Title

Making the transition from pilot to scale: examining sustainability and scalability issues in a public-private telecenter partnership in Sri Lanka

Author Info

Laura Hosman, Illinois Institute of TechnologyFollow

Recommended Citation

Postprint version. Published in Information Technology for Development, Volume 17, Issue 3, July 1, 2011, pages 232-248.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Laura Hosman was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2011.568225.

Abstract

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly the vehicles of choice for the implementation of information and communications technology in the developing world. This is particularly true with regard to locally appropriate, shared-access models such as the telecenter franchise. However, the sustainability and the scalability of such initiatives remain in question. This article examines an innovative PPP project at a crucial developmental point: the period of transition from pilot to scaling stage. It identifies challenges and success factors seldom covered in the literature on such projects, then addresses the question(s) of sustainability and scalability, and explores the advantages of focusing on sub-urban areas and the small-and-medium-enterprise sector of emerging economies.

Copyright

2011 Taylor & Francis.

Publisher statement

This is an electronic version of an article published in Information Technology for Development.