An approach to modelling complex ICT4D investment problems: towards a solution-oriented framework and data analytics methodology

Economies of the world invest in ICT with the uniform purpose of obtaining socio-economic benefits. Determination of the most appropriate path of success linking ICT to socio-economic benefits is a complex multidimensional problem that is not amenable to methodological approaches based on a single perspective. Policy analysts and researchers are, therefore, in need of adequate tools for modelling and analysing the complex ICT4D investment problem. In this paper, we present a consistent solution-oriented theoretical and methodological approach that focuses on discovering pitfalls and best practices that the experience of travelling “ICT → outcomes” path may offer. Specifically, we ask: “What are some lessons that ‘newer entrants’ (represented by the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)) may learn from ‘earlier travelers’ (represented by Transition Economies (TE))?” Among many findings is the difference in the sources of growth in productivity between the SSA- and TE-dominated groups of economies. Besides practical insights, this study offers several contributions to policy-makers and researchers including: a theoretical framework that allows for conceptually complex inquiries into the matters of ICT4D and a multi-method methodology that can be used to identify (a) important areas suitable for benchmarking and (b) differences requiring a customised context-specific approach.