Information And Communication Technology Projects Research Articles

Awareness of ICT-Based Projects and the Intensity of Use of Mobile Phones Among Smallholder Farmers in Uganda

As the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is embraced in Uganda, determinants of awareness of ICT based projects remain unknown. The intensity of use of mobile phones among smallholder farmers in the areas where such projects operate is unclear. To address this knowledge gap, 346 smallholder farmers in two ICT project sites in Mayuge and Apac districts were subjected to econometric analysis using bi-variate logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to ascertain determinants of projects’ awareness and intensity of use of mobile phones. The authors find that education, distance to input markets, and membership in a group positively influence awareness. The decision to use a mobile phone for agricultural purposes is affected by distance to electricity and land cultivated and negatively influenced by being a member of any farmer group. Lastly, intensity of mobile phone use is affected by age, farming as the major occupation, and distance to an internet facility, being a member of a project, having participated in an agricultural project before, value of assets, size of land cultivated, possession of a mobile phone, and proximity to agricultural offices. The paper discusses policy implications of these findings.

Gonokendra model: a response to “information poverty” in rural areas of Bangladesh

We argue that there is a need to understand impacts of information and communication technologies (ICT) projects in their local context, considering the participants' perspectives at the micro (community) level. Hence, this paper reports on the development and refinement of an extended framework to investigate ICT impact on development in three village areas in the developing country, Bangladesh. Through an interpretive study, we argue that previous studies failed to encapsulate many aspects such as mobility restriction, negative attitude towards female group and religious influences of ICT impact, especially at the micro level. Our extended framework demonstrates that ICT projects can lead to development, but only when social constraints are addressed.

Internet navigation and information search strategies: how do children are influenced by their participation in an intensive ICT project

The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the involvement showed by 190 students who participated in an introduction to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) project, in public schools from Spain. By means of an Internet browsing test, access and information selection processes were afforded. The purpose of the study was to explore whether students who usually worked with ICT in their classrooms, had better knowledge and management with computing tools, and if they are better prepared to research and select information. Results show that students of elementary and secondary education, who have a greater contact with ICT, but not specifically introduced to searching for information on the Internet, know how to use the technology. All these students show better knowledge and control of the computer as well as presenting better Web literacy skills. Although they found, organized, used and assessed the information better their literacy in Web information is missing key skills, especially in analyzing, assessing and summarizing information.

Supporting work practices through telehealth: impact on nurses in peripheral regions.

BackgroundIn Canada, workforce shortages in the health care sector constrain the ability of the health care system to meet the needs of its population and of its health care professionals. This issue is of particular importance in peripheral regions of Quebec, where significant inequalities in workforce distribution between regions has lead to acute nursing shortages and increased workloads. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are innovative solutions that can be used to develop strategies to optimise the use of available resources and to design new nursing work practices. However, current knowledge is still limited about the real impact of ICTs on nursing recruitment and retention. Our aim is to better understand how work practice reorganization, supported by ICTs, and particularly by telehealth, may influence professional, educational, and organizational factors relating to Quebec nurses, notably those working in peripheral regions.Methods/DesignFirst, we will conduct a descriptive study on the issue of nursing recruitment. Stratified sampling will be used to select approximately twenty innovative projects relating to the reorganization of work practices based upon ICTs. Semi-structured interviews with key informants will determine professional, educational, and organizational recruitment factors. The results will be used to create a questionnaire which, using a convenience sampling method, will be mailed to 600 third year students and recent graduates of two Quebec university nursing faculties. Descriptive, correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses will be performed to identify factors influencing nursing graduates' intentions to practice in peripheral regions. Secondly, we will conduct five case studies pertaining to the issue of nursing retention. Five ICT projects in semi-urban, rural, and isolated regions have been identified. Qualitative data will be collected through field observation and approximately fifty semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders.DiscussionData from both parts of this research project will be jointly analysed using triangulation of researchers, theoretical approaches, methods, and results. Continuous exchanges with decision makers and periodic knowledge transfer activities are planned to facilitate the dissemination and utilization of research results in policies regarding the nursing recruitment and retention.

Getting Wired@Collingwood: an ICT project underpinned by action research

There is increasing evidence that the lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT), or the ‘digital divide’, severely limits education, employment and economic prospects. An individual's ability to use and access computers and the internet is vital to schooling and education generally, to their ability to participate effectively in the economy, and in many cases, to access everyday services. This paper utilizes the context of an innovative ICT project in the heart of Melbourne to discuss the challenges of partnering disadvantaged communities both in project development and in this evaluation of case project. The efficacy of the project, though not under discussion, was important because it provided the evaluation with a credible vehicle in which to establish community discussion with people from a diverse range of age groups and backgrounds. Their engagement was essential not only to the research but to the overall success of the project. In a community with very low social capital, engagement in a community project takes time, commitment and good community development practice. The paper describes the process of the research in this community, reminding us that community goals can only be met if we engage the stakeholders in enacting community change.

Evaluation of Scientific and Practice Approaches to Soft Skills Requirements in the ICT Project Management

Majority of products and services in today’s technologically advanced and global world is developed in form of projects. ICT (information and communication technology) research and practice confirm that success of those projects depends on three equivocally relevant areas: technology, management process and people. The last, as proven in numerous surveys and research, is the main cause of failure and challenge of the ICT projects. Project manager skills to handle humans are essential to those endeavours. This paper examines trends in required soft skills for ICT project managers, reflecting state-ofthe-art in the field. The skills identi2ied in a careful survey of 219 job advertisements for ICT project managers in Switzerland, Poland and Thailand are compared with the soft skills identi2ied in 27 journal and conference publications as well as further 46 monographs and standards on project management. For evaluation purpose authors adopted the L-TimerTM process based mental model of project management. Whereas science considers leadership skills and communication capabilities as most important one, practice calls for communication and leadership in reverse sequence, followed by the team management, first. The processes of Human Resource, Conflict and Self Management are underrepresented in the advertisements. While Switzerland represents weighted approach, Poland focuses on team management capability, while Thailand demands leadership qualities of prospective project managers. The cultural roots evaluation and inter-cultural differences reflected by the conclusions of this paper are further research objectives of the authors.

Innovative Agricultural Information Services by ICTProjects in India

In recent years farmers attitude to access to agricultural information have been changed because of very fast networking of information and communication technology. Especially rural marketing exploring in a new ways as farmers access to market information. Various projects have been developed that integrate ICTs into the dissemination of agricultural information to farmers. This paper discusses a number of innovative projects that utilize ICTs in delivering information to farmers, focusing its analysis on mobile telephony, internet kiosks, like ITC e choupal, Tata kisan kedras etc. internet portals, which has become more widespread in recent years as a means of disseminating agricultural information to farmers and offers various means of providing agricultural information. The objective of the study to evaluate different ICT projects running in India and to provide an overview of the types of services and projects that are in existence or being designed to disseminate information to Indian farmers in a new ways. attempted to facilitate technology transfer in the agricultural sector. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are crucial in facilitating communication and access to information for agricultural and rural development. Since agriculture is the national priority sector, it is one of the potentially beneficial areas for the application of ICTs for economic transformation. Development of networks and use of low-cost ICTs enhance timely access to accurate and reliable information. It therefore calls for investment of part of the country's limited resources for ICT development. Information and communication technologies are making tremendous impact on the rural economy due to its wide application and appeal. It may seem paradoxical that modem lets associated with developed country markets and capital intensive methods of production, has any relevance for country like India where many millions of people lack in basic needs. Nevertheless, there are many efforts in India and other developing countries to demonstrate the concrete benefits of ICT for rural population and to carry out the same in a manner that makes economic sense. (Singh, Nirvikar, 2004). A large numbers of initiatives has been made and are being made in rural India, to deploy ICT as a developmental tool for creating awareness among fanners and rural artisans, and for

“Mommy Wants to Learn the Computer”

The group of middle-aged and elderly women represents the lowest usage rate of information and communication technology (ICT) in Taiwan. This article reports how a social intervention program, the Taiwan Women Up (TWU) program, has helped such group to successfully learn ICT skills with the support of members of nonprofit organizations. The study adopted qualitative research methods and accomplished in-depth interviews with 28 TWU participants to reveal the ICT learning experiences of women learners. The findings show that TWU program enabled middle-aged and elderly women to achieve the goals of supporting their organizations and empowering themselves as more capable ICT users. Learning and sharing ICT experiences with fellow members helped them overcome their frustration; whereas empathetic understanding and support among members provided the main source of encouragement in the learning process. This study showed that NPOs played a critical role in identifying potential learners and sustaining the ICT project successfully.

The Value of Information and Communication Technologies in Humanitarian Relief Efforts

Haiti. The moment is still vivid in my mind because we had been working for months with our partner, the EKTA Foundation, on a plan to make information and communication technologies (ICTs) accessible and sustainable in rural areas of Haiti. I had planned to fly to Port-au-Prince with another Inveneo cofounder on January 15, where we were to stay at the now-collapsed Hotel Montana to research opportunities and connect with the local tech community. Then the earthquake struck. It wasn’t until hours later, after trying to reach our Haitian contacts, that we realized the extent of the devastation. Our connections with Haitian colleagues made our commitment immediate and more personal. Later that day, we met with our partner NetHope, a collaboration of 31 of the world’s leading international humanitarian organizations that share technology best practices. Our conversation immediately turned to the tragedy in Haiti. We had been working with NetHope on a large-scale ICT project for relief camps across the world, but as they counted the number of their member organizations directly affected by the earthquake (20), our conversation shifted to ways we could address their urgent needs. For many disaster response veterans, the Haiti earthquake represents a turning point in our collective thinking about the value of ICTs in humanitarian relief efforts. A range of ICT-focused initiatives have demonstrated that technology— from accessing detailed maps of the affected area, to turning simple SMS messages into life-saving systems, to establishing broadband Internet connectivity to humanitarian organizations—improves both the speed and substance of relief efforts. The impact of these voluntary and even spontaneous initiatives was real, measurable, and widely publicized. Their success, even in the absence of any plan-

Sustaining effective business value chain: future challenges

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe key factors in sustaining effective business value chains for companies operating in the electronic industry and identify their potential future challenges.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology includes the survey development, the hypothesis development, and the statistical analyses, especially the Pearson correlation. Altogether, a total of 129 firms participated in this study – 97 companies from Hong Kong/China and 32 firms from Thailand. Included in this methodology are a pre‐test of a survey, a development of the research hypotheses, and follow‐up discussions with participating executives on possible future challenges for their business value chains.FindingsAn effective business value chain essentially depends on a good internal operational system and constructive relationships with suppliers and customers. In other words, the collective efficacy depends on a manufacturer's internal operations (IO) and its supplier and customer partnership. Owing to the extensive information and communication technology (ICT) applications, the concern relating to schedule nervousness has been greatly reduced.Practical implicationsThe key future challenges for an electronic manufacturer's business value chains are ICT standardization (i.e. data harmonization) for better sharing and transfer with both customers and suppliers and within a manufacturer's IO, and risk management.Originality/valueThe findings underline the importance of data harmonization and an adaptation of ICT standards such as control objectives for information and related technology and projects in controlled environment for managing design and deployment of ICT projects and their related risks.

Integrating technology with literacy: using teacher-guided collaborative online learning to encourage critical thinking

This paper reports on classroom-based research that was designed to monitor the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in a teacherguided collaborative online learning context to encourage students’ critical response to literary texts. The study investigates the premise that an ICT project where children read books and then use email communication to exchange responses with other learners will support critical thinking. Videos of classroom observations, journals and rap sheets were analysed for individual students’ levels of critical awareness. Improvements in critical thinking were measured using linguistic analysis. Teachers and students were also interviewed for attitudes to technology use related to learning. Although there were gains in critical thinking, there was little student engagement with technology. The discussion problematises the integration of technology in the classroom through a repositioning of collaboration in a blended learning context known as book raps.Keywords: blended learning; critical thinking; collaboration; e-learning; linguistic analysis; readingDOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.492846

An Exploratory Study Of The Contextual Factors That Influence Success Of Ict Projects In Developing Nations: A Case Study Of A Telecommunications Company In Ghana

Organizations use various information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support business operations. In the developing world, ICT has promise for socio-economic development of the people. Successful project implementation is necessary in order to obtain the needed benefits from ICT endeavors. Factors that contribute to the successful implementation of ICT projects are well known. However, the implementation of ICT projects in developing countries is a more recent phenomenon that has not been well researched. In this paper we use a case study of ICT project implementation within one company in Ghana to highlight factors that underlie the implementation of ICT projects and how these factors collectively impact project success. The study shows that some of the factors identified as important in developed nations were relevant in the developing nation environment. However, the relative ranking of the importance of the factors was different between developed and developing nations. The study also identified additional factors that were relevant in the developing nation context. Our study is informed by the diffusion innovation theory, Hofstede’s cultural theory and DeLone and McLean’s IS success model. We present a framework that ties the ICT project success factors together and can serve as a guideline in ICT implementations in similar environments.

Integrating technology with literacy: using teacher-guided collaborative online learning to encourage critical thinking

This paper reports on classroom-based research that was designed to monitor the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in a teacherguided collaborative online learning context to encourage students’ critical response to literary texts. The study investigates the premise that an ICT project where children read books and then use email communication to exchange responses with other learners will support critical thinking. Videos of classroom observations, journals and rap sheets were analysed for individual students’ levels of critical awareness. Improvements in critical thinking were measured using linguistic analysis. Teachers and students were also interviewed for attitudes to technology use related to learning. Although there were gains in critical thinking, there was little student engagement with technology. The discussion problematises the integration of technology in the classroom through a repositioning of collaboration in a blended learning context known as book raps. Keywords: blended learning; critical thinking; collaboration; e-learning; linguistic analysis; reading DOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.492846

A Constructive Technology Assessment Approach to ICT Planning in Developing Countries: Evaluating the First Phase, the Roundtable Workshop

Information and communication technology (ICT) might play an important role in development. There are many failed implementations as there is limited knowledge of how to apply ICT in a development context. The Roundtable (RT) workshop is a participatory approach based on constructive technology assessment. This paper develops an evaluative framework to assess the effectiveness of the RT workshop. It is an interpretive study based on quantitative and qualitative data from case studies. It is a rare and detailed study on the process and output of a participatory exercise. It shows that the RT workshop is a useful and robust methodology to integrate ICTs in priority areas of sector development like agriculture, education, health, etc. Empowerment, reflexive learning, and networking are key elements to generate owned up ICT projects that are moulded to local needs. In a cross-case analysis relevant contextual factors are identified.

ICT implementation among Malaysian schools: GIS, obstacles and opportunities

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been introduced and widely used among schools in Malaysia since 1970 onwards. Computer education programme started in 1999. 322 schools were chosen as ‘break a way’ from conventional teaching method towards ICT. Due to that, projects such as Smart School Project, School Access Centre were handled continuously. Teachers’ Professional Guidance in ICT Project is a special programme for In-Service teachers in aim to enable teachers to use ICT in their core business of teaching. Anyhow, the dispersion of ICT usage among subjects vary and some subjects has become low preferred by students. ICT in geography is focused in order to enhance the students’ interest in geography subject. Geographical Information System (GIS) is foremost the best Geographical Information Technology (GIT) to be implemented in geography subject. In Malaysia, it is still exposed just in papers, articles and proceeding papers. GIS in schools in Malaysia has been insisted by educators and GIS experts. Thus, this article describes and discusses the obstacles and opportunities of implementing GIS in schools with a deep focus of GIS in teaching and learning geography. The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of GIS in enhancing students’ interest towards the subject. Obstacles occur during the implementation of GIS in schools is also briefly discussed in this article. The capabilities of GIS in schools and teaching with GIS is also apart of this study. A content analysis was performed using articles from local and abroad publications regarding ICT and GIS. Conference proceedings were also analyzed. The content analysis included 20 articles which discuss both, the opportunities and obstacles in trying GIS into schools which. The future of GIS among Malaysian schools will be in the conclusion part together with a few solutions in reducing and overcoming the obstacles.

Lessons Learned from Implementation of Information and Communication Technologies in Spain’s Healthcare Services

Spain's health services have undertaken a number of important projects aimed at the creation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) through the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into patient care practices. The objective of this endeavor is to improve care quality and efficiency and increase responsiveness to the population's needs and demands. Between 2006-2009 over 300 million Euro were invested in projects of this type. To better understand the success criteria, the difficulties encountered and certain issues that must be kept in mind to ensure successful implementation of ICT projects in health organizations, based on Spain's experiences in this field. The projects' results are analyzed using the criteria of compliance with the expected scope, cost and time frame. The results can be considered satisfactory in primary care facilities, where almost 90% of Spain's general practitioners, pediatricians and primary care nurses are using electronic health record (EHR) systems. In hospitals EHR implementation is more uneven. Over 40% of Spanish primary care centers and 42% of pharmacies are using electronic prescription (the information system that connects the physician to the dispensing pharmacy and the dispensing pharmacy to the payer). All of Spain's health services are currently carrying out projects involving ICT application in healthcare, and a priori the benefits of ICT are not questioned. However, the costs and time frames required for these projects are clearly surpassing initial expectations, while the benefits perceived by both professionals and institutions remain limited. This situation may be due in part to the absence of a project management culture in the health services, which has led them to pay insufficient attention to the main difficulties and key issues related to the implementation of EHR.

Factors that influence the outcome of information technology projects in South Africa: An empirical investigation

Purpose: In developing countries such as South Africa, many organisations are reliant on information and communication technology (ICT) to provide accurate, relevant and timely information. For organisations to obtain and sustain a competitive advantage, ICT systems are constantly implemented, upgraded, modified or replaced. These initiatives are often managed as projects. While there is an increasing amount of both financial resources and effort being spent on ICT, these projects are not always delivered within the predetermined project constraints. This implies additional time to complete, as well as additional costs, as resources are not released in time to participate in other projects. It is therefore important to understand the factors that influence the outcome of South African ICT projects relative to their original constraints. Problem Investigated: The goal of this article is to determine the factors that influence South African ICT projects, taking into consideration the fact that most current published research on this topic was done within the context of a developed country such as the USA and Europe. Design and/or methodology: The outcomes of ICT projects in South Africa as well as the factors that influence them were determined through an extensive survey. An analysis was done on the factors together with a correlation between the main factors contributing to project outcomes. The purpose of this was to establish if a factor's presence or absence influenced the eventual outcome. Findings: The factors that contribute to a successful outcome are often outside the direct control of the project manager and tend to be complex in nature. One factor that does stand out is that the alignment of projects with business objectives influences their perceived success. Originality/Value: The benefits of this article are that it firstly provides a South African perspective of current ICT project management practices, and secondly, it highlights factors that influence project outcome. Organisations can use this information to improve their current practices. Conclusion: The value of the research results presented in this paper lies in the realisation that project success is not just determined by adherence to best practices or formal processes, but requires an environment and context conducive to business success.

Exploring the relationship between presence and enjoyment in a virtual museum

The Augmented Representation of Cultural Objects (ARCO) system, developed as a part of an EU ICT project, provides museum curators with software and interface tools to develop web-based virtual museum exhibitions by integrating augmented reality (AR) and 3D computer graphics. ARCO technologies could also be deployed in order to implement educational kiosks placed in real-world museums. The main purpose of the system is to offer an entertaining, informative and enjoyable experience to virtual museum visitors. This paper presents a formal usability study that has been undertaken in order to explore participants’ perceived ‘sense of being there’ and enjoyment while exposed to a virtual museum exhibition in relation to real-world visits. The virtual museum implemented was based on an existing gallery in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. It is of interest to determine whether a high level of presence results in enhanced enjoyment. After exposure to the system, participants completed standardized presence questionnaires related to the perceived realism of cultural artifacts referred to as AR objects’ presence, as well as to participants’ generic perceived presence in the virtual museum referred to as VR presence. The studies conducted indicate that previous experience with ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) did not correlate with perceived AR objects’ presence or VR presence while exposed to a virtual heritage environment. Enjoyment and both AR objects’ presence and VR presence were found to be positively correlated. Therefore, a high level of perceived presence could be closely associated with satisfaction and gratification which contribute towards an appealing experience while interacting with a museum simulation system.

Key Public Sector Individuals as ICT Change Agents: An Analysis of Australian and German Experience

The increasing demand for technology-enabled public sector services drives state agencies to launch information and communication technology (ICT) projects. The Australian and German state agencies are taking a proactive role towards technological change by employing so-called ICT change agents. These ICT change agents introduce, diffuse, manage and implement ICT within projects. Despite the mobilisation of change agents, there is scant research on the formal and informal roles of these key individuals within public sector projects. This article bridges that gap by providing valuable insights into the activities of public sector ICT change agents. It is based on empirical research from six case studies in Australian and German state agencies. Findings from these studies indicate that public sector ICT change agents position organisations to take advantage of cutting edge technologies by performing a great variety of formal and informal roles. Formal roles are performed in order to accomplish set formal project tasks, while informal roles help to speed up rapid ICT adoption and innovation through the change agents’ informal networks. The findings are delineated in a framework for future research which shows that formal and informal roles impact on the outcomes of public sector ICT projects.

Telecentres in mountain regions — A Peruvian case study of the impact of information and communication technologies on remoteness and exclusion

Communities in developing country mountain areas, in part due to their remoteness, find themselves excluded from social, political and economic systems; and excluded from access to resources. This paper aims to study the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on remoteness and exclusion. It utilises two models — the resource movement framework, and the “information chain” — to analyse a telecentre in one district of mountainous Huancavelica, Peru’s poorest region, set in the high Andes. It finds ICTs enabling new and positive resource flows for the two key user groups: teenaged school students and young farmers. These help to maintain social networks. They also support information searches that have improved agricultural practice where other information chain resources have been available. But non-use and ineffective use of the telecentre are found where information chain resources are lacking. ICTs have some impacts on intangible elements of remoteness. In this particular example, they also offer access to some previously-excluded resources. But they have not really addressed the systematic exclusions faced by mountain communities. And they so far appear to be a technology of inequality; favouring those residents who begin with better resource endowments. The paper concludes by offering some recommendations for mountain ICT project practice.