Development, capabilities and technology: an evaluative framework

Description

In this paper, we present a framework for evaluating Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) projects. The framework is grounded in Amartya Sen’s concept of development as freedom, which emphasizes human capabilities and functionings as central to development. Sen’s capability approach offers an alternative perspective to traditional development metrics by focusing on the expansion of freedoms and the removal of constraints that prevent individuals from leading lives they value. Although Sen’s ideas are frequently referenced in the ICT4D literature, their application often remains superficial, typically limited to acknowledging their relevance without deeper operationalization. This limitation may stem from the fact that the capability approach does not explicitly address technology, as well as from the lack of clear methodological guidelines provided by Sen for its implementation. The primary objective of this paper is to operationalize Sen’s capability framework for practical evaluation and to explicitly incorporate the role of technology within it. The proposed framework provides a structured way to assess how ICT interventions contribute to enhancing capabilities and expanding freedoms. The framework is validated through a case study of a distance education initiative in Bangladesh, demonstrating its applicability in real-world development contexts.

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Keywords

ICT4D, Capability approach, Evaluation, Framework, Education

Conference

11th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, IFIP WG 9.4, 22-25 May, 2011, Kathmandu, Nepal

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