1. Financial Sustainability in ICT4D Initiatives Linda Raftree Plan International USA March 12, 2012 ICTD 2012, Atlanta, GA

2. Identification of a real need identified by the community owned by the community co-created with end users - not designed and parachuted in from the outside if benefits not tangible, need buy-in and awareness, “proof” over long term if you have to pay people to participate, you’ve got issues

3. Where the market doesn’t work the market by nature is excluding giving away free stuff hurts development efforts, isn’t sustainable people do have some resources responsibility is where? livelihood vs education or healthcare need to find the balance

4. Other aspects of sustainability: social sustainability -- community ownership and interest, buy-in? political – election cycles… legal – local legal frameworks? managerial – do you have the right people managing if it grows/scales? cost – localization transparency, accountability, governance

5. In design, consider: client (end user) context capacity culture connectivity cost

6. Remember: ICT solutions that save people money and time can be sustainable from within don’t suggest ICTs if the problem can be resolved in a cheaper, simpler way without them start small with scale and sustainability in mind from the very start

7. Tension in public/private/non-profit telecom and IT companies -bottom line NGOs - protective of most marginalized NGO resistance to privatized education and health government bureaucracy and self- interest vastly different approaches, paces, deliverables, timelines, methodologies

8. Aid and government ICT4D projects “sustainability”  “the government will assume responsibility” does government even know? is there enough budget to cover it all? need for greater aid coordination consider all aspects of sustainability

9. Some models Pesinet – micro-insurance plan Pesinet Young Africa Live – zero-rated service, reduces telecom churn, but exclusivity… Young Africa Live Mama – freemium with some paid content Mama Universal Access Fund – Uganda, Peru, Nepal experiences Universal Access Fund Njorku – job search for Africa, seed funded Njorku

10. In summary based on a real local need? challenge: working where market doesn’t work remember other aspects of sustainability client, context, capacity, culture, connectivity, cost private sector vs development sector end goals public and aid funded projects consider replication, scale, sustainability from the very start