by : Anita Kelles
Paper to be presented at the IFAD Workshop on the What are the Innovation
Challenges for Rural Development, to be held in Rome on 15 to 17 November 2005
1. Introduction
A few years back I was offered to write a paper on the role of ICT in poverty reduction. I was hesitant because I thought the subject was one of those techno hypes, and had not much to do with poverty reduction. Yet, I took on the assignment and suspected that the paper would be very short.
While reading reports and research materials I soon discovered that I had been wrong. I found out that ICT had a major role to play in poverty reduction. But I also learned that ICT alone, without aligning it with other development goals and efforts, and without involving the rural poor, would not be able to deliver expected results. I became also convinced that ICT had to be part of a holistic approach to poverty reduction (Kelles-Viitanen 2003).
While reading reports and research materials I soon discovered that I had been wrong. I found out that ICT had a major role to play in poverty reduction. But I also learned that ICT alone, without aligning it with other development goals and efforts, and without involving the rural poor, would not be able to deliver expected results. I became also convinced that ICT had to be part of a holistic approach to poverty reduction (Kelles-Viitanen 2003).
The role of ICT is catalytic in the complex task of poverty reduction by leveraging the effects on earnings opportunities, on educational and health services, on good governance and on promoting democracy. Since information exchange is part of nearly every element of the economy, the impact of improvements in the capacity for information exchange will depend critically on how the rest of the economy functions. This suggests the centrality of a holistic approach in evaluating the impact of ICT. For example, the impact of improved ICT access on farm earnings through increased knowledge of market prices will be muted if there are no roads to carry crops to markets, or there are no markets because of an unreformed agricultural sector. (World Bank 2001).
Any approach using ICT in the interest of poverty reduction has to be broad-based and tailored to various sectors and build inter-linkages. (Ibid). According to a study carried out in India, Jamaica and South Africa the effectiveness of ICT in combating poverty depends on i) complementarities with other local level poverty reduction and development initiatives, ii) responding to the local community needs, and iii) involving stakeholders in applications development. (Millar and Mansell 1999).
Care should be taken to make sure that the novelty factor of the technology does not drive . . . . .......(baca_selengkapnya )
Care should be taken to make sure that the novelty factor of the technology does not drive . . . . .......(baca_selengkapnya )
Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Peneliti, PeBisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management). e-mail ke : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Peneliti, PeBisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management). e-mail ke : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id
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