Sustainability and Ethics by Design: In the development of digital platforms in low-resource environments

Context. ICT projects in low-resource environments often fail. Furthermore, ICT
projects that are introduced by means of development aid often cease to exist once the funding stops. This situation is not sustainable. Moreover, technology can have negative consequences for society, especially in low-resource environments.
Goal. We aim to understand the sustainability and ethical concerns of designing
context-sensitive ICT systems in low-resource environments. Our main research
question is “Can we define a general good practice for designing sustainable and
ethical (software-intensive) systems in low-resource environments?".
Method. To answer the research question, we conducted a case study regarding the redesign of an information system that supports the seed value chain processes in Mali.
Based on interviews and focus groups, we modeled and analyzed the sustainability and ethical concerns and proposed context-sensitive changes to the information system that fit the local needs.
Results. The main contribution of this work is a description of a methodology in
developing sustainable and ethical software in low-resource environments.
Conclusion. Sustainability can only be measured over time. Hence, to introduce a sustainable system, its context and long-term effects need to be understood. Co-creation can be a tool to facilitate culturally-sensitive ethical consideration in software projects for low-resource environments, however, more general ethical reflection is needed to fully embed ethics in such projects.