A comprehensive four-stage framework for evaluation of Information Communication Technologies for Development interventions

In spite of almost three decades of efforts in the domain of Information Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD), the validity and effectiveness of the relationship between ICT and D (Development) are not clear, perhaps due to a lack of a comprehensive framework for evaluating ICTD interventions. Comprehensive evaluation of ICTD interventions is, however, difficult as its outcomes are often intangible in nature. The aim of this paper is to develop a comprehensive evaluation framework for ICTD interventions with a specific focus on “D” aspects of these interventions. This work does not focus only on “impact” evaluation of ICTD interventions but also considers other key aspects of project life cycle in the evaluation process. To develop this framework, we draw inspirations from the domains of “program evaluation” and “IS evaluation” and further refine it with learnings from previous ICTD studies. The result of this exercise is a four-stage framework with each stage containing details of assessment points and key considerations that need to be covered in the context of an ICTD intervention. The framework is then validated using an existing case study drawn from the ICTD literature. The applicability and benefits of the framework are then discussed in the light of this case study.