Evaluation of a Government ICT Policy Document from a Communicative Action Perspective: A Case of Bangladesh

Abstract

AbstractThe literature on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy studies have revealed multiple limitations concerning design and implementation of policies adopted by many governments of developing countries, which include contextual limitations in design, a mix of incomprehensive projects and strategies, as well as gaps between addressed goals and actual outcomes. However, nothing is said about the policy document itself with regard to the communication of ideas, issues, themes, and perspectives of the policy. This article extends to do a discourse analysis of Bangladesh's ICT policy document to evaluate communicative aspects, using the framework of Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action (TCA). The findings uncover multiple limitations to the policy document in terms of four TCA validity claims: truth, legitimacy, sincerity, and clarity. The truth claim shows a lack in defining and describing multiple terms and issues, explaining varied ideological stances and accounting for benefits and challenges, along with interpretation of some facts. Similarly, the legitimacy claim reveals that matters that appeal to emotion, such as constitutional obligation, social equity, disabled people, minorities, and women and community issues, lie as foundation to justify that claim. The uses of connotative words and metaphors in addition to uses of jargon and unexplained terms are also found under the claim for sincerity and clarity, all of which ultimately are not compatible with the values of the validity claims.