The Outcomes of ICT Diffusion and Human Development in Malawi

Presented is a historical analysis of the link between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and human development outcomes in a developing country. Human Development Index was used as a theoretical lens to assess the consequences of peoples’ choices to lead a healthier, longer and more creative life. The study used Malawi as the case study. Secondary data sourced from international development agencies’ databases, and policy documents from government departments, were used in this study. The results are explained in further detail deeper into the article. DOI: 10.4018/jicthd.2012100105 International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development, 4(4), 52-70, October-December 2012 53 Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. will, lack of evaluation and lack of monitoring (Alinaghian, Rahman, & Ibrahim, 2010; Ulrich & Chacko, 2005). The challenges affect the way national ICT policies are applied in supporting national development agendas; this results in difficulties in establishing the actual outcomes of the policies. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the role of ICT in the attainment of human development and (2) to provide evidence-based outcomes of the role of National ICT Policy in human development. This is achieved by answering the following questions: • What is the role of National ICT Policy in achievement of human development? • How does ICT support attainment of human development? The role of National ICT Policy was analysed by drawing on historical data on the policy documents and indicators on ICT from international development organisations. The study used the case of Malawi, which is in the process of implementing National ICT Policy to support socio-economic development agendas. International development organisations such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the World Trade Organisation, on the outcomes of application of ICT in development, were examined through the use of a number of indicators (Mohamadian, Elahi, & Ghasemzadeh, 2006). One example of such indicators is the Human Development Index (HDI). Use of indicators present perspective of development from the supply side, which can provide the starting point of analysis of contribution of ICT towards human development and then form the basis for future planning (Dada, 2006). Development in this context is conceptualised as “multidimensional and multidisciplinary process of enlarging peoples’ choices and freedoms” (Hamel, 2010). Due to the nature of the study where there is a lack of robust evidence and limited academic literature on the phenomena being investigated, we adopted an historical research approach (Avgerou & McGrath, 2007; Mason, McKenney & Copeland, 1997). A historical research can be used to present past account of a situation or context under investigation (Avgerou & McGrath, 2007). Historical research can also provide insights of dimensions of events, understanding sources of problems over a period of time and experiences of humans in their cultural setting (Mason et al., 1997). Historical research has been applied in many disciplines such as Marketing (Golder, 2000; Thomson, 2010) and Information Systems (Avgerou & McGrath, 2007). Historical research can be used to assess a phenomenon, using longitudinal or archival data, to gain understanding of previous events. This may involve verifying data from the past as well as the present that may not be available from conventional data sources. The process may also involve collecting, verifying, interpreting and presenting evidence from the past (Golder, 2000). The approach was considered appropriate because there was limited academic research on ICT in Malawi that would provide insights on the role of national ICT and human development. The paper is organised as follows: • The next section presents background to the study, theoretical background underpinning the study and context. Insights on HDI are noted; • This is followed by a description of the research methodology employed in the study; • The results of analysis of secondary data are presented, followed by discussion of the findings and making recommendations for practice and future research; • Finally we discuss our conclusion. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY