(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010)
Best, Michael L.; Thakur, Dhanaraj; Kolko, Beth
We examine the extent to which user-based subsidies can promote the financial/social sustainability and development impact of telecenters. We do this by looking at a coupon scheme used by the USAID funded eCenter network in Kyrgyzstan. We found that user-based subsidies have, to a certain degree, aided financial sustainability by bringing new users to the center. However, the distribution of the coupons did not improve social sustainability since, for instance, the process favored more regular users of the eCenters. Finally, the coupon program had a limited development impact on participating communities. We argue that, if the eCenters had narrowly targeted particular participants for the coupon programs, it is likely that the benefits of the program could have been enhanced. A method of incentivizing eCenter management to perform such targeting is probably required.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008)
Best, Michael L.; Thakur, Dhanaraj
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the telecommunications policy
process in immediate post-conflict countries and how that process differs from traditional settings.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors consider the case of Liberia, a country that recently
emerged from a protracted civil war. The authors focus on the Liberian Telecommunications Act of 2007
and the processes through which this act came about by applying a modified research framework. This
framework identifies several factors in the literature that are posited to influence the policymaking
process in developing countries. The authors also include other factors based on previous studies in
post-conflict countries. The aim is to test the usefulness of this framework using the 2007 act. The
authors apply it through the use of interviews with key actors in the government, industry, and
international agencies. This was supplemented by secondary data from published reports and other
sources.
Findings – From the framework the authors identify the main factors influencing the telecoms policy
making process in Liberia such as a weak and nascent institutional environment, intra-governmental
competition, limited human and technical resources, the supportive (especially initially) role of the
international actors such as the World Bank, and the dominance of elite groups in decision-making. The
authors then make suggestions on overcoming some of existing challenges to the sector.
Originality/value – This paper looks at the intersection of research in telecommunications policy, policy
processes and post-conflict countries, an area in which there is currently very little work. The results
indicate that several dimensions of the framework are germane to the post-conflict case and that some
of these observations are also relevant to the future development of telecommunications in these
countries.