Systems Development and Developing Countries: The Question of Participation Sundeep Sahay

Systems Development and Developing Countries: The Question

of ParticipationSundeep Sahay

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

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

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

Implications in IS

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

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?

Two case studies

• South Africa – health care sector

• India – GIS fo land management

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

What is vulnerability?

Not having ‘time to play’

“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

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.

an increasing number of children in

distress

Problem to be addressed at two interconnected levels:

•Need the commitment of government and society

•Information system that includes vulnerability

How to address

vulnerability?

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.

Information system is a necessary condition for advocacy and influence

Addressing vulnerability

using information

systems

Orphans and vulnerable children are the least visible in our current information systems.

“.. 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.”

History of information

systems development

• 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

Implications of human

rights based approach •Obligatory

•Systemic and structural conditions - capacity development

•Participation

Participation - Points of departure

from conventional

approach

•Politics of participation

•Participation of community

Further steps in my

research – Empirical

work

•Okhahlamba, KwaZulu-Natal

Understanding vulnerability and how to measure it;

Defining objectives and developing indicators

•National

Exploring vulnerability with children, key policy makers and advocators for children

Audit of existing formal information systems on vulnerability

Special thanks to

…….

Sundeep Sahay,

Uta Lehmann,

UNICEF,

Child Survival Project,

British Commonwealth

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

The Indian Example

• Information systems for land management– ”Rebirth of river” using traditional knowledge,

community driven– Using GIS and scientific knowledge,

government driven

The Land Management Problem

• India is a ”biomass-based” country• Health of land linked to poverty mitigation• Currently, > 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

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”

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

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

Different Levels of Participation

• Government/donors – orthodox – no participation

• RRA (Rapid Rural Appraisal) – government/donor initiated

• PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal)

• Empowerment

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