Projects and policies at IICD

IICD has been working to reach a critical mass of projects owned by partner organisations in the sectors of education, environment, governance, health and livelihoods. We currently support 130 ICT pilot projects, 12 ICT sector/national policies and 13 leveraging processes. A total of 50 ICT pilot projects are continuing independently from IICD. We have seen that the volume and learning of projects in the national setting together, clearly demonstrate the value of ICT for development.

From implementing projects…

Before actually starting the formulation of projects, a small network of committed local organisations and stakeholders - public, private and non-profit - participate in a Roundtable workshop to analyse the potentials of ICTs for development and set priorities for future actions. After each workshop, project partners formulate sector-wide ICT policies and projects. To gain experience and to generate awareness and lessons learned, a number of pilot projects are developed for demonstration purposes. Local institutions are individually responsible for the implementation, financing, and management of these projects.

… towards embedding at policy level

A strong project base has proven to be an excellent springboard from which to create awareness and influence national level policy-makers in their forming of ICT for development policies. It has become very clear that policy changes need to take place at the sector and national level to optimise the potential of ICTs. Embedding at the policy level is a key goal of each project. So far, this form of embedding has enabled over a third of the projects to continue independently after IICD funding was stopped.

IICD’s partners are engaged in no less than twelve sector policy processes in five countries (Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), sharing first-hand knowledge of how ICTs 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.

In 2007, IICD took the first steps towards leveraging processes: creating new programmes through partnerships in order to increase the actual impact of ICT for Development. There are various ways to achieve this: by supporting national governments in their effort to develop ICT strategies and policies and by helping them to roll out their own ICT for Development programmes; or by entering into partnerships with other NGOs, donor agencies or private companies and developing national programmes that reach out to a greater share of the population. IICD is explore these different routes through 13 programmes in seven countries: Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It’s exciting for us to enter this new stage, and though it has proved challenging, it is definitely a challenge worth facing.

Learn more about our on the ground projects, ICT policy and leveraging processes. Search by sector and country in the box to the right.