| "Many of the assumptions underpinning current thinking on ICTs in development are based on intuition rather than analysis... The danger is that, without better understanding of the real impact of ICTs on both national economies and community development, the pursuit of over-ambitious, unrealistic goals may mean that resources are misapplied and worthwhile objectives missed." -- (OECD-DAC. 2004); In the second half of the 20th Century, rapid developments in Information and Communications technologies (ICTs) have seen the evolution of an "information revolution" which supports and drives an increasingly global economy. In this context, the world recognizes a new form of poverty -- ''information poverty" -- as developing countries struggle to obtain the infrastructure, skills and other requisites to be participants in that revolution. Increasingly, aid programs to developing countries are focusing on the role that ICTs can play in economic and social development. However the ongoing debate about this role highlights a need for a greater understanding of how donor and recipient countries conceptualize ICTs and their impact on development, so that aid initiatives can be more effectively targeted.; This study fills that need by exploring and comparing how a donor country (New Zealand) and four of its aid partner countries (the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue and Samoa) separately conceptualize the role of ICTs for economic and social development. The researcher used data gathered from interviews, observation and archival research in a qualitative study. This data was analyzed according to a conceptual framework developed by Information Systems scholars Sein & Harindranath to identify, map & compare each country's conceptualization, and to determine alignment.; This study goes on to critique the conceptual framework used in analysis and suggest recommendations for its modification.; Finally, this study explores the internal processes of the New Zealand government agencies as they develop policy to support ICT development in the partner countries, and makes recommendations for future action. |
