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Multi-stakeholder partnerships for ICT4D: in whose interest?

Reflections for USAID, 27th March 2012

Tim Unwin Chief Executive Officer

CTO

© Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

No-one ever enters a partnership without interests!


Outline

•  Context •  Origins of PPPs •  Why partnerships and ICT4D? •  A move to MSPs •  Key success factors •  Defining interests •  Will partnerships really deliver

better development outcomes in ICT4D?


Context

•  Rural development, ICTs, learning, Critical Theory…

•  Imfundo: Partnerships for IT in Education (Africa)

•  World Economic Forum’s Partnerships for Education initiative with UNESCO

•  Systematic review for DFID on impact of ICT4D partnerships (2011)

•  GEI review (2012)


Origins of partnerships: Public and Private

•  A new world order: economic growth and liberal democracy –  Following the overthrow of the Soviet Union

•  UK Private Finance Initiative 1992 –  Investment by private sector in public infrastructure –  Risk sharing by states with the private sector

•  A European phenomenon –  1990-2009 1340 PPPs

•  Why should this not also work for ‘development’? •  MDG8 target (f) – ICTs and partnerships


Early ICT development partnerships

Most were indeed Public-Private –  Imfundo’s origins

•  Under-theorised –  Many had little understanding of conceptual issues

•  Little empirical experience –  Most kept reinventing the wheel (and still do!)

•  Private sector actively urging engagement with governments

•  WSIS 2003 and 2005 –  First major UN summit with substantial private sector

engagement


These background factors have had lasting effects on ICT4D partnerships


Why partnerships specifically in the field of ICT4D?

•  Complexity of ICT4D initiatives –  Need different skills sets

o  Technical o  Development

•  Most government officials lack understanding of technical aspects of ICT4D –  Thus require private sector capacity

•  Private sector driver of globalisation –  Business solution for sustainability

•  Formalising role of WSIS


Two extreme models: circular and linear


Circular: sustainability of the partnership

IBLF and Ros Tennyson


Linear: focus on development impact

World Economic Forum’s GEI by Tom Cassidy


The move towards multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) •  Some attempts to ‘impose’ a one-size fits all

model –  But growing recognition that this is not appropriate

•  PPPs widely seen as –  Failing to deliver in practice –  Concerns over coalition of interests between the

private sector and the state (Martens, 2007)

•  The role of civil society –  Central to effective ICT4D implementation

•  Increased attention to MSPs –  And PPP now often used for contractual

arrangements


Martens’ (2007) eight risks of partnerships

•  Influence of business in shaping political discourse

•  Risks to reputation – choosing the wrong partner

•  Distorting competition •  Fragmentation of global governance •  Unstable financing •  Dubious complementarity •  Sensitivity – governance gaps remain •  Trends towards elite models of governance


DFID systematic review: success factors

1.  Local context and local stakeholders involved 2.  Clear intended development outcomes 3.  Scalability and sustainability focus from start 4.  Key importance of

–  Trust –  Honesty –  Openness –  Mutual understanding –  Respect

5.  Supportive wider ICT environment


DFID systematic review: challenges with process

•  Remarkably few good evaluations •  Diversity of methodologies causes great

difficulties in comparing evaluations •  Very few baseline studies

–  It is extremely difficult to say anything about impact

•  Much “wish-fulfillment” –  Very difficult to detect wider impact and unintended

consequences

•  Success criteria vary for different partners –  Re-emphasises concerns with “interests”


Partnership challenges: evidence from the GEI

•  Ensuring long-term sustainability •  Underestimating difficulty in reaching

common goals and activities •  Balancing the different interests of the

stakeholders •  Determining the levels of contribution

from each partner •  Identifying the resources needed •  Co-operation between private sector

and national bodies is needed •  Monitoring and evaluation often left to

the end


Reflections from the GEI

•  The need for high-level leadership •  The role of a partnership broker

–  Trusted and neutral –  Knowledgeable about development outcomes

•  Must start with agreement on intended development outcomes

•  Central role of government ministries •  Effective project management •  Adequate resourcing •  Consistent strategy and flexible delivery •  Effective internal and external communications


In whose interest?

•  Private Sector –  Markets and sales –  Innovative ideas and labour –  Influencing geopolitical agendas

•  Governments –  Financing and risk reduction –  Getting re-elected

•  Civil Society –  Raising international profiles –  Delivering on needs of supporters

•  Bilateral donors and international agencies –  Delivering on development agendas


If development outcomes are achieved, does it matter if benefits are unevenly distributed?


Resolving partnership interests

•  Transparency throughout –  Especially in interests

•  Built around resource supply and demand framework

•  Shared agreement on development objectives from the very beginning

•  Clear allocation of financial resources

•  Managing expectations


Discussion

http://turkmenistan.usembassy.gov/usaid20110719b.html


Exemplification of benefits (supply) and needs (demand) framework


Towards a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership model

Demand partners

Supply partners: each has a niche role

Govern-ments

Local private sector

Private sector

Bilateral donors

Civil Society

Internat-ional agencies

Contributions

Expectations


The types of partner

Demand Supply End Beneficiaries

Local Partners Funding agencies

Private Sector Civil Society Organisations

Research Institutions

International Organisations

Local communities; p e o p l e w ith disabilities; teachers; health workers; learners

National and regional governments; local private sector; local c i v i l s o c i e t y organisations; religious groups

Multilateral and bilateral donors; International Financial Institutions; Charitable foundations

Companies providing hardware, software, networking, content, infrastructure, media organisations

Community action g roups ; non-governmental organisations; voluntary organisations; international advocacy and relief agencies; religious groups

Universities; consultancies; knowledge providers; innovators

Global organisations s u c h a s UNESCO; GeSCI; UN ICT Tas k Force


Contributions and benefits

•  Partnership contributions –  Human resources –  Physical ICT resources –  Social networks –  Infrastructures –  Financial contributions

•  Partner benefits –  Corporate identity –  Networking opportunities –  Economic returns –  Research and development opportunities


Human resource contributions



Private Sector

Civil Society Organisations



Partnership Contributions Human resources § Knowledge

of relevant demands

§ Linguistic skills

§ Cultural sensitivity

§ Labour § Knowledge

of relevant health and educational initiatives

§ Technical support § Indigenous

knowledges § Cultural sensitivity § Linguistic skills § Labour § Capacity building

skills

§ Expertise in ‘development’ practice

§ Procurement expertise

§ Advisory capacity

§ Staff skilled in technology

§ Media skills § Project

manage-ment skills

§ Network engineering skills

§ Training expertise

§ Research and develop-ment skills

§ Staff secondment

§ Technical support

§ Expertise in delivery of practical activities

§ Local knowledge and networks

§ Knowledge of development practices

§ Project management

§ Linguistic skills

§ Advocacy skills

§ Staff secondment

§ Generic research skills

§ Knowledge of information and resources

§ Teaching and capacity building skills

§ Monitoring and evaluation skills

§ Staff secondment

§ Expertise in ICT and ‘development’

§ Expertise in delivery of educational initiatives

§ Lobbying expertise


Corporate Identity Benefits



Private Sector

Civil Society Organisations



Benefits of Partnership Corporate Identity § Opportunity

for enhanced visibility of poverty agendas

§ Raised international profile f o r l o c a l businesses and organisations

§ Opportunity to deliver on core mission to reduce poverty

§ Through local partnerships helping to ensure relevance and sustainability

§ Delivery on Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility targets

§ Raising brand identity internationally

§ Visible contribution t o a country’s economy

§ Delivery on core mission to reduce poverty through ICT activities

§ Increased international visibility

§ For some, opportunity to deliver on commitment to Knowledge for All

§ Opportunity to deliver o n core mission to reduce poverty

§ Through local partnerships helping to ensure relevance and sustainability