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ICT4D
This page contains resources that provides an overview of a range of information and communications technology for development (ICT4D) issues.
Cambodia and UN-APCICT/ESCAP Launch Training Programme to Bridge the Digital Divide
The Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development, a regional institute of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-APCICT/ESCAP), has collaborated with the Cambodian government to launch the “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders” (Academy) in Phnom Penh today.
Top Officials From Cambodia Make Official Visit To APCICT
Cambodian delegation meets with ACPICT leadership to strengthen partnership and prepare for upcoming launch of the “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders" in Cambodia.
Regional Progress and Strategies towards Building the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific
This publication aims at increasing awareness and knowledge among policymakers on how to create an enabling policy environment for enhancing regional connectivity and building a regional information society, taking into consideration the needs of the developing countries, least developed countries, the landlocked developing countries, the small island developing States, and countries with economies in transition.
Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times
The Report monitors global trends in information and communication technologies (ICTs) as they affect developing countries, with special attention to the impact of the global financial crisis on ICTs. It also provides an assessment of the diffusion of ICTs - such as fixed and mobile telecommunications, Internet, and broadband - between 2003 and 2008.
Empowering Persons with Disabilities through ICTs
This publication outlines how ICTs improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities by providing access to information and knowledge, new employment and socialization opportunities.
The ICT4D 2.0 Manifesto: Where Next for ICTs and International Development?
This paper explains the phase change – from "ICT4D 1.0" to "ICT4D 2.0" – and its implications. The background to these phases is reviewed, charting the logic and chronology of applying ICTs in developing countries. The implications of the phase change are then analysed. First, in terms of new technology and application priorities. Then, in relation to new models of innovation we may need to embrace: from laboratory to collaborative to grassroots innovation. Next, in relation to new implementation models for funding, managing, and applying digital technology. Finally, the paper looks at necessary new worldviews to guide our thinking and our policies in this field; integrating perspectives from computer science, information systems and development studies. Additional commentaries and models provide a further set of rich insights into the future of ICT4D.
Korean Experience of Overcoming Economic Crisis through ICT Development
The Republic of Korea experienced serious economic crisis a decade ago and ICT development contributed greatly to overcoming Korean economic crisis. Korea’s experience shows how information and communications technology (ICT) can be used for overcoming the global economic crisis. This paper is organized as follows: 1) the 1997 economic crisis and the role of ICT, 2) the result of ICT development right after the economic crisis, 3) major tools to develop the ICT sector, 4) background of successful government ICT initiatives, and 5) implications from the Korean experience.
ICT World Today - Summer 2009: Broadband and Mobile Communications for Development
This third issue of ICT World Today examines broadband and mobile communications for development.
Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact
This publication takes an in-depth look at how ICT, and particularly broadband and mobile, are impacting economic growth in developing countries. The data section includes at-a-glance tables for 150 economies of the latest available data on ICT sector performance. Performance measures for access, affordability and applications in government and business are also introduced.
Living the Information Society in Asia
Living the Information Society in Asia describes the interaction of people and ICTs as these technologies seep into everyday life, and examines implications for policy and future research. The book will appeal to academics, researchers, and postgraduate and senior undergraduate students in social sciences, development studies, and Asian studies; to professionals and practitioners in donor and development agencies; and to policy advisors and decision-makers in government, international development agencies, and civil society.
Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2009-2010
The biennial Digital Review of Asia Pacific is a comprehensive guide to the state-of-practice and trends in information and communication technologies for development (ICTD) in Asia Pacific. This fourth edition (2009–2010) features 30 economies and four subregional groupings. The chapters provide updated information on ICT infrastructure, industries, content and services, key initiatives, enabling policies, regulation, education and capacity building, open source and R&D initiatives, as well as key ICTD challenges in each of the economies covered. The common framework that underpins these reports allows readers to undertake a comparative analysis and assess progress across the region.
ICT for Economic Growth: A Dynamic Ecosystem Driving The Global Recovery
This resources looks at how ICTs can be a dynamic driver for sustainable global economic growth.
Landscape Analysis of Low-cost Computing Devices
This report reviews and analyzes the evolving landscape of low-cost computing devices introduced or in existence between January 2004 and August 2008, with details on 93 devices. The report is based on extensive secondary data on low-cost devices that are currently available, recently discontinued, or projected to be available in the near future. The report examines global trends in this nascent sub-industry, the evolution of low-cost device segmentation strategies, and the roles of major manufacturers, semi-conductor and software companies.
eDevelopment Thematic Group Blog
Where World Bank staff, partners, and the ICT4D community discuss the role of ICT in development
Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2007-2008
The biennial Digital Review of Asia Pacific is a comprehensive guide to the state-of-practice and trends in information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) in Asia Pacific. This third edition (2007–2008) covers 31 countries and economies. Each country chapter presents key ICT policies, applications,and initiatives for national development. In addition, five thematic chapters provide a synthesis of some of the key issues in ICT4D in the region, including mobile and wireless technologies, risk communication, intellectual property regimes,and localization.
ICT World Today - Inaugural Issue: Socio-Economic Impact of ICTs, Digital Divide
ICT World Today is a journal on Information and Communication Technology for Development developed by the Korea Information Society Development Institute with support from APCICT. This first issue examines the socio-economic impacts of ICTs and the digital divide. The current state of ICT development, potential of telecommunications for poverty reduction, ICT policies issues in developing countries, links between digital divide and economic growth, patterns of the digital divide, and the role of ICTs on world summits and Millennium Development Goals are discussed. Updated regional studies on ICT for development in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Central Asia, and Latin America are also available.
ICT4D 2.0: The Next Phase of Applying ICT for International Development
Use of information and communication technologies for international development is moving to its next phase. This will require new technologies, new approaches to innovation, new intellectual integration, and, above all, a new view of the world’s poor.
Stages of Design in Technology for Global Development
Information and communication technology projects designed to cost-effectively impact the world's poorest communities require more than technical solutions. A Microsoft research group shares its experiences and lessons learned implementing various ICT4D initiatives in India.
The Global Information Society: a Statistical View
The aim of this publication is twofold. The first is to present a coherent picture of the state of the information society in the world. To achieve this, the publication presents available statistical data based on a core set of internationally agreed information and communication technology (ICT) indicators. The second aim is to show recent developments in ICT measurement and, importantly, highlight the considerable gaps that remain. The publication has been produced by the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development.
Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders: South Asia Sub-Regional Workshop - Training Materials
Over 20 participants from eight South Asian countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – representing national ICT ministries and ICT training institutions were trained on: Module 1 - The Linkage between ICT Applications and Development; Module 2 - ICT for Development Policy, Process and Governance; and Module 3 - e-Government Applications. Presentations, handouts and exercises from this workshop are available for download.
Information Economy Report 2007-2008 - Science and technology for development: the new paradigm of ICT
The report analyses the current and potential contribution of information technology to knowledge creation and diffusion. It explores how ICTs help generate innovations that improve the livelihoods of the poor and support enterprise competitiveness. The report examines how ICTs affect productivity and growth and reflects on the need for a development-oriented approach to intellectual property rights in order to enable effective access to technology.
Report on the World Summit on the Information Society Stocktaking
As part of the effort to monitor the implementation of the WSIS goals by 2015, this report aims to update stakeholders on activities undertaken by governments and other organizations with regard to the achievement of WSIS objectives and targets in the period of time from end 2005 to mid 2008.
Global Information Society Watch 2007 Report
This publication, the first in a series of reports covering the state of the information society on an annual basis, focuses on the theme of participation. The report has three interrelated goals: surveying the state of the field of ICT policy at the local and global levels; encouraging critical debate; and strengthening networking and advocacy for a just, inclusive information society. It discusses the WSIS process and a range of international institutions, regulatory agencies and monitoring instruments from the perspective of civil society and stakeholders in the global South. The publication also presents a series of country reports which examine issues of access and participation within a variety of national contexts.
Towards Knowledge Society: A Handbook of Selected Initiatives in South Asia
The handbook contains ICT4D initiatives of selected South Asian organisations covering key aspects of their activities including impact, innovation, partnerships, management as well as the challenges they face in implementing their ideas. The information gathering approach and preparation of the cases were designed in such a manner so that readers and users can easily understand the ideas behind the models and can make comparisons across models.
ICT4RD
This online portal has a collection of case studies of completed and ongoing projects on ICT applications for rural development in India. The cases are from governmental and non-governmental sources, on categories including: agriculture; culture, tourism and heritage; disaster management; e-governance; education; environment and natural resources management; health; livelihoods; rural water supply and sanitation; and women empowerment.
World Information Society Report 2007: Beyond WSIS
The report tracks progress in digital opportunity for 181 economies over the past few years since the start of the WSIS process and is accompanied by a series of tables providing the latest statistics on the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) worldwide.
Revisiting the Role of ICT in Development
This paper attempts to further clarify how ICT is conceptualized in development. Using secondary data, the paper evaluates two conceptual frameworks that bring together the range of views of ICT, their manifold impacts, and the assumptions and perspectives of the range of actors in any given development project that involves ICT. The specific case examined is an e-government initiative called e-Seva in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The authors found that even when using the two frameworks in conjunction, many aspects of the ICT initiatives remain unclear, and goes on to suggest ways of combining different frameworks to provide a better understanding of why ICT for development projects may fail or succeed.
Trade Liberalization and Development in ICT Sector and its impact on household welfare in Viet Nam
This paper examines the impact of trade liberalization and development in the ICT sector on household welfares in Viet Nam. It discusses constraints in the current ICT policies and regulations and implementation in practice; analyzes the access to and use of ICTs by households, and the impact of access to and use of ICTs on poverty reduction and household welfare in Viet Nam. The paper concludes by discussing the policy implications.
Space Technology Application Capabilities, Facilities and Activities in Asia and the Pacific: A Regional Inventory
This Inventory on space technology capabilities, facilities and activities in Asia and the Pacific is part of the information dissemination and exchange efforts of RESAP. It provides comprehensive information on a wide range of aspects concerning space technology applications in the context of sustainable development in the region. It is intended for use not only by the space and relevant ICT communities but also by policymakers and end users in various development and application fields as well as general readers, and intended to foster closer regional cooperation and collaboration in the region. As space technology applications become integrated with sustainable development planning in the coming years, they are expected to assume a greatly expanded role in disaster management, environment and natural resources management, and education and health development.
ICT4D Collective - Undergraduate Course Online
This undergraduate course uses the innovative potential of ICTs to deliver an exciting and intellectually challenging learning environment through the university’s Moodle Virtual Learning Environment. It includes lectures on: the theoretical context, development challenges and the role of ICT, e-government, education, health, rural development, small and medium enterprises, and monitoring and evaluation. Lecture materials include: audio files, lecture notes, powerpoint presentations, quizzes and discussions.
Exploring New Modalities: Experiences with Information and Communications Technology Interventions in the Asia-Pacific Region - A Review and Analysis of the Pan-Asia ICT R&D Grants Programme
The Pan-Asia ICT R&D Grants Programme for Asia-Pacific is directed at encouraging original and innovative information and communications technology solutions to development problems. This publication reviews and analyzes 56 projects from 14 different countries funded by the Programme between 2002-2005. Projects are focused on access to information and communication; capacity building and education; policy and social research; technical innovation; environment and agriculture; and health and medicine.
Breaking Barriers: The Potential of Free and Open Source Software for Sustainable Human Development - A Compilation of Case Studies from Across the World
This publication includes a compilation of 14 case studies on the successful deployment of free and open source software (FOSS) in select projects from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America. In each case study, the reason for choosing to use FOSS together with the development, implementation and impact of the FOSS applications are discussed. The benefits obtained and challenges encountered, as well as any valuable lessons learned are also highlighted.
Information Economy Report 2006: The Development Perspective
This report provides unique data on the adoption of ICT by enterprises in developing countries. It also explores ICT policy options in a developing-country context and proposes a framework for national ICT policy reviews and for the design and assessment of pro-poor e-strategies. The report presents a model ICT policy review framework developed by UNCTAD which is illustrated with best practice examples from developing countries.
World Information Society Report 2006
The World Information Society Report 2006 is the first edition in a series of reports that will monitor the development of the Information Society worldwide. In particular, this new series will chart progress towards the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and WSIS targets. This Report is intended to provide guidelines for policymakers, in particular in developing countries, in the context of mobilizing resources and developing their own strategies for building the Information Society. In this regard, the Report covers the main elements of the Information Society and provides a new tool for measuring progress towards building it, through the Digital Opportunity Index (DOI).
Asia-Pacific Journal on Information, Communication and Space Technology: Reviews and Updates
Towards reducing digital divides and turning them into digital opportunities, this journal aims to inform ESCAP members and associate members, in particular policy makers, implementers and stakeholders, of the recent development in information, communication and space technology in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to identify trends and provide insights on possible future directions.
ICT4D - Linking Policy to Community Outcomes
This Doctoral research project based article discusses the link between ICT policy in developing countries and the effectiveness of ICT4D initiatives at a community level. Its primary goal is to determine whether, by adopting a Community Informatics approach to community based ICT4D projects, which leverages existing social capital in the communities, the sustainability of such projects can be significantly improved so that ICT4D is more inclusive in reach and its overall contribution to development is enhanced.
Mapping Ict4d Projects In The Philippines
This paper provides an inventory of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects in the Philippines. It serves as a contribution to the task expected of governments and stakeholders from the World Summit on the Information Society to promote ICT4D. This includes developing reliable information on successful experiences of mainstreaming ICTs in various development sectors.
Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2005/2006
The 2005/2006 edition of the Digital Review offers comprehensive reports and useful analyses of how 29 economies/countries are using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in business, government and civil society. In addition, there are three sub-regional chapters on APEC, ASEAN and the Pacific Island Countries, and four thematic chapters. A CD-ROM of the Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2003/2004 is included in the hardcopy of the publication.
Information Economy Report 2005
This report looks at recent events, trends and processes in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT) and identifies their major implications for the economic and social prospects of developing countries. Drawing on the results of UNCTAD´s work on measuring ICT usage, the Report provides the freshest information available about the adoption of ICT by enterprises in developing countries. The Report also explores policy options that developing countries might consider in order to maximize the contribution of ICT-based business and commerce applications to their national development goals.
Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Human Development in South Asia
This paper examines ICT applications for the human development in the region. In order to do so, it looks at other success stories in East Asia, South Africa, Chile, Singapore, Botswana and the Republic of Korea, paying attention to particular case situations and policy measures under different contexts.
Developing Information Technology, Informing Technology for Development: A study of ICT and rural development in Sri Lanka
This study provides an analysis of the deployment of information and communications technology for development (ICT4D) in Sri Lanka with a focus on an ICT4D programme managed by the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka, the country’s largest and oldest rural development NGO, and some projects of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), a government agency of Sri Lanka. The study concludes that there is a huge potential in Sri Lanka for deploying ICTs for rural development, thanks, in large part, to the social infrastructure that Sarvodaya has put in place over the years. The challenge now is to interweave technology and information systems into this social infrastructure in ways that bring concrete benefits to rural populations.
Digital Dividend: A televised debate for BBC World TV
A televised debate on the emerging agenda for the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSISII) was staged on 30 September 2005 at the International Telecommunication Union Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. An invited audience of 50 information and communications technology (ICT) movers and shakers fired questions at a distinguished panel of experts. The debate was broadcast four times on BBC World TV on 22-23 October 2005 in advance of WSISII and on Eurovision on 14 November 2005.
The World Summit on the Information Society: Moving from the Past into the Future
This book describes, through the voices of some of its major actors, essential parts of the complex undertaking of the WSIS, from conception to realization. The individual articles of this book will enable readers to get a better understanding of the complex issues raised by the WSIS process. It gives the opportunity to see the different perspectives of different players and stakeholders, the controversies and conflicts, which will continue to exist when the process goes ahead.
Information and Communication Technologies for Development
This is an editorial overview for the June 2008 issue of Computer. It looks at ICT for development in the context of international development efforts and introduces four articles in this special issue of "Computer" (see Related Items), and discusses how they are interlinked.
A Global Alliance for ICT: Bringing Policy Making to the Public and the Public to Policy Making
This concept paper proposes a Global Alliance for ICT as a successor to the UNICT Task Force. It advances the idea that the UN should take advantage of the experiences of the ICT Task Force and merge them with even more innovative efforts at developing broader collaboration in policy development. The Internet itself can be used to bring ICT governance more effectively to the public, and the public more effectively to ICT governance.
A Developing Connection: Bridging the Policy Gap between the Information Society and Sustainable Development
This is a collection of case studies conducted by seven young researchers from six countries - Brazil, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Kenya and South Africa - looking at the emerging relationship between sustainable development (SD) and the information society (IS). The diversity of the issues uncovered by the researchers points to the fact that each country’s opportunity to advance SD goals through careful planning of IS policy may be different. What remains true across all of the national contexts presented here is the need for decision makers from the two policy arenas - SD and IS - to consult academics, practitioners and civil society members from both fields, and perhaps most importantly, each other.
Information and Communications Technology for Development: A Sourcebook for Parliamentarians
This Sourcebook, intended for parliamentarians, provides a broad overview of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their use as powerful tools to accelerate social and economic development. Examples from the Asia-Pacific region are provided to demonstrate how different stakeholders have successfully applied ICTs to development.
Understanding ICT4D Thematics in Malaysia
A Sourcebook by Anis Yusal Yusoff and Sharon Lim. This sourcebook is a first attempt to meet the increasing need for materials and projects relating to information and communications technology for development (ICT4D) that are of particular concern to those who are working in this area in Malaysia.
Digital Divide: BBC Earth Report Debate
The BBC debate about bridging the digital divide was broadcast live from the ICT4D Platform at the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, Switzerland on 11 December 2003. Questions were put forward to a distinguished panel representing governments, civil society and the private sector. The debate was broadcast four times on BBC World TV and BBC News 24 on 13-14 December 2003.
Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2003/2004
The 2003/2004 edition of the Digital Review provides an authoritative overview of how information and communication technologies (ICTs) are being deployed across the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate socio-economic development. It covers 27 economies and a special chapter on the Pacific Islands Countries.
ICT for Development Success Stories
The publication highlights initiatives that are using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to make a real and meaningful difference in communities around the world, no matter how disadvantaged or isolated they may be. The stories on Youth, Poverty and Gender are snapshots of the learning process that accompanies the introduction and implementation of ICTs in a community development project.
Best Practices of ICT for Development Projects
This paper examines a number of ICT4D case studies and reports to identify a range of best practices for successful projects. It presents the findings according to pre-project, rollout and post-project phases and concludes with general lessons learned by ICT4D project teams.
Towards a Policy Framework for Integrating Space Technology Applications for Sustainable Development on the Information Superhighway
This study examines the effects development and convergence of technologies, including space technology, on the economy, culture and politics of countries all around the world. The influence of space technologies within the context of information superhighways to those sectors are analyzed in detail.
ICT4D – Self-Paced Learning Materials
These online materials on ICT4D covers: what is ICT4D; what is the digital divide; agriculture and ICT; e-commerce; e-governance; e-health; e-learning; telecentres; and knowledg networking.
Communicating for Change - Programmes One and Two
This video contains ten stories from China, Dominican Republic, India, Jordan, Malaysia, Peru, Rwanda, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. The stories explore how information and communication technologies are working for the poor and bringing benefits to wider sectors of society. Communicating for Change builds on the success of the Television Trust for the Environment's (TVE’s) award-winning series - Earth Report: Hands On - that has reached millions of people worldwide.
Why National Strategies are Needed for ICT-enabled Development
This paper examines the challenges and opportunities of the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution, and their implications for development policy and strategies. It explores why developing countries should look ahead and try to adapt and harness ICT in support of economic and social development. It provides a broad view of the promises and risks of the ICT revolution, and its potential impact on productivity, markets, organizations and education, among others. Then it outlines the rationale for designing national strategies for e-development (or e-enhanced development), and the options, objectives and major thrusts for such strategies in support of economic growth, poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals.
Integrating Information and Communication Technologies in Development Programmes
This OECD policy brief examines how ICTs can be integrated in development programmes to combat poverty.
(in Korean)