OneWorld.net (U.S.)

The Report on Information and Communications Technologies for Development: a comparative analysis of impacts and costs from India is based on six case studies of eGovernment activities in India: 1. Akshaya, Malappuram, Kerala; 2. Drishtee’s soochana kendras, Sirsa, Haryana; 3. MSSRF Information Village Research project, Pondicherry; 4. Rural E-seva, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh; 5. Sustainable Access in Rural India (SARI), Madurai, Tamilnadu; 6. Bhoomi brought out by the International Institute of Information Technology - Bangalore. The found that the projects were a mix of successes and failures, and none could be definitively defined as either.

The Pondicherry kiosks, for example, were successful in localizing content and involving ‘the poorest of the poor’, women, and members of backward groups. Yet, since the project neither aspired for nor attained financial sustainability, it would be listed as a ‘failure’ if financial sustainability is a criterion for success.

In addition, within a project, different groups involved may define success differently and work towards it in different ways. The Chiraag kiosks and Thagavalagams in the SARI project are a case in point. n-Logue believes that the financial viability of the Chiraag kiosks will lead to economic and social development in the villages they serve; DHAN sees the project as a developmental experiment and focuses on establishing its kiosks as community assets.

According to DHAN, financial sustainability will follow from this. Thus, the two models differ significantly in what they see as their goals and, consequently, in what they see as their ‘success’ and ‘failure.’

View full report: at development gateway