Ethnographic Approach to User-Centred Evaluation of Telecentres

Telecentres are considered to be an important means for providing disadvantaged communities with access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enabled services. However, there is a limited understanding of how targeted beneficiaries perceive the roles of these telecentres. Using an ethnographic approach, this paper examines the services offered by two telecentres in Bangladesh. An intervention was initiated that enabled groups of farmers to use mobile phones to access services. Based on farmers’ experiences and opinions the authors develop a framework which explicates the dynamic nature of use and appropriation of ICT services.