Technology for Democracy in Development: Lessons from Seven Case Studies
Archon Fung, Hollie Russon Gilman, Jennifer Shkabatur · 2015
Reports on seven cases of information and communication technology (ICT) interventions aimed to enhance political or private sector accountability through transparency and greater public engagement with organizations. The cases span five countries (Brazil, Chile, Kenya, India, and the Slovak Republic) and diverse issues, including municipal problem solving, consumer products and services, public budget monitoring, election integrity, tracking and disclosure of political candidates and representatives, public service complaint resolution, and political journalism and advocacy. Tentative insights into the character and success of technological innovations in the governance arena reveal three strategies enhanced by ICTs: truth-based advocacy, political mobilization, and social monitoring. ICTs can improve political accountability and public deliberation by supplementing the efforts of civic and governmental organizations to establish and disseminate facts; they can mobilize constituencies by reducing the costs of communication between organizations and potential supporters; and ICT platforms can improve the collection of information by mobilizing individuals for effective monitoring of their socio-political environments.