Even though it sounds funny, the negligence of the primary stakeholders or the beneficiaries has been a key factor for the failures of the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Projects.
Giving wrong tool for the right people as well as right tool for wrong people would not lead to fruitful outcomes irrespective of the resources pumped for such projects. So we need to employ real “Development” practices to minimize such outcomes.
Some reasons for intentional negligence;
- Negative influence from politicians/bureaucrats
- Malicious intentions of organizations/companies/funders
- Malicious intentions of individuals who are involved in such projects
Blaming politicians or anyone else listed above wouldn’t help to change the situation. Right development practices such as;
- Being transparent
- Managing stakeholder engagements
- Involvement of primary beneficiaries from the inception
- Proper communication with all stakeholders
would lead to better results from the ICT4D initiatives, delivering real development through technology.
-Sameera.
