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Contributions from
the Column
Monitor
Information technology – little leapfrogging potential
World Summit on the Information Society
Electronic waste – digital divide becomes digital dump
US food aid remains unreformed
NGO report on German development aid
German President launches “Partnership with Africa”
New German government agrees on development policy
Kortmann becomes Parliamentary Secretary
ACP countries criticise EU Partnership Agreements
Africa looses out in apparel competition
Reforming EU’s sugar regulations
12/2005
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[ Information technology ]
Little leapfrogging potential
Modern information and communication technology (ICT) is yet to bring about the progress in poor countries that, for years, many have been hoping for. Just as the New Economy bubble burst at the turn of the century, many development projects based on computers, the internet or mobile phones have also failed. ICT has the potential to speed up development, but projects must be carefully planned or are likely to end up as expensive failures. That is the conclusion of a recent World Bank report published in November.
For the World Bank, the “digital divide” is simply a consequence of the general gap between poor and rich. This is a finding that, according to the authors, “should temper some of the more optimistic hopes for e-development as a tool for ‘leapfrogging’ stages of development”. The Bank refers to evaluations which show that the majority of ICT applications in the public and private sectors have failed totally or at least partially in the poorest countries. According to the study, moreover, there is hardly any reliable data on the developmental effects of ICT applications. Reasons include the complexity of the projects and the fact that there has been too little systematic monitoring or evaluation. “To a large extent, the case for ICT for development still needs to be made,” maintains the report.
ICT projects must be geared to the needs of the target groups, appropriate to the level of development in a country and integrated into the country’s development strategy – features which, indeed, should apply for any development project. Instead of new standards yet to be defined, conventional and tested indicators should provide the base for monitoring and evaluating ICT projects. The World Bank still considers lack of infrastructure the biggest obstacle to ICT promoting development. Governments alone cannot make the necessary investments. Furthermore, as is the case in industrialised countries, many developing countries have privatised the post and telecommunication services. Therefore, business-friendly environments are necessary to attract domestic and foreign capital. Moreover, partnerships between companies, public institutions and non-governmental organisations are required to press ahead with ICT applications. (ell)
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