The majority of our projects are carried out under the umbrella of one of our nine Country Programmes. A few projects, like the Global Teenager Project, are only partially integrated within a Country Programme, or are managed entirely outside of that framework.

Projects carried out under the Country Programmes pass through three distinct phases, starting with formulation. Implementation follows, and the ultimate goal is independent continuation. The most desirable outcome for a project is replication, up-scaling, or deepening of the original project.

During project formulation, we collaborate closely with partner organisations to ensure that the project plans drawn up by first-time project partners are realistic, sustainable and based on real needs. In this phase, local ownership starts to take place.

In the implementation phase, projects are actively producing and delivering services to their target groups. This phase can last up to five years, and is a period when we focus on providing training for the implementing teams. Ideally, all local project partners become active members of the National ICT for Development Network. A periodic assessment by our local evaluation partner is an integral part of the implementation phase of a project.

When project activities continue independently after IICD funding stops, it usually signifies that they are embedded in the core activities of their host institutions, or have become part of a larger sector programme belonging to the government or other agency.

The few projects carried out (fully or partially) independently from the Country Programmes follow different phases, but still focus on the end goal of independent continuation.

The role of projects in Country Programmes

A mature Country Programme is active in at least two development sectors, each with five or six projects. The projects help local partners to understand, and successfully apply, ICT in their own setting. Projects also inspire other organisations to follow suit and develop their own ICT projects and activities, multiplying the positive effects of the original project. The local partners themselves develop all projects, in cooperation with IICD and enabling partners.

New project ideas are generated via an ‘IICD Roundtable Workshop’, one of the first steps in our Roundtable Process. Successful project ideas are developed into pilot projects. Establishing these pilot projects is the start of the process of establishing ICT as a tool for development within our focus development sectors (education, environment, health, governance and livelihoods) in a country.

Supporting policy processes

ICT-enabled projects and related activities like capacity development must be sustained once the seed-funding period has ended. Pilot (or demonstration) projects alone will not be sufficient to change the development landscape. It is clear that policy changes also need to take place at the national level, in order to optimise the full potential of ICT for development.

Formulating and implementing ICT strategies and policies at both the national and the sector level is one of the ways this can be achieved.

In our experience, strong projects are an essential ingredient for creating awareness. A strong project base increases our ability to influence national level policy-makers in their formulation of ICT for Development strategies and policies.

In each Country Programme the National ICT for Development Network, consisting of our local partners, is the vehicle for addressing policy issues. The networks aim to attract the attention of policymakers and convince them of the positive impact of demonstration projects. Alongside this, our Country Programme Managers also build on processes to stimulate the integration of ICT into policies. They try to catalyze a more participative and informative dialogue among local bilateral agency policymakers on ICT for development. This approach requires time and a considerable number of discussions with both government ministries and the development partners.

IICD’s partners are engaged in no less than eleven sector policy process in five countries, sharing first-hand knowledge of how ICT can help countries achieve their development objectives, including national Poverty Reduction Strategies and the international targets outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This ensures that the needs of rural populations and the poor are represented in national ICT policies and strategies.

Other projects

Supporting ICT for Development is not straightforward task, and the same applies to our projects. Country Programmes provide a suitable umbrella for most of our projects, but some projects do not naturally fall into this category. These projects are often characterised by a very focussed, or a very wide scope. To find out more about the way in which these projects were formulated and are being implemented, please visit their project page: Global Teenager Project