By: Marie Riou
The research shows that information and communications technology has had a major impact on 56% of NGOs to advance human rights, this figure has barely changed from the 54% response in the previous study conducted in 2007.
The State of ICT in South African NGOs 2009, was released yesterday Thursday 15 October 2009, by market research organisation, World Wide Worx and NGO technology facilitator SANGONeT.
“It means NGOs are leveraging technology, but not nearly achieving its potential,” says David Barnard, executive director of SANGONeT.
The study shows that for the first time NGO decision-makers are becoming adept at innovative tools like mobile applications and social networking services. Mostly, these are being used in their personal capacity, with half of all respondents using local social networking services, but only 6% of them using it in pursuit of the goals of their organisations.
NGOs rapidly embracing new technology
"This suggests that, because they are adept at using social networks and the like, they face far less of a learning curve in embracing these tools in pursuit of their organisations' causes,” Steven Ambrose, MD of WWW Strategy and lead consultant on the project. “In the past, people have tended to learn how to use the Internet from exposure at work, and then taken that into their personal lives. We are seeing the reverse process at work here?”
The survey also reveals that NGOs are rapidly embracing advanced functions of cellphones as calendar, organiser…
Potential of tools highlighted
“The data shows that NGOs still see the new forms of communication offered by social networks and instant messaging as personal tools rather than organisational, but are aware of their capabilities,” says Ambrose. “This highlights the potential of these tools once their role can be more clearly defined and promoted?”
This survey has been possible thanks to Microsoft and the National Development Agency (NDA). World Wide Worx interviewed decision-makers at 800 NGOs spread across the country, and representing organisations of all sizes and interest groups, sponsored the study.