Beyond being a proxy user: a look at NGOs‘ potential role in ICT4D deployment

Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially those based at the community level, have been identified as pivotal tools in the field of social economic development. They are known to have structured frameworks through which they dispense their programs to achieve desired results. However, ICT4D practitioners (researchers and technologist) have relegated this resource to primary means of getting into the community for logistical purposes which might explain the high levels of failed and mismatched technological interventions. This paper argues that the relationship between NGOs and technologists can be extended further than the current view of a researcher’s dependence on an NGO as a ‘local champion’. Action Research is rapidly being adopted in ICT4D and is seen as a satisfactory means of enriching the research experience, which leads to tangible, sustainable results. Using the five stages of an Action Research project cycle as a framework, we demonstrate how NGOs and the community can take a pro-active and leading role in research and design of sustainable ICT4D interventions.