Technology and development: The limits of plug-and-play development

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THE hard-fought contest for the World Bank’s presidency reignited the debate over differing models for development. On one side is the “big development” camp, which advocates institution building and large-scale investments in health, education and infrastructure. On the other stand the “small development” proponents who focus on micro-policy questions that impact a particular community or issue. Divergent as the two models are, development projects, both big and small, increasingly have one common feature—the use of technology as an agent of change.From hi-tech gadgets (laptops and cell phones) to low-tech widgets (solar powered lamps and inexpensive syringes), engineering innovations are being deployed to tackle social problems in the developing world. The anecdotal evidence offers grounds for optimism: telecenters that brought the internet to rural India, mobile phones that link farmers in remote African villages to buying centers, cheap chlorine dispensers which are widely used in Kenya. But what is the impact of technology in alleviating poverty and spurring development? Two recent studies, both using randomised field trials, evaluated the outcome of technology-based initiatives. The results are striking.First consider the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative. The American charity has an ambitious mission—transform the quality of education in the developing world by …

Economic Issues