Challenging factors of it potency in self-helped not-for-profit-organisations: A case study of Edo State Women Association

Abstract

Information Technology (IT) strategies are intensifying with non-stop expedition to encourage, design and improve its utilization in Not-for-Profit Organisations (NFPOs), as well as strategically facilitate enhanced operation’s performance and achievement of set goals. Regrettably, achieving and elevating IT potency in some NFPOs has been a difficult mission over the years, even with the affordability and availability of some IT strategies, as the case of self-helped NFPOs. This research carried out an eight-year empirical and ethnographic study on the Nigeria operations of a self-helped NFPO, Edo State Women Association (ESWA), utilizing interview, observation; convenience and purposive sampling, narrative and thematic analysis methods. The data analysis led to the identification of five (5) key IT potency challenging factors associated with several social, economic and physical issues faced by ESWA: Users’, IT Strategy, Location, Access, Security and Maintenance. The interrelations that exist between these IT potency challenging factors are presented and elaborated. The findings suggest that there is still major work to be done in bridging the IT potency gap that exists between well-structured or well-funded and self-helped NFPOs. The research recommends that additional provisions be considered by social responsibility and IT potency role players for the sustainability of self-helped NFPO’s projects and operations. Key words: IT Potency, ESWA, Self-Helped, Well-Structured, NFPO