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Poverty Reduction
This page contains resources on how ICT tools have been used to reduce poverty, and what are the challenges faced and the lessons learned from such initiatives.
Mobile Phone and Telecenter: A comparative case study of Bangladesh and Uganda
The aim of this paper is to examine the utility of ICT4D project efficacy. Particular consideration is given to the Village Phone Programme in Bangladesh and the Nakaseke Multipurpose Community Telecentre in Uganda. The results show that the Village Phone Programme, which focuses primarily on the economic empowerment of project beneficiaries, and the Nakaseke Telecentre, which prioritizes expanding service provision, both fall short to take into consideration the extreme poor and disadvantaged; a remarkable weakness in conventional ICT4D programming. In addition, it indicates that project duty bearers in conventional ICT4D projects are not directly accountable and participation is not particularly people centered.
High Impact, Pro-Poor e-Governance Applications: Identifying 'Killer Applications' and Best Practice Models of e-Governance through Community e-Centers in the Philippines
The purpose of the study is to find a way to identify services that genuinely make a difference to people in their interactions with Governments. The expected outcome is increased impact and utilization of e-governance and e-government services in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific over the longer term. This study is a collaboration between the Commission of ICT in the Philippines, UNDP Philippines and UNDP-APDIP.
A Framework for Designing Telecentres
This Framework is organized in the sequence of a logical approach to the design of information systems that are intended to deliver socio-economic benefits via telecentres for the purpose of community level development and poverty reduction. The audience for this Framework is the institutions or individuals involved in, or contemplating, the setting up of telecentres.
APDIP e-Note 11 - Pro-Poor Public Service Delivery with ICTs: Making local e-governance work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals
This APDIP e-Note introduces the concept of pro-poor e-governance; gives two examples of e-governance projects targeted at poor and vulnerable groups; and provides a comprehensive approach to pro-poor e-governance comprised of seven building blocks.
Empowering the Poor: Information and Communications Technology for Governance and Poverty Reduction - A Study of Rural Development Projects in India
This publication systematically analyzes 18 projects in India that uses information and communications technology (ICT) for the benefit of poor people, and provides recommendations on how ICT can be applied to the massive, widespread and seemingly intractable problems of poverty. The publication also ranks the projects by their relevance, service delivery, community participation and empowerment, equality in decision-making and benefits, sustainability, replicability and their prospects for being scaled-up.
Using ICT in Capacity Building for Poverty Reduction in Asia: Lessons Learned from the Microfinance Training of Trainers Course
This paper identifies key lessons learned in using ICT for capacity building based on two training of trainers courses organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute and their partners on Microfinance. The paper concludes that distance learning is an appropriate method for capacity building, particularly in areas underserved by conventional education systems. Following an introduction, Section II of the paper gives a brief overview of concepts related to distance learning, discusses the prospects and challenges, and highlights the key elements for a successful distance learning activity in developing countries. Section III gives an overview of the courses, while Section IV presents profile of participants of the second course. The main findings of the course evaluation are presented in Section IV.
APDIP e-Note 6 – ICTs for Poverty Reduction: Necessary but insufficient
This APDIP e-Note summarizes an analysis of select reports since 2002 that highlight the use of information and communications technology (ICT) for poverty reduction. It looks at the conditions required for making ICTs effective anti-poverty tools and notes the gaps in current research and reporting.
ICT for Poverty Reduction: Necessary but insufficient - a state-of-the-art review
This paper provides a detailed analysis of 21 papers and reports since 2002 that highlight the use of ICT for poverty reduction in the Asia-Pacific region.
ICTs for Poverty Alleviation: Basic Tool and Enabling Sector
Part I of this report reviews the issues of poverty and poverty reduction; provides an overview of the important aspects of Information and Communications Technology; and investigates the linkages between the two. Part II of the report looks at how ICTs can help to alleviate poverty from several perspectives.
Designing e-Government for the Poor
This is the Proceedings of a Regional Workshop on Designing e-Government for the Poor that aimed to build capacity for the planning and implementation of e-government programmes for the poor. Some of the topics addressed at this Workshop included: e-government programmes for the poor; re-engineering internal processes of government/public administration; factors critical to the successful implementation of e-government including e-training of government officials; stakeholder participation in e-government projects; building community and government leadership; and security and privacy issues in e-government.
APDIP e-Note 2 - Do Governments Actually Believe that ICT Can Help Alleviate Poverty? A perspective from Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
This APDIP e-Note examines the treatment of information and communication technologies in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) of Asia-Pacific countries. PRSPs serve as a good starting point because they direct the focus of World Bank and International Monetary Fund concessional lending.
Up-Scaling Pro-Poor ICT-Policies and Practices: A Review of Experience with Emphasis on Low Income Countries in Asia and Africa
This report looks at the use of ICT for poverty reduction and as its potential and limitations at the grassroots, national, and global levels. It identifies parallels and differences in the use of ICT for poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa and low income countries of Asia.
Information and Communication Technologies for Poverty Alleviation
This e-primer provides case studies and lessons learned on the use of information and communication technologies in poverty alleviation programmes and projects. A poverty alleviation framework is presented as a guide to analyze the impact of the case studies.
Chennai statement on up-scaling pro-poor ICT policies and practices
Upon invitation of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), development practitioners and policy makers met in Chennai, India, from 17-19 November 2004, for a workshop to review experiences in Asia and Africa in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for poverty reduction. The event was organised in coordination with the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), OneWorld South Asia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In order to provide an input into the preparatory processes of the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS), Poverty Reduction Strategies and the Millennium+5 Summit, the participants decided to compile some key conclusions and recommendations in a statement. The purpose of the Chennai Statement is to stimulate the ICT debate from a clearly poverty-focused perspective.
Space Technology Applications for Poverty Alleviation
In this report, Section I discusses poverty alleviation in the context of information, communication, and space technologies; Section II introduces trends and perspectives of relevant space technologies for poverty alleviation; Sections III addresses specific areas of poverty alleviation from a space technology perspective; Section IV discusses the relevant policy environment necessary for making these applications affordable, accessible and useful; and Section V summarizes recommendations made by the Expert Group Meeting on 20-21 August 2003.
(in Korean)