Sustainable m-Governance strategies for communities in tension: exploring the role of the grassroots champion.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to establish a framework and reasonable benchmark standards for launching grassroots m-Governance interventions. The study will interrogate the strategies and specific technologies that have proven to yield good results; and the role of the grassroots champion is highlighted. The study furthermore seeks to uncover the preferences and/or indifferences of communities in tension to “development projects”. It is understood that the notion of “community” refers to the “participant community” within the geo-social setting of the project. M-Governance typically involves the following considerations, namely - (1) transforming government services onto mobile platforms; (2) providing infrastructure and access via mobile technologies; (3) providing mobile applications for field workers to bring services to the community; and (4) providing flexible, smart and interactive informational and other services to the consumer. This study focuses almost exclusively on the latter. There is a huge body of knowledge extolling the merits of ICT4D, e-governance and m-Governance projects. This study will draw from this body of knowledge but focus particularly, but not exclusively, on the people aspects of these cases. This is an exploratory study with an emancipator agenda. Critical analysis is therefore central to the data analysis and information synthesis. Data collection on the state of the e-governance discipline will be conducted via literature study. Data collection on the role of the grassroots champion will draw from the experiences of the founder of the Reconstructed Living Laboratory (RLabs). This study seeks to establish a value and performance framework for unfunded or poorly funded grassroots m-Governance projects.