Dissertation Research: Digital Development: ICT Policy in East Africa

这项科学与社会论文改进补助金支持为论文研究项目收集经验数据，该项目审查了南非，尼日利亚，肯尼亚，卢旺达，乌干达和坦桑尼亚的信息和通信技术（ICT）政策的决策过程。与发达国家相比，大多数非洲国家无法充分获得计算机、因特网、固定和移动的电话线以及其他通信技术。基础设施方面的这些差距严重影响经济增长和在日益全球化的世界市场中的竞争力。活动人士还认为，这项技术可以用来帮助促进经济和社会发展，提高政府效率，创造就业机会，并赋予妇女和青年权力。为了应对来自跨国和地方行为者的压力，至少有23个非洲国家的政府作出了在本国制定正式信息和通信技术政策的政策承诺。本论文承认，信息和通信技术是非洲经济，也许是政治变革的重要力量。然而，这项研究探讨得更深入，提出了关于谁在推动信息和通信技术政策，他们为什么要推动，以及谁可能从制定信息和通信技术政策中受益的问题。 这项研究的重点是6个非洲国家政府制定正式的ICT政策的努力。这项研究在两个重要但尚未研究的领域取得了成果。首先，本论文发展了一个理论，关于跨国组织，捐助者，地方政府和当地的政治行为者促进和追求信息和通信技术作为非洲国家的政策议程项目的动机。其次，本研究确定和探讨影响ICT政策通过速度及其内容的因素。研究人员采用比较案例研究方法。此外，由NSF赠款支持的数据收集除了访谈外，还侧重于文献来源。所使用的文献资料来源包括国内和国际印刷和电子媒体的剪报、政府文件和有选择地使用二手资料。所使用的经验和定性资料来源包括与主要利益攸关方的访谈、出席在主要国家举行的各种会议和专题小组。数据分析将采用过程跟踪和受控比较的方式进行。正在从主要和次要来源收集数据，在肯尼亚的关键案例中，收集工作正在顺利进行，与政府、学术界、民间社会和私营部门的利益攸关方进行了46次半结构化访谈。从理论上讲，这项研究对科学技术研究和电信政策的研究，以及对发展、非营利部门、议程制定和善政的政治学研究都有影响。研究人员假设，诸如国内善治，捐助者和跨国组织的存在和参与，民主对选民的反应，国内民间社会的活动水平以及执政党的意识形态倾向等问题可以影响ICT政策的内容和实施。 技术在非洲的影响以及该区域的决策进程都没有得到充分研究。这项研究纠正了这些缺陷。这项研究的结果应该引起捐助者的兴趣，特别是资助信息和通信技术相关活动的美援署。此外，非政府组织部门以及目前正在进行信息和通信技术决策进程的非洲各国政府和塞拉利昂、埃塞俄比亚、索马里和苏丹等国政府可能考虑在不久的将来进行这种决策进程，也会对这项研究感兴趣。

This Science and Society Dissertation Improvement Grant supports the gathering of empirical data for a dissertation research project that examines the policymaking process for information and communication technology (ICT) policy in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. Most African countries have inadequate access to technologies such as computers, the Internet, fixed and mobile telephone lines and other communications technologies in comparison to developed nations. These gaps in infrastructure have serious impacts on economic growth and competitiveness in an increasingly globalized world market. Activists also believe that this technology can be harnessed to help promote economic and social development, improve government efficiency, create jobs, and empower women and youth. In response to pressure from transnational and local actors, at least twenty-three African governments have made policy commitments to developing formal ICT policies in their nations. This dissertation acknowledges that ICT is an important force for economic and perhaps political change in Africa. Yet, this research probes deeper, asking questions about who is pushing for an ICT policy, why they are pushing, and who is likely to benefits from developing an ICT policy. This research focuses on the efforts of 6 African governments to develop formal ICT policies. This research makes findings in two important yet unstudied areas. First, this dissertation develops a theory regarding the motivations of transnational organizations, donors, local governments, and local political actors for promoting and pursuing ICT as a policy agenda item for African nations. Second, this research identifies and explores factors which affect the speed with which ICT policies as passed as well as their content. The researchers utilize comparative case study methodology. Further, data collection supported by this NSF grants focuses on documentary sources in addition to interviews. Documentary sources used include clippings from the national and international print and electronic media, government documents and selective useof secondary sources. Empirical and qualitative sources used include interviews with key stakeholders, attendance at meetings and conferences in key countries, and focus groups. Data analysis will be conducted by means of process tracing and controlled comparison. Data collection is ongoing from both primary and secondary sources and is well-underway in the crucial case of Kenya with 46 semi-structured interviews conducted with stakeholders in government, academia, civil society and the private sector. Theoretically, this study has implications for research in science and technology studies and telecommunications policy, in addition to political science research on development, the nonprofit sector, agenda setting and good governance. The researchers hypothesize that issues such as domestic good governance, the presence and engagement of donors and transnational organizations, the responsiveness of a democracy to voters, the activity level in domestic civil society, and the ideological leanings of the ruling political party can affect the content and implementation of ICT policies. The impact of technology in Africa is understudied, as is the policymaking process in the region. This research corrects those deficiencies. The outcomes of this research should be of interest to donors-- particularly USAID that funds ICT related activities. In addition, this research will be of interest to the NGO sector, as well as African governments currently in the midst of the ICT policymaking process and governments such as Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan that may be contemplating such policymaking processes in the near future.