International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue XII, December 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Paul Kwaku Larbi Anderson, Johannes Schädler, Lars Wissenbach
Center for Planning and Development of Social Services (ZPE) University of Siegen, Germany
Abstract: In recent times, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are being adopted more widely and variously by local governments across the globe to enhance citizens’ participation in the socio-political decision-making process. Potentially, ICTs, if properly designed and implemented, can improve civic participation in the context of information dissemination, request and feedback, and direct engagement in local policy debates in various areas of public service delivery. This paper presents the findings of a study that examined the prospects of enhancing citizens’ participation in local governance and development through ICTs in rural Ghanaian communities. The main objective was to explore the potential of ICTs to facilitate communication relating to social welfare and health-related services between rural dispersed communities and local government structures. The study was conducted in two purposefully selected municipalities, one being Nsawam-Adoagyiri, and the other Suhum, both situated in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Through community engagements and participatory design, digital competence, and the use of ICT tools for communication and participation in local governance were explored with the primary focus on public service delivery relating to health and social care.
Keywords: participation, inequalities, ICT, local governance.
I. INTRODUCTION
The global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing restrictions on physical interactions have shown the relevance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the provision of health and social services in local communities and municipalities in general. The situation emphasizes the need to heighten digital transformation in local governance and development toward equal access to public goods and services. Across the globe, the use of mobile phones as a communication tool, in particular, is increasingly bringing service delivery such as market information, financial, and health services to the remotest [1]. Evidence suggests that the increased use of ICTs is not progressing at the same pace across local government sectors. While some sectors, such as business development, appear to be more ICT-affine, digitalization is progressing comparatively slowly in other sectors, such as social welfare[1], [2].
In sub-Saharan Africa, ICTs are developing significantly in diverse fields of endeavor over the past few decades[1]. The phenomena have brought to the fore, the important role that ICTs can play in facilitating political and socio-economic development in countries of the Global South. It is undeniable