Research - Students as ICT Consultants
(Project Details)
A scoping study to determine the feasibility
of using ICT students as consultants for the development sector in
Southern Africa.
Service
and Program Area: Centre
of Excellence
Status:
Active
(October 2005 to October 2007)
Contact
Person: Rudi
von Staden
Supporters:
Hivos
Partners:
Wits
School of Computer Science
Ungana-Afrika is investigating the
feasibility of
using ICT students and recent graduates to provide capacity building
and technology support for civil society organisations, SMEs and
smaller public sector offices in Southern Africa. The project initially
involves research into how such projects have been implemented in other
parts of the world. The learnings from this research will be used as a
basis for recommendations on introducing similar projects locally.
Detailed Project Information
Context
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Small
to
Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) often face similar challenges when it
comes to implementing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
in their operations. Their technological capacity is generally fairly
low and they operate with limited resources. The technology support and
capacity building services that are available tend to be restrictively
expensive for them.
At the same time, there are many students who are studying various ICT
fields that have a strong theoretical knowledge of ICT, services but
lack practical experience. This project aims to investigate how
projects in other countries have employed students as technology
resources for small organisations in exchange for valuable work
experience. A diagram indicating the various beneficiaries is given
below:
Methodology
This project comprises two parts. The first
part
is a background research project involving literature studies and
interviews of various student consultant projects in other countries.
The aim is to showcase a number of different models so that their
relative advantages and disadvantages can be compared with a view to
replicating such projects in Southern Africa. The second part of the
project looks at how Ungana-Afrika might be able to support
institutions wanting to implement these projects, with recommendations
for further research as needed.
Preliminary Conclusions
It has been harder than expected to find
appropriate projects that might be replicated, but there are a number
of student consultant projects that have been in successful operation
for a long period of time. There are certainly lessons that can be
taken from their experience in establishing such projects locally
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