Digital For Development Enabling Transformation Inclusion And Sustainability Through Icts

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Development Informatics Association Conference, IDIA 2022, held in Mbombela, South Africa, in November 2022. The 20 revised full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 61 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on​ theories and practices in digital-for-development ecosystems; emerging technologies for transformation, inclusion and sustainable development; privacy and security in digital-for-development ecosystems; human-computer interaction (HCI) for digital inclusion; artificial intelligence (AI) for good.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Development Informatics Association Conference, IDIA 2022, held in Mbombela, South Africa, in November 2022. The 20 revised full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 61 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on theories and practices in digital-for-development ecosystems; emerging technologies for transformation, inclusion and sustainable development; privacy and security in digital-for-development ecosystems; human-computer interaction (HCI) for digital inclusion; artificial intelligence (AI) for good.

There are essential questions surrounding Africa's digitalization journey, including whether or not the continent can truly serve as the last frontier for socio-economic transformation through digital innovation. An examination of countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Rwanda, which are actively pursuing digitalization, may provide some answers. To evaluate the potential implications, both real and potential, that arise from this focused pursuit, a critical analysis is necessary. Scrutiny of digital infrastructure by companies like Huawei, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and the advent of quantum computing will open new pathways to understanding and establishing promising approaches to the advancement of this region. Examining the Rapid Advance of Digital Technology in Africa offers a comprehensive exploration of the transformative power of digitalization in Africa and its implications for the continent's socio-economic development. It engages with the field of science and technology studies, linking it with socio-economic impacts and transformation, to track, analyze, understand, and critique Africa's contributions to digitalization. The chapters cover a wide range of themes, including ICTs and the business environment, education, healthcare, creative industries, media, culture, tourism, agriculture, ecology, artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrency revolution, algorithmic governance, the quantum age, and urbanization. This book is a must-read for researchers, scholars, investors, and policymakers who are interested in Africa's digital transformation, as it offers valuable insights into the latest empirical and theoretical aspects shaping the continent's ongoing digitalization.

Mobile phones are close to ubiquitous in developing countries; Internet and broadband access are becoming commonplace. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) thus represent the fastest, broadest and deepest technical change experienced in international development. They now affect every development sector – supporting the work of hundreds of millions of farmers and micro-entrepreneurs; creating millions of ICT-based jobs; assisting healthcare workers and teachers; facilitating political change; impacting climate change; but also linked with digital inequalities and harms – with the pace of change continuously accelerating. Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) provides the first dedicated textbook to examine and explain these emerging phenomena. It will help students, practitioners, researchers and other readers understand the place of ICTs within development; the ICT-enabled changes already underway; and the key issues and interventions that engage ICT4D practice and strategy. The book has a three-part structure. The first three chapters set out the foundations of ICT4D: the core relation between ICTs and development; the underlying components needed for ICT4D to work; and best practice in implementing ICT4D. Five chapters then analyse key development goals: economic growth, poverty eradication, social development, good governance and environmental sustainability. Each chapter assesses the goal-related impact associated with ICTs and key lessons from real-world cases. The final chapter looks ahead to emerging technologies and emerging models of ICT-enabled development. The book uses extensive in-text diagrams, tables and boxed examples with chapter-end discussion and assignment questions and further reading. Supported by online activities, video links, session outlines and slides, this textbook provides the basis for undergraduate, postgraduate and online learning modules on ICT4D.

This book presents case studies to analyse the relationship between sustainability – environmental, social, institutional and economic – and digital innovation. The respective contributions offer a contextualisation of the main present and future trends concerning these two elements, and present analyses from economic, technical, managerial, and social perspectives alike. The individual sections of the book focus on interactions between sustainability and digital innovation in existing organisations and highlight the new opportunities, challenges and threats that may emerge as a result. The contributions are mainly based on case studies and research conducted in Europe and Africa, with a few focusing on Southeast Asia and Central America, and were prepared by experts in the fields of Information Systems, Computer Science, Social Development, and Economics.

Information and Communication Technology for Sustainable Development shows how ICT, as an enabler for all spheres of development, can help innovate business processes and operations, and provide faster integration of new technologies into business systems. Focused on sustainability, the book addresses strategic approaches to cope with a range of climatic, environmental, cyber-security threats and other global risks, and aims to promote prosperity and economic growth. Furthermore, it explores how the adoption of new technologies, and collective action based upon a strategic behavioral theory of new leadership, can be applied when responding to specific set of conditions that allow for the proposed strategies to cope with risks. Information technology and strategic planning complement each other to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Risk management frameworks, business continuity systems, and strategic planning methodologies such as mechanism design theory, strategic adaptive cognition (SAC), and risk mechanism theory (RMT) are the fundamental components needed to have a universal approach embedded into the national development plans agenda. As technology no longer follows an orderly, linear path, but improves exponentially, developing a strategic approach to ICT implementation help world leaders in the difficult but inspiring task of making a sustainable world and consequently find solutions to achieve the SDGs and the desired growth pattern that must be sustained, inclusive and equitable. Features: Discusses for the first time the potential of ICT as a transformative power in finding solutions to climatic and economic issues. Illustrates comprehensive strategic planning for leaders to implement in both public and private organizations. Integrates standards and frameworks in the context of sustainable development along with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Describes in detail how mechanism design, risk management, business continuity systems, a comprehensive strategic planning using SAC (Strategic Adaptive Cognition) and risk mechanism theory can be used to address environmental risks and attain sustainable development goals (SDGs). Explains eHealth as an adaptation strategy to address future changes in climate and impacts, and the links between mitigation and adaptation to ICTs.

ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide: Theory and Perspectives focuses on Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), which includes any technology used for communication and information. This publication researches the social side of computing, the users, and the design of systems that meet the needs of "ordinary" users.

For this issue, we reflect back on almost 20 years of ICT Update (nearly 100 issues). ICT Update’s objective has always been to capture contemporary developments in ICTs for agriculture; the trends, latest technologies and stories from the field. By looking back, we can see significant changes in the ICT4Ag landscape, and draw lessons on how to move forward and address ongoing challenges for inclusion, adoption and innovation. This issue highlights three of ICT Update’s recurring themes: learning; barriers for inclusion and adoption of ICTs; and innovation and entrepreneurship.

In recent years, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have gained significant importance and become vital to the operations of both organizations and individuals. However, there are numerous factors that have affected the adoption of ICTs including access and accessibility barriers, political participation, and social empowerment. This has attracted the attention of researchers who are interested in understanding the socioeconomic influences of ICT adoption and how these technologies impact the infrastructure of modern organizational activities. Recent Developments in Individual and Organizational Adoption of ICTs is a collection of innovative research on the methods of organizational and infrastructural advancement through the application of information and communication technologies. While highlighting topics including internet banking, supply chain management, and e-government services, this book is ideally designed for managers, researchers, policymakers, politicians, business practitioners, educators, decision scientists, strategists, and students seeking current research on the socioeconomic impact of ICT adoption.