ICT in Bolivia
Where are we now?
Impact & lessons learned
IICD in Bolivia
Landlocked between Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina,
Bolivia is the highest, and in some respects the most isolated country
in Latin America. It is also one of the most culturally diverse. 80% of
its 8.6 million inhabitants are descended from indigenous Amerindian
peoples.
Rich in natural resources such as natural gas, zinc and gold,
Bolivia is the world’s largest producer of tin. Yet, despite ample
cultural and natural assets, poverty is widespread; 70% of the
population struggles to make a living. Bolivia ranks as one of poorest
countries in the region.
ICT in Bolivia
The number of fixed line and mobile phone subscribers has increased
dramatically over the last 5 years. Growth in the number of people
using the Internet was also seen in the period 2000-2005, increasing
from around 1.5% to nearly 4%. This is a low figure in comparison to
developed countries, but relatively high in terms of the average (8%)
seen in the least developed countries in the world. It provides a
starting point for the current and future activities in ICT4D. The
relatively high adult literacy level in Bolivia (87% in 2005) is
encouraging, and provides a basis for the task of further introducing
ICTs into the development sectors of the country.
Where are we now?
During 2007, the Country Programme will move into the Shared
Dialogue Phase, meaning all activities will become self-sustaining and
local partners will determine their own strategic priorities and
operation actions.
In the lead up to the Shared Dialogue Phase, we will focus on
ensuring the programme is strong and self-sustaining. Working at
different levels, this includes:
Institutions
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Strengthening and consolidating networks
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Developing capacity and technological innovation
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Monitoring and evaluation
Sectors, lobbying and national ICT policies
Learning and sharing experiences
Using experience to influencing the future
Impact & lessons learned
IICD and its local partners are extending the development impact of
TiCBolivia to end-users, particularly the rural poor. But what
is the impact so far? How far has it helped to alleviate poverty? And
what lessons have been learned in the process?
We look at a variety of factors to assess the
impact of the projects, and the lessons learned. In all sectors
this includes measuring awareness, empowerment and economic impact. In
education an additional two factors are quality of education and
socio-cultural impact. For governance projects empowerment is
particularly important, and quality of governance is an additional
indicator.
The most recent findings can be found at The TICBolivia
Country Programme: The impact of IICD support for poverty reduction and
development using ICTs, 2000-2004.
IICD in Bolivia
Our work in Bolivia began in 2000. Together with an existing
partner, Hivos, a Roundtable Workshop initiated the Bolivia Country
Programme at the end of 2000. Today, IICD’s work in Bolivia is carried
out together with Cordaid.
When the Bolivia Country Programme was launched the focus was on
three sectors: livelihoods (specifically agriculture); governance
(specifically good governance); and education.
Addressing Bolivia’s ICT needs
Livelihoods, especially agriculture
We believe that adequate and sustainable ICTs can help to ensure
agricultural products are successfully commercialised – and that this
will help to improve the situation of many of Bolivia’s poorest people.
Three main obstacles stand in the way of agricultural products being
successfully commercialised: lack of infrastructure, inefficient
post-harvest handling and distribution and a lack of information.
We address the important issue of access to information, and
information dissemination. Using ICTs to improve access to information
will enhance economic opportunities through increased market access,
improved negotiating powers and better production methods.
Education
Bolivia’s state education system offers very little access to ICTs
and primary and secondary education within the country is generally
poor, despite reforms. Tertiary education is of a higher quality but
unreachable for the majority of the population.
Effective and sustainable use of ICTs can improve the quality of
education and young people’s access to it in several ways,
including:
- Enhancing and updating teaching methods (for example by
transforming the curriculum using ICT applications such as videos, CD
ROMs and the internet to develop (interactive) educational materials
for use in different subjects), and
- Strengthening the institutional capacity of educational
authorities, particularly with regard to the government body
responsible for education, schools’ administration systems, and teacher
training institutes.
Governance
ICTs can make a difference to the government’s ability to address
some of the most pressing issues in the governance sector, such as:
- strengthening public sector institutions,
- making the political system more transparent and accountable,
and
- ensuring that basic services are delivered effectively and
efficiently to the majority of Bolivia’s citizens, particularly
vulnerable groups such as indigenous people and women
ICT in projects
Partners in Bolivia are now independently implementing 15 projects
in the sectors livelihoods (particularly agriculture), education and
governance. These projects are all having an impact on the lives of the
people in the country.
Livelihoods (agriculture)
Within livelihoods, the projects are currently improving the market
price information system by combing modern and traditional media (like
radio). Rural information centres are providing access to information
on public investment programmes, and multimedia is being used to
document and exchange experiences.
Education
Education projects such as the Global Teenager Project are providing
training in basic ICT skills, and multimedia is being used to improve
the curriculum in schools.
Governance
Projects in the governance sector are improving access to
information, for example by uploading radio programmes onto a website,
and creating a network using on-line communications (contact database,
website, discussion forum, and newsletter).
A database of information on land rights has been created, and this
can now be accessed and updated by various indigenous groups. Alongside
this, a network for small indigenous producers (mixture of modern and
traditional communication channels) has been created.
Developing Capacity
Although the capacity development programme differs from country to
country, 2006 saw two major developments: connectivity and web 2.0. All
countries have spent time on finding and experimenting with alternative
solutions for connectivity. This includes wireless connections and
transmitting data through telephone lines. However, it was in Bolivia
that a thorough analysis of alternative solutions for connectivity was
first made.
This led to a study in Tanzania, and a comparison with the situation
in Ecuador. These in turn resulted in the development of a shared
connectivity model, which can be replicated in both Latin America and
Africa. The results indicate a need to shift from using telecentres, to
setting up community-based networks to solve connectivity problems.
Because the Bolivia Country Programme is in the process of being
consolidated, participation in capacity development activities and
trainings is decreasing as planned, and activities such as local
information exchange, knowledge and skills sharing and participating in
policy processes are gaining momentum.
Establishing networks
Establishing independent national ICT for Development networks is a
goal of all IICD’s Country Programmes. Their active participation in
sharing the lessons learned with partners and the wider ICT for
Development community contributes to the sustainability of ICT-enabled
projects and programmes. In Bolivia this is achieved through the local
TICBolivia network which now operates 90 information access centres and
school laboratories providing access to ICTs.
Through these information centres, the TICBolivia programme
currently reaches 50,000 direct end users of ICT. Indirectly, 500,000
farmers, indigenous people, teachers and students are benefiting,
through a combination of access to rural information centres, radio
programmes, websites and printed information materials.
The TiCBolivia network regularly brings local partners and other
ICT4D actors together to share knowledge; to participate in ICT policy
processes; to respond to demands and problems in capacity development;
and to assess the impact of programme through monitoring and evaluation
activities.
Participating in policy process
Policy participation started in 2003 with the participation in the
formulation of the ICT strategy for the agriculture sector by the
Ministry of Agriculture. This strategy is currently in the phase of
implementation. The ICT strategy for the education sector was also
finalised (in 2005) but due to weak political support has not yet
reached the implementation phase. The national ICT strategy was
finalised in 2006.
This positive situation reflects the growth stage of the Bolivia
Country Programme, which is working towards self-sustaining activities
and governance in 2007. Consolidation of the TICBolivia programme is
the next step, and will involve persuading key policymakers in
government to embed the projects, or at least parts of them, into
mainstream sectoral practice, thereby ensuring that their benefits will
continue to be felt in the long term.
Bolivia partners
We work closely with a number of local partners to realise
TiCBolivia's goals. These partners include non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), grassroots organisations and government
bodies.
Use the Search on the right to
search for partners in Bolivia.
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