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 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.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Gigler, Bjorn-Soren
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2011-03
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 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19011
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