Is digital always the better option and what else needs to be considered when assessing the success of an International Development Project?
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe (great tennis player and an even greater man).
Introduction
While we take technology for granted in everything we do and embrace our “Digital first” lives, the potential to deliver positive change and make real social impact through technology alone cannot be taken for granted. Careful thought and planning beyond technology is required with consideration of Social Return on Investment (SROI) to ensure and deliver meaningful social impact. Digital can therefore be harnessed to achieve best outcomes and maximise social impact without compromising on quality of deliverables.
Factor in technology risk impact for delivering international development projects
In practice, unrealistic expectations and overly ambitious timelines, when coupled with inadequate project oversight, significantly increase the risk of failure in the social aspects of a project. This often stems from an incoherent approach and lack of management understanding, leading to a breakdown in collaboration between key stakeholders, such as funding bodies, business teams, IT teams and the wider community. Projects can hence become disconnected from the social needs they are meant to address and may ultimately face cancellation or scaling back often due to escalating costs and budget overruns, particularly when public funds are involved.
In the realm of International Development, where projects are typically not-for-profit and heavily reliant on public funding, such failures are particularly problematic. The misuse or misallocation of public resources cannot be justified, and there is no limitless pool of funds to rectify these issues. The consequences of failure in these projects go beyond financial losses—they undermine public trust, hinder progress in critical social areas, and can have long-lasting negative impact on the communities they were intended to benefit. It is therefore imperative that these projects are managed with a strong emphasis on realistic planning, effective oversight, and a collaborative approach that aligns all stakeholders toward a common set of goals.
While technology and digital transformation can result in significant business benefits, the potential complexities they introduce can amplify project risks. The potential benefits of technology ensure social impact touches healthcare, e-medicine, addresses food poverty, improves communication, delivers e-learning, supports financial inclusion and provides solutions in climate tech that can ultimately lead to improving social outcomes. However, implementation of digital solutions needs to be even more carefully thought through prior to launching any international development project than in the corporate world as there is less room and money to manoeuvre.
Any project that is seen to be less than successful in the International Development arena has repercussions and visibility that go beyond shareholders in the corporate world.
Why run and fall when walking will suffice? The lure of tech…and beware the tech trap
We all are suckers for the latest gadget underpinned by the latest advancement in technology. 50 years ago it was digital watches and displays. What did that lead to? Children (and some adults – essentially big kids) became incapable of distinguishing between the big hand and the little hand and we regressed. Then there were pocket calculators and we stopped being able to add and multiply. Ok, so I am not proposing we go back to the abacus nor revert to burning buffalo chips to keep ourselves warm in climate changing winter, but do we really need social media with all its toxicity, blockchain or AI technology just because they are the latest buzz words and the latest trends? Beware the lure of tech for tech’s sake. The world existed before and by and large people managed. The latest tech can cost big bucks which may pay off (sometimes) in the corporate world but the ROI or should I say SROI in International Development doesn’t necessarily justify the costs.
Focus on the outcome
The farmer in rural Angola is more concerned with ensuring best yield of his banana crop and getting them sold at a decent price to buyers, than which software is on his laptop. Even here technology can play a role especially at the nexus with data collection and AI to identify weather patterns / climate that can influence crop yields. However, the key for beneficiaries, like the banana farmer, is placing an emphasis on a meaningful outcome not the approach taken nor technology to be implemented
Get the basics in place and don’t impose complex technology on communities who will neither benefit from it nor have the inclination to use it.
Look at the bigger picture
Social Return on Investment (SROI) needs to be of primary consideration when assessing the value of any initiative in the International Development arena. SROI provides a more complete picture of value beyond a simple financial ROI model as it assesses the intrinsic value and social impact especially important in publicly funded International Development projects. Though there are formulae to calculate SROI, pinning a dollar value to SROI can sometimes be challenging because of the nature of the different elements to be considered. SROI however increases understanding of social impact and can help to demonstrate the intangible value of a project. With SROI, international development initiatives can more comprehensively measure the overall impact of investments which can help shape policy and decision-making.
Conclusion
While tech is great and can be a real game changer in International Development, careful consideration needs to be given before embarking on any digital initiative. The bigger picture that includes Social Return on Investment should be taken into account in order to demonstrate true value.
