What Are Best Practices in ICT4D? Tweet Your Answers to #ICT4Real Today!

April 19, 2013 Editor 0

Yesterday, my good friend Jon Camfield asked a great question: Hey ICT4D folks, is there a best practices and principles document for our work, or do we all just kinda make it up as we go? This reminded me that Adele Waugaman asked me a similar question in January, and to both, my response is the same:

There isn’t one overall document that I am aware of, just blog posts, short video clips and the like. Inveneo did a sustainability primer, which is the closest I’ve seen to a best practices guidebook.

But why should that be? Its not like we just woke up yesterday and started ICT4D projects – we’ve been applying technology in international development since Gary Garriott worked on FM radio in 1970′s Central America. By now we should have a good body of knowledge of what works, or doesn’t in ICT4D. Yet in her search for best practices, Adele came up with this short list of posts on lessons learned:

I am convinced there are more resources and more knowledge on ICT4D best practices. We all know how to keep ICT4D real, we just need to share so we can collect and analyze the knowledge. What better way to do that than a Twitter Chat? And Friday is a perfect Twitter Chat day.

#ICT4Real Twitter Chat!

Today, Friday, April 12, jump on Twitter and tweet out what you think are ICT4D best (and worst) practices. You can add your thoughts or link to ideas from someone else. Just be sure to use the #ICT4Real hashtag. Jon, Adele, and I will be following the conversation closely and we’ll consolidate everyone’s ideas into a definitive ICT4D Best Practices guideline.

If you tweet, you’ll get a mention, so what are you waiting for – tweet your ICT4D best practice idea right now!

Recent #ICT4Real Tweets:

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	100PctSolutions Best Practices in #ICT4D? Tweet Answers to #ICT4Real! > http://t.co/c7ymZGfXMh via @wayan_vota @HeatherLaGarde __ that’s IT for development »
	bscrw RT @ICT_Works: What Are Best Practices in ICT4D? Tweet Your Answers to #ICT4Real Today! http://t.co/qlYLv1Yvxs #ict4d »
	GerMichelle RT @joncamfield: #ICT4Real 3) Yes, there are exceptions, but try not to be one, focus on your unique value, and stand on the shoulders of giants for the rest »
	GerMichelle RT @joncamfield: #ICT4Real 2) Seriously, don’t build it yourself. You are probably not the special snowflake. Benefit from the work of others. »
	GerMichelle RT @joncamfield: #ICT4Real 1) Build for sustainability – I prefer using open source platforms, but at least powerful, reliable, open commercial platforms »
	freebalance Support for #IATI by donors, NGOs, governments is an #ICT4Real good practice »
	freebalance Use of Treasury Single Account in Public Financial Management is good practice #ICT4Real #PFM »
	healthglobal Yep! @meowtree @freebalance There are good practices, some better in context, but no such thing as ‘best practices’ #ICT4Real »
	wayan_vota @MattEck123 both @Tech4Dev @joncamfield are going to a level of curation on #ICT4Real tweets. Hopefully will be future post on @ICT_Works »
	pj_wall RT @wayan_vota: #ICT4Real Best Practice: Why technology is only 10 percent of #ICT4d solution success http://t.co/Iob4Nf8rdy »
	tmarente RT @wayan_vota: #ICT4Real Best Practice: 10 Guidelines for Starting Your Independent #ICT4D Project http://t.co/cYxPSjtp2S »
	latonero RT @Tech4Dev: Reading thru the articles, blogs & reports linked from yesterday’s #ict4real exchange. Good stuff! Tx @wayan_vota for kicking it off. #ict4d »
	latonero RT @wayan_vota: #ICT4Real Best Practice: @USAID Lessons Learned in #ICT4D for Supply Chain Management in Agriculture http://t.co/VNzDK62bR7 »
	latonero RT @joncamfield: Some beyond-twitter length exposition of my current rules for the #ICT4Real road: http://t.co/xkS36Gs5eR »
	Tech4Dev Reading thru the articles, blogs & reports linked from yesterday’s #ict4real exchange. Good stuff! Tx @wayan_vota for kicking it off. #ict4d »
	mosesowiny RT @inveneo: What Are Best Practices in ICT4D? Tweet Your Answers to #ICT4Real! http://t.co/mLtal12sYM »
	inveneo What Are Best Practices in ICT4D? Tweet Your Answers to #ICT4Real! http://t.co/mLtal12sYM »
	Anandstweets MT @ICT_Works: What Are Good Practices in ICT4D? Tweet Your Answers to #ICT4Real Today! http://t.co/EWDu88otyi #ict4d »
	GeoGrr RT @ICT_Works: What Are Best Practices in ICT4D? Tweet Your Answers to #ICT4Real Today! http://t.co/5ACcenww2M #ict4d »
	mckenzieafrica “@ICT_Works: Best Practices in ICT4D? #ICT4Real http://t.co/1Z9bYjovpM #ict4d“http://t.co/5ppAFg2UZq »