The document summarizes findings from a global study on the impacts of public access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). The study surveyed over 5,000 users and 2,000 non-users of public access venues like libraries, telecenters, and cybercafes across six countries. Key findings include: 1) Public access venues provide many users' first experience with computers and the internet and are the only option for access for some; 2) Users develop skills and access information for education, employment, and more; 3) Perceived impacts vary but include communication, education, and economic opportunities. The study also uncovered hidden impacts on former users and families of current users.

1. Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA)
@ the University of Washington Information School
tascha@uw.edu
Connecting People for Development
Findings of the Global Impact Study

2. The solution to
development!
Invest, invest,
invest!
HISTORY OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO ICTS
High
expectations!
 peregrinari
 Mark Surman
 Mark Surman
 CSC India

3. PUBLIC ACCESS ICT RESEARCH
Top ICT4D research focus in the 2000s, but…
 Inconclusive evidence
 Anecdotal impact evidence
 Scattered, isolated studies
 No studies on indirect impacts or impacts on non-users
 Claims “disadvantaged” populations not being reached
 Conflicting claims about public access ICT models

4. ARE PUBLIC ACCESS ICT VENUES…
failures?
 make_change
frivolous?
 mikekogh
needed?  digital.democracy
irrelevant? DFID

5. this is a blank slide for photos or graphics
Lithuania
Ghana
Botswana
South Africa
Bangladesh
Philippines
Chile
Brazil
THE GLOBAL IMPACT STUDY

6. libraries telecenters cybercafés
DIFFERENT MODELS OF PUBLIC ACCESS

7. RESEARCH DESIGN

8. IN-DEPTH STUDIES
1. Infomediation – Bangladesh, Chile, Lithuania
2. Shared use – Ghana
3. Gaming and non-instrumental uses – Brazil
4. Mobile internet – South Africa
5. Interpersonal communication – Philippines
6. Benefit-cost – Chile
7. Livelihoods – Botswana

9. SURVEY SAMPLE
9
Venue breakdown by country
Libraries Cybercafés Telecenters Other Total
Bangladesh 4 99 148 0 251
Brazil 6 192 39 5 242
Chile 71 109 22 41 243
Ghana 4 220 14 12 250
Philippines 18 229 13 1 261
Total 103 849 236 59 1,247
User Survey: Non-User Survey:
- 5,010 total (~1,000 in each country) - 2,000 total (~400 in each country)
Venue Survey:
- 1,247 total (~250 in each country)

10. USER SNAPSHOT
Majority of users are:
 Young (68% under 25 years old)
 Male (65%)
 Educated (82% high school +)
 Students (44%)
 Employed (39%)
 Proficient in English (74%)
 Below poverty level (51%)
Majority of users:
 Have +3 years computer & internet experience
(60%)
 Have medium or high computer skills (80%)
 Have medium or high Internet skills (69%)
 Own ICTs:
• Computers (56%)
• Internet access (28%)
• TV (95%)
• Radio (83%)
• Mobile phone (96%)
 Jewish Agency
 Corycam
10

11. DIGITAL INCLUSION
 Dorian V.

12. THE CRITICAL FIRST TOUCH
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Bangladesh Brazil Chile Ghana Philippines
%ofusers
First use of computer at public access venue First use of Internet at public access venue
 A public access venue provided:
• first ever contact with computers (50%)
• first ever contact with the Internet (62%)

13. ONLY OPTION FOR ACCESS
 Public access venues were
the only source of access
to the Internet for at least
a third (33%) of survey
respondents
 The majority of
respondents (over 55%)
expect a decrease in their
use of computers and the
internet if public access
venues are no longer
available 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
To get help from other users
To get help from venue staff
Better equipment than home
or work
No other option for computer
access
To work or be with friends or
other people
No other option for Internet
access
Main reasons for using public access venues

14. ACCESS TO INFORMATION
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Culture & language
Health information
Government services
News
Employment & business opportunities
Entertainment
Education
Type of Information Sought

15. DEVELOPING ICT SKILLS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Public access venue Home School
Computer
Internet
Most important place where computer and internet skills were developed

16. INFOMEDIATION
 Help build user capacity and confidence to explore ICTs
 Mostly technical
 Most common type of assistance sought is for internet
connectivity problems (45%)
 Top three reasons for seeking help from venue staff: knowledge
of:
 hardware (33%),
 software (26%)
 info seeking (17%)

17. SEEKING HELP: THE BANGLADESH CASE
0
10
20
30
40
50
All Bangladesh Brazil Chile Ghana Philippines
%ofusers
Frequency of seeking staff assistance
17

18. SOCIAL & ECONOMIC IMPACTS

19. PERCEIVED IMPACTS VARY
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Communication with family & friends
Education
Pursuing interests & hobbies
Meeting new people
Pursuing other leisure activities
Time savings
Access to employability resources & skills
Financial savings
Access to government information &
services
Local language/culture activities
Health
Income
Sending or receiving remittances
Positive
None
Negative

20. DOMAIN USE
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Communications
& Leisure
Education Employment &
Income
Culture &
Language
Health Governance
% of users engaged in domains in the last 12 months

21. DOMAIN USE & IMPACT PERCEPTIONS

22. USER NEEDS DRIVE USE
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Didn't have the
need
Didn't think of it No specific
reason
Security of my
information
Privacy Some other
reason
%ofusers
Why didn’t you use public access for…
Employment & Income Education Health Governance Culture & Language

23. Did you
search for a
job? (57%)
Did you find
information
to apply?
(89%)
Did you
apply?
(91%)
GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
Did you search
for info on how to
use government
services? (64%)
Did you find
information
you were
looking for?
(94%)
Do you feel
more
knowledgeable
on how to
use? (95%)
Employment & Income
Governance

24. HIDDEN IMPACTS
DIRECT
 18% of non-users surveyed were former public access users
 30% of ex-users first used a computer at a public access venue
 35% of ex-users first used the Internet at a public access venue
INDIRECT
 60% of non-users have family or friends who use public access
 10% have asked someone to use public access on their behalf
 Up to 63% perceive positive impacts from family/friend’s use

25. MORE THAN FUN & GAMES
94%
6%
Has using public access
computers for
communications and leisure
improved your overall ICT
skills?
Yes No
Non-instrumental uses (gaming,
social) can lead to instrumental
(employability) skills
Public access can
help keep families
connected when
separated by
migrant work
 KC Wong

26. EMAIL & SOCIAL NETWORKING
Users identifying email/social networking as most important resource for goal achievement

27. COMMUNICATION AND LEISURE
% of perceived positive impacts, by frequency of using public access for communication
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Sending or receiving remittances
Income
Financial savings
Health
Local language & cultural activities
Access to government information & services
Access to employability resources
Time savings
Education
% of users
Rarely Sometimes Most times you visit Every time you visit

28. CONCEPTUALIZING PUBLIC ACCESS IMPACTS
 Are public access venues still relevant?
 Are public access venues substitutes for home access?
 Who are benefiting from public access use?
 Are impacts occurring in the “right” areas?
 Does venue type matter?
 What constitutes an impact?
 Where does impact happen?
 How does impact happen?
 When does impact matter?
 Whose impact matters?
 Are expectations realistic?

29. CHALLENGES OF MEASURING IMPACTS
Rick Davies & Jess Dart, The ‘Most Significant Change’ (MSC) Technique, 2005

30. Technology & Social Change Group
tascha.uw.edu | @taschagroup
globalimpactstudy.org | @ictimpact
Thank You
Araba Sey
arabasey@uw.edu