Informational Capabilities : The Missing Link for the Impact of ICT on Development

Informational Capabilities : The Missing Link for the Impact of ICT on Development

Under what conditions can information and communications technologies (ICTs) enhance the well-being of poor communities? The paper designs an alternative evaluation framework (AEF) that applies Sen's capability approach to the study of ICTs in...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Gigler, Bjorn-Soren
Format:	Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:	ACCESS POINT ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES ACCESS TO INTERNET ACCESS TO RESOURCES ARRANGEMENTS ARTICLE BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY CAPABILITIES CAPABILITY CAPACITY-BUILDING CITIES CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION COMMODITIES COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITIES COMPETITIVENESS COMPONENTS COMPUTER GRAPHICS COMPUTER HARDWARE COMPUTER LITERACY COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION COMPUTERS CONNECTIVITY CONTENT DEVELOPMENT DECISION-MAKING DIGITAL DIGITAL AGE DIGITAL DIVIDE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY E-DEVELOPMENT E-GOVERNANCE E-GOVERNMENT E-LEARNING E-MAIL E-READINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS EGOVERNMENT ELECTRICITY ELECTRONIC INFORMATION ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS FLOW OF INFORMATION GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY GRAPHICS HUMAN CAPITAL ICT IDS IMPACT ASSESSMENT INDICES INFORMATICS INFORMATION ACCESS INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION COMMUNICATION INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION CULTURE INFORMATION ECONOMICS INFORMATION FLOWS INFORMATION GAPS INFORMATION LITERACY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NEEDS INFORMATION SCIENCE INFORMATION SERVICES INFORMATION SHARING INFORMATION SYSTEM INFORMATION SYSTEMS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION INSTITUTION INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATION INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION INTERNET ACCESS INTERNET CONNECTIVITY INTERNET CONTENT INTERNET USE KNOWING KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIES KNOWLEDGE FOR DEVELOPMENT KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES LITERACY RATES LOCAL KNOWLEDGE MARKET INFORMATION MARKET PRICE MARKET PRICES MATERIAL MEDICINE MULTIMEDIA NATURAL RESOURCE NETWORKING NETWORKS NEW TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER POLICY FRAMEWORK POLITICAL ISSUES POLITICAL PARTICIPATION PRICE INFORMATION PROGRAMS PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PUBLISHING RADIO READING REALISM REPAIR RESEARCH LIBRARIES RESULT RESULTS RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SAN SERVICE DELIVERY SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL SUPPORT TELECENTERS TELECENTRES TELECOMMUNICATION TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT TELECOMMUNICATION POLICY TELECOMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY TRAINING ACTIVITIES TRAINING PROGRAMS TRANSACTION UNIVERSAL ACCESS USE OF INFORMATION USERS USES WEBSITE WEBSITES WHITE PAPER
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/03/19566894/ informational-capabilities --missing-link-impact-ict-development http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19011

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Summary:	Under what conditions can information and communications technologies (ICTs) enhance the well-being of poor communities? The paper designs an alternative evaluation framework (AEF) that applies Sen's capability approach to the study of ICTs in order to place people's well-being, rather than technology at the center of the study. The AEF develops an impact chain that examines the mechanisms by which access to, and meaningful use of, ICTs can enhance peoples, 'informational capabilities' and can lead to improvements in people's human and social capabilities. This approach thus uses peoples human capabilities, rather than measures of access or usage, as its principal evaluative space. Based on empirical evidence from rural communities uses of ICTs in Bolivia, the study concludes that enhancing people's informational capabilities is the most critical factor determining the impact of ICTs on their well-being. The findings indicate that improved informational capabilities, like literacy, do enhance the human capabilities of the poor and marginalized to make strategic life choices to achieve the lifestyle they value. Evaluating the impact of ICTs in terms of capabilities thus reveals that there is no direct relationship between improved access to, and use of, ICTs and enhanced well-being; ICTs lead to improvements in people's lives only when informational capabilities are transformed into expanded human and social capabilities in the economic, political, social, organizational and cultural dimensions of their lives.

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