Search

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the implication of globalization to the development of information technology (IT), health information systems in developing countries, and entrepreneurship behavior of community members.

The article reports on the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis in 2001 by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union. he summit discussed digital divide. The delegates discussed how information and communication technologies can bring about development. The dialogue at the summit also focused on how information technology influences development. The summit also tackled the role of the United Nations with respect to the Internet.

No Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of development, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is often hailed and cursed at the same time. ICT offers great promise to enhance development activities' efficiency and effectiveness yet the literature is littered with examples of failure. A particular challenge concerns the application of ICT to support collaboration in development contexts. In this paper, we report on field experiences with one particular type of collaboration technology, Group Support Systems (GSS), and its role in supporting groups engaged in development activities. Being an North-American invention, research into GSS is predominantly focused on Western Euro-American settings. GSS field studies in other cultural environments are scarce. The objective of our study is to explore and compare the applicability of GSS in two particular environments: Tanzania and South Africa. Our data suggest that the use of GSS is evaluated positively in both countries, although Tanzanian groups perceived more benefits. In South Africa, top management displayed very open and non-conservative behavior towards the technology, while in Tanzania hesitance from top management can be expected to be the greatest hindrance for GSS acceptance and application. The data further indicate that GSS do not replace existing meeting customs, but rather introduce new ones that co-exist next to the traditional ones. A key difference between application of GSS in western and African environments is a stronger focus on the electronic part of discussions in Africa. Anonymity is perceived as the key feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. The use of electronic communications technology within the developing world context brings forth challenges that may potentially unleash the power of society by fostering networking amoung experts and their organisations. The subject of this paper is a particular form of networking, that of building associations among civil servants involved in public administration reform. The inception of one such association, GOVERNET, an administrative reform network is explored in the context of public administration reform in Africa. This paper concludes with insight into the salient issues driving this form of networking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses reports published within the issue including an article by Mariyam Adam and Cathy Urquhart about the impact of the lack of information technology skills, and another by Allam Ahmed which investigates the open source movement as it relates to development in Africa.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by John Benamati and Mark A. Serva on the role of online banking in developing countries and another by Mike Metcalfe on oral technologies.

The article discusses various reports published within a 2006 issue of the periodical "Information Technology for Development," including one on the risk factors in the collaborative development of management information systems for Nigerian Universities, and another on technology-supported collaborative learning for higher education.

This article discusses e-government and information technology policy and the choices for government outreach and policy making. Governments that want to connect with their citizens through online media can potentially implement their policies more effectively and increase their influence on citizens more directly. The delivery of public sector information and services to citizens through the Internet is considered to be e-government. While the benefits of e-government are compelling, it is worth noting that the countries that are taking advantage of this trend are those that have a high concentration of Internet hosts per thousand inhabitants. The benefits of e-government may indeed materialize in countries where a majority of the electorate uses the Internet frequently. At the same time, GSM-based mobile (wireless) phones are replacing land line connections in many developing countries because of the cost and unreliability of land connections--this has an impact on Internet viability for e-government. The connection between national policies and development appears to be an illusive one. However, an understanding of what constitutes this link can provide governments with powerful tools to bring about economic growth.

This section presents an overview of several articles which address the ways in which information technology is being used in order to enable social and economic development, published in the September 2003 issue of Information Technology for Development. The first article is an examination of the diffusion of Information and Communication Technology in developing countries through careful analysis of economic indicators. The indicators of Information and Communication Technology analyzed are Internet hosts, Internet users, personal computers and mobile phones. The next two papers in this issue consider two different ways in which Geographical Information Systems are used to address specific development objectives. Development is not restricted to developing countries but also includes developed countries with populations that are marginalized and could benefit from information technology. The second paper by examines the use of a Geographical Information Systems for the provision of health services to the African American population. The integration of both spatial and non-spatial datasets in a Geographical Information Systems enables spatial distribution of asthma hospitalization data to be correlated with socio-economic features. This research provides insight into the extent to which a Geographical Information Systems can be used to target socio-economic factors effecting health. The third paper suggests that there is a need for integrating disparate knowledge based systems around Geographical Information Systems applications to prevent land degradation. The final paper takes the concept of participation a step further and examines the role of Group Support Systems for development.

Talks about changes and developments in the "Journal of Information Technology for Development." Transformation from an academic journal to a practitioner oriented journal; Effort of the editor-in-chief to increase the academic quality of the Journal.