This paper summarizes the findings from a two-year research project conducted by ITDG and Cranfield University into the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) for development. This project was managed as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, funded in part by the Department of Trade and Industry. Across the globe, development agencies are piloting projects to improve access to information in developing countries, many of which exploit the potential of information communication technologies (ICTs). Projects face the challenge of sharing information with people who have little experience of ICTs, low levels of literacy, little time or money, and highly contextualized knowledge and language requirements. This paper characterizes this as the challenge of ‘connecting the first mile’ and aims to answer the question “What is best practice in connecting the first mile?” through an analysis of the literature and a case study based on practical experience of an ICT for development project in Cajamarca, Peru and to offer recommendations for practitioners and suggestions for further research.
