Contents Page No 1. Introduction 1.1. Applying Information Communication Technologies (IC1) for Better Service and Good Govemance: A Review 1.2. Akshaya: Programme and Objective 1-8 I 1 5 1.2.1 Akshaya : Progamrne Details 1.3 Objectives ofthe Study 1.4 Structure ofthe Study 2. Review ofliterature 2.1. Definition ofinformation Communication Technology (IC1) 2.2. Information Communication Technology in Governance 2.3. Problems in Service Delivery 6 7 9-56 10 10 12 2.3.1. Constraints in the Delivery of Citizens Services: An Overview 2.4. Definition ofe-govemance 14 2.4.1. E-Govemment 2.4.2. Advantages ofe-govemance : An Overview 2.4.2.1. Delivery of Services to Citizens 2.4.2.2. Delivery of Services to Business and Industry 2.4.2.3. Increased Efficiency ofdepartments/ Government Enterprises 2.4.2.4. E-literacy as a part of E-Govemance 2.4.2.5. Paradigm Shift in Public Service Delivery 2.4.2.6. E-Govemance and Functions of the Government: Areas of Transformation 2.4.2.7. E~government - Stake Holders and their Interrelations 2.4.2.8. Phases of E-Govemment 2.5. ICT for Good Governance: The National Agenda 21 2.6. ICTs for Development through Community Organisations for Efficient Governance: Initiatives in India and Around the World. 22 2.7. Critical Success Factors (CSF) and Critical Failure Factors (CFF) oficf Projects 27
2.7.1. Infonnation Factors 2.7.2. Technical Factors 2.7.3. People Factors 2.7.4. Management Factors 2.7.5. Process Factors 2.7.6. Cultural Factors 2.7.7. Structural Factors 2.7.8. Strategic Factors 2.7.9. Political Factors 2.7.10. Environmental Factors 2.8. E-literacy as a Tool to Bridge Digital Divide 2.9. Akshaya- Description ofthe Project 29 31 2.9.1. Universal ICT Access 2.9.2. E-Literacy 2.9.3. Creation ofmicro ICT Enterprises 2.9.4. Creation of ICT Services 2.9.5. Role of Government 2.10. Unique Features of the Akshaya Project 33 2.10.1. Public-Private Partnership 2.10.2. Focus on Capacity Building 2.10.3. Development oflocally Relevant Content 2.10.4. ICT for Development 2.11. Benefits 34 2.11.1. Expected Direct Benefits 2.11.2. Expected Indirect Benefits 2.12. Impact ofakshaya in Malappuram 35 2.12.1. Wider Social and Community Level Impact 2.12.2. Transfonnational Impact 2.12.3. Economic Impact 2.12.4. Community Development 2.12.5. Sustainability of the Centres 2.12.6. Akshaya Project- Economic and Social spin offs 2.13. Characteristics of the Stakeholders ofakshaya Programme 38 2.13.1. Personal Attributes ofentrepreneurs 2.13.1.1. Age ofthe Entrepreneur 2.13.1.2. Gender 2.13.1.3. Socio-Economic Characteristics ofentrepreneurs
---2._ 11 --------------- 2.13.1.5. Education 2.13.1.6. Professional Training in Computers 2.13.1.7. Entrepreneurial Experience 2.13.1.8. Orientation to Akshaya Programme 2.13.1.8.1. Training for Entrepreneurs 2.13.1.8.2. Evaluation oftraining Programmes by Entrepreneurs 2.14. Organisational ProfIle oftelecenters and Information Kiosks 44 2.14.1. Initiating the Enterprise - Planning, Capital Mobilisation, StaffIng and Infrastructure 2.15. Sustainability 2.16..Income Generating Components of Telecentres. 2.17. Positional Advantage 2.18. Characteristics of the BenefIciaries of Akshaya Programme 46 47 48 2.18.1. Age 2.18.2. Gender 2.18.3. Family Income 2.18.4. Community / Caste AffJ.liation 2.18.5. Occupation 2.18.6. Educational Status 2.18.7. Dwelling Place 2.19. Impact oftelecentres in the Society 50 2.20..Factors Detennining the Use of ICT by Members ofa Social System 51 2.20.1. Perceived Usefulness of Computer among Beneficiaries 2.20.2. Perceived Ease of Use 2.20.3. Willingness of the User to Pay 3. Approach to the study 57-69 3.1 Phases of the Study 57 3.2 Location of the Study 58 3.3 Sampling Procedure 58 3.4 Selection ofmanagerial Determinants 59 3.5 Quantification ofvariables 60
3.3. i EmU &dtu8n 81 imbae gemes 3.5.2 Reliability of Scale 3.5.3 Validity of the Scale 3.5.3.1 Content Validity 3.5.3.2 Construct Validity 3.6 Ranking 3.7 Measurement ofpositional Advantage 3.8 Financial Parameters 64 64 64 3.8.1 Internal Rate of Returns 3.8.2 Payback Period 3.8.3 Return on Investment (ROI) 3.9 Techniques ofdata Collection Employed 3.10 Statistical Techniques Employed 67 67 3.10.1 Percentage 3.10.2 Mean 3.10.3 Simple Correlation 3.10.4 Econometric Analysis 4. Analysis and Discussion 4.1. Demographic, Socio-economic and Psychological Profile ofakshaya Entrepreneurs. 4.1.1. Age 4.1.2. Gender 4.1.3. Annual Family Income 4.1.4. Caste/Community 4.1.5. Education 4.2. Technological and Entrepreneurial Profile ofakshaya Entrepreneurs 70-159 70 74 4.2.1. Professional Training in Computer/ IT Courses 4.2.2. Entrepreneurial Experience 4.2.2.1. Previous Experience of the Entrepreneurs in ICT Related Enterprises 4.2.2.2. Previous Experience in Other Enterprises 4.2.3. Orientation to Akshaya Programme 4.2.3.1. Information Source Utilization ofakshaya Entrepreneurs for Initiating the Enterprise o \\
4.2.3.2. CharacteristicsofAkshaya that have Prompted the Entrepreneurs to Venture into the Prograrrune 4.2.3.3. Assessment by the Entrepreneurs Prior to Decision Making 4.2.3.4. Methods ofassessment Adopted by Entrepreneurs 4.2.4. Effectiveness of the Training Programmes 4.2.5. Adequacy oftraining Programme 4.2.6. Improvement in the Training Programme - Perception of the Entrepreneurs 4.3. Organizational Profile ofakshaya Centres 86 4.3.1. Type ofownership 4.3.2. Initiating the Project - Capital Mobilization 4.3.3. Staffing in Akshaya Centres 4.3:4. Hardware Specification 4.3.5. Maintenance ofhardware in Akshaya Centers 4.4. Income Generating Projects for Akshaya Centres 94 4.4.1. Limitation of the Programme as Perceived by the Entrepreneurs 4.4.2. Feasibility ofe-payment Services through Akshaya as Perceived by Entrepreneurs 4.4.2.1. Advantages ofe-payment Services 4.4.2.2. Limitations of E-payment Services 4.4.2.3. Suggestions to Improve E-payment Services 4.4.3. E- Literacy Project 4.4.3.1. Advantages and Disadvantages ofe -literacy Project 4.5. Positional Advantage of Akshaya Centres 4.6. Entrepreneurial Attributes ofakshaya Entrepreneurs 103 105 4.6.1. Attitude ofentrepreneurs Towards Akshaya 4.6.2. Achievement Motivation 4.6.3. Aptitude for Learning and Development 4.6.4. Social and Economic Development Orientation 4.6.5. Correlation Among Different Entrepreneurial Attributes 4.6.6. Correlation Between Personal Attributes and Entrepreneurial Characteristics 4.7. Demographic and Socio-Psychological Characteristics of Citizens Using Akshaya Centres 112 4.7.1. Gender Participation in Using Akshaya 4.7.2. Annual Family Income 4.7.3. Representation ofcommunities Among Akshaya Beneficiaries 0""1.
4.7.4. Occupation ofbeneficiaries 4.7.5. Educational Status ofbeneficiaries 4.7.6. Prior Acquaintance with let 4.7.7. Dwelling Place 4.8. ImpactofAkshaya on the Community- Some Key Indicators 119 4.8.1. Use of Computers as Perceived by the Beneficiaries ofakshaya Centres 4.8.2. Factors Detennining the Use of ICT by the Members ofa Social System 4.8.2.1. Perceived Usefulness ofcomputers Among Beneficiaries 4.8.2.2. Perceived Ease ofuse. 4.8.2.3. Correlation between Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease ofuse 4.8.2.4. Gender Differences Among Users with Regard to Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use 4.8.2.5. Relationship of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use with Selected Personal Attributes 4.8.3. Akshaya as the Hub of Computer l.iteracy 4.8.4. Preference ofcourses by Beneficiaries 4.8.5. General Purposes ofusing Computers as Perceived by the Beneficiaries of Akshaya Programme 4.8.6. Ranking of the Features of Akshaya Centres 4.8.7. Nature ofintervention ofthe Government in E-literacy Progr~e as Perceived by Beneficiaries 4.8.8. Social Relevance ofakshaya Programme 4.8.9. Issues that Fail Akshaya Centres as Catalysts of Socio Economic Changes 4.8.10. Akshaya as a Revenue Generating Model for Sustainability: Reflections of the Clientele 4.8.11. Users Evaluation ofe- literacy Courses Conducted through Akshaya Centres 4.8.12. Akshaya Centres as Source of Information to Citizens 4.9. Measures ofprofitability ofakshaya Centre 146 4.9.1. Profitability: Analysis of Successsful and Unsuccessul Akshaya Centres 4.10 Econometric Analysis 156 4.10.1 Inferences from the Econometric Analysis. 4.10.2 Result ofeconometric Analysis 5. Conclusion 5.1. Future Services Proposed to be Offered in the Next Phase 160-165 160 5.1.1. T elemedicine Project 5.1.2. Insurance Services
5.1.3. Special Job Oriented Training on Animationand Multimedia Packages 5.1.4. Akshaya Markets 5.1.5. Akshaya Hardware Initiative 5.1.6. Vocational Courses 5.1.7. Other services 5.1.8. E-Govemance Cell Appendix I Appendix II Questionnaire for Akshaya Entrepreneurs Questionnaire to Assess ICT Usage of Citizens Through Akshaya Centres in Malappurarn