ABSTRACT
The advancement in information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the last three decades or so has created opportunities in al sectors of human society to solve the human development problem. One of the practical ways of exploring ICTs to accelerate development in remote and underserved communities is through the introduction of the concepts of Community Information Centres (CICs). CICs have contributed to accelerated development in the developed world, however investment into CICs in Africa specifical y Ghana has not yielded the expected outcome.
The study therefore explored and described the chal enges confronting the implementation of Community Information Centre (CIC) programme in Ga East Municipality in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Four objectives served as a guide in this study namely:
- To examine the nature of CIC programme and their functions in Ga East Municipality
- To explain the source that inform the construction of the ICTs at the CIC in Ga East Municipality
- To study the process used in the delivery and implementation of the CIC programme in Ga East Municipality
- To examine the key chal enges affecting the successful implementation of CIC programmes in Ga East Municipality.
The study adopted a qualitative approach relying on the interpretative phenomenological design specifical y, realistic phenomenological approach to capture the views and lived experiences of participants in the study. A total of ten participants were engaged in this study; the participants were put into two separate focused group discussions in which they discussed about their understanding of their lived experiences on the topic of the study. The study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The IPA approach was used to make sense
of the phenomenon under investigation, and explored the meanings participants‟ idiographic experiences held for them. The interpretative phenomenological analytical approach made it possible for the thematic analysis of the data. Four major findings emerged from the theme in line with the objectives set for the study namely: Firstly, the study revealed that users and centre coordinators of the CIC in Ga East Municipality were likely to approach the use of the facilities differently because both held varied perceptions about the nature of programme offered at the centre. Secondly, the fact that the centre over-relied on foreign technology without modifications to suit the ICT needs of the beneficiaries may have affected an al – inclusive participation of the beneficiaries of the CIC programme in Ga East Municipality. Thirdly the centre programme also lacked local content which affected the participation of majority of the local stakeholders in Ga East. Final y, many beneficiaries of the centre lacked access to the programme of the centre. The study therefore concluded based on these findings that the centre may have not been functioning properly as a result of the following chal enges: lack of accessibility of the programme to the beneficiaries of the centre, inappropriate technology and programme of the centre and the lack of participation of local stakeholders in the implementation of the programme of the centre.
Based on these findings the following recommendations were made including: conducting an assessment of ICT needs of the communities in Ga East, adapting the technologies procured for the centre and design suitable programmes to help address ICT needs of beneficiaries. The study also recommended to the management of the Ga East CIC to extend its collaboration efforts to private companies and civil society organizations providing these services and partner with them in the area of capacity building, logistics and operation.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background
Over the last three decades or so, the world seems to have witnessed tremendous growth in technology creating a new global knowledge driven by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (Boateng, 2012). Countries al over the world recognize the fact that ICT has a wide range of potential, this is apparent in the way it has been exploited and applied in almost every aspect of human life including governance, economics, agriculture and most particularly education (Gomez, Hunt, & Lamoreux, 1999). According to Boateng, (2012), academic digitization programmes have recently increased sharply in Africa giving rise to an astronomical growth in online higher education enrolment and rapid adoption of self-paced e-learning, making the continent one of the most dynamic e-learning markets in the world. Among the numerous opportunities created by e-learning are administrative opportunities, instructional opportunities, infrastructural opportunities, business services opportunities and student-centred opportunities (Boateng, 2012). Awotwi and Owusu (2010), have indicated that ICTs have revamped the role of extension services in providing information, education and decision-making assistance to agricultural producers.
Recent trends appear to suggest that access to information has been greatly enhanced through ICTs, creating opportunities like never before for the youth and adults to acquire knowledge and skil s that make possible continuous learning over their lifetime and improvement in their living condition (Boateng, 2012). Therefore ICTs which include radio and television as wel as newer digital technologies such as computers and the internet, have the potential to increase access to learning by helping to overcome barriers such as those of cost, time and space (Boateng, 2012). Thus, ICT has the potential to enhance education general y and in particularly Non-formal Education (NFE) and Life Long Learning (LLL). The European
Union Memorandum on Lifelong Learning highlighted the crucial role of ICT for active citizenship and employability in the 21st century (Sey & Fel ows, 2009). Furthermore, the context of globalization and the emergent „knowledge society‟, is creating increasing demand for continuing education and growing awareness of lifelong learning especial y in Africa (Boateng, 2012).
As governments in nearly al countries are putting in place mechanism to deliver more of their services over the internet (e-Governance), their private sectors are equal y making better use of the ICTs to communicate with their customers as wel as suppliers (e- commerce), and digital technology wil become not just more sophisticated, but cheaper and easier to use (Sam, 2013). The introduction of e-governance and e-commerce could impact greatly on the lives of people in both urban and rural communities. ICTs are increasingly explored and deployed to facilitate learning and create a knowledge society for citizens to acquire the requisite knowledge and competence aimed at ensuring an accelerated national development, especial y in the rural and disadvantaged communities (Sey & Fel ows, 2009). These trends suggest individuals and communities would need to use information and communication technologies to learn, solve their problems and enrich their lives.
Over the last three decades, Community Information Centres (CICs) have become the most prevalent initiative in developing countries of Africa (Oppong-Tawiah, 2010). There is no doubt that, the current global economic society in which we live necessitates intensive use of ICT to accelerate national development. The Government of Ghana is not only determined to exploit ICTs for the social and economic benefits of its citizens but also to ensure that, the benefits of ICTs are spread across the country to facilitate accelerated national development (Dzidonu, 2003). Successive governments in Ghana embarked on the development of ICT in efforts to move Ghana towards a knowledge-based society. Several initiatives to accelerate
ICT development in Ghana have been rolled out. Key among these initiatives includes
adoption of a Ghana-National ICT for Accelerated Development Policy (G-NICT4D) in 2003 and the building of a national fibre optic network (Dzidonu, 2003). These projects are targeted at rapid deployment of the national ICT infrastructure, establishment of the institutional and regulatory system for effective management of ICT sector. This would promote the use of ICT in al sectors of the economy. Some of the initiatives to promote ICT for Development include: implementation of e-governance by deploying ICT infrastructure in al government institutions, building a National data centre to consolidate data needed for decision making by the government, building regional innovation centres to promote ICT, and ensuring access to ICT at al levels of society (Ministry of Communication, 2004, Ghana Statistical Service, 2012). The contribution of ICT to gross domestic product increased from 2.3% in 2009 to 10.5% in 2011 and the industry created 3,500 additional jobs in 2011 compared to 3,050 in 2010 (National Development Planning Commission, 2011). These figures (10,5% Gross Domestic Product in 2011 and 3500 jobs in 2011), though when compared to the regional average in Africa or worldwide is low, it appears to show a promising upward growth rate of ICTs contribution to Gross Demestic Product in the not too distant future.
The government of Ghana in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Indian government, launched the first batch of Community Information Centres (CICs) throughout the country in 2005 (Ghana Integrated Fund for Electronic Communication, 2013). The CICs is a hybrid model working as a non-profit community resource centre and for-profit telecentres. The CICs are to provide ICTs access to underprivileged communities with the hope of empowering inhabitants of marginalized communities in Ghana (Ghana Integrated Fund for Electronic Communication, 2013). CICs serve as ICTs access point and support economic activities in the rural areas by providing information to users. The CICs therefore serve as strategic foundation for building an
integrated ICT for national development. The centres create ICT awareness in communities, provide ICT training to build the human resource capacities of communities and promote al e-governance projects of the Government of Ghana through partnership with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) (Abissath, 2007). A ful y operational CIC should have the following: the physical building itself with electricity and telephone facilities; a Local Area Network (LAN) with at least five (5) workstations usual y supplied by the country office of the UNDP; one server; one switch; one printer; one scanner and five (5) UPSs (Uninterruptible Power Sources). (Akakpo, 2008; UNDP, 2009).
According the Ministry of Communication, (2004) the Community Information Centres (CICs) concept in Ghana was introduced to create access to ICT infrastructure to promote ICT enabled applications and timely available information that wil promote operational efficiencies and deliver government services to the rural sectors of the country. The main goals of the CICs in Ghana are to provide community development information and business services to remote communities. Community Information Centres (CICs) offer access to: Internet enabled computers, software based on the local information needs, Fax machines, Printers, Copiers, Telephones, Television and Radios (MOC, 2004). In addition there is adjoining library with books and daily newspapers and magazines. These centres are connected at their remote locations via satel ite to the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excel ence in ICT to facilitate system management. The centres are further linked to the government portal at the Information Services Department of the Ministry of Information to facilitate government to citizen (G2C) interaction. It was stated in the MOC, (2004) that when the district portals are created, CIC‟s wil further be linked to the respective district portals for the promotion of on-line communication and services. CIC‟s wil therefore form an integral part of Ghana‟s e-government structure.
The success of CICs is key to the process of deploying ICT for accelerated national development. However, a critical study of literature on ICT projects indicated a different story about the goals for which they were established. Most of these centres have either collapsed or underutilized, for instance the CIC in Sekesua in the Upper Manya District of the Eastern Region of Ghana collapse, also the centre in Ada East in the greater Accra District, another centre in the Boku East District of the Upper East Region (Sey & Fel ows, 2009). Sey and Fel ows (2009), in an elaborate study concluded that, public access centres implemented with pro-poor agenda in the Upper East Region of Ghana for instance were underutilized. These studies on CICs only focused on what could be cal ed supply driven chal enges (i.e. CICs implementation chal enge that exist as a result of lack of supply of ICT infrastructure, technical and administrative skil s and funding) [UNDP Report, 2009].
