Article,
Participatory design for social development: A South African case study on community-based health information systems
Information Technology for Development, 13 (1): 71-94 (March 2007)M3: Article; Accession Number: 23625729; Byrne, Elaine 1; Email Address: elaine.byrne@up.ac.za Sahay, Sundeep 2; Email Address: sundeeps@ifi.uio.no; Affiliation: 1: Department of Informatics, University of Pretoria, South Africa 2: Department of Informatics, University in Oslo, Gaustadalleen 23, P.O. Box 1080, Blindern, NO-0316, Oslo, Norway; Source Info: 2007, Vol. 13 Issue 1, p71; Subject Term: INFORMATION technology; Subject Term: SOCIAL development; Subject Term: CHILD health services; Subject Term: PUBLIC health; Subject Term: SOCIAL dynamics; Subject Term: SOUTH Africa; Author-Supplied Keyword: community-based information systems; Author-Supplied Keyword: health information systems; Author-Supplied Keyword: participatory design; Author-Supplied Keyword: social development; Author-Supplied Keyword: South Africa; NAICS/Industry Codes: 525120 Health and Welfare Funds; Number of Pages: 24p; Illustrations: 3 charts, 1 diagram, 2 bw; Document Type: Article.
Abstract
In this paper, the role of participation within the domains of information system (IS) research and social development is analyzed. Specifically, we examine how the process of IS development, and the IS itself, can reflect and shape the status of social development. Traditionally, participatory design (PD) research in IS has focused on business contexts in the Western world, with minimal application to developing country settings, especially in the context of social development. This paper seeks to contribute to developing these understandings and bases its analysis on a case study of a community-based health IS in South Africa. The case study involved the design and development of a community-based child health IS in a rural area of South Africa. Nationally, the formal district health IS in South Africa includes data only on those people who access health services through the health facilities. The premise behind developing a community-based child health IS was to include all the people living in that district in the district health IS. Analysis of the case study reveals three ways in which traditional PD needs reconceptualization. First, it is not only the users of the IS who should participate, but also those individuals who are affected by the IS, even when those individuals have no direct interaction with the system itself. Second, whereas there is some recognition in PD literature of the need for the participation of people at different levels vertically distributed within an organization, there has been little recognition of the value of involving actors outside the organization or sector. Third, the capacity of the users and those impacted by the system needs to be developed to ensure effective participation in the IS design and development processes. These three approaches to PD in IS, whose purpose is to contribute to social development, are essential components of a participatory strategy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR; Copyright of Information Technology for Development is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. / Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)
Tags
- africa;
- child
- community-based
- design
- development;
- dynamics;
- health
- health;
- information
- participatory
- public
- services;
- social
- south
- systems;
- technology;
