• Telecentres & kiosks

Telecentres and kiosks

India has a large number of projects which use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for poverty alleviation and good governance. However, most of these projects have remained in a perpetual pilot stage. In this context, this study seeks to identify the conditions under which rural ICT projects for poverty alleviation can be scaled up for wider implementation. It evaluates 18 community telecentre projects in India along the four key constructs relating to their potential for scaling up. The constructs are:

• project design
• community participation
• project outcomes
• contextual political economy

The central finding of the study is that the scaling up of a successful ICT project depends on the extent to which the recipient community accepts the project in its day-to-day life. Community acceptance in turn depends on the quality of the project staff with whom the community interacts.

Other findings of the study include

• external factors such as political will, social awareness, business imperatives and the availability of resources affect the rate at which the projects can be scaled up
  
• financial soundness and effective public private partnerships positively contribute to scaling up potential
  
• use of low cost technology and provision of a wider range of integrated services also contribute to scaling up of the projects by enhancing their community acceptance
  
• the role of project champions is crucial for the launch of the projects but not in their scaling up

One of the key practical implications of the study is that a higher priority should be given to the selection, training, support and development of the project staff if the rural ICT projects for poverty alleviation are to be eventually scaled into a wider implementation.

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