How Development Professionals Can Use ICT4D Effectively

By Katharina Hribernigg

In my final blog post I wanted to review some of the ICT for development aspects from previous blog posts as well as new ones. In order to do this my post has been divided into four parts. The first part will focus on how development professionals can effectively use ICT in their projects, how strategies can help identify what works or does not and why. The second part will focus on two ICT tools, blogs and podcasts and how these can be used by professionals, again reflecting on when and why these tools work well or do not. The next part is a short section on ICT use of development professionals during the pandemic. The focus here being how an increased use of ICT tools has impacted the work of development professionals and questions about the future. The final part is about my personal experience with the blog exercise.

ICT for development comprises many tools that development professionals can use. How well development professionals are able to use ICT4D in their projects depends on a number of factors. Having an ICT4D strategy can be very helpful. In his book on Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Richard Heeks defines an ICT4D strategy as “…a plan for ICT4D initiatives and their supporting infrastructure which maximizes the ability of organizations to achieve international development objectives. “ (Heeks 2017 p.96) This is what development professionals should aim for in order to work effectively. Heeks goes on to saying that there are three main questions that need to be asked. Those are:
“Where are we now: what is the current status of ICT4D?
Where do we want to get to: what should be the future of ICT4D? How do we get there:
what actions should be taken to transform the current situation into the future one?” (Heeks 2017 p.97) Heeks also stresses the importance to align the ICT4D strategy with the broader strategy of the organization. To keep the context in mind, have a clear strategy and map out the road to implementation. (Heeks 2017)

While having an ICT4D strategy can help development professionals to be successful, ICT4D projects often fail. Knowing why projects fail and how to avoid this is an important point that development professionals should look at. Heeks (2017) argues that most ICT4D projects fail,and that while there is limited data up to 70% percent of these projects could fail. While this may seem alarming, he goes on to saying that in general most development projects, as well as other projects fail. But the simple fact that they “failed” says very little because it is important to define what failing means. He argues that very few projects are total failures, most fail to achieve a part of the objectives. And even if the project turns out to be a total failure development professionals can still learn valuable lessons. (Heeks 2017) When development professionals reflect on why an ICT4D project has failed, they can make changes and avoid these mistakes in the future.

Heeks (2017) states that ICT4D project managers must manage “hybridly” in order to be successful. Projects which are too technology centered tend to fail because they do not take people and the social context into consideration. On the other hand, projects which are too focused on the social side often fail because they do not make use of new technologies and therefore opportunities are lost. In order to avoid failing, project managers need to find a balance between the two also keeping in mind that projects which have a very strong top-
down or bottom-up approach also tend to fail. (Heeks 2017 p.108) This shows that development professionals need to be aware of many different aspects when using ICT4D. Having a good strategy, being aware of potential problems and knowing why other projects have failed can help development professionals with their ICT4D projects.

Apart from strategy on how development professionals can manage ICT4D projects I also wanted to use this post to talk about an ICT for development tool. I choose blogging and podcasts partially because of the blog exercise, and partially because blogs and podcasts are ICT tools which are widely used by development organizations and professionals.

Blogs and podcasts can be interesting tools for development professionals and organizations. A look at a few statistics shows some of the potential for reaching others using these tools. In 2021, globally there were 4.66 billion active internet users and 3.78 billion people used some form of social media. (Jovic,2021) It is difficult to say exactly how many people have read a blog but estimates suggest that it could be around 3 billion people.
(Galov,2021) Listening to podcasts is also becoming more and more popular around the world with over half of South Koreans and Americans listening to them, and Chile having a podcast growth rate of 85%. (Jovic,2021)

A large potential audience is only one of the reasons for development professionals to have a blog. Tobias Denskus, development blogger and professor at Malmö university talks about the potential of blogs in one of his own blog posts.“ Our research on development blogs has highlighted a range of interesting dynamics with regard to reflexive and reflective learning processes. Peer learning in the blogosphere, mentoring of students or colleagues through intergenerational exchanges between seasoned veterans in the field and aspiring aid
workers, and multidisciplinary inputs all contribute to learning processes…. “ (Denskus, 2019) In their 2013 article Denskus and Papan asked development bloggers why they blog. The dialogue with readers was an important aspect. One blogger said that it allows them to test new ideas and get feedback. This person particularly appreciated the exchange with other development professionals through blogging. Another person stated that putting their ideas into writing helped them reflect on their own work. (Denskus, Papan 2013).

While blogs undoubtedly have lots potential it does not mean that they automatically achieve being a medium for education and communication. There are potential problems that development professionals wishing to engage in blogging should be aware of. In his 2013 post on reflexive engagement and blogging Denskus and Papan point out that the blogging landscape is dominated by northern ideas and readers. (Denskus, Papan 2013. Being aware of this might make development professionals actively seek to promote other points of view and reach readers outside of the global north. In his 2019 blog post on strategies to diversify discussions in blogging Tobias Denskus talks about his efforts to do just that.

Tobias Denskus talks about how over time his focus has shifted to portraying more non-traditional and female voices, focusing on “…less traditional locations of how and where development is communicated – and who is part of the story. “(Denskus, 2019) He also reflects on how well this is working. He reflects that as he is a white, male European he is careful not to overstate his contribution do decolonization. Yet he also reflects that his
approach of engaging with a variety of sources, authors and topics adds important diversity to academic practices in communication for development. (Denskus, 2019) This shows the importance of reflection. By reflecting on what he was doing Denskus made his blog evolve, showing his students and readers new perspectives, making them to think and improving the chances of getting a more diverse group of readers interested in his blog.

In her report “Podcasts where next?” Chloe Choppen (2020) explores how organizations and development professionals can use podcasts effectively. A major benefit of a podcast is the low barrier to entry. Unlike a radio or television broadcast a podcast can easily be created by practically anyone. That does not mean that anyone can produce a good podcast. Choppen advises development professionals and organizations to have a distinct offer, know who the target audience is, have a good host as well as the necessary funding to produce and advertise a podcast series. (Choppen,2020)

Choppen states that podcasts allow organizations and development professionals to reach new and other audiences than they would have using other media formats. Good story telling, innovation and communication makes podcasts interesting for listeners. Successful podcasts meet the organizations and the listeners needs. (Choppen,2020) The report points out some of the downsides of podcasts. Podcasts are generally not the best tool for reaching large audiences. It may also be difficult to reach older audiences as podcasts are more popular with younger generations. Not every podcast format works for every topic or organization and figuring this out may not be easy. Also, podcasts should have regular episodes or listeners might lose interest. (Choppen,2020)

Choppen also advises to development professionals and organizations to evaluate how the podcast is doing, who and how many people are listening. She also suggests looking at comments and see if and how the conversation has shifted. (Choppen,2020) Podcast can be a very interesting ICT for development tool if development professionals are well informed, have a good strategy, evaluate and reflect on what they are doing.

ICT strategies, podcasts and blogs are relevant when discussing the impact of ICT for development professionals and their work. But an aspect which this post has not yet touched is how the current situation has impacted development professionals both in general and in regards to ICT for development.

The pandemic has undoubtedly had an effect on the working life of development professionals. Devex, a media platform for the development community interviewed persons working in the development sector in 100 countries, asking them how the pandemic effected their working lives. Almost 60% of people said that the pandemic and the restrictions that came with it (such as travel restrictions, curfews and mandatory home
office rules) negatively impacted their work. Participants said that they found working from home difficult. (Smith,2020) Development professionals needed to increase their use of ICT tools. Some found this stressful and felt isolated saying that there was less team interaction, more frustration and at times they could not carry out work that had an impact. (Smith,2020) Others saw an opportunity saying that unnecessary meetings were reduced and that there was a general willingness to try out new working practices. (Smith,2020)

It will be interesting to see what impact this push towards an increased use of ICT in development will have. There may be questions around the use of ICT in the daily work of development professionals such as the use of virtual communication, using tools like blogs, vlogs, online meetings and conferences. Development organizations and professionals might also reevaluate their use of ICT4D and focus on new strategies. Either way reflecting on past and current practices and sharing this knowledge with others can be beneficial for all development professionals.

Reflecting on this exercise I was excited about the blog exercise already before it began. I really liked the topic that the group chose. I thought that it would be very interesting to reflect on how ICT for development impacts the work of development professionals.

Unfortunately, I developed a health problem in late September which required surgery and a longer hospital stay. As a result I was not able to devote as much time and energy as I would have liked to the blog exercise. I regret this because I think that I could have said more, done more and explored the topic from different angles.

None the less I enjoyed the exercise and learned a lot. I did not have previous experience with blogs but found blogs as a tool very interesting. I really enjoyed reading other people’s posts. It made me aware of issues that I had not previously known about. Through other people’s posts I was also able to see topics from a new angle and in a different light.

Creating my own posts was an interesting experience. I especially liked that I could produce my first podcast episode. While I encountered some technical difficulties and it was not perfect, I found the medium of podcasts great. It got me interested in the subject and made me want to learn more about podcasts.

Finally, I would like to say that I was part of a really great team. The team worked together very well. At meetings everyone could voice their opinions and the team was always open for suggestions. The team members were always there to answer questions and help one another and for that I would like to say a big thank you to all of you!

References

Choppen, C. (2020). (rep.). Podcasts-where next? How INGOs can embrace the power of the
podcast (pp. 2–22). London: International Broadcasting Trust.

Denskus, T. (2019, December 17). Blogging and curating content as strategies to diversify
discussions and communicate development differently [web log]. Retrieved November
5, 2021, from https://aidnography.blogspot.com/2019/12/blogging-curating-globaldev-
content-diversify-communicate-development-differently.html.

Denskus T. & Papan A. (2013): Reflexive engagements: theinternational development
blogging evolution and its challenges, Development in Practice, 23:4,455-467

Heeks, Richard. Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D),
Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/malmo/detail.action?docID=4912767.
Created from malmo on 2021-11-06 16:58:56.

Galov, N. (2021, November 1). 29 shocking blogging statistics. is blogging dead in 2021?
TechJury. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://techjury.net/blog/blogging-
statistics/#gref.

Jovic, D. (2021, January 5). 40 powerful podcast statistics to tune into – 2021 edition.
SmallBizGenius. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from
https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/podcast-statistics/#gref.

Smith, E. (2020, September 25). Remote work takes a toll on development professionals …
Devex. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.devex.com/news/remote-work-
takes-a-toll-on-development-professionals-well-being-98166.