Information Management for Development: Do the policies work?

Information Management Information Management for Development: for Development:

Do the policies work?Do the policies work?Adapting information policies to Adapting information policies to

target groupstarget groups

Alec SinghACP Secretariatwww.acp.intalec@acp.int

EADI-IMWG Conference 20049-11 September 2004

Maastricht, NL

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www.acp.intwww.worldbank.org/developmentgoals

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United Nations Millennium Declaration - September 2000

1.Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2.Achieve universal primary education 3.Promote gender equality and empower

women 4.Reduce child mortality 5.Improve maternal health 6.Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other

diseases 7.Ensure environmental sustainability 8.Develop a global partnership for

development

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1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

IF ICT is appropriately deployed to take into IF ICT is appropriately deployed to take into consideration people’s differing needs, it can consideration people’s differing needs, it can become a powerful economic, social and become a powerful economic, social and political tool for the poor, and for all those political tool for the poor, and for all those who work to eradicate poverty who work to eradicate poverty

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ICT can help reach this objective by:ICT can help reach this objective by:

stimulating macroeconomic growth; stimulating macroeconomic growth; making markets more efficient; making markets more efficient; improving social inclusion; andimproving social inclusion; and Facilitating political involvement.Facilitating political involvement.

Examples: Examples:

ACP-EU Joint institution: Centre Techinque d’Agricole (CTA)ACP-EU Joint institution: Centre Techinque d’Agricole (CTA)

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2. Achieve universal primary education

The average length of schooling in high-The average length of schooling in high-income countries is ten years,income countries is ten years,

but in developing countries it is approximately but in developing countries it is approximately less than half (4.6 years) less than half (4.6 years)

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What can be done to improve the What can be done to improve the situation?situation?

Increase access to education through Distance Increase access to education through Distance LearningLearning

Training teachers as a spearhead groupTraining teachers as a spearhead group Broadening the availability of good quality Broadening the availability of good quality

educational material, such as educational educational material, such as educational videos/DVDsvideos/DVDs

Use technology such as WorldSpace satellitesUse technology such as WorldSpace satellites

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3. Promote gender equality and empower women

Increasing economic opportunities for WomenIncreasing economic opportunities for Women ICT can enhance a woman’s ability to know ICT can enhance a woman’s ability to know

her rights and participate in decision makingher rights and participate in decision making

But what about the cultural aspects? But what about the cultural aspects? To what extent will these be able to be surmounted?To what extent will these be able to be surmounted? Personal belief that ICT will have a difficult job in Personal belief that ICT will have a difficult job in

bringing about this changebringing about this change

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ICT and Health:ICT and Health:

4. Improve maternal health

5. Reduce child mortality

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

But what about cultural and religious aspects?

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7. Ensure environmental sustainability

Energy Saving – Traditional Bookshop vs. Amazon.com (US$)

Traditional Bookshop Amazon.com

Sales per square foot 250 2000

Energy cost per square foot 1.1 0.56

Energy cost per 100 sales 0.44 0.03

Source: Sawhney and Contreras

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8. Develop a global partnership for development

Good governance (transparency)Good governance (transparency) Encourage mutually beneficial partnerships Encourage mutually beneficial partnerships

such as that between India and Mauritiussuch as that between India and Mauritius Encourage deregulation of telephone servicesEncourage deregulation of telephone services Encourage the development of information Encourage the development of information

gateways such as EuForic or the Development gateways such as EuForic or the Development GatewayGateway

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ConclusionsConclusions

Promotion of ICT will raise the likelihood of Promotion of ICT will raise the likelihood of obtaining the MDGsobtaining the MDGs

However, ICT is not a miracle solution and However, ICT is not a miracle solution and ICT has to be implemented taking into ICT has to be implemented taking into consideration local conditionsconsideration local conditions

Spearhead groups should be encouraged Spearhead groups should be encouraged (Encourage the early adopters)(Encourage the early adopters)

And traditional distribution of information And traditional distribution of information should not be left too far behindshould not be left too far behind

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