ICT and information dissemination

Information and communication technology (ICT) provides an appealing technological solution for development interventions, one that can efficiently deliver services to large numbers of underserved people in hard to reach places.

ICT has sometimes been heralded as a revolution for agricultural development. The Market Development Facility’s (MDF) experience highlights that strategic, well-targeted ICT interventions can deliver meaningful impacts. Where appropriate technology exists, these interventions can overcome geographic barriers that hamper more conventional interventions.

ICT is considered an effective means of reaching large numbers of people with information, ideas and advice—helping to overcome some of the geographical and cultural barriers to large scale interventions. It reduces the need for expensive and time-consuming one-on-one communication methods. However, this paper contends that ICT is not a panacea. It should complement face-to-face interaction, but it cannot replace it entirely. ICT can relay a diverse range of information, but not every type of information relayed can or will be used effectively by its recipients without also being packaged in a way that is relevant to the end user. Often, tailored and context-driven content, communicated by voices that users recognise or relate to, is crucial in ensuring that information is actually understood and used.

The paper presents some of the lessons learned from the MDF’s ICT interventions in Pakistan. It explores an example of one ICT-focused intervention, the conditions that were considered when designing the intervention, and the extent to which these conditions contributed to its effectiveness.