

Develop Relationships

Facilitate Knowledge Exchange

Assess Donors

Design Project

Develop and Submit Proposal

Staff Project

Manage Project Implementation

Monitor and Evaluate Project Performance

Report and Share Project Results

Figure 12. Major Areas of Impact


Sponsors: Managers at all levels overseeing CRS projects that integrate ICT4D

solutions must act as sponsors. They must sponsor this integration in their

communications, in the priorities they set for their staff, and in the way they reward

and recognize people, and in their own work practices that demonstrate the value of

integrated ICT4D solutions.

Change Agents: Staff with responsibility to coach sponsors and develop the

communications, training programs, reward and recognition plans, and support

systems to enable the introduction and management of ICT4D solutions must act as

change agents. Such change agents must be passionate about the use of ICT4D

solutions and have the trust of both managers and program staff.

Targets: The program staff members that introduce and manage ICT4D solutions

within projects become the targets of the change effort. These individuals must

embrace a new way of working, surface their concerns and issues, and interact with

the change agents to resolve them. They must manage the changes that partners,

field agents, and the people we serve undergo as we roll solutions out beyond the

walls of CRS offices.

Priority actions in implementing a change management approach include:

Build sponsorship for implementation of ICT4D solutions to improve program

quality

o Build a business case for a near term ICT4D Implementation Plan spanning

the next twelve months

o Use the business case to establish sponsorship for the ICT4D approach

starting with the ELT

Build an ICT4D Support Structure

o Establish an ICT4D Core Team and Working Group to assume the role of

change agents. Set up a cross-functional ICT4D team with the combination

of skills necessary to provide technical support to prioirity CRS programs

planning to use ICT4D solutions in their projects. This team will provide

relationship management, proposal, project design, implementation and

change management support.

o Build an active ICT4D community of practice. Expand CRS’ ICT4D knowledge

base to incorporate success stories and lessons learned from current and

prior ICT4D solutions, the materials and guidance needed to develop and

manage our ICT4D portfolio, and the materials required to support the key

changes in our business processes mentioned above. Identify CRS staff

with experience in deploying ICT4D solutions and engage them in providing

expert advice to projects launching new ICT4D efforts.

Launch a formal and on-going communications campaign to raise awareness of the

benefits of ICT4D solutions to our programming efforts and our experience in

implementing them.


o Segment staff into groups (e.g., country representatives, project managers,

technical advisors, ICT staff, HR staff) based on the impact and benefits

ICT4D solutions will have on their work.

o Identify key messages for each of these groups (e.g., benefits of ICT4D

solutions to their work, impact of solutions on their roles and

responsibilities, existence of field tested solutions, availability of resources

to support project design efforts);

o Identify the communication vehicles that will be used to deliver those

messages (e.g., annual meetings, Sharepoint ICT4D site, country-level town

hall meetings); and

o Identify the feedback loops needed to determine if the campaign is achieving

the desired results (e.g., Q&A sessions, Sharepoint discussion boards,

surveys);

Implement a formal program for rewarding and recognizing CRS teams and staff for

their work on the use of ICT in programming including such components as:

o Awards (e.g., submit applications for industry awards, give out CRS spot

awards, develop a CRS special recognition award),

o Publicity (speaking opportunities, recognition in internal and external

forums and publications),

o Learning opportunities (participation in conferences, training programs),

and

o Career opportunities (TDY positions, regional appointments, senior advisory

positions, succession plan consideration);

o Establish an Innovation Fund to support the piloting of new ICT4D Solutions

Near-Term Work Plan CRS’ ICT4D work plan for the next six months includes the following major activities.

Establish an ICT4D Knowledge Exchange Program. This activity involves

forming an ICT4D community of practices, implementing a knowledge portal on CRS

Global to support community collaboration, establishing and maintaining an ICT4D

knowledge base, and holding on-going collaboration events;

Build and Maintain an ICT4D Portfolio. This activity involves assessing current

ICT4D solutions, extending them to support priority uses of ICT in development,

establishing guidance and materials their integration into project design and

proposal development activities, and using an innovation fund to stimulate the

development of new solutions;

Build Commitment to use of ICT4D Solutions. This activity involves developing

a business case for use of ICT4D solutions, laying out the strategy and plan for their

implementation, obtaining sponsorship for that plan from the CRS’ executive


leadership and management team, and communicating their value to all CRS

stakeholders on an on-going basis;

Develop CRS’ Capacity to Deploy ICT4D Solutions. This activity involves

working with HR’s Competencies Working Group in identifying the competencies

necessary to deploy and manage ICT4D solutions, integrating those competencies

into CRS’ talent management program, forming an ICT4D working group, and

engaging them in forming ICT4D global partnerships, providing technical assistance

to priority ICT4D projects, and raising CRS profile in the use of ICT4D solutions.

The work plan is available on CRS’ Knowledge and Innovation Site.

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