Evaluating ICT for Education in Africa - Royal Holloway, University of ...

of partnership (Marriot and Goyder 2009, Tennyson 2003), the experiencesin Malawi and Ethiopia demonstrated a need for responsiveness and a degreeof innovation not accounted for in such models. The notion that apredetermined trajectory can be followed suggests a mentality of sharedprogramme implementation rather than partnership, and fails to account forthe power dynamics and partner interplay too complicated for diagrammaticexpression.6.5.5 Complex engagementMulti-sector ICT for education partnerships require effective cooperationwith actors who, whilst experts in either ICT or education, may be unfamiliarwith undertaking effective work in a developing context. This links back toeffective communication and involves building a shared understandingbetween partners concerning the complexities of the processes taking place.The research required considerable innovation in this regard, as the naïveoptimism regarding the potential of ICT for education programmes in Africais often magnified when working collaboratively with partners newly engagedin the field. The EuroTalk CEO, a charismatic figure, exemplified this bypersistently framing the value of the programme with the single question: „isthis the solution for Africa?‟ The conviction that his organisation held acomprehensive solution for African education was apparent in hispronouncement regarding ICT for education programmes (16/06/08):„Our UPB is that we can teach someone who cannot read andcannot write, in their own language and in a place with nopower supply. We need to recognise that software is ourstrength and concentrate on that. Gordon Brown has said hehas the money, £8 billion for education in Africa, and we aresaying great – we have the solution.‟This indicates a limited understanding regarding the complex reality ofdevelopment interventions, exemplified in the conviction that they hold „thesolution‟ and are therefore unmoved by the suggestion that diverseapproaches are necessary. Within such an environment a detached critique253