Paper short abstract:

We draw upon critiques of participatory development, and insights from the field of Human-Computer Interactions for Development (HCI4D), to critically interrogate conflicting values and politics in digital transformation for development and assess the extent to which this amounts to a new tyranny.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper, we critically examine the implications of digital transformation in the context of humanitarian development and critical geography. Our analysis draws upon seminal critiques of participatory development and insights from the field of HCI4D. Despite the potential benefits of increased connectivity and agency through the incorporation of digital technology in development approaches, there are conflicting values involved in its innovation and implementation. These include disparities in funding, governance, and perspectives between private and NGO actors, as well as differences in disciplinary and practitioner values.

We argue that the current discourse surrounding digital transformation in development is similar to that surrounding participatory development in the 1990s, including the assumption that it can increase agency and empowerment for communities in the global South. However, as with participatory development, there are concerns that digital transformation may reinforce latent inequalities between those who design and fund interventions and those who are intended to benefit from them.

Despite the skills and capabilities of many actors in the global South to support digital transformation, most initiatives are driven by multinational corporations and computing departments, acting as gatekeepers for attention, investment, and evaluation. Our paper aims to delve into the causes and consequences of knowledge exchange and collaboration, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding digital transformation in development and vice versa.