Figure 12: ICT-Based Ventures

Having to deal with the electricity situation through a battery backup or alternative source of energy increases the complexity of the operation and the start-up costs. In a zone where profitability of the activity is not assured, this may not be the most effective use of funds. Establishing a reliable source of electricity for the village may be a more appropriate use of resources for that particular location.

9.4. Identifying Appropriate Organizational Models

We now have enough information to address the two most practical questions we face: how shall we organize the actual delivery of the services, and at what cost. These two issues interact with each other, so we might think of this stage of the analysis as many iterations of what-if scenarios, in which we posit a structure and suite of services, and then analyze what kinds of markets could sustain them. There is a great deal of uncertainty around all of these estimates, so the risk can never be reduced to zero; but the more systematic we can be, the more likely we are to have successful outcomes.

Planning for Organizational Structure

• What organizational (or business) model is most appropriate for your purpose? What are your options (if any) in terms of organizational models? What are the options for partnerships and hybrid models, or for social entrepreneurship models?
• What types of communities or markets are you interested in serving?
• What payback period makes sense for your organization?
• What types of government investment funds are available? Are they restricted to specific geographic areas or target populations?

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