information technologies (icts) and development
TRANSCRIPT
ICTs and ICTs and DevelopmentDevelopment
Laurent ElderLaurent ElderInternational Development International Development
Research CentreResearch Centre(IDRC)(IDRC)
““the cell phone is the cell phone is the single most the single most transformative transformative technology for technology for development.”development.”Jeffrey Sachs Jeffrey Sachs
What has IDRC What has IDRC learned about the learned about the impact of ICTs on impact of ICTs on socio-economic socio-economic development?development?
Presentation structurePresentation structure Who uses ICTs and why in Who uses ICTs and why in
developing countries?developing countries? What’s the evidence of impact in What’s the evidence of impact in
various development areas?various development areas? What are new and current issues?What are new and current issues? ConclusionsConclusions
Mobile Usage and Access Mobile Usage and Access BOP used a phone in the
preceding 3 months
Pakistan India Sri Lanka
Philippines
Thailand
98% 94% 92% 93% 95%
Mobile Usage and AccessMobile Usage and Access BOP Spending on mobile phones as % of BOP Spending on mobile phones as % of
incomeincome
BrazilBrazil ArgentinaArgentina India and Sri India and Sri LankaLanka
3.2%3.2% 6.3%6.3% 6%6%
Why Does the Bottom of the Why Does the Bottom of the Pyramid Use Mobile Pyramid Use Mobile
Phones?Phones? Perceived impact of mobile access for the Perceived impact of mobile access for the
poor? poor? 1= worsened, 5= improved1= worsened, 5= improved
Efficiency of daily activities Efficiency of daily activities 4.24.2Ability to earn or save Ability to earn or save 3.73.7Family and Social relations Family and Social relations 4.44.4Ability to act in an emergency Ability to act in an emergency 4.64.6
Impact on Economic Impact on Economic GrowthGrowth
Impact on Economic Impact on Economic GrowthGrowth
Kenya: ICTs responsible for 25% of Kenya: ICTs responsible for 25% of GDPGDP
Peru: household incomes of Internet Peru: household incomes of Internet users 19% higher than non-usersusers 19% higher than non-users
very poor with access to ICTs were very poor with access to ICTs were able to spend $21 more a month able to spend $21 more a month than those without accessthan those without access
Impact on Rural Impact on Rural LivelihoodsLivelihoods
Direct Production
85%
Transaction costs15%
Cost of information in the agricultural Cost of information in the agricultural production value chainproduction value chain
Total Cost of Good
Impact on Rural Impact on Rural LivelihoodsLivelihoods
Costs linked to information
70%
Cost of information in the agricultural Cost of information in the agricultural production value chainproduction value chain
Total Transaction Costs
Impact on Rural Impact on Rural LivelihoodsLivelihoods
Other (30%)
11-12% of the value of an 11-12% of the value of an agricultural good is linked to agricultural good is linked to information information
Mobiles are seen as the principal Mobiles are seen as the principal means of reducing those costsmeans of reducing those costs
Impact on Rural Impact on Rural LivelihoodsLivelihoods
Impact on HealthImpact on Health
Impact on EducationImpact on Education
Governance and Digital Governance and Digital ActivismActivism
New issuesNew issues
Open DataOpen Data
Crowd SourcingCrowd Sourcing
Crowd Sourcing: Crowd Sourcing: HarassmapHarassmap
It’s not all good news
• The internet is largely unaffordable to most• Many governments and NGOs see apps or ICTs
as a silver bullet solution• Communities are littered with ineffective ICT4D
projects
Getting in touch with
www.idrc.ca
www.crdi.ca