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The Compelling
Rationale for Holistic ICT Development
Computers are available to only a fraction of the world’s
people. The divide between those who have access to
computers and who are computer literate and those who
are not, is related to the division between rich and
poor nations. However Holistic ICT for Development
seek address the challenges of digital age which include
the digital divide as well as information overload and
usability issues. In the race to promote digital development
in emerging markets often the integrated design of IT
systems is overlooked and so the mistakes of developed
countries are repeated in emerging ones.
Designing OVI towards the appropriate
application of technology
The goal is to dvelop an effective way to use computers
so that they improve the quality of our lives rather
than simply creating more complexity and confusion as
is often the case. This process of Holistic ICT has
to not only address the issue of software integration
but the flow of knowledge between information systems.
Thus knowledge bases and databases need to be designed
so that they properly thread together various interrelated
global as well as local problems effectively addressing
them as the interconnected and complex web of challenges
that they are.
Key Considerations for a Holistic
ICT Approach:
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Easy access
to technology |
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Sustainability |
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User Friendly
Interfaces
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Technology
and professionalism with a human face |
OVF's Holistic ICT approach seeks to reconfigure the
technologies that have made the global economy possible,
creating an interconnected global village that is human
scale and appropriate technology oriented. While there
are many trends that are bringing us together as a global
village, there are also factors that seem to be eluding
the movement towards global society—relating to
corporate responsibility and global governance.
Implementation of Holistic ICT for Development
There are several steps to implementing any Holistic
ICT program. First the ICT tools have to designed to
ensure maximum relability and ease of use. Then they
should be designed in a way that encourages portability
and the interoperability. Finally the knowledgebases
and databases themselves that the Field agents will
use will be designed so that information is designed
as a fully integrated web.
Field agents will apply the Holistic ICT concept on
a practical level through the ICT component of the oneVillage
Initiative. The evolution of Open Digital Villages into
Multipurpose Community and Unity Centers, will enable
community members and field agents to access a integrated
suite of ICT programs, networks and knowledge bases
enabling towards a more whole systems/sustainable approach
to development that most maximizes the potential of
people as well as resources and the systems they congregate
around in civilized societies.
This includes designing ICT to analyze local community
resources and needs in a community centric way. This
combined with a Assets Based Community Development
approach leads to the collection of data which is then
organized along the Integrated Knowledge Wheel
pillars so that community assets and needs with are
developed into a local database of knowledge. This database
can then be used to plan for future development based
on whole systems approach that the Integrated Knowledge
Wheel is designed around.
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