Implementation of Nepal's education policy in ICT: Examining current practice through an ecological model

Abstract Educational policy implementation can be conceptualised in terms of an ecological model that explores roles and relationships within a complex evolving environment. This article draws on an ecological model to examine Nepal's implementation of its policy for information and communication technology in education. The policy is developed by government and mandated to schools, but government does not commit funding to resource infrastructures or train teachers in information and communication technology (ICT) use. Instead, nongovernment organisations (NGOs) have stepped in and provided resources and training. Thus, two separate systems have evolved. This article examines their actions and interactions as components within an ecology. It utilises a methodological approach that involves qualitative case studies of particular rural schools, analysed through interpretive phenomenological analysis and the lens of an ecology model. It reports findings of how a largely symbiotic relationship has evolved that is somewhat successful in meeting immediate needs and examines changes that are developing in the ecology and that may impact on the future of ICT implementation in Nepal. The study contributes to practical understanding of the potentially symbiotic roles of NGOs and government in ICT provision to rural schools in Nepal. It further contributes to ways policy implementation in developing countries may be theorised.