1.0 INTRODUCTION This report presents a study on: The State of Access and Use of Community Information Centres (CICs) in Zimbabwe. Community Information Centres are centres in rural and marginalised communities that are equipped with digital technologies such as computers, internet access, printing and photocopying, faxing, scanning, laminating and gaming services. These have become new ways in developing countries of providing telecommunication services and digital technologies to communities that have been left out. They also provide opportunities for governments bridge the digital divide while subsequently creating systems that improve public service delivery in rural and marginalised communities. This is achieved by providing citizens with access information which further facilitates their participation in government's decision-making process. In Zimbabwe, CICs have been established in different parts of the country and this report focuses on the state of access and barriers to usage of CICs in Zimbabwe and provide recommendations on how best to make CICs more accessible, effective and relevant. 1.1 Purpose and objectives of the research This report evaluates the state of access to Community Information Centre (CICs) in Zimbabwe and attendant barriers to their use. This will inform evidence-based inter ventions centred on improving access to telecommunication services in Zimbabwe and also indicate areas for collaboration among the media, civil society, government, academia and development partners. The study was informed by the following objectives: • To investigate the state of access to CICs in marginalised and rural communities of Zimbabwe. • To identify factors that inhibit their usage in Zimbabwe. • To proffer recommendations towards promoting access to ICTs in marginalised and rural communities. 1.2 Research questions The study’s main research question was: What is the state of access to CICs in marginalised rural communities of Zimbabwe? To provide a more nuanced understanding of the state of access to CICs in rural communities, it also answered the following sub-questions: 1. What is the idea behind CICs? 2. What other sources of information are available in rural communities of Zimbabwe? 3. What is the nature of CICs development initiatives and what can be done to promote their usage in communities? 4. How have these been received? 1.3 Methodology The study adopted a mixed method and relied on both primary and secondary data sources. Secondary data was obtained through a desktop review, which formed the initial part of the assignment. This was complemented through primary data collection, achieved through a community survey. Data for the survey was collected using Google forms, with respondents either answering online or offline using the printed form. Data analysis was done using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel. Respondents for the survey were purposively sampled, drawing from existing networks between MISA Zimbabwe and community-based organisation (CBOs) in each of the areas where the survey was conducted. Geographic dispersion and framework for fieldwork To obtain a representative sample of respondents, participants were drawn from nine national provinces: Manicaland, Mashonaland East and West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South, Midlands, Bulawayo and Harare, as shown in the graph below. MISA Zimbabwe • The State of Access and Use of Community Information Centres (CICs) in Zimbabwe 1