Technical papers

[2003] Poverty is seen as the opposite of well-being. Beyond a lack of income, the multidimensional concept of poverty also refers to disadvantages in access to land, credit and services (e.g. health and education), vulnerability (towards violence, external economic shocks, natural disasters), powerlessness and social exclusion. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) facilitate the creation, storage, management and dissemination of information by electronic means. This definition includes radio, television, elephone, fax, computer and the Internet. ICT applications in developing countries are often part of

[2009] This book is about using video in rural interventions for social change. It gives a glimpse into the many creative ways in which video can be used in rural development activities, such as for training, awareness-raising, data collection or advocacy. Drawing on examples from development projects in South America, Africa and Asia, the book aims to encourage development professionals to explore the potential of video in development, making it

[2010] Mobiles4Dev is a research study commissioned by UNICEF to help understand the global mobile telephony landscape as it relates to advancing development, and as an area of significant future opportunities. The report gives an overview of the impact of mobiles on socio-economic development and how they can facilitate equity-based programming. It also highlights key trends in the sector, including mobile telephone and Internet usage, and common themes in mobile

[2007] This paper addresses the challenge of using communication more powerfully as an agent of change to establish faster, more sustainable development. After a short chapter setting out the context, it explores the roles information and communication processes play in all of the key elements that foster development:(1) in equitable and inclusive political processes; (2) in national and international governance processes that are effective, responsive and accountable; (3) in supporting

[2012] This paper asks “How is information and communication technology (ICT) being used in agricultural development?” It provides a snapshot of the types of ICT solutions that are emerging in agriculture for development and how these solutions are beginning to be used to fight hunger, reduce poverty, raise education, protect our environment and improve our health, all things we need to do in order to build a smarter global community.

[2011] The African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI) was a 42-month action research project aimed to test the effectiveness of a new type of radio campaign developed by Farm Radio International: the participatory radio campaign (PRC). Farmers participate are engaged in the development of the farm radio programming as central agents of the knowledge sharing process. A series of farm radio programs are designed to enable farmers to improve their

[2012] This report presents the main findings of three regional surveys on participation at local and community radio stations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. The studies examined the involvement of the radio stations’ communities in programming, management, ownership and funding. The results are not representative, but will provide a basis for further in-depth research and lead to a practice oriented publication.Participation of the community is an important

[2012] Developing countries are increasingly well placed to exploit the benefits of mobile communications, with levels of access rising around the world. This report analyzes the growth and evolution of applications for mobile phones, focusing on their use in agriculture, health and financial services, as well as their impact on employment and government. The emphasis is no longer on the phone itself, but on how it is used, and the

[2012] This working paper by CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) offers an overview of current theory and practice on climate change communication and social learning in the global South. With a view of informing CCAFS strategy in this area, it presents a theoretical framework for understanding social learning and communication approaches and reviews the current landscape of methods, tools and decision aids in communicating

[2011] This report summarises feedback, evaluation and lessons learned when designing ICT for development programmes. The ICT-based Social Innovation Process enables diverse stakeholders to set priorities for strengthening the sectors they have an interest in, shape their sector’s development path, and design how their organisations will use ICT tools to empower their staff and their beneficiaries to create positive change. From its inception, IICD has thus always regarded ICT as