ICTs will not turn poor development plans into good ones, but improve the attainment of those well identified.

 In one of my articles “Best Approaches for ICT in Rural Development”, published in the Uganda’s Daily Monitor of May 9^th, 2007, I explained about the need for real physical access and appropriateness of ICT tools for rural community development.
 
In this posting, I would like to borrow a leaf from that article and emphasize that deployment of appropriate ICT for Development (ict4d) can only be achieved if community development practioners have thoroughly assessed information needs of the grassroots before implementing the projects. It may sound so obvious to many, but the main question is how appropriate the assessment is carried out? It should be deliberately bottom – up, demand – driven, so that the ICT for development goals begin with the appreciation of the information and knowledge sharing needs of the people, as they expressed them- themselves. ICTs will not turn poor development plans or needs that have been poorly identified into good ones, but tend to improve on the attainment of those development plans or needs that have already been well identified and thought out.
 
Once appropriate ICTs are determined to be available, another criterion to consider is the affordability to acquire such ICTs chosen for community development. The main question is that, can people and organizations afford to obtain or own the ICTs, and use them in their own work and lives? The affordability problem is, of course, tied directly to the general conditions of poverty in rural communities, which is often characterized by the need for basic necessities such as food, healthcare, and sanitation. Therefore, striking the right balance between ICTs and such other priorities is really a challenge. Expensive hardware and the high cost of telecommunications and Internet connectivity in African economies like Uganda are the primary barriers to the affordability of ICT for Development tools. For example, a computer costs the equivalent of a year’s average income for the majority of people in Uganda. That put aside, the national budget allocation for the Ugandan ICT ministry in the 2010-2011 fiscal year accounts for less than two percent! Internet users in remote areas pay higher connectivity and accessibility charges than their counterparts in urban areas.
 
Affordability is an immediate problem, which shifts to a question of sustainability in the long-term. Policy-makers led by the ICT departments and ministries and development practitioners need to make realistic choices about introducing cheap ICT services in poor communities. Today, ICTs can help individuals and communities far better than any other tool to acquire timely and relevant information and expand their knowledge for social, economic and political empowerment. We talk and read about developed and powerful western societies. They are so because they deliberately integrated ICTs in their development strategies.  One option for low- income rural communities is establishing and strengthening public access points, which provide low-cost or even free computer, Internet access, and telephony and radio stations. Therefore, our ICT policy makers must account for subsidizing the costs of providing these services over the long-term.
 
Johnstone Baguma-Kumaraki,
Toro Development Network, ToroDev