Wakelin O. and Shadrach, B (2001) Impact Assessment of Appropriate and Innovative Technologies in Enterprise Development, EDIAIS

Online: http://www.enterprise-impact.org.uk/pdf/ICTs.pdf

The impact of innovative and appropriate technologies on the livelihoods of the poor and the disadvantaged in developing countries has been the concern of the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID) for some time. Modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to play a substantial role in poverty reduction, but further knowledge and work on realising benefits and understanding the impact of ICTs is needed.

This paper looks at examples of both types of intervention and their potential impact on poverty. It presents several methodologies for impact assessment and assesses their relevance and usefulness to ICT based projects, particularly in the field of enterprise development.

The paper

• introduces the way ICTs can be linked to poverty alleviation and enterprise development
• addresses the issues and needs for impact assessment within ICT based projects
• outlines some approaches to impact assessment
• gives practical advice as to how to design and implement impact evaluations on ICT based projects/

Paper concludes that

• much more impact assessment is needed in the field of ICTs, both qualitative, and quantitative, as few documented cases exist in ICTs because the sector itself is new
• although the participatory approach is clearly favourable to the conventional approach for assessing ICT projects, the guiding principle of the methodology should be based on the sustainable livelihoods framework, with input from the Human Rights Approaches' three cross-cutting principles of participation, inclusion and fulfilling obligation
• a combination of methods - qualitative, quantitative and participatory suit ICT projects. Standardising such a methodology for each stage of the project cycle can minimise the reporting needed. Integrating it into the project cycle will ensure that feedback is noted and acted on.
• donors and researchers have to concentrate more of their efforts and help on strengthening the process of impact assessment strategies for ICT projects in Enterprise Development, emphasising how the strategies can be integrated more effectively with existing enterprise development support structures and resources