Information Systems for International Development

Please read About Information Systems in Developing Countries for a description of this page and its contents.

As always, please email me at kabjian@ix.netcom.com with any additions or suggestions.

This page was last updated on August 18, 1997

Contents:

Author's note:
I have decided to maintain a web page on this topic because it is of great interest and importance to me. For several years I have been involved in the deployment of environmental information systems. It has always been apparent that information, analysis and communication are fundamental to the management and growth of any organization or country. The increasing power and decreasing cost of computers coupled with the expansion of the internet now makes it possible to provide essential management tools to developing countries. This trend will continue to offer enormous opportunities for improvement in nearly every aspect of development.

As a result, I have decided to focus my efforts on information systems consulting for international development. Working primarily as a systems analyst, I believe it is absolutely vital that information projects be carefully defined and planned. A successful system does not involve simply installing hardware, software and telecommunications. Workprocesses, user acceptance, system life-cycle and many other issues must be carefully considered before getting mired in technology. Our goal should be to deploy solutions that assist in decision-making and education and not to showcase the latest gadgetry.

Information technology can provide many benefits to developing countries but only if we get some early wins and demonstrated successes. Many question the use of expensive information technology in developing countries with so many basic needs. Only through well-planned, solution-oriented implementations can we mitigate these fears and demonstrate the true value-added that information systems can bring.

Author's Background

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