Mapping the landscape of sustainability in ICT4D : a systematic literature review

Abstract

The concept of sustainability in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) has been largely associated with the sustainability of ICT4D projects. In other words, most ICT4D literature consider the “continuous operation of ICT4D projects” as the sustainability of ICT4D. This implies that the failure of these ICT4D projects threatens or compromises the existence of sustainability in ICT4D (Heeks, 2002). In this study we do not argue that this view is false; however, sustainability in ICT4D should be considered from a broader perspective, and should not be limited to the uninterrupted operational success of ICT4D projects. Sustainability in ICT4D has proven a challenge to put into practice. This is as a result of a number of known and unknown elements that should be independently and sometimes collectively considered in the implementation of ICT4D, to enable sustainability and sustained benefit realisation. Therefore, this study undertakes a systematic literature review that aims to identify and understand aspects that could enable or disable sustainability in ICT4D within the context of developing communities. Furthermore, based on the analysis and findings from the systematic review of selected ICT4D articles, sourced from various academic journals and conference proceedings, the researcher proposes a framework that seeks to illustrate the building blocks of sustainability in ICT4D. The proposed framework emphasises critical elements that require consideration in ICT4D implementations, so as to enable the realisation of sustained socio-economic benefit for local livelihoods.