ICT4D or Technology Graves? Exploring ICT lifecycle management in development projects (2015)

What happens to an ICT when it becomes old and obsolete? Do we discard them blindly or do we adopt a systematic e-waste disposal mechanism? As researchers in this evolving field, do we consider ICT lifecycle management in our projects? We posed this question to the ICTD academic community and practitioners. Using 16 semi-structured interviews, this study analyzes the role of ICTD researchers in the lifecycle management of communication technologies. Our findings indicate the lack of a systematic approach, as well as the limited role of ICTD scholars in the lifecycle management of ICTs. This study concludes with suggestions for addressing the issue and provides future directions.