1. The document discusses current trends in ICT4D (information and communication technologies for development), drawing from several recent conferences and initiatives. 2. It notes the staggering range of innovations seen at ICT4Ag 2014, including new technologies for agriculture as well as evidence of ICT solutions reaching scale and integration. 3. The document also covers trends in e-campaigning, mobile digital devices, open data and crowdsourcing, and considers various options for how organizations like HAI could approach mainstreaming ICT4D.

1. DigitalElders
some ICT4D trends
Pete Cranston

2. Agenda
1. Four current sources
ICT4Ag Kigali 2013 conference
b. INTRAC M&E workshop 2013, ICT track A & track B
c. eCampaigning Forum mailing list Dec 13 - Feb 14
d. #ICT4d
a.
2. A personal filter - to start a conversation
‘our future is mobile’, M Zuckerberg (et al)
b. open & crowd
a.
3. Options for HAI & DigitalElders

3. ICT4Ag 2014 - staggering range
1. Startling innovation
o
e.g. WeFarm, satellite imaging for water management
at plot level; ruggedised server broadcasting
educational content in rural areas, balloon-mounted
adapted near-infrared camera
2. Digital invention outside OECD
o
eg Multi-media Farming Instructor
3. Scale and integration - third generation
o
e.g. m4agriNEI, mFarm, Esoko, farmerconnect
4. Evolution of good practice in Development
e.g. Grameen Community Knowledge Worker (CKW)
& local content & fake ag input products & m-finance
o agTube, digitalgreen
o

4. ICT4Ag 2014 (cont)
1. Lessons of essential good practice in ICT4D
have been learnt, but not always:
o
o
o
o
User centred development (vs tech opportunism)
Appropriate technical support
Consider finance & business models from first ideas
Integrate issues of gender equity
2. Trust is a constant theme in development, but
ICT4D brings in different perspectives
o
trusting data, channels, people online rather than f2f,
mobile money and its agents
3. Mobile Finance
‘m-finance is to the bottom of the pyramid as the
banking sector was to the industrial revolution’
o eg mPesa, VirtualBank; YellowPepper (LAC)
o

5. eCampaigning
A maturing field, integrated organisationally, with a
standard set of tools & fewer ‘shiny toys’
•
Online social networks
territorial variation is important eg MxIT
o issues with FaceBook, LinkedIn - range vs
commercial, fast-moving organisations
o
•
•
Mass mail
o
Multi-media campaigning
o
•
myriad examples
videos (including PV) eg VAW, infographics, photovisuals, animations eg KingsFund integrated care
e-campaigning support tools
o
change.org vs 38degrees & controlshiftlabs.org

6. Mobile Digital Devices
•
•
•
Reach, growth, convergence and new-tech
still accelerating
o
WhatsApp etc - cheap text + few functions
Integration - still most powerful strategy
o
o
o
•
Information Ecosystem of Southern Policy Actors
eg Radio, SMS, Interactive Voice Response (IVR),
TV, staffed helplines eg Trac FM, infosaid,
Organisational management & efficiency eg GOAL
Ireland in Syria
Integrated services eg mapping & weather & farms,
or market matching (mobile, radio web)
Targetted m-apps
o
eg i-cow

7. Open & Crowd….
•
1
Data - Open Data Research Network
o
•
•
•
•
large scale data collection - for M&E, for dialogue
(eg perceptions of services), community group
management, advocacy (NB Avaaz vs bottom-up)
Sourcing ideas for a project - IDEO
Views on a project - MAVC
Mapping
o
eg PPGIS, geolive
Solutions o
e.g weFarm based on affinity groups and natural
wish to help those in similar situations

8. Options for HAI & DigitalElders
•
Mainstreaming ICT4D within HAI ?
Staff competency standards & capacity needs
o A core enabler rather than a strategic priority?
o
•
Digital Literacy or Digital Rights?
o
•
capacity development with and through youth, HAI,
HAI partners?
Partner
with specialist innovators (as in MAVC) or
programmes (eg Open Data Research)
o thematic development leaders using ICT4D eg
UNICEF or Oxfam or Gates
o
•
Explore Business Models