ICT for Development
Contributing to the Millennium Development Goals
| Principal authors: |
Simon Batchelor, Soc Evangelista, Simon Hearn, Malcolm Peirce, Susan Sugden and Mike Webb (Big World).
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| Publisher: |
The World Bank, |
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1818 H Street, |
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NW Washington, DC 20433, |
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USA, 96 Pages |
The book showcases lessons learned from seventeen infoDev Projects. The aim of this book is to create an explicitly available resource that offers descriptions of selected infoDev ICT for Development (ICT4D) projects and their impact on poverty. The book first presents case studies of a cross-section of projects funded by the infoDev core programme, followed by a comprehensive study and analysis of the impact and limits of those projects.
The book is divided into three major sections.
Section I consists of infoDev case studies. The total number of case studies mentioned in the paper is 17. Each case study is given under certain heads such as Abstract, Background, Impact/Results, Key Issues, Beneficiary Stories and Issues and Lessons.
Key Issues are further divided into Target groups, Capacity
building, Technology and Finance and Issues and Lessons
are also divided into Challenges, Key factors/issues which led to poverty reduction outcomes, Future outlook and Stakeholder
consultation.
Section II covers an analysis of case studies, which is divided into certain sections. Functional use of ICT in infoDev Projects which cover the areas such as Information Technology (IT) training and telecentres, Networks and partnerships, e-Commerce, e-Services and Radio and Education; Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) under which 8 MDGs are presented along with their targets; Projects by Sector that consist of Education and training, Social development, Enabling environments-policy and regulatory frameworks, Business development, Health care, Agriculture and rural development and Infrastructure development.
Section III analyses the Lessons Learned and the recommended guidelines for ICT for development projects.
This study of infoDev’s experience has acknowledged some
practical tasks as potentially useful to project designers, executing agencies and organisations and evaluators of ICT for development projects.
ICT4D-Connecting People for A Better World
Lessons, Innovations and Perspectives of Information and Communication Technologies in Development
Edited by Gerolf Weigel and Daniele Waldburger
| Publisher: |
Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation (SDC) and Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), 287 Pages |
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ISBN 3-03798-065-6 |
The book has raised certain qualms regarding the various tools of ICT such as computers, television, radio or mobile phones, are they effective instruments to empower people? Can they reduce poverty and improve lives? Or does ICT just intensify already existing inequalities and divisions in the world? In the book, the key innovators, leading CEOs, top level government leaders and grass-roots practitioners offer new and often surprising answers to these questions. In order to provide a synopsis of the actual state of the debate and the opportunities and risks of ICT for Development (ICT4D), the book covers lists of toolkits, web resources and publications related to solid implementation.
The book is divided into three major parts. The first part offers an outline of the latest status and findings regarding opportunities and risks of ICT4D and poverty reduction.
The second part focuses on the ICT4D forum proceedings: the themes and panels. It is further divided into certain sections such as, Innovating for Equitable Access, which involves a complex mix of technological, financial, economic, cultural and language factors. It is further divided into 3 parts, which talks about smart solutions to overcome the barriers to equitable access, Open Source Software and provides selected references, Fostering Policy and Implementation, which tells how can ICT make a difference in National Development Efforts, Enhancing Human Capacity and Empowerment through the potential of ICT, Strengthening Communication for Development. This part talks about the role of media in re-building post-conflict societies, Promoting Local Content and Knowledge, Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for meeting the challenge of the Millennium Development Goals, ICT for Poverty Reduction, talks about the myths, realities and development implications, Innovative Financing Mechanisms tells how to venture beyond the ‘Forever Pilot Syndrome’.
The third major part informs about the Reports to the
World Summit on the Information Society organised by the
Swiss Agency for Development and the Global Knowledge
Partnership (GKP).
Global ICT for Development Factbook
Data, Contacts, Programmes
| Publisher: |
United Nations Development Programme |
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One United Nations Plaza, |
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New York, New York 10017, 146 Pages |
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http://www.undp.org/ictd |
The Directory of ‘Data, Contacts, Programmes’ offers an overview of UNDP’s ICT4D regional programmes and the scope of its activities. The Directory talks about the Sub-Regional Resource Facilities (SURFs) and also Regional Programmes, which cover three areas. They are:
- ICT for development in the Arab Region (ICTDAR)
- Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP)
- RBEC Regional Support Centre
The Directory also gives the data analysis by country. It presents a small brief about the country; it’s population, Human Development Index, Adult literacy rate, GNI per capita, Telephone mainlines, mobile phones, Personal computers, Internet users, National ICT strategy and e-Readiness Assessments. It also talks about the programme activities, the partners and the pipeline programmes.
Up-Scaling Pro-Poor ICT-Policies and Practices
A Review of Experience with Emphasis on Low Income Countries in Asia and Africa
| Authors: |
Richard Gerster |
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Sonja Zimmermann |
| Publisher: |
Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation (SDC) |
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ICT4D-Information and Communication Technologies for Development, 61 Pages |
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http://www.sdc.admin.ch/ict4d |
The Report has been supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
ICTs can make a difference in reducing poverty and reaching the MDGs. This
potential, however, contrasts with the relatively modest role attributed to ICTs as a general enabler for reaching the MDGs and development goals in many cases. How do we explain this gap between the potential and the role assigned to ICT in poverty reduction and related development strategies? What key barriers impede the implementation of declarations? How can we multiply, up-scale, and imitate successful pilot projects and approaches?
This study, Up-scaling Pro-Poor ICT-Policies and Practices, looks into these issues in more detail. A first draft served as a background paper for an MSSRF/SDC-sponsored expert meeting in Chennai (India) from November 17–19, 2004 to discuss the recent lessons and trends in up-scaling propoor policies and practices. Based on these inputs, the authors further developed the arguments in this report. During the expert discussions a ‘Chennai Statement’ emerged, which presents the insights of the participating development practitioners and policy makers. The statement is intended to strengthen a multi-dimensional poverty reduction agenda for the implementation of the WSIS Principles and Action Plan, which is closely linked to the achievement of the MDGs. This statement can be read in i4d February issue 2005.
The study discussed about the overall context, the challenge of MDGs and the ICT context. It also notifies the crosscutting themes of ICT for poverty reduction, the poverty reduction strategies and ICT, Pro-poor ICT environment, ICT empowerment and political participation of the poor, the opportunity of ICT and income
generation by the poor and the Security of ICT and education of the poor.
The study is concluded by presenting a global perspective, which showcased the lessons learned, MDG implications and the
Messages for WSIS.
Who pays for the Information Society?
Challenges and Issues on financing the Information Society
The book is divided into two major parts. The first one has build up the critical analysis on the final report of the Task Force on Financial Mechanisms (TFFM), and the political and economic visions and paradigms that underlie the debates.
The second part eventually provides the proposal to the analysis and discussion of official development aid policy.
The contents of the book has initially discussed about the Context of the Debate, Financing Paradigms in the WSIS process and about the Telecommunications
Regulation. The latter part raises the question of what are the
alternatives for financing the information society from a development perspective? This part has also tried to offer the possible
answers of the proposed question as it talks about the Official
Development Aid and Multilateral Funds.
Official Development Aid discussed about the illusions
about existing resources and opportunities by global taxation
and Multilateral Funds has talked about the world digital
solidarity fund.
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