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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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’

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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’.

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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

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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.