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15 ICT4D Solutions Transforming Health, Education, Agriculture Sectors in International Development

Wayan Vota

ICTworks (2025)

"This analysis examines current implementations and emerging trends across international development sectors like health, education, and agriculture. Digital solutions are fostering innovation, improving service delivery, and enhancing economic opportunities. As we move deeper into the digital age, ... more

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Human Development and the Data Revolution
Deep Insights

Sanna Ojanperä, Eduardo López, Mark Graham (eds.)

Oxford: Oxford University Press (2025), xi, 294 pp.

"Human Development and the Data Revolution tackles a topic that in the age of data and digitalization has become timely in global development: what are the potential uses of large-scale data in the contexts of development, in particular, what techniques, data sources, and possibilities exist for har ... more

Google Scholar (112)

WorldCat (129)

L’essor des technologies numériques en Côte d’Ivoire: Réalités et enjeux

Jean-Jacques Maomra Bogui

Paris: L'Harmattan (2025), 227 pp.

"Au début du troisième millénaire, la Côte d’Ivoire, à l’instar d’autres pays africains, au sortir de sommets internationaux, tirant la « sonnette d’alarme » sur la nécessité de combler le fossé numérique entre le Sud et le Nord, va prendre des initiatives en vue de favoriser la p ... more

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2025 State of Humanitarian and Development Cybersecurity Report: Continued progress, but more is needed to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats

Meheret Takele Mandefro, Ivy Gathu, Nino Hares, Daniela Weber, Dianna Langley

NetHope (2025), 37 pp.

"This report reveals a notable rise in perceived cybersecurity risk within the nonprofit sector, with 70% of organizations reporting an increased cyber risk profile in 2025, up from 51% in 2024. Encouragingly, confidence in managing these risks has also improved, with 56% of organizations feeling co ... more

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Giving Thanks: Top 15 Digital Development Blogs Focused on LMICs

Wayan Vota

ICTworks, November 27 (2025)

"Analysis of the 15 most influential ICT4D blogs reveals three dominant meta-themes reshaping the field in the last few years. None of these topics should surprise long-term ICTworks readers: responsible AI deployment and governance; digital public infrastructure as foundational systems; critical po ... more

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Digital Progress and Trends Report 2025: Strengthening AI Foundations

Washington, DC: World Bank (2025), xix, 111 pp.

"The recent rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has outpaced society's ability to fully grasp its implications. Unlike technological shifts that have unfolded over decades, AI's integration is accelerating at an unprecedented speed and scale. Along with AI's immense opportunities come ne ... more

Addressing power dynamics in participatory AI for crisis-affected communities: A case-study from Kakuma refugee camp

Sarah W. Spencer et al.

London: CDAC Network, beta version (2025), 8 pp.

"While calls for participatory artificial intelligence (AI) are increasing, there has been an absence of efforts to engage conflict- and crisis-affected communities in the design, delivery and governance of AI solutions in humanitarian contexts. Without meaningful participation, humanitarian AI solu ... more

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How-to note: Co-designing AI solutions with crisis-affected communities (beta version)

Sarah W. Spencer, Helen McElhinney, Michael Tjalve, Anjali Mazumder

CDAC Network; Alan Turing Institute; Humanitarian Advisory AI (2025), 17 pp.

"This how-to note offers practical guidance for humanitarian actors seeking to co-design AI solutions with crisis-affected communities. This is related to, though not intended to support the technical co-design of AI models, though there is a significant amount of research on this subject. This how- ... more

Google Scholar (112)

WorldCat (131)

Technocolonialism: When Technology for Good is Harmful

Mirca Madianou

Cambridge: Polity Press (2025), vii, 248 pp.

"With over 300 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and with emergencies and climate disasters becoming ever more common, AI and big data are being championed as a force for good and as a solution to the complex challenges of the aid sector. This book argues, on the contrary, that digit ... more

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Principles for Digital Development
Key Guides

Principles for Digital Development Working Group (2024)

"The Principles for Digital Development serve as a compass for those working to promote sustainable and inclusive development in today’s complex digital landscape. Using these Principles as a starting point, policymakers, practitioners, and technologists will be better equipped to ensure that all ... people can benefit from digital initiatives and from the broader digital society. Originally developed in 2014, the Principles are officially endorsed by more than 300 organizations, including donors, international organizations, and civil society organizations. During the first decade (2014-2024), they widely influenced funder procurement policies and the design and implementation of development programs. In 2024, the Principles were updated in consultation with a diverse set of individuals and organizations. Through this effort, the community expressed the need for the Principles to better reflect that people today largely interact with technology outside of development programs. Today, all people – even those who do not yet have access to or use technology – live in societies that are increasingly shaped by digital ecosystems that can bring both immense benefit and immense harm. Therefore, the refreshed Principles recognize the need for radical inclusion and local ownership; elevate issues arising from the generation and use of digital data; emphasize that open approaches to innovation can support the realization of the nine Principles; and intentionally speak to the original audience while resonating further with the full diversity of individuals and organizations that exert power over the design, deployment, and governance of digital systems and solutions. The Principles are mutually reinforcing, as they emphasize the actions needed to ensure no one is left behind in an increasingly digital world." Ultimately, when designing and implementing a policy, solution, system, or intervention, endorsers of these Principles commit, at minimum, to do no harm, and at best, to ensure their work maximizes the agency of people and communities to drive their own development. To achieve these objectives, each endorser will define how these Principles can be operationalized in their work, sphere of influence, and specific initiative. " (Introduction) more

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AI for social good and the corporate capture of global development

Gianluca Lazzolino, Nicole Stremlau

Information Technology for Development, volume 30, issue 4 (2024), pp. 626-643

"This article focuses on the AI for Social Good (AI4SG) movement, which aims to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It argues that, through AI4SG, Big Tech is attempting to advance AIdriven technosolut ... more

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Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA): Ghana

Reyn Anderson, Yaroslav Eferin, Kate Gromova, Vlad Manoil, Victor Teppeh

USAID, Digital Frontiers Project, external version (2024), 149 pp.

"Ghana is among Sub-Saharan Africa’s leaders in digital transformation. Over the past decade, the government has put the key institutions, legislative frameworks, strategies, and policies in place that are necessary to drive change. The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization leads and coord ... inates development and implementation of a core set of policies and strategies that are digitally transforming the government, economy, and society. The ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Policy has guided this journey for more than a decade. A new Digital Economy Policy is drafted and under review to drive the next stage of Ghana’s digital development. The National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy and the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy have also been key. Ghana adopted an inclusive approach to developing its cybersecurity strategy, which contributed to improved cybersecurity capacity and considered citizens’ online safety and freedoms. However, a clear strategy for protecting critical national infrastructure is missing. Ghana has been a pioneer and champion of digital government transformation in West Africa over the past decade, with funding and support from the World Bank. Important whole-of-government platforms and services have been put in place, including the Government Wide Area Network (GWAN), which provides internet connection to more than 1,000 district assemblies, hospitals, police stations, and post offices across the country; a National Data Center; the Smart workplace suite, which includes email and productivity tools for government employees; and Ghana.gov portal, a one-stop-shop for citizen services. Still, digital government transformation is incomplete. Easy, efficient, online government services are in demand, but the Ghana.gov portal options are limited, and most major government service providers have their own separate online services portals. The national identity Ghana Card could enhance digital service delivery by providing a universally recognized, secure, and easy-to-use means of digital identification and authentication for citizens when accessing both public and private digital services, but the current identification system is not integrated with other government-operated databases, significantly reducing its many potential applications. The Regional Coordinating Councils, and metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) are just now embarking on the digital transformation journey. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development coordinates their efforts. Challenges for Ghana’s remaining efforts at digital government transformation include adequate funding to manage and maintain its connectivity and data center infrastructure, affordable internet for regional governments, inadequate digital literacy and skills among mid-level and regional staff, or related national training programs. A big skill gap exists in cybersecurity; Ghana faces a deficit of skilled cybersecurity professionals. The government also needs to improve efforts at stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising when developing new policy proposals." (Executive summary, pages 11-12) more

Google Scholar (105)

WorldCat (98)

Imaging and Assessing Mobile Technology for Development

Richard Musabe, John Sören Pettersson (eds.)

Newcastle upon Tyne (UK): Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2024), xvi, 186 pp.

"Several studies have already depicted the development of M4D and of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), and that will not be repeated here. However, as this collection of chapters have sprung out from one of the M4D conferences – the M4D 2022 in Kigali – some notes ... on what have been salient at different conferences can be made. If we start with the M4D in Senegal 2014, we can see that from that conference stems a book where the chapters “initiate evocative conversations on how mobile technologies can contribute to expanding mobile participation practices” (Wamala-Larsson, Hellström, and Scharff 2015, 12). In Mozambique, in 2016, there were some contributions connecting to radio and TV technology; the M4D 2018 conference in Uganda included some papers on how utilities can be backed by subscription schemes via mobile services, as well as by apps where citizens can report dysfunctions and illicit use. The M4D 2020 did not take place, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the possibility of running a conference on site and it was postponed to 2022, when Rwanda saw the first blended M4D conference. The Zoom presence for several dozen participants over three days went very well and, via two cameras and two large screens at the venue site, they blended in well at the conference. The IT maturing effect caused by the pandemic was thus noticeable. Among the presentations it was noticeable that the Internet of Things and drones, often blended with machine learning, are now imaginable as “mobile technology”. Of course, drones are always mobile, and IoT sensors often travel with cargo, but it was the realisation of the affordability of these technologies for food chain, livestock, and crop management, combined with their reliance on mobile phone networks to make use of farmers’ photos and senor data, that made such presentations appropriate at a conference that focuses on affordable communication technology. While technology is a prerequisite, in this volume, based on selected contributions to that conference, we will balance some imaginations with some assessments. The focus will not be on the “new” M4D, even though we acknowledge that it is time to set up demonstration farms with IoT and machine learning, as pointed out by Ronald Katamba from Uganda in an interview (Pettersson and Rehema 2022, 145), and books are now published on Applying Drone Technologies and Robotics for Agricultural Sustainability (Raj, Saini, and Pacheco 2023, with examples from India and Zimbabwe; see also FAO and ITU 2022). Instead, the chapters selected for this book adhere to the theme of knowledge dissemination and knowledge development, as mentioned already. One chapter was invited to report from the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things, hosted by the University of Rwanda in Kigali, to illustrate the efforts to build native technological competence on an advanced level. That chapter simultaneously demonstrates the growing pan-African collaboration in the academic infrastructuring project." (Foreword, pages x-xi) more

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Rural communication services for family farming in Asia and the Pacific: Regional consultation and forum

Rome: FAO (2024), x, 41 pp.

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Error 404, farmer not found: Why agricultural information services must consider how smallholders use their phones

Jonathan Steinke et al.

Alliance of Bioversity International; International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); CGIAR (2024), 7 pp.

"Numerous barriers hinder mobile information services in delivering information effectively to smallholder farmers. Many of these barriers can be explained by farmers’ habits in using their phones. Therefore, carefully considering how exactly farmers use their phones in specific local context is c ... more

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The perils of ‘tech for good’ lie in its politics of helping

Lisa Ann Richey, Adam Moe Fejerskov

Big Data & Society, issue October–December (2024), 5 pp.

"Vexing political questions of power, inequality and coloniality permeate the tech sector and its growing use of global ‘virtual’ assembly lines that see them penetrate even refugee camps in efforts to extract value. As a response, tech companies have been expanding non-commercial activities wit ... more

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5 Lessons Learned Running a Chatbot Service for Social Good
Deep Insights

Isabelle Amazon-Brown, David Cole

ICTworks (2024)

"ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization focused on fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases, particularly in Africa. ONE had been using mobile technologies to reach new audiences since 2012, leveraging SMS, USSD, IVR and mobile-optimized websites to provide a simple and easy for cit ... more

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15 ICT4D Solutions Transforming Health, Education, Agriculture Sectors in International Development

Human Development and the Data Revolution
Deep Insights

L’essor des technologies numériques en Côte d’Ivoire: Réalités et enjeux

2025 State of Humanitarian and Development Cybersecurity Report: Continued progress, but more is needed to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats

Giving Thanks: Top 15 Digital Development Blogs Focused on LMICs

Digital Progress and Trends Report 2025: Strengthening AI Foundations

Addressing power dynamics in participatory AI for crisis-affected communities: A case-study from Kakuma refugee camp

How-to note: Co-designing AI solutions with crisis-affected communities (beta version)

Technocolonialism: When Technology for Good is Harmful

Principles for Digital Development
Key Guides

AI for social good and the corporate capture of global development

Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA): Ghana

Imaging and Assessing Mobile Technology for Development

Rural communication services for family farming in Asia and the Pacific: Regional consultation and forum

Error 404, farmer not found: Why agricultural information services must consider how smallholders use their phones

The perils of ‘tech for good’ lie in its politics of helping

5 Lessons Learned Running a Chatbot Service for Social Good
Deep Insights

Connected farmers: A casebook of good practices and inspiring stories from Europe and Central Asia

E-empowerment tips for facilitators: Information and communication technologies for farmer field schools

Rural communication services: Trends and experiences in Asia and the Pacific

Human Development and the Data Revolution Deep Insights

Principles for Digital Development Key Guides

5 Lessons Learned Running a Chatbot Service for Social Good Deep Insights

Human Development and the Data Revolution
Deep Insights

Principles for Digital Development
Key Guides

5 Lessons Learned Running a Chatbot Service for Social Good
Deep Insights