This book is an analysis of the rich experience of South Africa and Uganda in their quest for universal access, with particular emphasis on the role of shared access centers (public telephones, cybercafes, telecenters, business centers, etc.) and the factors that affect their performance.

It is based on a review of national policy and implementation strategies, case studies of community ICT-access centers, and an analysis of the links between national strategies and on-the-ground experiences from 1996 to 2003. Over fifty ICT-access centers, from both rural and urban settings, were...

Development workers face different levels of influence on their work. Social and political influences work at the broadest level, shaping governmental and multilateral policies about what international development should do and why and how it should be funded. Institutional and inter-institutional policy, culture and practice give rise to the immediate working environment, varying from agency to agency. Aid workers themselves bring a set of understandings about aid, development and the nature of their own roles. By stepping back and engaging in reflective practice, workers can deepen their...

Development workers face different levels of influence on their work. Social and political influences work at the broadest level, shaping governmental and multilateral policies about what international development should do and why and how it should be funded. Institutional and inter-institutional policy, culture and practice give rise to the immediate working environment, varying from agency to agency. Aid workers themselves bring a set of understandings about aid, development and the nature of their own roles. By stepping back and engaging in reflective practice, workers can deepen their...