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Investigating project sustainability. Technology as a development object in a community-based project in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Dewulf, Art 
Foggin, J Marc 

Abstract

The imperative of project sustainability has become explicit policy within development. This is especially true for technology transfer: ‘development objects’ are to be used by prospective beneficiaries long after the project’s closure. We argue that the link between project sustainability, technology and ‘success’ requires deeper scrutiny. We investigate a community-based project in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, which included the transfer of smartphones, weather stations and camera traps. Upon the project’s closure, we compare the stakeholders’ viewpoints regarding the future use of the equipment, showing how technological objects attract new actors into the project’s network, change its course and enhance its impact. We use actor-network theory to explain how development objects shape development processes by generating own networks and transforming social relations of power. We propose a dynamic view of sustainability as: (i) continuation of delivery of project’s goods and services, (ii) durability of the achieved changes and (iii) feasibility of independent growth.

Description

Keywords

4404 Development Studies, 44 Human Society

Journal Title

Oxford Development Studies

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1360-0818
1469-9966

Volume Title

Publisher

Informa UK Limited