Systems Development and Developing Countries: The Question of Participation

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Systems Development and Developing Countries The
Question of Participation

• Sundeep Sahay

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Overview of Lecture

• What do we understand by the Scandivanian
  approach to participation?
• How suitable are they (or not) in the context of
  developing countries?
• How can they be adapted to such contexts? Is this
  desireable?
• Two case studies South Africa and India

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What is the Scandinavian Approach?

• Grounded in a strong action research orientation.
  Since mid-seventies.
• Historically, can identify three trends
• Strengthen capability of workers to question
  technological changes.
• Producing technological alternatives by users.
• Rising ethical issues in technological projects

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Underlying Assumptions

• A strong democratic tradition
• An egalitarian culture
• An educated workforce
• Pervasiveness of IT in various sectors
• Equality of sexes
• Small in size
• Relatively, stable job security

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Implications in IS

• Has been appropriated in various ways
• Participatory design
• User participation
• Prototyping
• Bootstrapping
• Cultivation
• Improvisations etc

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The challenge

• We all agree that participation is desirable?
• But the question is, is it feasible? In
  particular contexts and conditions?
• And what can we do about it?

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Two case studies

• South Africa health care sector
• India GIS fo land management

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A human rights approach to community information
system development for the care of orphans and
vulnerable children (OVC)
Presentation by Elaine Byrne, DPhil. student,
University of the Western Cape
Photographs courtesy of UNICEF, South Africa
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What is vulnerability?
Not having time to play
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10 years from now, at least one in three South
African children under 18 years of age will have
lost a mother or a father or both parents to AIDS
The HIV/AIDS pandemic
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If you are 15 years of age and South African, you
stand a greater than 60 chance of being dead
from AIDS related causes by the age of 35.
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an increasing number of children in distress
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How to address vulnerability?

• Problem to be addressed at two interconnected
  levels
• Need the commitment of government and society
• Information system that includes vulnerability

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Commitment of government and society a human
rights approach
Obligation on the part of the South African
Government. Community members can hold
government accountable, assess the situation and
take action as necessary.
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Addressing vulnerability using information systems
Information system is a necessary condition for
advocacy and influence
Orphans and vulnerable children are the least
visible in our current information systems.
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History of information systems development
.. the statistical information, which a society
chooses to collect or to ignore about itself,
tells one a great deal about the priorities and
power relations within that society.
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• Implications of a fragmented health system in
  South Africa both health services and health
  information system

• Developments since 1994

• Presence of community information absent needs
  to be developed

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Implications of human rights based approach

• Obligatory
• Systemic and structural conditions - capacity
  development
• Participation

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Participation - Points of departure from
conventional approach

• Politics of participation
• Participation of community

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• National
• Exploring vulnerability with children, key
  policy makers and advocators for children
• Audit of existing formal information systems on
  vulnerability

Further steps in my research Empirical work

• Okhahlamba, KwaZulu-Natal
• Understanding vulnerability and how to measure
  it
• Defining objectives and developing indicators

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Special thanks to .
Sundeep Sahay, Uta Lehmann, UNICEF, Child
Survival Project, British Commonwealth
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How is this IS different?

• Community, not organizational focus.
• Need multi-level and multi-sectoral approach
• Obligatory nature of community involvement.
• Politics of participation and
  non-participation.
• Need to develop capacity for participation.
• Create a climate for learning, and to understand
  a different existing climate of knowledge and
  communication

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The Indian Example

• Information systems for land management
• Rebirth of river using traditional knowledge,
  community driven
• Using GIS and scientific knowledge, government
  driven

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The Land Management Problem

• India is a biomass-based country
• Health of land linked to poverty mitigation
• Currently, gt 40 of the land is degrated
• Various socio-cultural-political-economic reasons
  for the degradation
• Is a global concern, various international and
  local initiatives ongoing.
• GIS a key element of the international programs

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The Rebirth of a River

• Driven by community end beneficiaries
• Catalyzed by a local NGO with roots in the
  university
• Indigenous and traditional knowledge.
• Sustained effort over time.
• Consciously kept away from government.
• A resounding success rebirth of river

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GIS for Land Management

• GIS used for modeling parameters effecting
  quality of land soil, slope, rainfall, burden
  on land etc
• Technology developed by scientists
• Project implemented by district staff
• End-beneficiaries communities
• Limited success achieved here

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What makes the difference?

• Nature of participatory processes
• The nature of knowledge
• Commitment of the actors
• Governmental structures that enable or constrain
  participation
• Cannot see participation on its own

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Different Levels of Participation

• Government/donors orthodox no participation
• RRA (Rapid Rural Appraisal) government/donor
  initiated
• PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal)
• Empowerment

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Challenge

• How to generalize from localized successful
  experiences?
• Both vulnerability and land management are larger
  and universal problems.
• Government structures are extensive, but in
  drawing upon them, you may stifle participation?
  That is a key dilemna