South Africa’s rural communities have received Information and Communication Technologies services through initiatives such as tele-centres, living labs, Thusong service centres and donations of computer applications. There is need, with little plans in place to ensure that the rural communities will benefit from those initiatives. As a result of this, it is necessary to establish a framework for implementing Information and Communication Technologies for development initiatives in order to ensure successful implementation of these initiatives in rural communities. Literature shows that in order to successfully implement an ICT initiative for rural communities, there should be active engagement with ICT stakeholders, consultation of Information and Communication Technologies policies, presence of ICT infrastructure, ICT services, monitoring, evaluating, training and maintenance. Current literature on ICT developments shows that in order to successfully implement an ICT initiative for rural communities, there should be active engagement with ICT stakeholders, consultation of ICT policies, and presence of ICT infrastructure, ICT services, monitoring, evaluating, training and maintenance. Unstructured interviews were used as a research method to collect primary data that was used as a basis to develop the proposed framework. Findings from the studies carried out indicated that several ICT4D initiatives which were abandoned due to challenges such lack of proper resources, trainings, lack of local content, access, lack of ownership and lack of stakeholders’ involvement. This study presents a framework for implementing ICT for development initiatives in rural communities which has been developed in order to reduce the number of initiatives that are abandoned or which end up not serving their intended purpose in rural communities of South Africa.

In this mini-dissertation the author, through a process of Dialectical analysis, using Interviews (with participants in ICT4D projects), Observations (of ICT4D projects) and Document analysis (of documentation about ICT4D projects), attempts to define what is necessary for the technical success of an ICT4D (Information and Communication System for Development) project. The author attempts this definition by using technical maturity models as a basis for determining what the current level of success or sustainability for an ICT4D project is. The author goes further by defining and creating his own technical maturity model, for ICT4D projects, and then refining it based on his Observations, a series of Interviews and Document analysis. This final revised model, and the process used to create it, is used to answer the question of whether a technical maturity model can be used in an ICT4D project and to what extent such a model will assist in the sustainability of an ICT4D project. / Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Informatics / unrestricted

This project analyses the role of social media and small media use during the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon by projecting social media as a product of new ICTs used to bring positive social change. An argument is raised to address some of the inadequacies that have centered around social media and protest with a focus on the Anglophone crisis. Questions aim at highlighting the positive and negative role of social media use, the role played by the Cameroonian diaspora’s “online activism” and how small media use served as an alternative medium in maintaining crisis status quo during the internet ban. The study suggests a combination of social and small media for community development and social change using theories of media affordances and participation in combination with qualitative ethnographic research methods (participant observation, interviews and online survey). It concludes that even though social media are very powerful tools for information sharing, their shortcomings in protests cannot be overlooked as the success of online activism greatly relies on offline action and the use of small media greatly complements social media use as platforms for alternative discourse. The research concludes that social media (online) activism without ground action (offline) is not enough to achieve development and social change. Key words: ICT4D, Social media, small media, activism, diaspora.

With the increase in International migration, migrants and diasporas contribution and engagement with their countries of origin has seen growing focus from academics, policymakers, governments and other stakeholders. This has been especially the case in the development sector where remittances form a sizeable percentage of some low-income country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Official remittances data suggest that in 2016, migrants sent an estimated US$441billion to developing countries, a figure three times the size of official development aid. Beyond remittances, there are numerous examples through which the linkage between diaspora and migrants and countries of origin contribute to poverty reduction and economic growth. With the proliferation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, there is a growing interest in how diasporas are utilising these tools to facilitate transnational knowledge transfer, skills, and social change. This paper examines the use of ICT tools by diaspora organisations in the United Kingdom to engage in international development or/and community development in the UK and discusses the incorporation of information and communication technologies, focusing on the potential of ICTs to assist development at a micro and macro-level, and the effectiveness of these approaches in realising the potential of information communications technology for development (ICT4D). In examining the role and importance of societal factors - specifically structure, agency and social capital- the research adopts Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice as the theoretical framework., building on the concepts of the duality of structure and agency. This study is situated between three themes that are emerging on their own right but rarely married in development literature- Diaspora, Transnationalism and ICT4D - the case-studies presented in this paper suggest that a range of limiting factors in both host country (i.e. funding, skills) and global South countries (local partners capacity, infrastructure, and affordability) leads to programmes and initiatives by diaspora organisations more often being limited by ICTs rather than being facilitated or driven by the technology itself.

ICT policies instituted over a number of years by the South African Government have clearly failed to establish Information Communication for Development (ICT4D) initiatives amongst rural communities in South Africa. The author of this thesis argues that, for rural South African communities to reap the benefits of ICT4D initiatives, it would be necessary for the communities to empower themselves and to take ownership of initiatives to participate in the planned South African Information Society. Furthermore, the author argues that the success of the ICT4D initiatives depends very strongly on an understanding of the interaction of such initiatives with the social context at local community level. Some of the significant aspects of the social context at community level include an understanding of the roles of leadership, technology, economy, governance, social welfare, and stakeholders in these communities. Through a grounded methodology approach a theory of context was developed for the rural community in the Dr J.S. Moroka Municipality in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The elements of the framework that emerged were Leadership, Stakeholders, Governance, Social welfare, Economics and Technology (LSGSET). The resulting framework is proposed as a tool that can be used by the community members to interact with the role players who intend to implement ICT4D projects or policies that have an impact on the community. It should also assist policymakers while they develop contextualized policies and improve project managers’ understanding of the developmental impact of the implementation of ICT4D projects on communities. One of the contributions made by this thesis is to “bridge” this divide between policymakers and communities by explicitly framing the developmental discourses of the community as a framework for ICT4D engagement by policymakers and communities at local level. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Informatics / PhD / Unrestricted

This study dealt with the issue of sustainability of ICT4D initiatives being a problem with few success stories (Heeks, 2002, Toyama, 2010). Many of these initiatives were planned and executed in a top-down fashion by large funders and governments, and these failures have stimulated the search for new strategies to achieve long-term sustainability. One possible approach is to consider the different levels of systems that are involved. The reasons for failure lie inside the scope of a project, within the community itself, and outside the community in the larger socio-economic system which includes the economy. A systems approach with respect to the analysis of the sustainability (or lack thereof) of development initiatives was therefore adopted. The Choice Framework of Dorothea Kleine (2010) was used since it is a systemic approach, developed in the study of ICT4D initiatives, that embraces the complexity of engaging with development paradigms, societal structures and personal agency. The research was done on a large South African government initiative, the Broadband-for-All (BB4All), community-based wireless mesh network project which aimed to provide a cost-effective way of enabling reliable broadband connectivity in rural areas. The project had two key aspects, the provision of a large-scale demonstrator of a wireless mesh network (WMN) as a broadband solution and the establishment of a Village Operator (VO) model to support access to and increase the use of the technology. The teachers and learners in more than 170 schools were the primary customers. Young people from local communities were trained as VOs to become local entrepreneurs (micro-enterprises) responsible for operating and supporting the BB4All service in their assigned cluster of schools and respective communities. The research focus was the sustainability of the VOs. The Choice Framework was used to provide a context for the research regarding the role played by social resources (social capital) in contributing to the sustainability of the VO micro-enterprises. In-depth interviews were held with all but one of the 15 VOs in order to develop an understanding of their social capital and the influence thereof on them as entrepreneurs. The importance and usefulness of social capital in supporting sustainability at VO and initiative level was analysed. Three major themes emerged that were analysed in detail, namely, the role of social capital, community service and social entrepreneurship, as well as the development of networks of innovation. At a theoretical level, the research reflected on implications of the findings for the role of social capital in the Choice Framework. At a practical level, considerations for using a social capital perspective in order to improve the conceptualisation, design, implementation and transfer of ICT4D initiatives for sustainability were developed. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Informatics / PhD / Unrestricted

Background: This study explores an ICT for development project in previously ‘underserved’ community of Vrygrond in Cape Town South Africa. Developing countries have embraced technology as a means to improve the pace of development in their countries. Several projects have been setup that allow communities to access skills training programmes within their communities. However, there is a challenge when considering the sustainability of projects implemented to achieve their developmental goals Purpose: ICT for development initiatives are usually centrally planned without the involvement of the targeted communities. The targeted participants may be involved in the implementation phase only, and this may lead to sustainability failure. This study explores the how community participation affects sustainability of ICT for development projects in the context of South Africa. Research methodology: The methodology in this study is qualitative. Exploratory and descriptive research methods were used to analyse how community participation affects sustainability. This study used the Stakeholder Theory to explore community participation and project sustainability. Data was collected using semi structured interviews, documents, observations and applied thematic analysis. The Vrygrond Community Lab in Cape Town South Africa was used as a case study. Key Findings: Based on the analysed data, a number of key stakeholders were not involved in the project planning but were represented by the Vrygrond Community Trust. It was seen from the data that sustainability is dependent on closely working with existing community groups based within the community twenty-four seven. This research found positive relationship between participation and sustainability. Other findings indicated that there was an element of ‘tokenism’ and despite this the Vrygrond Community Lab seemed sustainable. This was attributed to the continued funding and operational support received from University of Cape Town and Pforzheim University. Finally, the study indicated that it was essential that socioeconomic and sociocultural issues are addressed quickly when they emerge. Value of the study: The study broadly contributes to the existing literature on community participation and sustainability of ICT4D initiatives in South Africa. Secondly study makes recommendations for donors and Universities looking to implement initiatives similar to the Vrygrond Community Lab in addressing socioeconomic challenges by equipping communities with computer skills that would assist them in their daily lives, either in finding work, studying, or running a business.

The contextualisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in development attracts ample research interest in the field of ICT for Development (ICT4D). This study focuses on exploring the perspectives from which deep rural communities define development. In addition, this study seeks to understand the issues facing deep rural communities, as well as the effect that these issues have on community engagement in ICT4D initiatives. The core problem being considered is the differing views about the meaning of development as understood by the intended beneficiaries of development initiatives, compared to that which those working to develop deep rural communities hold. Furthermore, the role of ICT in development is also examined, with primary criticisms levelled against its use considered. In an attempt to understand these ideas, interpretive case study research is used and qualitative techniques applied to analyse data from the field work that was completed. The results confirm the dominance of basic human needs and economic growth ideas as the basis from which the majority of poor people define development. Moreover, the study reveals that, deep rural communities share the same sentiments as with the so-called development ‘experts’ regarding the importance of ICT in facilitating development goals. / Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Informatics / unrestricted

In the age of the risk society, when several actors at an international, national, and local level converge in order to find solutions that help mitigate the global effects of natural disasters, there is a need to study the patterns for communicating and interacting with the public that eventually feel the impact of crises. In the richer parts of the world ICTs have facilitated a framework for having instant information regarding threats that make crisis management a discipline that is centered more in preparing and planning, rather than mitigating actual crises.  In developing countries, the contextual idiosyncrasies of each nation provide a fragmented array of settings that prevents a rapid flow of information in the event of natural disasters. The phenomenal growth of mobile telephony use and its rapid diffusion in developing countries offers a game changing scenario where crisis managers could benefit from new applications and functionalities of mobile devices. In a confluence of multidisciplinary nature, this study aims to explore the role of mobile technology and internet in crisis management, as well as the state of accessibility of mobile technology when addressing the general public in Ghana. This study follows a three-pronged approach with the aim of answering its research questions. First, a qualitative study of the communication processes between crisis managers and the public and the role of mobile technologies during those processes. Second, a quantitative study of the uses of mobile internet and the current mobile internet infrastructure. Finally, a study on the accessibility level of Ghana’s national crisis management organization’s website. Several conclusions can be drawn from this study. Mobile technologies have an important role in the communication process of crisis managers and the public, however the use of internet still has no part in the flows of communication due to deficits in infrastructure and socio-economic factors, leading to a disconnection between international risk policy requirements and local needs. The lack of resources is seen as the biggest challenge for crisis managers; a challenge that leads to issues of trust in the public and non-compliance. Finally, while there have been improvements in accessibility efforts, there is still a wide gap between international web accessibility best practices and the one provided by authorities in Ghana.

ICT4D champions are individuals who make a decisive contribution to an ICT4D initiative by actively and enthusiastically promoting its progress through critical stages in order to mobilise resources and/or active support and cooperation from all stakeholders. Mindful of the poor performance of development projects generally, and ICT4D projects in particular, the thesis argues that the seemingly important role of key individuals, such as champions, lacks research. Based on the repeated calls for research to better understand champion-type individuals and their roles in ICT4D initiatives, the thesis claims to have identified an original and significant knowledge gap towards which it contributes. Extant literature on champions of information systems innovations shows that champions can be conceptualised in terms of three core orientations: towards results, relationships and resources. This body of literature and conceptualisations has been used in the thesis as the starting point for exploring and describing the champion phenomenon in an as yet unexplored context - ICT4D initiatives. Critical realism is the assumed philosophical position for the research undertaken in the thesis. Theoretical constructs from the model of Transformational and Transactional Leadership and Social Capital Theory are combined in a conceptual framework to guide the empirical investigations and analysis. The research draws on three ICT4D champion cases in South Africa; case data was collected through the careful combination and sequencing of multiple mixed methods: in-depth interviews, a social network analysis (SNA) survey, and semi-structured interviews with the ICT4D champions and other key initiative stakeholders. A literal replication design was followed whereby the case studies explored and described the individual champion cases and subsequently synthesised findings across the three cases. The main contribution of the thesis is a knowledge contribution; the thesis contributes fifteen empirical findings to our conceptual understanding of ICT4D champions - their origins, competencies, characteristics and motivations, and their orientations towards results, relationships and resources. The analysis has shown how ICT4D champions are similar to champions of IS innovation in some ways, but has also revealed unique aspects, such as the importance they ascribe to addressing social concerns. This, in turn, led to a number of theoretical and practical contributions, as well as a methodological and a research contribution, all emanating from the three case studies. Firstly, two inductively generated theoretical contributions are offered: i) a conceptual framework for analysing and describing the origins of ICT4D champions; ii) a hybrid and contextual model of ICT4D champions that combines a complex set of factors (personal, organisational, and external) and the orientations of champions as a means to account for the complexity of these key individuals and their roles in ICT4D initiatives. The thesis contributes to ICT4D practice by suggesting ways to identify, develop, deploy and support champions; in so doing it offers actionable guidance on how to harness the potential positive contributions of these key individuals. Furthermore, a network-based approach - such as SNA used in the thesis - are rarely, if ever, followed in conducting champion research and this is offered as a methodological contribution. Finally, ICT4D champion research is in its infancy; the exploratory approach followed in the thesis draws on literature, the empirical findings and the theoretical contributions to offer an extensive agenda for future champion research in general, and ICT4D champion research in particular.