by Jayne Cravens
via coyotecommunications.com & coyoteboard.com (same web site)

My ICT4D-Related Resources

Information Communications & Technology for Development (ICT4D) refers to the application of ICT to economic development, humanitarian aid & development, & to causes that help empower a particular demographic or all people to address challenges, have greater access to education, protect their environment, etc. It is a term popularized by various United Nations initiatives.

Examples of ICT4D:

Activities to help build the digital literacy skills of an underserved group (seniors, women living in rural areas, etc.).
A computer lab open to the public at a public library.
An app to help refugees navigate various challenges.
Farmers working with drones and GIS to gather information that can help estimate crop yields with real-time satellite data.
An app that allows people to track and report on birds in people's yards.
Producing IT materials in local languages.
Smart phones used to organize activists in real time.

I've been focused on ICT4D since the 1990s, before I had ever heard the term. No matter what jobs I've had, ICT4D has played some kind of role. ICT4D doesn't get talked about nearly as much as it used to, but it's still a subject that it's important all over the world - and in almost any community, even those that might seem somewhat affluent.

Below are some of the ICT4D-related resources I've produced over the years.

Women's Access to Public Internet Access in Transitional and Developing Countries.
Home and family obligations, lack of transportation, low-literacy and perceived lack of value keep many women and girls from accessing public Internet access points in developing and transitional countries. But there's another factor that is rarely talked about: in developing and transitional countries in particular, many of these public access points can be male-dominated, with mostly male users and few -- or no -- female users, and for many women, particularly women in developing countries, this makes the public access point off-limits to them. This new web page advocates for women-only Internet centers, or women-only hours at such, and offers resources to support such efforts. This page was born out of an online event / discussion on TechSoup in 2003.
Volunteers: Essential to ICT projects in developing countries
Why the UNITeS initiative believed that volunteers are an essential and fundamental element to the success of information and communications technology (ICT) efforts in underdeveloped communities.
Advice for staffing a community technology center.
This is Chapter 4 from the August 14, 2000 version of the Community Technology Center Start-Up Manual, published by the Community Technology Center Network - CTCNet. While community technology centers and community computer labs have, for the most part, come and gone, these guidelines are still quite valid and easy to adapt for any Tech4Good / tech capacity-building initiative, such as one at a senior center, a youth community center, a library, even a community of faith (church, temple, mosque, etc.).
Recommendations for UN & UNDP in Ukraine to use Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and Other Social Media to Promote Reconciliation, Social Inclusion, & Peace-Building in Ukraine (PDF). This is a draft document I submitted to UNDP Ukraine just before I left Kyiv in October 2014, having completed my term there as a "Surge" Communications Advisor. This draft document offers considerations and recommendations for social media messaging that promotes reconciliation, social inclusion, and peace-building in Ukraine. It provides ideas for messaging related to promoting tolerance, respect and reconciliation in the country, and messaging to counter bigotry, prejudice, inequality, misperception and misconceptions about a particular group of people or different people among Ukrainians as a whole. I know that social media tools have changed a lot since then, but I still think this resource has a lot of valid advice.

Tips for staying in contact with remote staff in developing countries / conflict zones.
Many factors stand in the way of trying to stay in contact with field staff at projects in rural or conflicted areas in developing countries. In this resource, I reviewed various challenges faced by people in a main office in getting data from field staff working in humanitarian / development / aid initiatives, and how to address those challenges.

Using Whats App or Similar Direct Messaging Apps in Volunteer Support & Engagement.
Includes examples, how to get started, and evaluating if this is something you should explore.
Handheld computer technologies in community service/volunteering/advocacy.
This was a pioneering article, published in October 2001. It provides early examples of volunteers/citizens/grass roots advocates using handheld computer/personal digital assistants (PDAs) or phone devices as part of community service/volunteering/advocacy, or examples that could be applied to volunteer settings. It was originally part of the UNITeS online knowledge base. It anticipated the popularity of smart phones and #apps4good, talking about these concepts long before they had these names.
Instant Messaging and Volunteers.
This was a pioneering article, published in November 2002 and originally part of the UNITeS online knowledge base. It outlines the benefits of using Instant Messaging with volunteers, and offers suggestions for success based on UNV staff's own experience using IM with volunteers all over the world.
Contributions to the UNESCO Multimedia Training Kit.
The UNV staff managing the UNITeS initiative was invited to prepare a module on volunteers in telecentres and community media organizations for the UNESCO Multimedia Training Kit (MMTK). The module includes a slide show presentation, exercises, case studies and trainer notes.
UNITeS/UNV@ the WSIS in Geneva - 2003.
UNV staff and volunteers were in high profile at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva in 2003, creating one of the busiest and most-talked about booths (a mock telecenter) in the exhibit area, hosting live onsite and online events, speaking at the official plenary, and working to contribute to the WSIS Declaration of Principles and Action Plan.
UNV ICT4D Assignments.
This resource is not on my web site; the link will take you to the archived page at archive.org. As part of its mission to promote the role of volunteers in information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D), UNITeS profiled related activities by UN Volunteers who are serving or have served in the field. These profiles are presented by country.
Lessons from NetAid and onlinevolunteering.org.
Some key learnings from directing the UN's Online Volunteering service from February 2001 to February 2005, including support materials for those using the service to host online volunteers.
How to take photos in a culturally-sensitive manner, particularly with regard to respect for local customs regarding women, and to meet various needs, e.g. to show female participation. This resource was developed in 2007, for Afghan staff working out of an Afghanistan government agency, and is adaptable for various cultural settings.
Tech4Causes.
An online community on Reddit - a subreddit - for the discussion of examples, resources and ideas for applying apps and online tools to activities supporting causes that help humans and the environment. It's a place to discuss hackathons / hacks4good, apps4good, community tech centers, ICT4D, ethics regarding such, etc., and even for-profit companies that have deveoped something tech-related that is having an impact in developing countries, microbusinesses, farmers, etc. It's also a place to discuss how a nonprofit, NGO or community program you work or volunteer with is leveraging ICT - computers, smart phones, online communities, apps, special software - to do its work. This is a subject I have been focused on since the 1990s.
ICT4D Subreddit.
An online community on Reddit - a subreddit - for the discussion of Information Communications & Technology for Development (ICT4D).
United Nations Tech4Good / ICT4D Initiatives.
a list of the various United Nations initiatives that have been launched since 2000 to promote the use of computers, feature phones, smart phones and various networked devices in development and humanitarian activities, to promote digital literacy and equitable access to the "information society," and to bridge the digital divide. My goal in creating this page is to help researchers, as well as to remind current UN initiatives that much work regarding ICT4D has been done by various UN employees, consultants and volunteers for more than 15 years (and perhaps longer?).
Defunct Tech4Good web sites, and other sites, I still refer to.
Organizations that are gone but I still use their old web sites Defunct websites, or web sites of now defunct organizations, still available on the Internet Wayback Machine. Note that many of these URLs may still be functional, but have long been taken over by other companies, including porn sites. To see the original web sites. cut and paste a URL into archive.org and look for the earliest version of the web site. Most of these started being abandoned in 2002.
Non-IT Staff Taking the Lead on the Exploration of Technology Use.
An IT professional is not always the best person to *lead* at a mission-based organization regarding use of information communications technologies (ICTs) to meet the organization's mission and help staff members do their jobs. Originally published in Tech4Impact.
Introducing New Technology Successfully into an Agency
and Why Your Agency Needs a Technology Plan.
Many mission-based organizations invest considerable resources in computer hardware, software and staff training for computerized systems that then end up being under-utilized and failing to live up to their vast potential, because the staff had unrealistic expectations for the technology, or they never bought in to the idea of the technology in the first place. Many agencies also don't create technology plans, and end up engaging in crisis management that effects fund raising, staffing and the agency's mission-based activities. This tip sheet provides an overview of the reasons to computerize or upgrade a system, the disadvantages and risks, getting staff buy-in, and links to other resources.
Early History of Nonprofits & the Internet.
The Internet has always been about people and organizations networking with each other, sharing ideas and comments, and collaborating online. It has always been interactive and dynamic. And there were many nonprofit organizations who "got" it early -- earlier than many for-profit companies. So I've attempted to set the record straight: I've prepared a web page that talks about the early history of nonprofits and the Internet. It focuses on 1995 and previous years. It talks a little about what nonprofits were using the cyberspace for as well at that time and lists the names of key people and organizations who helped get nonprofit organizations using the Internet in substantial numbers in 1995 and before. Edits and additions are welcomed.
Stages of Maturity in Nonprofit Orgs Using Online Services.
What does a networking technology-savvy nonprofit organization look like? To help nonprofits think about networking tech standards they should pursue, and possible goals for the future, I've created this assessment of the states of maturity for a nonprofit organization's use of networking/online technologies.
This web page is no longer updated.
A New Nonprofit's First Online Steps (& some software tips as well).
You are leading a brand new nonprofit, charity, NGO or other community group. You have the basics for your program's existence in place: your board of directors, your business plan covering what you want to achieve in the first year and how you will do that, and you've filed, or are filing, your by-laws and other paperwork with the state and the IRS. But now, in addition to all of the other things you need to do next, you also need to take some first steps in terms of being online and what software you need to buy. This web page can help you.
Fundraising for Technology.
How to get a foundation or angel donor to buy laptops, tablets or smart phones for a nonprofit or charity is a frequently asked question on numerous online discussion groups. Can it really be done? This resource offers realistic advice.

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