ICT, Local Government Capacity Building, and Civic Engagement

Published in Perspectives on Global Development and Technology in 2002, this paper evaluates how a regional network (LRNet) in Ghana contributed to political decentralisation, enhancing the capacity of the local government to perform its functions, promoting transparency, and serving as a mechanism of civic engagement in political process. The study develops an integrated analytical perspective of information and communication technology
(ICT) by evaluating different dimensions (material/technical, cognitive/psychological variables; and social/political factors) of the process of adoption and use of LRNet for governance reform. Researcher found that network failures, limited connectivity and use, and unbalanced power dynamics hampered the efficient implementation of LRNet. This case study concludes that efficiency of ICT use for democratic governance is contingent on external conditions, personnel attitudes, and resource capabilities of the organisation.

Evaluation/Research Methodologies:

The research was designed in a manner to encapsulate three dimensions of a process of technology adoption and use: (1) material/technical; (2) cognitive/psychological variables; and (3) social/political factors. To ensure stronger results combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the research used the following data collection techniques: personal, unstructured interviews, surveys and on-site observations, and secondary data analysis.

Two waves of data collection took place. The first wave included interviews with officials of the donor agency to identify the purpose of the initiative, why Ghana and the particular administrative region were chosen, responsibilities of the donor agency, assessment of performance, medium- and long-term goals and expectations.

The second wave focused on the districts in the region covered by LRNet. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select six districts (urban districts with electricity, n=2; small rural districts with, n=2; and rural districts without electricity, n=2). Interviews with each district chief and planner officer explored the nature and pace of decentralisation in their districts; changes in planning, budgeting and information exchanged; citizens' access to information; and challenges being faced. Data processing managers were interviewed to find out what kinds of ICT equipment were in use; their capacity and quality; whether the packages were customised or generic; and the districts' administrative needs. Finally, the LRNet manager was interviewed to find out more about the project's overall achievements, challenges, future direction, and sustainability.

Workers representing 10% of the districts' workforce, users and non-users of LRNet, were randomly selected from personnel lists of constituent departments. They were asked to complete a self-administered survey dealing with issues of organisational changes brought by LRNet, who had access to it and why, network's influence on their own work, and their assessment of its performance and sustainability.

Data from the interviews and surveys allowed inferences to be made about relationships between ICTs, decentralisation, power relations, efficacy of initiatives and other related issues. Open coding was used to group information into categories to help organise relationships between them. Discursive/narrative analysis seeking text's meanings was employed to bring out issues that did not lend themselves to enumeration (e.g. power relations).

Key Findings/Impact:

The evaluation found that the projects as executed at the district level lacked relevant infrastructural and equipment capabilities to deliver the services envisaged. The shortcomings included poor telecommunications facilities and low capability computer modems, which resulted in poor connectivity and absent of equipment necessary to deal with power fluctuations and outages.

At the cognitive/psychological dimension of the process, failure in soliciting inputs from local partners on technical needs, an inadequate and uncoordinated training mechanism, and the absence of the promoters of the network undermined the efficient functioning and use of LRNet. In fact, the low usage of the network among the officials had created a psychological barrier for the development of a culture of use among local government organisations, effectively halting possibilities to development applications for local governance.

Finally, the power imbalance between international experts of the donor organisation and its local counterparts prevented the latter from voicing concerns (e.g., the less inclusive access policy, which restricted the use to certain segments of the bureaucrats). Such condition prevented district assemblies from being part of the network, and hampered possibilities to developed social uses such as civic journalism. In sum, the findings of the study supported the view that computers by themselves cannot achieve organisational goals but they demand an enabling environment that supports their use.