Conducted by:Dr. Md. Mahfuz Ashraf
SIRCA Project Investigator
An impact assessment framework to evaluate An impact assessment framework to evaluate ICT-led development projects in Bangladesh ICT-led development projects in Bangladesh
Supervised by:Dr. Roger W. Harris
SIRCA Mentor
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 2
Research Gaps
Our Focus
Existing Research Our Proposed Study
Not paying sufficient attention to the human and
social systems
Dealing with strategic &
organization level
Difficult to determine the
contextual factors
Attention to the human and social
systems
Dealing with micro level
Identify contextual themes
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 3
Sen’s Five Freedom
Political Freedoms Economic Facilities
Socia
l Opp
ortu
nitie
s
Transparency Guarantees
Prot
ectiv
e Se
curit
yICT Intervention
Impact Assessment
End User Perspective
Using Conceptual Framework
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 4
Research Approach
Study Sites Gonokendra (Multi-purpose community
access center) in the village of Bhobanipur Grameenphone Community Information
Center (GPCIC) in the village of Chapulia
This research follows an interpretive approach, using qualitative methodologies.
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 5
Samples
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Participants officials and general local populace (aware of the
presence and activities of the ICT4D project).
Primary: Interview, Focus Group Discussion & Observation
Secondary: Report & other materials
The definition of development based on categories identified by the respondents
The themes arising from our field data, which are supported by the interviewees’ comments and experiences.
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 6
Political Freedom
Economic Facilities
Social Opportunitie
s
Legal awareness Expressing opinion
Employment opportunities Utilizing resources
Knowledge-Awareness-Communication SkillsDecision Making Capability
Transparency
Guarantees
Access to Public InformationTransparent Governance
Protective Security
Disseminating Security Information Protecting Community ( Disaster Management)
Sen’s Five Freedoms Themes from the field results
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 7
Some highlights from the fields
Knowledge about basic cleanliness
‘My child is now used to washing his hands before eating, and after using the toilet’
‘I don’t see any families now without sanitary latrines and soap or ash in front of their house in this village’
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 8
Some highlights from the fields (Contd.)
Information Dissemination‘I was a witness to the days when my father could not provide three meals a day for our large family; so I consulted early with my husband regarding the safe and secure family-planning methods that I had learned about through Gonokendra’.
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 9
Evidence based development Policy
Research Avenues •Further quantifying the
relationship of ICT usages and the freedoms •Impact assessment across or between micro-meso-macro levels
•Turning a research institute e.g. CDPR into a ICT4D policy-focused think tank.•Establishing ICT4D‘networks’ in Bangladesh to work effectively with public-private stakeholders.
ICT4D Capacity Building for CDPR,meeting with the Honorable
Vice-Chancellor, University of Dhaka
ICT4D Dialogues with Public ( Prime Minister Office,
Government of Bangladesh)NGOs and Civil society
SIRCA Research Conference, Thailand 2011 10
This work was carried out with the aid of a SIRCA grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada, and administrative support from the Singapore Internet Research Centre (SiRC), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.