Success and failure of ICT for economic development (ICT4EcD) projects in the Global South: Scoping review of underlying factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23962/ajic.i36.24415Keywords:
information and communication technology (ICT), ICT for development (ICT4D), ICT for economic development (ICT4EcD), Global South, success factors, failure factorsAbstract
Information and communication technology for economic development (ICT4EcD) initiatives in Global Southern contexts encounter numerous challenges that can hinder the achievement of stated project objectives. Available evidence suggests that these projects tend to end in failure more often than success. This scoping review identified the factors from the existing literature that can contribute to the success or failure of such initiatives. The study employed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology to identify and analyse 20 articles. The following seven interconnected factors were identified as contributing to project success: collaboration and partnerships; careful policy and planning; contextual understanding; capacity-building and sustainability measures; a community-centric approach; appropriate design and alignment; and incremental implementation. The seven factors contributing to project failure were identified as: a lack of contextual understanding; policy and planning deficiencies; inadequate capacity-building and sustainability measures; resource and dependency challenges; a lack of user participation; harmful power dynamics; and a limited socio-cultural understanding. The findings reveal the multiple complexities at play in ICT4EcD initiatives in the Global South, with success factors and failure factors often interconnecting and thus potentially counteracting each other. Also revealed is the critical significance of contextual understanding in determining whether a project succeeds or fails. While the presence of contextual understanding is not a guarantee of project success, its absence tends to exacerbate multiple negative factors, increasing the likelihood of project failure.
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