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4.2 Zambia
For the second case, we will look at e-Government implementation plan in Zambia.
As a landlocked country in southern Africa, Zambia implemented an ICT4D program regarding e-government transformation, striving for socio-economic development. The initiative was supported by two components: The National ICT Policy in 2007 and the Sixth National Development Plan between 2011 and 2015. The Republican President Mwanawasa articulated the significance of creation of an effective ICT industry. With its goal to achieve an information society by2030 by allowing every citizen to have access to and enjoy ICT, the government initiated a project to transform Zambia with e-government, focusing on four areas: Improving ICT infrastructure, reforming public service, encouraging PPP, and promoting the efficiency of e-government applications delivery.
According to Banda’s survey of 121 respondents, citizens’ assessment for e-government transformations in Zambia was unsatisfactory. Although 79% of respondents considered the project was beneficial to the citizens, positive scores on sub-sectors all marked below 50%, as low as government portal section with 3% strongly agreeing and 2% agreeing.
The overall projects’ rating was also 55.10/100, indicating a negative outcome of complete or partial failure. Such negative assessment for the project can be divided into three major factors.
First of all, self-interest of two sides of a coin: the supplier and the recipients.
Respondents pointed out the lack of change agents to drive projects, as well as their self-interest in political goals, which means promoted sector of e-government project was merely to meet the demands of organizations, businesses and agencies in terms of political agendas or profits. Also from the recipients’ side, resistance to the transitional cost, to adapt to the
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new system and environment, was a major obstacle. Without consistent will and interest by the government and nation-wide transformational initiatives, it would be difficult to introduce such gigantic change.
Secondly, the project design was poor and unrealistic. One of the major issues was the out-dated project policies. Zambia not only went through change in government as new president came to the office a year after the initiation of the project, the new office failed to monitor the progress and revise any necessary sections where it may have needed an update.
The human factors, such as citizens’ values and local culture are also significant. The Banda’s survey result reflects respondents did not find the project to be beneficial or useful, and the initiatives and policies were aimed at wrong directions. Without consistent input from key local stakeholders and revision of policies in the process reforms, projects like this
cannot remain stable.
Last issue was on the project management. ZICTA (Zambia ICT Agency) is criticized to have weak control over the project, where the project ownership was unclear or dispersed.
Weak foundation was also a factor. The technical and data assessment infrastructure was inadequate, and it was difficult to further carry on the project without well-established foundations. The financial investment to establish a nation-wide full coverage network is demanding, and it takes time to collect data and make performance analysis. Because it is not a form of short-term and low budget project, the goal could have been set clear with
sufficient period of time and budget, with good assessment system to evaluate performance of project in any given periods of time.
Zambia’s case was an unsatisfactory from citizens’ perspective. We must also consider that this survey was taken from among those who had access to ICT, with high probability of at least some degrees of understanding regarding ICT transformation. It is safe
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to argue this ICT4D project left no impact on country’s development, both on the socio and economic perspectives. Although the survey pool could have been increased and other sectors may have been looked at to draw a more positive assessment, the chances to change the view that this project was ineffective are low. Why would, then, results differ in two cases?
Of the two cases discussed, one turned out to be successful and the other not. However, it must be carefully reviewed whether this is a relevant case study to analyze the impact of ICT development on a country.
The first major factor is the simplicity. Citizens in both cases had to accept the new technology and adapt to it, but it was much simpler and cheaper in India’s case where the public merely needed to purchase a conventional cellphone and start calling each other for sake of communication. On the other hand, in Zambia’s case, it would inevitably take more time for the education of citizens to adapt to the new system, as well as the government’s engagement for constant assessment and revision of policies and plans in their operation.
Hence we still need to question whether two cases may be evaluated on the equal level.
The second factor is the reformation of ICT itself, which raises the issue and the question that was addressed at the beginning of this thesis. We cannot apply traditional belief that the technological advancement will work as a panacea to cure every development related issues, because unlike the previous era where conventional IT and CT were two very
distinctive fields, we now have a convergence of two technologies, which works together alongside one another. Smartphone takes huge part of our daily life, it now works not only as conventional cellphone to communicate with one another, but also utilized as camera, video recorder, internet browser, checking and sending emails, enjoying games, conducting simple documentation, web searching and even music player. Because multiple industries and
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aspects and emerged into one field, it requires wider coverage for governments or any players for implementation of ICT to the society nowadays.
Third factor, then naturally, is the government capacity. In other words, we may raise another question regarding two case studies, that if it was the ICT that leads to the economic development of a state, or if the variables should be reversed, and the true question should be whether it is developing countries with strong capabilities to make investments on
infrastructure and policy making that are likely to have successful ICT implementation projects that leads to the development. In other words, I am not arguing the ICT has nothing to do with a state development, I am simply challenging that ICT would not work as a miracle that will magically solve poverty and development issues instantly once adapted.
When such projects are to be implemented anywhere, the government policy is extremely significant and ergo a state should be careful upon making moves, whether they can truly afford long-term plans and maintain the sustainability of their plans to achieve goals.
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Chapter Five: Conclusion
This thesis discussed the background of ICT4D and author’s data analysis regarding the impact of ICT and wireless communication on economic development of developing countries, with two cases of India and Zambia. Although the scope of analysis and case studies may have been limited to draw a quick statement, I argue that the ICTD is not an effective tool for state development. Therefore based on chapter 4 and 5, and the case studies in chapter 6, answers to the first two research questions26 proposed in chapter 1 are both same, that the ICTD has no impact on the development of economic development of developing countries. It requires tremendous amount of financial investment to establish networks, supply devices, create new system to set up the foundation of ICT to start with. Next follows sufficient time for educations, where it would guide citizens to adapt to the new system and utilize the infrastructure. Yet, the outcome is unpredictable; there is no guarantee that such efforts will make fruit in the end. Therefore the return for the investment is too risky and tiny.
There are number of arguments that may rise to question this. For instance, the time scope is the most significant factor. Perhaps the impact of ICTD is not reflected immediately on the state development. It may take years for citizens to adapt and learn the new method in order for a society to benefit from the reformation. It could be possible that children with sufficient ICT environment may play an important role in the future society that may
26 Whether the development of a. ICT and
b. Wireless communication
have an impact on economic development of developing countries.
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introduce multiple tangible outcomes in terms of economic performance and socio-political engagement.
Significance of bridging digital divide and providing equal opportunity to everyone to access and make use of information is also debatable. This is in regards to human rights and humanitarian issues, which the value cannot be evaluated and simply measured with numbers.
It would be ridiculous to contemplate putting a price tag on such qualitative issues, such as citizen’s comfort, happiness, quality of life and social stability.
However, there are many realistic issues developing countries face in terms of medical access, food and water security, and education. It would cost significantly less, both in terms of finance and time, to construct more hospitals to provide medical care, build and purchase agricultural facilities and tools to enhance productivity, and increase schools to provide more education. These factors not only produce immediate output, they also meet the direct need and demands of citizens: they are either the most basic rights everyone should enjoy, or direct factors of survival. It would not require as much precise plans and special projects to make sure it reaches out and citizens adapt.
Furthermore, successful ICT implementation will further increase dependencies of developing countries to the developed economies. From the purchases of network
infrastructures and facilities to end-devices such as computers and mobile phones, it would be highly unlikely that the developing countries will launch an independent domestic market and business to meet the public demands. And these are just the hardware perspectives of ICT, the OS programs and from inner applications and programs to the cultural contents that may be enjoyed such as movies, music, games and websites, it is not too difficult to imagine that successful ICT4D projects will benefit the global north much more both in short and long term scenarios.
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It still leaves an open opportunity for the future research, which is in regards with the 3rd research question27. For the dependent variable to begin with, the economic development may have been a narrow scope. Political and social stabilities, infant mortality rate,
employment rate and any other measurements for citizens’ well-being may also work as a suitable candidate. As for the independent variables, more specific sections of ICT could have been extracted, such as access to computers as they are most frequently used ICT devices. Or for the wireless internet part, personal data usage, domestic/international traffic flows or number of online access instead of number of subscriptions could have been compared.
Lastly, as for the alternative solutions, the main point here is not to argue that the developing countries should remain digitally illiterate and preserve the conventional systems, the prioritization of goals should be organized in a different order. It is also dangerous and impetuous to presume that the ICT4D would be the panacea for all solutions and the belief that the poverty and other issues will automatically be solved once ICT is implemented. It would be logical to follow the footsteps of industrialization models of developed countries and focus on the sustainable and consistent state development goal, ICT revolution should not leapfrog and come on the top priority.
27 What some other considerations and suggestions are, and if there are any alternatives for ICT4D.
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