scholarly journals Lessons from the field

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 141-153
Author(s):  
Thato Emmanuel Foko ◽  
Nare Joyce Mahwai ◽  
Charles Acheson Phiri
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Participatory Evaluation ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools

The field of information and communication technology for development is a field constantly changing as new ICT tools emerge and new knowledge gained by field researchers while performing their duties. The research problem: The field ICT field is littered with examples of failed projects because field researchers did not know the best way to carry out their work. The paper is about knowledge imparted by six monitoring and evaluation field researchers after working for almost eight years, from 2010 to 2018, in ICT platforms projects. These platforms were deployed across South Africa’s remote rural areas. The work followed interpretivism as its philosophy and was underpinned by qualitative research methods. Written projects reports, face-to-face interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data and also to triangulate the findings. The participatory evaluation formed the basis for the complete understanding of the finding. (i) Planning; (ii) Deployment; and iii) Usage were found to be critical elements for a successful implementation of ICT platform. Although well planned, numerous lessons were still learned for the benefit of future projects.

scholarly journals Utilization of ICTs in Agricultural Marketing Information Delivery in Charland of Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 10-20
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ziaul Hoque ◽  
Md. Enamul Haque ◽  
Foyez Ahmed Prodhan ◽  
Md. Shariful Islam
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Agricultural Marketing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Related Information ◽  
The Status ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Marketing Information

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a significant role in delivering agricultural marketing information to the door-steps of the agrarian community for effectively managing the farming practices and getting maximum profitability. However, the agrarian community in the rural areas, particularly in the Charland areas are yet to exploit this opportunity. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the status of ICT’s utilization in receiving agricultural marketing information in a selected Charland area of Bangladesh. The study was descriptive and diagnostic type research, conducted through primary data collection from the 120 farmers by a face to face interview technique. Findings revealed that almost 60% of the sampled respondents seek information related to agricultural marketing.  Although a significant number of the farmers had access to different ICT tools such as mobile phones, radio, and television, the majority of them depends on peer-group farmers and the union digital center as the key sources of marketing-related information. Nonetheless, 26.58% of ownership farmers utilized ICTs for getting agricultural marketing information. Low access to electricity connection and their interrupted supply, lack of sales and customer delivery center for ICT-based tools in the rural areas, and insufficient training and awareness building initiatives are major challenges for effective utilization of ICTs by the rural Charland farmers.

Telemedicine in Low Resource Settings

2017 ◽  
pp. 129-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kagiso Ndlovu ◽  
Kabelo Leonard Mauco ◽  
Ryan Littman-Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Telecommunication Services ◽  
Low Resource Settings ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools

Telemedicine is a means to support health-care provision utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) tools and telecommunication services. This chapter focuses on telemedicine practices in low resource settings, referencing key telemedicine initiatives in Botswana. Telemedicine is highly practiced in the developed world, and recently there is an increasing interest in the developing world. Current literature suggests telemedicine as an important tool for improving healthcare delivery for low resource settings. Hence the authors' interest in exploring the current status of telemedicine practices with reference to telemedicine projects from low resource settings such as Botswana. The chapter reveals that telemedicine in such settings is mainly implemented through mobile phones, also known as mobile health (mHealth). In this chapter, the authors discuss factors influencing successful implementation of telemedicine solutions in Botswana. Furthermore, the chapter discusses telemedicine implementation challenges in each of the projects and presents possible mitigation strategies. The chapter concludes by affirming the feasibility of successfully practicing telemedicine in low resource settings; notwithstanding challenges such as lack of legal and eHealth frameworks in most developing countries.

Building Knowledge without Borders

2011 ◽  
pp. 67-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsie M. Szecsy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Education Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Research Traditions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Planning Group ◽  
Shared Problem

The purpose of this chapter is to report on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a “leveling device” between colleagues dispersed across the United States and México, who shared similar education research interests but came from different research traditions. The author reports on the use of various ICT tools in a process that began in 2006 with a small planning group distributed across México and the United States; grew to include additional participants who met face-to-face in Monterrey, México, in 2007; and continued afterward into 2008 through ICT-mediated mechanisms that were structured to maintain purposeful linkages among colleagues dispersed across two countries. Through this slow, deliberate process, the participants increased their capacity for achieving a broader focus on a shared problem as a research community by learning each other’s perspectives. The strategic use of ICT to support collaboration across borders—in real time and asynchronously—assisted in building a binational education research community.

scholarly journals Mistrust and social hierarchies as blind spots of ICT4D projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Roos Keja ◽  
Kathrin Knodel
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Political Empowerment ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Citizen Monitoring ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage

Information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) are seen to have great potential for boosting democratization processes all over the world by giving people access to information and thereby empowering them to demand more accountability and transparency of authorities. Based on ethnographic research in Togo and Rwanda on an SMS-based citizen monitoring and evaluation system, this article argues that focusing on access to information is too narrow a view. We show that it is crucial to take into account the respective socio-political backgrounds, such as levels of mistrust or existing social hierarchies. In this context, mobile phone usage has rather varied and ambiguous meanings here. These dynamics can pose a challenge to the successful implementation of ICT4D projects aimed at political empowerment. By addressing these often overlooked issues, we offer explanations for the gap between ICT4D assumptions and people’s lifeworlds in Togo and Rwanda.

Telemedicine in Low Resource Settings

2017 ◽  
pp. 994-1013
Author(s):  
Kagiso Ndlovu ◽  
Kabelo Leonard Mauco ◽  
Ryan Littman-Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Telecommunication Services ◽  
Low Resource Settings ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools

Telemedicine is a means to support health-care provision utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) tools and telecommunication services. This chapter focuses on telemedicine practices in low resource settings, referencing key telemedicine initiatives in Botswana. Telemedicine is highly practiced in the developed world, and recently there is an increasing interest in the developing world. Current literature suggests telemedicine as an important tool for improving healthcare delivery for low resource settings. Hence the authors' interest in exploring the current status of telemedicine practices with reference to telemedicine projects from low resource settings such as Botswana. The chapter reveals that telemedicine in such settings is mainly implemented through mobile phones, also known as mobile health (mHealth). In this chapter, the authors discuss factors influencing successful implementation of telemedicine solutions in Botswana. Furthermore, the chapter discusses telemedicine implementation challenges in each of the projects and presents possible mitigation strategies. The chapter concludes by affirming the feasibility of successfully practicing telemedicine in low resource settings; notwithstanding challenges such as lack of legal and eHealth frameworks in most developing countries.

scholarly journals The Use of ICT Platforms to Promote Knowledge Exchange in Project-Based Organisations

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjar Priyono
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools

Abstract This study aims to investigate the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support knowledge exchange in project-based organisations. The primary ICT tool investigated in this research is WhatsApp, a messaging application that has been widely used since its introduction. An ethnographic case study method was utilised to analyse qualitative data collected from interviews and focus group discussions. Three projects in an Indonesian university with a duration ranging from 8 months to 2 years were examined as object of investigations. Broadly, the findings show that ICT tools are generally useful in supporting knowledge exchange, which ultimately positively affects project performance. The project teams relied on WhatsApp for the success of the projects. Although face-to-face meetings were rare, team communication was highly intensive, supported by WhatsApp. In addition, managers are encouraged to promote knowledge exchange between team members. Through knowledge exchange, there will be knowledge development, which facilitates the invention of new techniques and methods for promoting project success. The most prominent findings are presented using direct quotations to provide first hand insight from the field. At the end of the paper, recommendations regarding what project managers should do during and after the project has been completed are presented. The recommendations are classified based on the knowledge management life cycle, representing a structured method to manage knowledge in project-based organisations.

Use of Information and Communication Tools and Services by Rural Grain Traders

2013 ◽  
pp. 152-167
Author(s):  
Julius Juma Okello
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Agricultural Markets ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Development Agents ◽  
New Generation

Poor access to agricultural market information is a major factor constraining the performance of agricultural markets in developing countries. The search for new strategies for resolving this constraint has led to several ICT-based market information service (MIS) projects in developing countries. At the same time, the rapid penetration of new generation ICT tools (especially mobile phones) has resulted in wider application of these tools in agriculture. This paper examines the use of ICT tools and ICT-based services by rural grain traders in Kenya. It is based on data collected from 204 traders in Western and Rift Valley regions of Kenya. The study finds widespread use of ICT tools by grain traders. It also finds that the tools are used by grain traders to obtain market information, including information on price, volume, and where to source and sell grains, among others. The implications of these findings are that market development agents must focus on removing constraints limiting the use of ICT tools in rural areas. Spurring greater use of ICT tools has the potential to reduce transaction costs and improve the performance of rural agricultural markets.

Telemedicine in Low Resource Settings

2019 ◽  
pp. 1104-1123
Author(s):  
Kagiso Ndlovu ◽  
Kabelo Leonard Mauco ◽  
Ryan Littman-Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Telecommunication Services ◽  
Low Resource Settings ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools

Telemedicine is a means to support health-care provision utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) tools and telecommunication services. This chapter focuses on telemedicine practices in low resource settings, referencing key telemedicine initiatives in Botswana. Telemedicine is highly practiced in the developed world, and recently there is an increasing interest in the developing world. Current literature suggests telemedicine as an important tool for improving healthcare delivery for low resource settings. Hence the authors' interest in exploring the current status of telemedicine practices with reference to telemedicine projects from low resource settings such as Botswana. The chapter reveals that telemedicine in such settings is mainly implemented through mobile phones, also known as mobile health (mHealth). In this chapter, the authors discuss factors influencing successful implementation of telemedicine solutions in Botswana. Furthermore, the chapter discusses telemedicine implementation challenges in each of the projects and presents possible mitigation strategies. The chapter concludes by affirming the feasibility of successfully practicing telemedicine in low resource settings; notwithstanding challenges such as lack of legal and eHealth frameworks in most developing countries.

scholarly journals Monitoring and evaluation using digital tools

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 765-774
Author(s):  
R. Nagarjuna Kumar ◽  
C. A. Rama Rao ◽  
B.M.K. Raju ◽  
Josily Samuel ◽  
G. Nirmala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Know How ◽  
The Past ◽  
Collaborative Strategies ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools

Data collection and monitoring and evaluation (M and E) efforts will take a remarkable deal of time and methodical planning and implementation. In the past, these were finished with paper and pen, which made them susceptible to error, difficult to conduct on a big scale, and immoderate in transaction charges. Information and communication era (ICT) tools, which includes hardware like mobile phones and tablets, applications with the functionality to create digital surveys and software programme application that allows clients to upload the data to storage facilities have reduced the conventional annoying conditions associated with far off data collection and M and E. New knowledge base does not or takes too long time to reach to the farmers, and the needs of practical farming are not communicated sufficiently to the research community. Thus, new collaborative strategies and ICT may be crucial tools to remedy some of the gaps with the useful resource of the use of improving get right of entry to to consequences, know-how trade and communication further to upkeep and schooling. This paper summarizes how digital tools can play major role in extension for monitoring and evaluation and the key troubles, annoying conditions and experiences derived from literature and different case studies.

Use of Information and Communication Tools and Services by Rural Grain Traders

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Juma Okello
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Agricultural Markets ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Development Agents ◽  
New Generation

Poor access to agricultural market information is a major factor constraining the performance of agricultural markets in developing countries. The search for new strategies for resolving this constraint has led to several ICT-based market information service (MIS) projects in developing countries. At the same time, the rapid penetration of new generation ICT tools (especially mobile phones) has resulted in wider application of these tools in agriculture. This paper examines the use of ICT tools and ICT-based services by rural grain traders in Kenya. It is based on data collected from 204 traders in Western and Rift Valley regions of Kenya. The study finds widespread use of ICT tools by grain traders. It also finds that the tools are used by grain traders to obtain market information, including information on price, volume, and where to source and sell grains, among others. The implications of these findings are that market development agents must focus on removing constraints limiting the use of ICT tools in rural areas. Spurring greater use of ICT tools has the potential to reduce transaction costs and improve the performance of rural agricultural markets.

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