Interactions in ICT4D Projects: A Sociotechnical Perspective

Stakeholder interactions play a vital role in achieving project outcomes. The role of stakeholders in Information and Communication technology for Development (ICT4D) is often overlooked or ineffective. This hinders ICT4D projects or in some scenarios may adversely affect the project. The current paper proposes to use Actor Network Theory (ANT) to unpack these interactions not only among stakeholders but extend it further to include technology, thereby creating a holistic understanding of the phenomenon. An ICT4D initiative in India was analyzed using ANT logic to explain stakeholder interactions and behaviors. The findings from this research enable better understanding of interactions and also explain the effect of these interactions on ICT4D project activities, other stakeholders and networks. It also enables a better insight into the behavior of stakeholders and contribution of interactions between them in attaining the mutual desired outcomes in ICT4D projects.