The impact of mobile phones on young people's lives and life chances in sub-Saharan Africa: a three country study to inform policy and practice
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Anthropology
Abstract
This research, focused on the theme ICTs and development, examines the impact of mobile phones on young people's lives, life chances and well-being in Africa. The rapid diffusion of mobile phone technology offers exciting developmental potential, but concerns about possible negative impacts on poor people are growing. We aim to provide a substantial evidence base to show how mobile phone use is impacting on young people aged 9-25 years in three countries (Ghana, Malawi, South Africa). Utilising a mixed-method, child-centred approach, we will be able to examine impacts on education, health, social networks, job search, employment, participation in social movements and the political process, inter-generational relations, substitution of virtual for physical mobility and migration, and explore the broader implications for poverty trajectories (paying attention to effects of gender, household composition and location on outcomes).
We will build on our previous mixed-method, child-centred, child mobility research in 24 sites across Ghana, Malawi and South Africa in 2006-8 which included 70 young people aged 11-19 as co-researchers (e.g. Hampshire et al. 2011a, 2011b; Porter et al., 2010a-e, 2011a-c in press; Robson et al., 2009). That study focused principally on daily physical mobility of 9-18 year olds, but indicated rapidly growing mobile phone adoption by young people and the potential of mobile phones to mediate physical mobility. Consequently, we collected preliminary qualitative data and baseline quantitative data (N=2,967) on phone usage (frequency, ownership, purpose; by gender, age, household composition), and associated background material. We will repeat our 2006-8 study approach in 2012-14, in the same field sites (though not necessarily with the same respondents). Methods include in-depth interviews and group discussions with young people, their parents, teachers and other key informants, and a questionnaire survey in four different settlement types (urban, peri-urban, rural and remote rural) in two agro-ecological zones per country. Through repeat survey and detailed qualitative research in the same sites we will be able to construct a unique comparative dataset on changing patterns of youth phone usage in Africa between 2006-8 and 2012-14 (a critical 6 year period of rapid expansion in adoption and spatial penetration).
We will also extend the research focus in 2012-14, a) to also include those aged 19-25 i.e. our older cohort, 6 years on, to capture changing usage and its impacts as many in this age group move into their 20s, and b) to include much more intensive research on the role and impact of mobile phones in young lives. New themes will include use of mobile phones in job search, employment, education, health, political participation, money transfer, broad-band phone internet access, deliberate mobile phone non-use and impacts of usage on empowerment (actual and perceived potential), personal networks (e.g re spatially stretched households), network development, surveillance, inter-generational relations, migration, substitution for physical (including motor) mobility, exploitation/bullying and status issues. This will provide a strong evidence base, enabling us to identify strategies which can help promote the positive elements of mobile phone adoption and minimise potentially negative impacts and to sensitise policy makers and practitioners to these findings across Africa. Throughout, we will take a youth-centred participatory approach, working with young people as co-collaborators (as we did in 2006-8), i.e. including young people (then school-going, now in some cases unemployed) who were among the (70) child researchers trained in the child mobility study in 2006-8. Where available, they will participate in field studies (particularly field pilots), CCGs and the final review workshop. We will also employ academic research assistants (post-graduate students) in their 20s.
We will build on our previous mixed-method, child-centred, child mobility research in 24 sites across Ghana, Malawi and South Africa in 2006-8 which included 70 young people aged 11-19 as co-researchers (e.g. Hampshire et al. 2011a, 2011b; Porter et al., 2010a-e, 2011a-c in press; Robson et al., 2009). That study focused principally on daily physical mobility of 9-18 year olds, but indicated rapidly growing mobile phone adoption by young people and the potential of mobile phones to mediate physical mobility. Consequently, we collected preliminary qualitative data and baseline quantitative data (N=2,967) on phone usage (frequency, ownership, purpose; by gender, age, household composition), and associated background material. We will repeat our 2006-8 study approach in 2012-14, in the same field sites (though not necessarily with the same respondents). Methods include in-depth interviews and group discussions with young people, their parents, teachers and other key informants, and a questionnaire survey in four different settlement types (urban, peri-urban, rural and remote rural) in two agro-ecological zones per country. Through repeat survey and detailed qualitative research in the same sites we will be able to construct a unique comparative dataset on changing patterns of youth phone usage in Africa between 2006-8 and 2012-14 (a critical 6 year period of rapid expansion in adoption and spatial penetration).
We will also extend the research focus in 2012-14, a) to also include those aged 19-25 i.e. our older cohort, 6 years on, to capture changing usage and its impacts as many in this age group move into their 20s, and b) to include much more intensive research on the role and impact of mobile phones in young lives. New themes will include use of mobile phones in job search, employment, education, health, political participation, money transfer, broad-band phone internet access, deliberate mobile phone non-use and impacts of usage on empowerment (actual and perceived potential), personal networks (e.g re spatially stretched households), network development, surveillance, inter-generational relations, migration, substitution for physical (including motor) mobility, exploitation/bullying and status issues. This will provide a strong evidence base, enabling us to identify strategies which can help promote the positive elements of mobile phone adoption and minimise potentially negative impacts and to sensitise policy makers and practitioners to these findings across Africa. Throughout, we will take a youth-centred participatory approach, working with young people as co-collaborators (as we did in 2006-8), i.e. including young people (then school-going, now in some cases unemployed) who were among the (70) child researchers trained in the child mobility study in 2006-8. Where available, they will participate in field studies (particularly field pilots), CCGs and the final review workshop. We will also employ academic research assistants (post-graduate students) in their 20s.
Planned Impact
We aim to achieve impact both among Direct and Indirect Beneficiaries.
Direct beneficiaries include:
a) Young people (male and female) in our 24 study communities, who suffer many disadvantages in their lives and for whom mobile phones offer new opportunities and life chances, but also new dangers. (Their parents/carers and dependents will also benefit.) Girls and women would benefit particularly from better understanding of both potential advantages and dangers of improved phone access for expanding their (virtual) mobility; those in the remotest locations and from the poorest socio-economic groups may benefit most, given common constraints on their access to income and livelihoods, since the mobile phone offers enormous potential to leapfrog physical mobility constraints;
b) Mobile phone network companies which need to maintain a positive public profile, by alerting them to potential hazards so that they can work to introduce safeguards;
c) government departments and
d) NGOs/CBOs which are directed at safeguarding young people and promoting their well-being. With each of these groups we will disseminate and discuss our findings about opportunities, dangers and relevant potential safeguarding measures.
e) Young researchers (especially those currently unemployed) from the Child Mobility study who, through work in this project, will obtain direct financial benefit plus additional work experience valuable for their career development. They will consolidate the research techniques they learned in the CM study and benefit through further engagement with Country Consultative Group (CCG) members (youth, health and other ministries, NGOs, phone network companies etc.) (The CCG meetings are crucial for sensitisation of key actors, promoting commitment, ownership and dissemination of research outputs, so that country-wide policy and practice impacts are generated.)
Potential Indirect Beneficiaries include young people, their dependents and carers across the 3 study countries (i.e. constituting well over half the total population per country) and other potential users.
Target audiences include in-country Ministries of Women and Children's Affairs, Communications, Employment, Health, Education, Transport; local youth-focused NGOs/CBOs, and those working in livelihoods, communications, education, health etc; in-country and international private sector mobile phone network providers; international NGOs focused on young people; relevant bilateral and multilateral agencies (e.g. DFID, SDC, World Bank, UNICEF); African Technology Policy Studies Network; National Forum Groups of the International Forum for Rural Development and Transport (IFRTD).
Our project evidence base and policy guidelines will have wide value in our focus countries, across Africa and beyond, promoting sensitisation to young people's needs among both our identified beneficiaries (particularly youth, their parents/carers and dependents) and target audiences (policy makers, practitioners and the private sector), and to the positives and negatives offered by mobiles phones. It should help maximise the benefits of rapid mobile phone adoption among young people and minimise the disbenefits, with consequent improvements in the well-being of young people, their dependants and carers in Africa (and elsewhere). Particular attention will be given to dissemination to local and international intermediary organisations that will deliver findings on to end-users.
Direct beneficiaries include:
a) Young people (male and female) in our 24 study communities, who suffer many disadvantages in their lives and for whom mobile phones offer new opportunities and life chances, but also new dangers. (Their parents/carers and dependents will also benefit.) Girls and women would benefit particularly from better understanding of both potential advantages and dangers of improved phone access for expanding their (virtual) mobility; those in the remotest locations and from the poorest socio-economic groups may benefit most, given common constraints on their access to income and livelihoods, since the mobile phone offers enormous potential to leapfrog physical mobility constraints;
b) Mobile phone network companies which need to maintain a positive public profile, by alerting them to potential hazards so that they can work to introduce safeguards;
c) government departments and
d) NGOs/CBOs which are directed at safeguarding young people and promoting their well-being. With each of these groups we will disseminate and discuss our findings about opportunities, dangers and relevant potential safeguarding measures.
e) Young researchers (especially those currently unemployed) from the Child Mobility study who, through work in this project, will obtain direct financial benefit plus additional work experience valuable for their career development. They will consolidate the research techniques they learned in the CM study and benefit through further engagement with Country Consultative Group (CCG) members (youth, health and other ministries, NGOs, phone network companies etc.) (The CCG meetings are crucial for sensitisation of key actors, promoting commitment, ownership and dissemination of research outputs, so that country-wide policy and practice impacts are generated.)
Potential Indirect Beneficiaries include young people, their dependents and carers across the 3 study countries (i.e. constituting well over half the total population per country) and other potential users.
Target audiences include in-country Ministries of Women and Children's Affairs, Communications, Employment, Health, Education, Transport; local youth-focused NGOs/CBOs, and those working in livelihoods, communications, education, health etc; in-country and international private sector mobile phone network providers; international NGOs focused on young people; relevant bilateral and multilateral agencies (e.g. DFID, SDC, World Bank, UNICEF); African Technology Policy Studies Network; National Forum Groups of the International Forum for Rural Development and Transport (IFRTD).
Our project evidence base and policy guidelines will have wide value in our focus countries, across Africa and beyond, promoting sensitisation to young people's needs among both our identified beneficiaries (particularly youth, their parents/carers and dependents) and target audiences (policy makers, practitioners and the private sector), and to the positives and negatives offered by mobiles phones. It should help maximise the benefits of rapid mobile phone adoption among young people and minimise the disbenefits, with consequent improvements in the well-being of young people, their dependants and carers in Africa (and elsewhere). Particular attention will be given to dissemination to local and international intermediary organisations that will deliver findings on to end-users.
Publications
Gina Porter (Author)
(2014)
Mobile phones and education in sub-Saharan Africa: negotiating the gaps between youth practice and public policy
Hampshire K
(2015)
Informal m-health: How are young people using mobile phones to bridge healthcare gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa?
in Social science & medicine (1982)
Hampshire K
(2017)
Who bears the cost of 'informal mhealth'? Health-workers' mobile phone practices and associated political-moral economies of care in Ghana and Malawi.
in Health policy and planning
Porter G
(2015)
Mobile Phones and Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: From Youth Practice to Public Policy
in Journal of International Development
Porter G
(2019)
Mobile phones, gender, and female empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa: studies with African youth
in Information Technology for Development
Porter G
(2018)
Youth Livelihoods in the Cellphone Era: Perspectives from Urban Africa
in Journal of International Development
| Description | We have successfully built a very substantial [gender/age-disaggregated] data set for our 24 research sites in 2012-2014, precisely as proposed. This includes a quantitative survey of phone use [N=4,500: 9-18y= 3000; 19-25y=1,500] and intensive qualitative research with young people aged c. 9-25y, their carers and other key informants [N= c.1,600 transcripts]. The mixed method approach, supported by our in-depth experience in these 24 sites since 2006, enables extensive triangulation. Input from young peer researchers [trained initially 2006] has been extremely valuable. Key developments in young people's phone ownership/usage: comparing 2007/8 and 2013/14 data: Ownership of mobile phones (all types) increased massively in all three countries (from 0.6% to 8% in Malawi, 2% to 16% in Ghana, 21% to 51% in South Africa). Usage levels have also expanded substantially: regarding the week prior to survey, usage had expanded from 9% to 35% in Malawi, 17% to 42% in Ghana, 56% to 77% in South Africa. Levels of ownership and use thus still vary substantially, with South Africa in the lead, followed by Ghana, then Malawi (reflecting overall wealth differences between the three countries, as in 2007/8). Both ownership and use, unsurprisingly, continue to be more heavily concentrated in urban areas (with better network reception). Gendered patterns of ownership evident among 9-18 year olds in Ghana and Malawi in 2007/8 still prevail, but in South Africa our survey data suggest there is parity now. Basic phones, ubiquitous in 2007/8, still dominate, but by 2013/14 around 40% of 9-25 year olds in South Africa said they were accessing the internet through smart phones and around 1/10th in Ghana and Malawi. Unsurprisingly, smart phone usage gradations are evident by settlement type, with lowest access in remote rural locations, highest in urban areas. Key findings [2012-15] relate to education, health, gender issues, mobility and livelihoods. Education: positive educational value among pupils mostly revolves around its use for mundane purposes (e.g. clarifying homework tasks). Negative impacts were widely recorded: academic performance affected by disrupted classes (pupil and teacher usage); disruptions in sleep patterns associated with cheap night calls; time lost through prolonged sessions on social network sites; harassment and bullying; widespread access to pornography. Health: Mobile phones are widely used to facilitate access to healthcare. Young people used mobile phones principally to call people in their personal networks for assistance and/or advice in the event of illness (less often, for assistance/advice from health professionals, the internet, radio/TV shows, SMS 'health tips'). Ability to make effective use of the healthcare-facilitating possibilities of mobile phones was circumscribed by the extent and quality of personal networks, Meanwhile, healthcare workers use their phones informally to support poor communities, but at substantial personal cost. Inter-generational relations: Many young people are already 'experts' in phone use and recognised as such by older family members (often passive, episodic users). The role they are often expected to take on as 'infomediaries' is giving them a new source of power within the family as information hubs. Their phone competency also increasingly contains/limits surveillance efforts and associated supervision. Gender relations: Networks of romance are now increasingly managed/consolidated through the use of mobile phones. A strongly gendered phone etiquette prevails; gifting patterns and obligations are often highly gendered from a young age. The phone has become strongly implicated in juggling of multiple relationships. Speculative calls to unknown females, including through random number calling, is common among boys and men. Friend requests on social network sites are widely accepted, even those coming from total strangers. Mobility/transport: Mobile phones are now used widely for key transport-related activities: organising everyday travel, coordinating/synchronising towards better space/time management; organising transport in emergencies [especially health emergencies]; substituting for physical mobility [especially where incomes are low, road conditions poor, transport costly, irregular/ unavailable, traffic accident rates high, threats of robbery/harassment/violence high, females face family-imposed travel constraints]. The potential to leapfrog physical mobility has uncertain implications for gender relations; much depends on specific context. We are now taking these issues forward in a new ESRC GCRF funded project 'Youth engagement and skills acquisition within Africa's transport sector: promoting a gender agenda towards transitions into meaningful work', which will encompass research on travel security and mobile phones. Livelihoods: Mobile phones facilitate job search and livelihood opportunities for some young people of both genders, in all sites, but especially urban areas. Youth draw on their social networks utilising a complex mix of social and economic strands. Direct employment in phone-related enterprise is generally combined with other petty trades or small enterprises. Phone usage to build livelihoods and configure new ones is less prominent than we anticipated, though it is used very extensively to garner resources. For youth who are unemployed or in formal education, the phone has become an essential tool in securing financial and other material resources to support everyday living expenses, especially from older family members. Mobile money is increasingly used to organise transfer of funds. |
| Exploitation Route | In the academic community we envisaged follow up of our findings particularly in the education, health, livelihoods and transport/mobility sectors: within our research group, Alister Munthali and Augustine Tanle have been taking this forward in the education sector with the field pilots re application of guidelines on responsible phone use in schools, Kate Hampshire and the UCC team in the health sector (in connection with a Wellcome grant), Ariane de Lannoy, and the UCT group + Gina Porter in livelihoods [where our current ESRC GCRF project is focused], Gina Porter and all three country teams in the transport/moblities/migration sector. Additionally, we have had interest from other academic researchers in these areas and various actual and potential collaborations between our team and external groups (for instance on urban/smart transport with the Institute of Transport Studies, Leeds University). UCC and Durham participated in a GCRF transport network on meeting the needs of vulnerable populations [led from ITS Leeds, K. Lucas] and held a meeting for the network in Cape Coast in May 17 where we showcased our work with children and have contributed further inputs to that network. The peer research approach we have promoted through the project and associated work with HelpAge is now going forward in a different context through our ongoing work with unemployed women. In the non-academic sector, we provided detailed feedback to our study communities and continue to have interactions with members of our Country Consultative Groups [government, NGOs, private sector]. We were still in discussion just prior to the pandemic about promoting responsible phone use with ministries of education, based on our education/youth findings and received ESRC Impact Acceleration Account funding to run workshops with headteachers in Ghana (conducted Oct 2016) and Malawi (conducted Nov 2016) with some modest follow-up from Newton Funding in Malawi and subsequent small inputs of support. Since the onset of the pandemic we have been unable to pursue this further as our local collaborators observe that face-to-face engagement seems to be necessary to progress issues at the ministries. The transport sector findings have been circulated through IFRTD, an AFCAP training programme and were fed into an AfDB staff transport training programme and gender mainstreaming guidelines to encourage transport projects to take more account of the potential for mobile phone/transport connectivities. They are also incorporated in a recent published guide produced for the Volvo Research and Education Foundations and the current GCRF project with unemployed women. Our findings in diverse sectors (inter-generational relations, health, livelihoods, transport) are proving of considerable interest to HelpAge International and other NGOs [including disability-focused NGOs]. Through policy briefings on education and health prepared with UCT's Children's Institute (and our contribution to their Child Gauge publication) we expect to have continued engagement with government and the NGO sector (for instance, Love Life), particularly across southern Africa. Invitations/participation in conferences which focus on engagement and impact [notably Pretoria, March 2016; Vancouver HSR November 2016; IDS Child Poverty November 2016; Evidence informed decision making ODI March 2017; Digital Development Summit March 2017] ] have also aided impact with both academic and non-academic groups. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Retail,Transport |
| URL | http://www.dur.ac.uk/child.phones/ |
| Description | Our findings to date have been used to generate discussion with our study communities, practitioners [notably re physical/virtual mobility interactions eg. via training to transport practitioners through DFID's AFCAP and ReCAP programmes; subsequent ongoing interactions with NGO staff working on access issues; African Development Bank training and project advice], policy makers in all three study countries [particularly education ministries, with reference to mobile phone impacts on children's education; also communication with UNESCO on this] and the private sector [network providers around issues such as pornography, cheap night call rates and seemingly inappropriate advertisements, such as Airtel's 'internet made me do it' in Malawi (where we didn't receive any feedback following our discussions with the company, but the advertisement subsequently seems to have disappeared from billboards)]. Further details re impacts in education, transport/mobility/security and associated with our co-investigation methodology are provided below: Education sector: ESRC Global Challenge Research Fund and Durham University [35k] have supported further work with the education sector in Ghana and Malawi. We have used our project findings to produce draft advice sheets for head-teachers in both countries on promoting responsible phone use among pupils and teachers, worked with the national education authorities in each country and head-teachers to review the agreed advice and then promoted its adoption nationally [workshops completed in Ghana with Ghana Education Service and teachers; and in Malawi with MoEST and teachers, followed by pilots in a variety of schools in one major region of each country - these are still ongoing]. Publication of our findings in the University of Cape Town's Children's Institute annual Child Gauge publication for southern Africa 2015 and a request for a piece on phones and educational issues in Africa from the Conversation has subsequently led to various requests for media interviews, including a Channel Islam International radio interview from Johannesburg and email communication (Oct 2016) from the e-learning unit in South Africa's Department of Basic Education regarding an intention to refer to our findings in their policy recommendations. All of this will help bring attention to the need to actively promote more responsible phone use. South Africa's National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers (NACCW) also asked for - and were granted- permission to reproduce the education brief (prepared for South Africa last year) in their quarterly journal which goes out to CYCW staff around the country. This takes the key messages to those professionals working with youth at community-level and those responsible for their education and training - so a potential powerful network in terms of helping youth navigate the risks and reap the benefits of mobile phone technology. An article outlining our work in the education sector has also been published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) newsletter, Technopolicy Africa Issue 004 [http://www.atpsnet.org/Files/ATPS_Newsletter-_Technopolicy_Africa_Issue_0004.pdf. ] Subsequently, I have engaged with the NGO GirlEffect regarding our joint concerns regarding the impact of girls' phone usage - their recent report "Real girls, real lives, connected" cites much of our published work. Transport/mobility/security: Advisory work on gender mainstreaming in the transport sector [by the PI] has continued with the African Development Bank, supporting promotion of improved understanding of current and potential linkages between physical and virtual mobility and the implications for girls' and women's safety in transport contexts [based on our project findings]. Most recently this involved a workshop in Tunis [Nov 2018] organised by AFDB for themselves and the Islamic Development Bank which brought in engineers and gender specialists from Africa, MENA and south Asia together with staff from GiZ and DFID's High Volume Transport programme to engage with our draft Guidelines. We have also been contacted by disability and other NGOs interested in our work, following on from the IfRTD newsletter reporting our findings (December 2015). A small advisory input on transport and ICT linkages has been made into a Cities Alliance project, funded by the UNDP, on the informal urban economy in Uganda; other [PI] advisory work supporting NGO studies on gender and transport, including ICT linkages, in Kenya [for IFRTD], in Tanzania [for HelpAge] and Nepal [under the DFID-funded ReCAP programme] is still in progress, with the final stage involving support towards production of a special issue based on NGO research and authored by NGOs for the Journal of Transport Geography. .Other advisory work is ongoing with the NGO Transaid on their RECAP motorcycles study [including ICT linkages] in four African countries. Co-investigation methodology: Our co-investigation methodology continues to attract interest and resulted in the PI being invited to Germany's Transport Research Institute, and to present in a Devex Webinar on Research into Practice, sponsored by the DFID-funded ReCAP programme. A further collaboration between the PI and HelpAge International in Tanzania building on this approach has also been conducted. A new project funded under ESRC's GCRF Education and Skills call also incorporates this approach, this time with unemployed young women as peer researchers in three cities: Tunis, Abuja and Cape Town (1st Dec 2018- 30th November 2021). : Other miscellaneous information with relevance re impact: - request for our survey data from South Africa office of Lovelife International for use by them for a strategy document in RSA [2014 email correspondence] - provided to them but staff change and no response to requests for further information on usage. - UNICEF Malawi request for our survey data. Provided to them 2015 but no further response to queries on their usage. - Information request from staff member at the World Bank (Harborne) re new work in progress on Africa and the Social Contract. - The PI was commissioned to prepare a review of children's mobility [including role of ICT] under DFID's High Volume Transport programme. - now published in the journal 'Sustainability' [2019] |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics,Energy,Healthcare,Transport |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Advisory role [G. Porter, Transport Services Advisor] in DFID Africa Community Access Programme, 2012-14 |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249276/AFCAP_RU_case_study... |
| Description | Contracted advisory support role [G.Porter] to NGOs researching gender issues in the transport sector in a DFID funded programme RECAP [ongoing] |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | http://research4cap.org/Recap-news/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=40 |
| Description | Imput into NGO Girl Effect work re mobile phone impacts on adolescent girls |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Contributions to GirlEffect review, commissioned by Vodafone Foundation, to examine mobile phone impacts on adolescent girls. The GirlEffect and Vodafone Foundation report [2018] 'Real girls, real lives connected' references our work. |
| URL | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b8d51837c9327d89d936a30/t/5bbe7bd6085229cf6860f582/153921041... |
| Description | Mainstreaming gender in the transport/communications sector of the African Development Bank [ongoing] |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/women-in-transportation-bank-holds-two-day-capacity-... |
| Description | Preparation of a Transport User position paper for the Volvo Research and Education Foundation as a base for VREF commissioning new work in Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Preparation of a position paper on Young people's mobliity and transport needs for the DFID High Volume Transport applied research Programme -as a base for commissioning new studies |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Reported usage of our findings by S.Africa Dept of Basic Education |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | S. Africa's Dept of Basic Education requested our publications [following participation in our end of project workshop in Cape Town 2015 and receipt of the guidelines prepared by our partner UCT Children's Institute]. Staff in the dept of Basic Education report using our findings to inform a digital learning initiative carried out by the DBE. |
| Description | Training on working with community peer researchers at ITDP Mobilize virtual summit interactive training workshop |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://mobilizesummit.org/ |
| Description | Tunis engagement with transport/gender practitioners |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Staff from the African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank engaged with the gender mainstreaming work I have been engaged with along with the AFDB and looked at how it would shape their ongoing work in the transport sector, with specific ref to users access to public services. However, I do not have evidence that the plans they discussed have been implemented on the ground. |
| Description | Workshops with 100 headteachers in Ghana and 100 in Malawi plus Ghana Education Service/ Mlalawi Ministry of Education staff to promote responsible phone use in shcools by both children and teachers, follrowed by implementation of pilot programmes in 15 schools in Ghana and 10 schools in Malawi. |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Schools where headteachers have introduced the guidelines report a improvements in classroom learning due to reduced use of mobile phones for social purposes by teachers and pupils. Impacts are strongest in the schools where our local collaborators worked directly to pilot the guidelines. |
| Description | ESRC GCRF Impact acceleration award |
| Amount | £21,526 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Durham University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2018 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | ESRC GLOBAL CHALLENGE RESEARCH FUND |
| Amount | £15,188 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2016 |
| End | 12/2016 |
| Description | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Amount | £858,936 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/S005099/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2018 |
| End | 02/2021 |
| Description | Newton Fund |
| Amount | £3,660 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Newton Fund |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | Research Impact Fund |
| Amount | £13,800 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Durham University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2018 |
| End | 07/2018 |
| Description | Wellcome grant in social sciences [Dr K. Hampshire] |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 110084/Z/15/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2016 |
| End | 02/2017 |
| Title | Co-investigation |
| Description | Young people trained as peer researchers, then contribute through this work to question design in subsequent phases of qualitative and survey research. Also applied in researching older people's mobility. Details in G. Porter, Qualitative Research, 2016. Recently applied again in the GCRF Education and Skills project 2018-21, this time with young unemployed women and peer researchers in peripheral urban low income neighbourhoods in Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa. About to test the approach with young men in the same South African research sites plus low income London neighbourhoods [with funding from VREF]. |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Many of the 70 young people trained in the child mobility project 2006-10 have themselves gained substantially from their work as peer researchers. Some went on to university or to jobs in the NGO sector (using the certificates provided by the project). Some continued 2012-15 to build their skills under the follow-on phones project. Impacts have been substantial re focusing our attention on key questions in the academic research component. The approach has subsequently been used with older people in a HelpAge International research project in Tanzania. Various relevant project publications e.g. Robson et al. 2009, Porter et al. 2010; Hampshire et al. 2012; latest comparative published review of approach across projects and age groups, extending info provided, in Qualitative Research 2016. Presentation of this method requested by the DLR Institute of Transport Research at a Workshop on Research Methods for Urban Informal Transport, Berlin Sept. 2016, and for the DEVEX webinar, Sept 2016. Subsequently utilised with unemployed women as peer researchers in the Education and Skills GCRF project and show-cased at international meetings in 2019 in Berlin, Fortaleza and Addis Ababa. Basis for a training programme for ITDP Mobilize virtual summit in October 2020 and now requested for a VREF meeting in Paris, late March 2023. Refinement of the method is ongoing as experience builds through the projects. |
| URL | https://transportandyouthemploymentinafrica.com/ |
| Title | SPSS PHONES DATASET |
| Description | Input from survey of 4,500 young people [9-25y] re mobile phone usage |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We have produced 4 key papers to date using the dataset - more to follow. |
| Description | GCRF NETWORK ON URBAN TRANSPORT FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Department | Institute of Transport Studies |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | University of Cape Coast, a project partner on the child mobility and phones studies is a member of the GCRF network, along with Durham University. We ran a workshop in May 2017 built from our project for researchers from UK, Nigeria, Uganda and Bangladesh who are members of the network and we have participated in subsequent network meetings in Nigeria, Bangladesh and Kampala. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Organised the Cape Coast workshop including field studies re participatory work with children and young people. |
| Impact | Workshop at Cape Coast, participation in other network workshops. Multi disciplinary collaboration - geography, anthropology, transport studies |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Partnerships for the mobile phone project |
| Organisation | International Forum for Rural Transport and Development |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We worked with the full team to design and implement the project, including providing field training and ongoing field support to partnership staff throughout the project, plus training in SPSS data entry and analysis [and also to informal linked institutions, notably Walter Sissulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa]. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Vital to developing project design and all phases of implementation as a joint project. Also subsequent writing for publication. |
| Impact | Many publications and subsequent pilot projects in Ghana and Malawi schools [via GES and MoEST] re implementing guidelines for responsible phone use in schools. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Partnerships for the mobile phone project |
| Organisation | University of Cape Coast |
| Country | Ghana |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We worked with the full team to design and implement the project, including providing field training and ongoing field support to partnership staff throughout the project, plus training in SPSS data entry and analysis [and also to informal linked institutions, notably Walter Sissulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa]. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Vital to developing project design and all phases of implementation as a joint project. Also subsequent writing for publication. |
| Impact | Many publications and subsequent pilot projects in Ghana and Malawi schools [via GES and MoEST] re implementing guidelines for responsible phone use in schools. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Partnerships for the mobile phone project |
| Organisation | University of Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We worked with the full team to design and implement the project, including providing field training and ongoing field support to partnership staff throughout the project, plus training in SPSS data entry and analysis [and also to informal linked institutions, notably Walter Sissulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa]. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Vital to developing project design and all phases of implementation as a joint project. Also subsequent writing for publication. |
| Impact | Many publications and subsequent pilot projects in Ghana and Malawi schools [via GES and MoEST] re implementing guidelines for responsible phone use in schools. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Partnerships for the mobile phone project |
| Organisation | University of Malawi |
| Department | Centre for Social Research |
| Country | Malawi |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We worked with the full team to design and implement the project, including providing field training and ongoing field support to partnership staff throughout the project, plus training in SPSS data entry and analysis [and also to informal linked institutions, notably Walter Sissulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa]. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Vital to developing project design and all phases of implementation as a joint project. Also subsequent writing for publication. |
| Impact | Many publications and subsequent pilot projects in Ghana and Malawi schools [via GES and MoEST] re implementing guidelines for responsible phone use in schools. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | A second paper at ECAS, Lisbon, June 2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Paper given in health session by K. Hampshire - Connections, creativity and risk: Phones, health and wellbeing among Africa's youth, led to substantial discussion. contributed to recent ESRC DFID propoal |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | ASAUK CONFERENCE SESSION, SEPT 14 One day 3-part session on Mobile phones and Transport in Africa [with African participants sponsored by DFID]. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | workshop facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A full day of papers and associated discussion by academics and NGO staff, stimulating much debate and interchange of ideas. NGOs such as Transaid who participated, have continued to explore the links between transport and mobile phones in their development research. This is exemplified by one of their latest projects, a referral scheme for maternal health in Kenya where recruitment of motorcycle taxi drivers of good standing who own their own motorcycle, a license, a phone and helmet is a key element - see http://www.transaid.org/updates/designing-a-referral-scheme-for-maternal-health-in-kenya/ See https://tg |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://tgrg.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/mobile-phones-mobility-and-transport-in-sub-saharan-africa/ |
| Description | African Development Bank 2-day training session and guideline development on gender mainstreaming in transport |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Response to African Development Bank request for support on gender mainstreaming in the transport sector. Preparation of guidelines [incl. link to phones research], 2 day training session for Bank staff and associated projects [Abidjan with skype to other Bank offices across Africa], participation in Bank mid-term review Nigeria, presentation and participation in AFDB session streams at NEPAD Johannesburg infrastructure meeting, May 2016. . |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | African Development Bank 2-day training session and guideline development on gender mainstreaming in transport |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | afdb |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | African Studies Association conference session and paper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Two sessions at the African Studies Association annual conference in Sussex with African and UK participants, including DFID senior infrastructure adviser, practitioners and academics, organised to promote discussion on linkages between mobile phones, mobility and development in Africa - sparked much discussion and plans for future research. The DFID-funded Africa Commmunity Access Programme [AFCAP] which sponsored the session and attendance from African participants is exhibiting more interest in including consideration of ICT within its remit [following this and earlier efforts to get transport specialists engaged in considering potential linkages with mobile phone technology]. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://tgrg.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/mobile-phones-mobility-and-transport-in-sub-saharan-africa/ |
| Description | Blog post for 'Lessons from a Decade's Research on Poverty: Innovation, Engagement and Impact' from 16-18 March in Pretoria, South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Blog post may have led to various requests for interviews from media received subsequently. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Cambridge food security forum meeting on new technologies and food security |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited to present and discuss the role of new technologies in food security alongside Oxfam and Vodafone - part of a University organised series of debates [I spoke on transport and phone connectivity in Africa]. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | ESRC DFID Poverty Alleviation conference, London, 9 September 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Participants attended this as one of four options at the ESRC DFID conference morning session. It raised diverse issues around engaging with policy makers and the value of country consultative groups No |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | ESRC FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE EVENT IDS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Spoke at a workshop organised by the Impact Initiative on Women's Life Choices at IDS- this drew on findings from both projects |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Education Forum at Newcastle University organised by COCO [child education NGO] |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk on findings from our child phones study to an audience of c. 40, all members of the Education and Development Network Forum set up by the child education NGO, COCO which works in Africa - attendees included teachers, UK and African NGO staff of COCO, other NGO staff, some academics. Part of the opening session of the new network - much discussion followed, including implications for COCO's own projects. No impact yet, except exchange of papers with other academics working in education and development. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | European Committee for African Studies ECAS, conference [full day panel session: ICTs and Networks, 27 June 2013, University of Lisbon]. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Paper given within a full-day panel sesssion on ICT and networks GP organised jointly with Tom Molony [Edinburgh] and 3 European colleagues. A full day focus encouraged substantial discussion. Paper given by GP within this: • Africa's youth calling: Mobile phones, social networks and (gendered) young lives. Various interactions with European ICT researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Feedback in Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Two feedback meetings, one regionally-focused at Cape Coast, a national meeting in Accra. Feedback was to government staff [education, health, police, gender). network providers and NGO staff . Considerable discussion about pupil and teachers' use of phones in class, in particular, at both meetings, and the need for action at Ghana Education Service. UCC researchers plan to take the discussion further with the Ghana Education Service [who have also expressed much concern about these issues in earlier Consultative Group meetings]. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2015/04/28/researchers-call-for-policy-on-mobile-phone-use-in-ghan... |
| Description | Feedback to communities in South Africa: Dissemination back to 8 study communities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The activity consisted of 8 separate workshops - 4 in Gauteng/NW Province and 4 in Eastern Cape South Africa. Each took place in a community where we had conducted research with a wide range of invitees from each community, including young people, teachers,church leaders, local administrators, politicians and NGOs and CBOs. There was a great deal of discussion following the presentations in every research site. Not available as yet - the Eastern Cape meetings have only just been completed. It may take time for communities to absorb some of the information presented [eg on issues of pornography, night calling etc.] and much impact will probably relate to how individuals and households use their mobile phones in the future, so is unlikely to be evident in terms of reported impact. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015 |
| Description | Ghana radio interviews on phones in schools issue for Cape FM |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 2 Interviews on phones in schools issue for Cape FM following our phones in education workshop at Cape Coast [1 by K. Hampshire, DU; one by A. Abane, UCC] Impacts not yet known,. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Impact initiative child poverty conference Addis Ababa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Participation in child poverty workshop including writing a blog beforehand, giving a paper, interviewing key participants [World Bank, Save the Children] for Impact Initiative dissemination. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.esrc.ac.uk/news-events-and-publications/news/news-items/putting-children-first-event-call... |
| Description | Intalink International network on transport and accessibility for vulnerable urban populations, Oxford University, keynote (May 2018) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | GP Keynote in network dissemination event at end of Intalinc project - 'Future priorities for meeting the transport and accessibility needs of low income communities in developing urban contexts' [May 18] Participants from overseas partner institutions, transport practitioners, industry, academics. Various links which have assisted with development of new research project and with impact on phones and child transport projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Interview US National Public radio re girls and mobile phones |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview re girls and phones, linking to a report just out from the NGO GirlEffect with funds from Vodafone Foundation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Interview on child poverty research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | nterviewed/filmed by me at the event at IDS this Friday. Short interview of approx 15 mins to be edited together with other interviews from ESRC/DfID joint-fund grantees - The point of the video is to share the knowledge of experienced researchers in this field on what works best/has greatest impact when doing research that helps to end child poverty. It will be uploaded on the Impact Initiative website - the main audience for the video is other (maybe less experienced) researchers working in this field. Next query below doesn't fit this category of engagement. This is avaiable on http://www.theimpactinitiative.net/blog/blog-what-does-research-child-poverty-need-do nb hough this link works when I check the URL IT WON'T ACCEPT FOR UPDATE RECORD! |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Invited keynote Ist International conference on Geographies of Migration and Mobility iMigMob, Loughborough university |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A mixed audience with academics as well as other groups listed above. Raised attention to migration within sub-Saharan Africa and role of mobile phones in supporting migrant and home household linkages. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/geography/news/events/imigmob.html |
| Description | Invited keynote, Plenary of RGS/IBG transport research group, Sept 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Much discussion afterwards, including both academic and practitioner participants. Requests to attend energy discussions/workshop at Loughborough University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://conference.rgs.org/Conference/Sessions/SearchResults.aspx?conference=AC2015&rg=TGRG |
| Description | Invited speaker in Devex Webinar 'Research to Practice: Engaging local communities in the future of transportation' sponsored by RECAP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | One of 3 invited speakers [other two presenters were practitioners] in a webinar on Research into Practice prepared by Devex and sponsored by RECAP [a DFID-funded programme run by Cardno]. Participants from Tanzania, Germany, etc. put questions on diverse issues following our presentations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://pages.devex.com/research-to-practice-registration.html |
| Description | Live radio interview for Channel Islam International, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Response to radio interview request linked to previous publication of a piece on mobile phones in African schools in The Conversation. Interviewer raised many interesting questions around our findings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2016/05/24/are-mobile-phones-disruptive-or-should-they-be-looked-at-a... |
| Description | Malawi Ministry of Education +UNICEF Malawi meetings Sept/Oct 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meetings with Malawi MoEST directors following meeting with UNICEF Malawi re developing a teacher education programme on responsible phone use. MoEST are keen to develop this work and have been requested by UNICEF to preparea a budget proposal for a stakeholder meeting and teacher training intervention. UNICEF have subsequently [December 2015] asked us to prepare a briefing for them based on our findings. Awaiting MoEST/Unicef communication on progress |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Mobile phones as therapeutic technology:Lisbon, Conference on therapeutic technologies in Africa. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Paper given, Mobile phones as therapeutic technology: digitally-mediated healing and transformation in Africa. 24-25 March 2014, Lisbon, raised debate on this issue Led to recent ESRC DFID proposal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Mobilize conference, Fortaleza, Brazil [sponsored by ITDP/VREF], June 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | International review of mobility issues and study methods including value of participatory research methods. with communities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.itdp.org/event/mobilize-fortaleza/ |
| Description | Oxford internet institute |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Talk by Elsbeth Robson on Social media use of young people in Malawi. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Oxford transport studies unit leadership summer school |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Wideranging discussion on recent changes in mobilities in Africa and implications for policy and practice following paper presented: Infrastructure, development and finance: user perspectives from rural sub-Saharan Africa Requests for papers and further information eg.from Indian participant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Paper presentation at the RGS/IBG annual conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A paper, Transport, mobility and livelihoods in urban Africa: new opportunities in an era of widespread mobile phone communication was given within three sessions jointly organised with Karen Lucas on transport and urban livelihoods in development contexts at the Royal Geographical Society/IBG international conference, 27-29 August 2014,. Raised questions from private sector participants re linking transport and ICT. Discussion continuing within the Transport Geography Research Group, We hope to put together a special issue of the Journal of Transport Geography on the livelihoods and transport theme, including ICT. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://tgrg.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/mobilities-and-livelihoods-in-developing-urban-contexts/#more-8... |
| Description | Paper presented at M4D Dakar, Senegal, 8-9 April 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The paper, Mobile phones and education in sub-Saharan Africa: negotiating the gaps between youth practice and public policy was presented to and discussed by a diverse international group of practitioners, policy makers and academics. Considerable interest in our ongoing research and findings - new contacts made with practitioners and academics in Africa and Europe. Led to subsequent ESRC DFID proposal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Paper presented at World Social Science Forum, Montreal, 13 October 2013. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Findings of the paper , Mobile phones, social organisation and independent transitions among young people in sub-Saharan Africa: mobilities perspectives, were discussed. A journalist at the presentation subsequently requested an interview and a small journal piece resulted focused on our work with peer researchers. The piece about our work with peer researchers has generated some wider interest beyond the meeting. http:// http://www.scidev.net/global/icts/scidev-net-at-large/researchers-get-down-with-the-kids.html seems to be out of date now. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Presentation at Mobilities congress, Berlin [sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung], May 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Invitation to present and join panel discussions at a major mobility congress that attracted a large and diverse audience. Subsequently I have been contacted by Futurium Berlin re adivice on a planned exhibition around African mobilities [+invitation to other meetings e.g. from GiZ] |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.fes-skopje.org/e/mobility-congress-in-berlin/ |
| Description | Presentation at UN Commission on the status of women NGO forum presentation, New York (March 2018) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at a session organised by the Impact Initiative at the UN Commission on the status of women NGO forum, New York (March 2018) Much discussion and some continued engagement with third sector organisations after this meeting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation at University of Aalto, Helsinki, transport summer school |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | International participants at the summer school on transport and development [postgraduate students and practitioners from a wide number of countries] heard the paper, 'Transport, mobility and the new connectivities in sub-Saharan Africa: implications for well-being' and participated in post presentation debate and some associated practical work concerning the potential role of phones to mediate young people's mobility practices. Impact was mainly in making the audience which is transport-focused, think more creatively about the potential of phone-transport connectivities, especially in development contexts. May have led to invitation from Volvo Research Foundation to join Interim Expert Advisory Panel on development of a new urban research and education programme for Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Presentation to African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank, Tunis |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting to present draft Guidelines on gender mainstreaming in the transport sector [including ICT-transport linkages], I had prepared with/for the African Development Bank drawing on both the phones and child mobility research. AfDB invited their engineers and social development staff from across Africa - participants came from South Africa, Ghana, Sudan, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Kenya Islamic Development Bank invited engineers and gender specialists from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria GiZ and DFID High VolumeTransport Programme staff also attended. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation to Ghana Education Service Management committee on pupil and teacher phone use issues |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with GES management committee one week prior to and in preparation for ESRC funded Workshop on responsible phone use in Ghana [including presentation of main project findings]. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Presentations y research team at Women in Transport conference, Addis Ababa, Dec 2019, organised by Flone Initiative and WRI. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the community peer research approach I have promoted across the 3 projects I am reporting on in researchfish. Interest in potentially adopting this approach from donors and 3rd sector organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://womenandtransportafrica.org/ |
| Description | Presentations at the Global Symposium for Health Systems Research, Vancouver, November 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | ESRC-DFID Impact Initiative Global Symposium for Health Systems Research, Vancouver, November 2016 - 2 papers one by K. Hampshire [DU] and one by S. Mariwah [UCC Ghana] |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Stakeholder workshop at University of Cape Town |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A series of presentations of project findings by project collaborators [UK, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa] and by our 'young researchers' from Ghana, Malawi and South Africa to a mixed group of practitioners and policymakers. Much discussion and requests for further information followed. Discussions with various groups including Department of Basic Education still ongoing. We forwarded powerpoints and draft papers to NGO, South African government staff [basic education and telecommunications], network providers and academics who requested them. We have followed up subsequently but have not yet received any firm indications of specific impact from our presentations and associated discussions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.dur.ac.uk/child.phones/ |
| Description | Symposium on youth and ICT organised at the International conference on childhood and youth, University of Sheffield, 1-3 July 2014. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The paper, Mobile phones and young lives in the everyday: exploring inter-generational perspectives [Ghana]. was presented in a four-paper symposium with co-presenters from South Africa and the Netherlands. This generated substantial discussion [and plans towards a journal special issue]. Proposal towards a journal special issue on youth and ICT was developed with C. Ergler and others [U. of Otago] and has been accepted by Children's Geographies/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | University of Cape Coast, Institute of Education workshop 25th March 2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Approx 100 teacher trainers, teachers, Institute of Education staff + Ghana education service workshop to discuss findings from the child mobility study and promote action. Many issues discussed, notably impact of punishment when children arrive late at school due to residence at a distance or home-imposed pre-school tasks. Ghana Education Service and UCC Institute of Education committed to adding material on school lateness, road safety etc. to the curriculum. Further discussions and meetings with GES ensued, but GES budget seems to have hampered concrete advances. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Urban mobilities conference, Addis Ababa, including to present my first draft of a position paper on User needs [commissioned by the Volvo Education and Research Foundation, Sept 2019, funded by VREF and GiZ.] |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation and discussion re my first draft of a position paper on Transport User needs [commissioned by the Volvo Education and Research Foundation, Sept 2019, funded by VREF and GiZ.] Interest and follow up by diverse individual organisations - 3rd sector + consultancy practices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.transformative-mobility.org/news/tumi-mac-shift-addis-ababa |
| Description | Volvo Research and Education Foundation Cape Town meeting and related interactions re development of new programme for transport research/education in African cities, 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Panel convened in Cape Town made preliminary recommendations towards a new research programme for transport in urban Africa - followed by subsequent interactions and review of recommendations. Enabled opportunity to draw attention to the importance of ICT -including mobile phones- in new transport organisation. Followed by second meeting in Nairobi and led to VRF's development of a new research programme to support research and teaching in African universities and linkages with other key transport-focused bodies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | education workshops in Ghana and Malawi |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 100 participants [headteachers/teachers at primary and secondary level, Ghana education sevice including national directors and regional staff] at a one-day workshop at Cape Coast Ghana held to review draft guidelines for responsible phone use in schools by pupils and teachers in Ghana. Guidelines [based on our project findings] were agreed by workshop participants and are now with the GES for further deliberation regarding their adoption and extension nationally. A similar workshop was held in Lilongwe, Malawi with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and 100 headteachers on 30th November 2016 with the same objectives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | paper at ASA Conference (Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth), Edinburgh, 19-22 June 2014. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | paper given: People making calls calls making people? Mobile phones, (young) bodies and persons in Africa. led to substantial discussion of findings. Further work in progress on this theme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | paper at Tarragona, EASA/SMA Medical Anthropology Conference, June 2013. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Paper given by Kate Hampshire, Uncertainty, creativity and connection: young people's use of mobile phones for health seeking in Africa - generated discussion. Contributed towards recent proposal to ESRC DFID. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | paper on project at Yorkshire meeting of African Studies Association, Sheffield |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentations on South Africa and Malawi components of study to mixed academic and practitioner audiences led to discussion Nothing to report as yet [only given a week ago]. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | participation in Impact Initiative - Child Poverty Research Day, IDS Sussex |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Impact Initiative - Child Poverty Research Day - paper given on phones study livelihoods issues [DU, G.Porter] + video contribution - LISTED SEPARATELY] to the Child Poverty Action Day at IDS i.e. joint meeting of the Global Coalition to end Child Poverty [key children NGOs - Save the Children, UNICEF etc.] with researchers from 4 DFID ESRC projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | participation in panel at 'Lessons from a Decade's Research on Poverty: Innovation, Engagement and Impact' from 16-18 March in Pretoria, South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Panel on developing new approaches to co-creation of research - panel included NGO and other participants in child phones and associated projects. Encouraged HelpAge to further develop this approach in Tanzania. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | short video on our joint-fund research project at theESRC DFID IMPACT conference in Pretoria- video and text published on the Impact Initiative website. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Impact initiative video with PI and one of our former child researchers from Malawi, aimed at providing broad info on our projectj. Difficult to assess impact. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGu7q_zEnb8 |
| Description | talk at methods for intergenerational research workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | workshop - presentation on co-investigation methods used in the phones and chiid mobility projects |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | • European Committee for African Studies ECAS, Paris: Mobile phones and conflict session [organised with Tom Molony, Edinburgh University], July 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A session on conflict and phones generating debate around phones and their impact at diverse scales of conflict from inter-generational to national and international Continued discussions with some participants |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |