It has been suggested that Information and Communication for Development (ICD) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) is an increasingly popular, general term referring to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within the field of socio-economic development. ICTs can be applied either in the direct sense, where their use directly benefits the disadvantaged population in some manner, or in an indirect sense, where the ICTs assist aid organizations or non-governmental organizations or governments in order to improve socio-economic conditions. In many impoverished regions of the world, legislative and political measures need to be taken to facilitate or enable application of ICTs, especially with respect to monopolistic communications structures and censorship laws. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... The term Information and Communication for Development (ICD) spans the full range of issues around information and communication for international development: from radio to the internet; content to delivery; and policy to practical application on the ground. ... Information technology (IT) or information and communication technology (ICT) is the technology required for information processing. ... Look up Development in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Aid in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... NGO is an abbreviation or code for: Non-governmental organization Nagoya Airport (IATA code) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

ICT4D is geographically unspecific, and as such concerns itself directly with overcoming the barriers of the Digital Divide. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

ICT4D is rapidly becoming recognised an interdisciplinary research field as can be noted by the number of conferences, workshops and publications in the field^[1]. Such research has been spurred on in part by the need for scientifically validated benchmarks and results, which can be used to measure the efficacy of current projects ^[2] .

ICT4D Description and Important Issues

Schoolkids with laptops in Cambodia

Image File history File links Olpc2_cambodia. ... Image File history File links Olpc2_cambodia. ...

The Anatomy of an ICT4D Project

ICT4D initiatives and projects may be designed and implemented by private companies (e.g. Intel's classmate), governments (e.g. e-Mexico initiative), non-governmental organisations (e.g. Hivos), or virtual organisations (e.g. OLPC.org). The $100 laptop is a design for an inexpensive laptop computer being developed by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education. ...

ICT4D projects address one or more of the following issues:

• Infrastructure: providing suitable computer hardware, operating systems, software and connectivity to the Internet. These would include the affordability of software and hardware, the ability to share software (as echoed in the Free Software movement) and the ability to sustainably connect to the Internet.
• Capacity building and training in ICT: installing, maintaining and developing hardware and software, digital literacy (technological literacy, informational literacy), e-Awareness.
• Digital content and services: e-services (e-learning, e-health, e-business / e-commerce), including concerns related to local-language solutions in computing, and the Open Access agenda.
• Regulation of the ICT Sector and digital rights: Universal Access vs. monopolistic structures, Intellectual Property Rights, privacy, security, digital identity.
• Ethics and Social Contexts:

Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. ... In computing, an operating system (OS) is the system software responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Computer program. ... Clockwise from top: The logo of the GNU Project (the GNU head), the Linux kernel mascot Tux the Penguin, and the FreeBSD daemon Free software is a term coined by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation[1] to refer to software that can be used, studied, and modified without... Digital Literacy describes a person’s ability to understand, evaluate, and create information in multiple formats via computer and the Internet. ... Technological literacy is the ability to understand and evaluate technology. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... search for E-Health in ... Electronic business is any information system or application that empowers business processes. ... Electronic commerce, EC, e-commerce or ecommerce consists primarily of the distributing, buying, selling, marketing, and servicing of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. ... Open access (OA) means immediate, free and unrestricted online access to digital scholarly material[1], primarily peer-reviewed research articles in scholarly journals. ... In law, particularly in common law jurisdictions, intellectual property is a form of legal entitlement which allows its holder to control the use of certain intangible ideas and expressions. ... Privacy has no definite boundaries and it has different meanings for different people. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Digital identity refers to the aspect of digital technology that is concerned with the mediation of peoples experience of their own identity and the identity of other people and things. ...

Problems facing ICT4D Projects

Bad access roads and lack of power hamper ICT4D Projects in rural areas

ICT4D projects which deploy technologies in underdeveloped areas face well-known problems concerning crime, problems of adjustment to the social context and also possibly infrastructural problems. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

ICT4D projects in marginalised rural areas face the most significant hurdles. Since people in marginalised rural areas are at the very bottom of the pyramid, it has been postulated that they stand to benefit the most from ICTs ^[3]. However introducing ICTs in these areas is also most costly, as the following barriers exist^[4]:

• Lack of Infrastructure: no power, no running water, bad roads
• Lack of Health Services: diseases like HIV, TB, malaria are more common.
• Lack of Employment: there are practically no jobs in marginalised rural areas.
• Hunger: hungry users have problems concentrating.
• Illiteracy: Text user interfaces do not work very well, innovative Human Computer Interfaces are required.
• Social Contexts: the potential users living in rural marginalised areas often cannot easily see the point of ICTs, because of social context and also because of the impediments of hunger, disease and illiteracy.

InfoDev's Rural ICT Toolkit analyses the costs and possible profits involved in such a venture and shows that there is more potential in developing areas than many might assume ^[5]. A fact which the makers of Aryty have not missed.

ICT4D Lessons Learned

What's crucial in making any ICT4D effort successful is effective partnership between four key stakeholders:

• Public sector (governments - from developed nations, developing nations, international bodies, and local governments)
• Private sector (multi-national organizations wishing to expand their markets to the 4 billion people under $2/day and who have a strong commitment to rethink, redesign, and build innovative solutions for this target audience)
• Informal sector (NGOs, advocacy groups, think tanks)
• Representation from the target audience

InfoDev have published 6 fairly succinct lessons from an analysis of 17 their pilot programmes (see below). These lessons are backed by a variety of examples as well as a list of recommendations, which should be read by everyone starting an ICT4D project^[6].

• Lesson 1: Involve target groups in project design and monitoring.

• Lesson 2: When choosing the technology for a poverty intervention project, pay particular attention to infrastructure requirements, local availability, training requirements, and technical challenges. Simpler technology often produces better results.

• Lesson 3: Existing technologies—particularly the telephone, radio, and television—can often convey information less expensively, in local languages, and to larger numbers of people than can newer technologies. In some cases, the former can enhance the capacity of the latter.

• Lesson 4: ICT projects that reach out to rural areas might contribute more to the MDGs than projects based in urban areas.

• Lesson 5: Financial sustainability is a challenge for ICT-for-development initiatives.

• Lesson 6: Projects that focus on ICT training should include a job placement component.

Sustainability and Scalability

A growing perspective in the field is also the need to build projects that are sustainable and scalable, rather than focusing on those which can be propped up only by huge amounts of external funding, but cannot survive for long without that.

Also, many so-called "developing" countries, such as India (or other South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as also nations like Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and many others) have proved their skills in IT (information technology). In this context, unless these skills are tapped adequately to build on ICT4D projects, not only will a lot of potential be wasted, but a key indigenous partner in the growth of this sector would be lost. Also there would be unnecessary negative impact on the balance of payments due to imports in both hardware and software. The balance of payments is a measure of the payments that flow from one exports and imports of goods, services, and financial capital, as well financial transfers. ... Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Computer program. ...

Currently, the main two perspectives coming out of this sector either emphasis on the need for external aid to build infrastructure before projects can touch viability, or the need to develop and build on local talent. Both approaches are, of course, not mutually exclusive.

A Critique of ICT4D

As it has grown in popularity, especially in the international development sector, ICT4D has also increasingly come under criticism. For instance, questions have been raised about whether projects that have been implemented at enormous cost are actually designed to be scalable, or whether these projects make enough of an impact to produce noticeable change.

For instance, the Sri Lankan journalist Nalaka Gunawardene argues that thousands of pilot projects have been seeded without regard to generalisability, scalability and sustainability, implying that these projects will always require external funding to continue running and that their impact is limited.^[7] This sentiment echoes a 2003 report by the World Bank ^[2].

Further criticism of ICT4D concerns the impact of ICTs on traditional cultures and the so-called cultural imperialism which may be spread with ICTs. For example, young males are tempted to spend their recreational time playing violent computer games. It is emphasised that local language content and software seem to be good ways to help soften the impact of ICTs in developing areas. ^[8]

Major Organizations in ICT4D

ICT4D and the United Nations

UN ICT Task Force

In 2001 the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force was formed to address a variety of ICT4D topics. The Task Force held semi-annual meetings focusing on specific themes, including a Global Forum on Internet Governance (UN headquarters in New York, March 2004); a Global Forum on an Enabling Environment (Berlin, November 2004); and a Global Forum on Harnessing the Potential of ICTs in Education (Dublin, April 2005). The UN ICT Task Force's mandate ended on December 31, 2005. A new group, called the 'Global Alliance for ICT and Development', was created to continue much of the work of the UN ICTTF. The UN ICT Task Force was created by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in November 2001. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In November 2002, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a call for Silicon Valley to create the computers and communications systems that would enable villages to leapfrog several generations of technology and enter the Information Age directly.^[9] This would provide the technical basis for WSIS discussions. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2007, serving two five-year terms. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ...

Global Alliance for ICT and Development

In 2006, at the end of his tenure, outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan launched the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID). Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2007, serving two five-year terms. ...

It is described as a "multi-stakeholder forum" and a "cross-sectoral platform and forum that will bring together all stakeholders representing relevant constituencies". It includes a large number of persons from the fields of government, development cooperation, foreign policy, finance, the social sector (health, education), regulatory agencies, industry and workers' associations, producers and consumers of ICT, the media, non-governmental organisations, community social organisations, foundations, scientific, academic and ICT communities and "individuals providing advocacy and oversight on Information Society issues and implementing programs addressing the United Nations' MDGs Millennium Development Goals." The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... The Millenium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 192 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. ...

GAID is lead by a steering committee (with Intel's Craig Barrett as its chairman and comprising of Walter Fust of Switzerland, Jamaludin Jarjis of Malaysia, Guy Sebban of the International Chamber of Commerce, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh of Jordan/Egypt, Titi Akinsanmi of the Global Teenager Project, Renate Bloem of the not-for-profit network CONGO, Yoshio Utsumi of the ITU, John Bernander of the Norwegian Broadcasting - European Broadcasting Union, Luis Alberto Moreno of the Inter-American Development Bank and José Antonio Ocampo/Sarbuland Khan). Craig Barrett can refer to Craig Barrett (Intel President) - United States business leader Craig Barrett (athlete) - New Zealand athlete This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an international organization that works to promote and support global trade and globalization. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Yoshio Utsumi ) (born August 14, 1942) is the secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, 1998-2006. ... This article is about the location. ... Luis Alberto Moreno was born on May 3, 1953 in Colombia. ... The Inter-American Development Bank (preferred abbreviation: IDB; but frequently given as IADB), was established in 1959 to support Latin American and Caribbean economic/social development and regional integration by lending mainly to public institutions. ...

It also has a Strategy Council, a set of high-level advisors, and a "champions' network". The Global Alliance for ICT and Development held its first meeting on June 19-20, 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Asia Pacific Development Information Programme and International Open Source Network

United Nations -- though its various organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme's Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP) -- have been bring out a number of publications. Many are published with shareable content licenses. Specifically in the field of [Free/Libre and Open Source Software] (FLOSS), the International Open Source Network (IOSN) (IOSN) is an active player too. The United Nations Development Programe (UNDP), the United Nations global development network, is the largest multilateral source of development assistance in the world. ... Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme is an initiative of the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and aims to promote the development and application of information and communication technologies (or, ICTs) for sustainable human development. Its sphere of work is the Asia-Pacific region. ... The International Open Source Network has as its slogan software freedom for all. It is a Centre of Excellence for FOSS (also known as FLOSS, or Free/Libre and Open Source Software in the Asia-Pacific region. ...

UNDP-APDIP brings out two series of e-primers, namely the e-Primers for the Information Economy, Society and Polity and the e-Primers on Free/Open Source Software. The former series details the concepts, issues and trends surrounding the information economy, society and polity. It intends to raise awareness and help policy makers and planners understand the relevance of information and communications technology (ICT) for development, by explaining technical jargon in simple terms. The latter series serves as an introduction to various aspects and dimensions of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS), with country case-studies. It aims to raise awareness on FOSS issues and support capacity building efforts.

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

The IDRC is a Canadian governmental agency (crown corporation) that has a very broad programme which includes many small to mid-sized ICT4D projects. The IDRC The IDRC is also one of the major sponsors of the telecentre.org telecentre movement. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a public corporation created by the Canadian government to help communities in the developing world find solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems through research. ...

The One Laptop per Child Project ( OLPC.org)

OLPC is a high profile project initiated by Nicholas Negroponte. Several large companies are members of the organisation including MIT and chip manufacturer AMD. It has a wide open source community. The aim is to produce laptops cheaply enough to provide them to every school child in the world. Through its bold and controversial aim, the project has generated much exposure for ICT4D in general. The $100 laptop is a design for an inexpensive laptop computer being developed by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education. ... Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT, MapúaTech or simply Mapúa) is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary institute located in Intramuros, Manila. ... Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. ...

Other Organizations in ICT4D

• The Development Gateway Foundation, an independent non-profit organization
• The International Institute for Communication and Development in the Netherlands
• The telecentre.org project funded by the IDRC, SDC, and Microsoft's Unlimited Potential
• The Shuttleworth Foundation [1]
• The International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, via its Science Dissemination Unit and the Wireless Networking training activities.

The Development Gateway Foundation The Development Gateway was launched by the World Bank. ... The International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) is a non-profit foundation that specialises in information and communication technologies (ICT) (ICTs) as a tool for sustainable development. ...

Notable ICT4D Events

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

A major event for ICT4D was the twin World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The first part of WSIS took place in Geneva, Switzerland in December 2003 (with a large ICT4D exhibition and an ICT4D symposium co-ordinated by infoDev). The second part of WSIS took place in Tunis, Tunisia, in November 2005. One of its chief aims of the WSIS process was to seek solutions to help bridge the so-called "digital divide" separating rich countries from poor countries by spreading access to the Internet in the developing world. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... infoDev -- the Information for Development program -- is a special program of the World Bank and many other international development agencies focusing on how the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help to combat poverty and promote opportunity, empowerment and economic growth in developing countries, a field of activity...

Perspectives on the WSIS are available elsewhere on the Wikipedia, and this covers links to civil society, Tunis 2005, US priorities at WSIS, media responses, Tunis conference developments, roles for business and government, digital divide issues, the digital divide and the digital dilemma, common ground, a civil society study on WSIS, and external links. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN-sponsored conference about information and communication. ...

ICT4D Initiatives and Projects

Large Initiatives and Projects

Here, initiatives and projects are those which involve more than 3 partners, are currently still running and have a budget of over 10 million $:

Some of the most prominent programs and initiatives in the ICT4D field include:

• the Free Software and Open Source projects, which dramatically reduce the cost of getting access to software, and extend skills in software across the globe
• localization of Linux, or GNU/Linux into languages not supported by commercial vendors
• free metropolitan wireless systems

Clockwise from top: The logo of the GNU Project (the GNU head), the Linux kernel mascot Tux the Penguin, and the FreeBSD daemon Free software is a term coined by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation[1] to refer to software that can be used, studied, and modified without... Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ... Linux (IPA pronunciation: ) is a Unix-like computer operating system. ... Unix systems filiation. ...

Prominent Initiatives and Projects

Here we list projects that are not large projects, but which are significant because they have directly or indirectly (via aid organisations) reached 10'000 or more people.

• Drishtee [2] - a significant project, bringing ICTs to thousands of rural Indians.

Other Initiatives and Projects

This is not an exhaustive list of projects, nor has it been selected by any methodical manner.

• the Imfundo program in Africa
• the Simputer movement in India
• BytesForAll: BytesForAll is an early initaitive, launched as a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation in July 1999 and still maintaining that status, that looks at ICT-for-development issues, with a particular focus on [South Asia]. It has its active mailing list which has almost 1500 members, and is considered a useful source of information from the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and nearby areas. BytesForAll also has its community website, and has recently launched a [3] network to look at Free/Libre and Open Source Software, or FLOSS in the region.
• i4donline.net: i4donline.net is a monthly, print-based magazine published from outside Delhi, in India, that focuses entirely on the issue of ICT-for-development (or ICT4D, as it is sometimes called) and is believed to be the first magazine of its kind slotted with this specialisation.
• aAQUA.org, a project which anwers questions about farming and agriculture, including in languages like Marathi and Hindi, in India
• Hole in The Wall, a new way to learn
• Automatic Milk Collection Centre in Gujarat, India
• Toe-Hold India, selling footwear made by traditional artisans
• PlanetersNet.com
• HoneyBee, studying innovation from the grassroots
• Nudi, the Kannada script-enabling software
• Sisu Samrakshak of Andhra Pradesh
• IndianBloodDonors.com
• Vaachak, the text-to-speech software for Indian languages
• Save The Girl Child from New Delhi
• Disability Indian Network based at Delhi
• Information Technology Applications for Agriculture
• Chukki Chinna interactive radio instruction programme, from Karnataka, India
• BookBox.com
• DACNET E-governance infrastructure for globalised Indian agriculture
• eVikas, the government-to-citizen interface in Himachal Pradesh
• The Association for Progressive Communications
• iConnect Online Knowledge Sharing Platform on ICT4D
• UK Department for International Development-funded Information & Communication Projects listed on the Research4Development portal (R4D)
• World Bank's eDevelopment Thematic group
• LearnLink - A USAID-funded ICT4D program implemented by AED from 1996 to 2003.
• DOT-COM Alliance - A USAID-funded ICT for Development program.
• Helpalot.org, charity social network site

Imfundo is the team within the British Department for International Development which creates partnerships to deliver information technology-based activities supporting gender equality and universal primary education in sub-Saharan Africa. ... The Simputer is a self-contained, handheld computer, designed for use in environments where computing devices such as Personal Computers are deemed inappropriate. ... The term Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS or sometimes FOSS) is a hybrid term for both free software and open source software. ...

References

Royal Institute of Technology The Royal Institute of Technology or Kungliga tekniska högskolan (KTH) is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Islamonline. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2007, serving two five-year terms. ... CNET Networks Inc. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

See Also

Sustainable development Portal

• Digital Divide
• e-Readiness
• Information and Communication for Development (ICD)
• infoDev

Image File history File links Sustainable_development. ... The global digital divide is a term used to describe “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries” (Lu 2001 p. ... e-Readiness is the ability to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to develop ones economy and to foster ones welfare. ... The term Information and Communication for Development (ICD) spans the full range of issues around information and communication for international development: from radio to the internet; content to delivery; and policy to practical application on the ground. ... infoDev -- the Information for Development program -- is a special program of the World Bank and many other international development agencies focusing on how the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help to combat poverty and promote opportunity, empowerment and economic growth in developing countries, a field of activity...

Further Reading

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Information and Communication Technologies for Poverty Alleviation

• ICT4D at the International Development Research Centre
• United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS)
• infoDev |The Information for Development Programme (World Bank)
• United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force
• World Summit on the Information Society - WSIS
• International Free and Open Source Software Foundation
• telecentre.org
• Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP) UNDP
• The ICT4D Collective's portal and learning resources
• ICTlogy: research portal with resources and +500 references bibliography

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