Matt Haikin

On Our Radar

The social-tech ecosystem in Kenya (often referred to as the ‘Silicon Savannah’) appears to be one of the world’s most thriving tech sectors. Views from inside, however, suggest it is not making the impact it could; is not as financially successful or sustainable as people had hoped; and may be stagnating and in need of nurture. Voices of the Silic...

Development is going digital and INGOs like Oxfam have a vital convening role to play. This paper draws on ICT for Development in Oxfam's programmes in the Horn, East and Central Africa to consider what this role is. In order to realise the opportunities associated with the digital landscape, Oxfam will need to build internal and external capacity...

This book is comprised of one study and three field evaluations of civic tech initiatives in developing countries. The study reviews evidence on the use of twenty-three information and communication technology (ICT) platforms designed to amplify citizen voices to improve service delivery. Focusing on empirical studies of initiatives in the global s...

This report explores the difference made by the inclusion of remote, ICT-mediated voting in the state-wide participatory budgeting process in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil — the Sistema Estadual de Participação Popular e Cidadã (the “state system of public citizen participation”), referred to widely as simply the Sistema. The overarching objective for...

With growing demand for transparency, accountability and citizen participation in policy making and service provision, engagement between citizens and their governments, as well as with donors and the private sector that deliver government services, is increasingly important. Increased use of technology brings both opportunities and challenges to c...

Community participation in ICT-for-development (ICT4D) is sometimes portrayed as a ‘magic bullet’, which will inevitably lead to better project outcomes and the empowerment of marginalised participants from the local community. This paper takes a critical approach to participation, drawing on dual roots of participation in Development Studies and I...