In order for ICT4D to have an impact in the global south, it has to be viewed from a domain perspective first – e.g. health, government, migration, finance, etc. In this context, the domain and all its complexities define and determine the implementation and success of ICT4D projects. A social development problem is not a technology problem, but rather a domain problem. Addressing the domain challenges in conjunction with technology as only a fraction of the solution is fundamental.
Domain challenges consist of wicked problems, emanating from a variety of issues related to context, practices, policies, rules, and stakeholders. Therefore, ICT4D researchers and practitioners need to use transdisciplinary approaches – beyond Information Systems, Computer Science, or social development studies – when applying ICT in socio-economic development and to the global south context. As one adopts this approach, the complexities that define a domain’s context, practices, and policies begin to reshape the meaning and application of ICT4D in the global south.
