Monitoring Development through GIS Visualisation

In: Social change, Band 46, Heft 1, S. 27-45

Abstract

Empowerment often refers to the equitable control over available resources. Once empowered, those at the bottom of the ladder have the freedom of choice and of social action. Although any social engineering programme devoted to inequality at the village level seems daunting at first, this study shows that information technology provides the necessary tools to tackle such a challenge. An example of the nutrition and health monitoring system of mother–child dyads from the Attappadi Block in Kerala's Palakkad district is presented as a case study. It shows that targeted solutions for poverty reduction and development are achievable through the marriage of community participation, political will and user-friendly technology. The article demonstrates that the planning, monitoring and evaluation of any development effort must create provisions to hear the voices of the most vulnerable. Information communication tools (ICT) utilising the geographic information system (GIS)-backed management information system (MIS) provides such a platform.