ICTD in Practice

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the many dynamic and interdisciplinary skills that are required for successful practice in the field of ICTD.

Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICTD) is the broad study of information technology to alleviate poverty and stimulate development (economic, social, and human) in developing and transitional countries. In the last 15 years, there has been an exponential expansion in the number of ICTD projects, but insufficient human skills to design and manage them, leading to a “forever-pilot” culture and a rather dismal failure rate. Successful oversight of these projects requires a combination of interdisciplinary and dynamic skills. This course serves to introduce students to these skills under three areas of competencies:

A. Contextual: Broader conceptual, policy-level frameworks of understanding the landscape of ICTD.

B. Technical: The different ways in which ICTs, through e-applications, can contribute to socioeconomic development. While specific computer skills are important, this course given its broad reach will focus on applications.

C. Management: Methods and techniques of project program planning and management, including assessment, design, funding, implementation, and evaluation.

Along with these areas, we will explore cross-cutting themes such as politics, gender, culture, and the reality of development work.

Students will be introduced to these skills through lectures and discussions (face-to face and online), as well as application to cases (possibly live consulting cases). Expect to have a lot of fun while working hard — not unlike development work in real life!