Livelihood Augmentation in Rainfed Areas - Development Support ...

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategies
Recent developments in the ICT sector has made it possible to open up new vistas
in the service sector in rural areas. Examples include the emergence of rural BPOs
and information kiosks that provide a host of e-services to farmers and other villagers.
However, ICT is not just about the service sector. Its applications are so widespread
that ICT has emerged as a cross-cutting force, helping to improve efficiency of all
kinds of development interventions through a variety of support services. ICT provides
new tools like Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to enable better
planning and monitoring of NRM interventions. It has made it possible to provide farmers
in remote villages with farm specific agri-advisories of highly qualified agricultural
experts. It has stimulated the self-help and self-employment movement through access
to information and knowledge via village kiosks. It has also enabled farmers, traders
and nano-entrepreneurs to benefit from access to market intelligence and alternative
markets. Lastly, ICT applications have the potential to make government delivery
systems more transparent and accountable by placing knowledge and information in
the hands of the users.
ICT interventions have worked wherever these have effectively addressed the felt
needs of the rural population, and helped cut transaction costs for both the service
provider as well as the rural customer.
Social Capital
The above interventions can become effective and sustainable only when the local
communities are in charge of the development process. Over the past two decades,
NGOs have successfully evolved participative tools and techniques for facilitating
developmental processes and building social capital. This includes building the
capacities of local communities through exposure, training and skill building, and
facilitating the emergence of People’s Institutions (PIs), also known as community
based organisations (CBOs). PIs serve the purpose of self-governance and collective
decision-making with egalitarian values such as democracy, unity, equity, gender
sensitivity, and ecofriendliness. These institutions also help bring out the collective
strength of marginal and scattered producers in negotiating and/or partnering with
external agencies, including markets, financial institutions, technology providers, and
the government.
In the process, PIs become training grounds for developing community leaders and in
empowering marginal producers. Hence, social capital development can be seen both
as a means as well as an end of the development process.
xxiii