Evaluation of the CatGen Platform in Nepal, UNDP 2005 (English/French)
| Date completed | November 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issues/challenges | Much of the hype of the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been focused on its potential to wipe out geographical barriers and potentially created new markets for existing business and firms. In the late 1990s, the use of ICTs to foster commerce, e-commerce, was thus initially seen as one of the key drivers of the so-called ICT revolution. Five years into the new Millennium a more sober picture has emerged. E-commerce is certainly not a panacea although it has worked for quite a few companies. An issue that has perhaps been not properly addressed in these discussions have been the role that ICTs can play in supporting Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) in developing countries. Most poor countries have very few large enterprises that could benefit from using ICT to reach national and international markets. As a matter of fact, most of the enterprises of these economies are SMMEs. This is particularly so when the focus is placed in urban poor and rural areas. Thus, targeting SMMEs in developing countries is one the ways in which ICT can help alleviate poverty and help them achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed by all countries in 2000. | |
| Contact person(s) | Dr. Daniel Salcedo | |
| Country(ies) | Nepal |
- Description
Our study focused on the efficacy of CatGen in emerging economies, particularly those in which the benefit of artisans and merchants being readily familiar with technology is rare. The scope of the study would evaluate CatGen in terms of ease of use, feasibility in areas with limited Internet access, affordability, scalability, return on investment, user responses, benefits and drawbacks, and a comprehensive comparison of the platform against leading competitors. Case studies of several typical CatGen users would also be provided. The study was conducted in Nepal, because the concept of e-commerce is relatively new in Nepal.
The study does not address the issue of on-going training, business development programs and programs to make hardware more accessible in developing economies, although these particular concerns are projects CatGen and some of its strategic partners are currently addressing.
Could the CatGen platform be seen as a feasible means of assisting artisans, merchants and vendors in emerging economies, including women.s initiatives and the developmentally disabled, create, build and sustain profitable e-commerce projects?
What, if anything, sets this technology apart in addressing the need for driving traffic and building integrated, seamless marketplaces globally? Does CatGen.s technology foster a greater sense of .trust. between the consumer and artisan? In what ways does the infomediary approach of the CatGen platform transform the typical intermediary role into something more relevant to the needs of the 21st century marketplace?
In which areas does this platform excel, and in which areas are improvements needed?
CatGen et les artisans népalais (110 kB)