IMPACT OF TELECENTRES IN MALAYSIA: CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES

Faisal S. HazisUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak

Introduction

• There are more than 2000 telecentres in Malaysia including five that had been developed by UNIMAS

• However, no major impact study had been done

Introduction

• This paper, therefore, discusses some of the conceptual and methodological issues related to the study

• Subsequently, a general framework for studying the impacts of telecentres in Malaysia, particularly the ones developed by UNIMAS will be proposed.

Impact Study of UNIMAS’s Telecentres

• This study will address three fundamental research questions. – First, it will analyze what are the impacts (direct and

indirect) of telecentres on the multiple level of communities (individuals, households, community) in which they are situated.

– Second, what is the magnitude of these impacts and how can we measure them.

– Third, what are the non-measurable impacts

Impact Study of UNIMAS’s Telecentres

• To address the question of causality, another similar community (in terms of socio-economic background) will be made a control group. – This will help to identify any changes that are not

caused by telecentres within the same locality– In Bario (Lembudud), Lamai (Siut), Ba’kelalan

(Lembudud), Buayan (Tiku), Larapan (Sumandi)