Two of the most powerful forces in the world today are the spread of ICT and the global effort to achieve more widespread social and economic development. It has long been suggested by some that these forces are in opposition: the development agenda aims to help developing countries make great strides forward and to close the gap between rich and poor countries, while ICT, according to this line of thought, reinforces the advantages of the developed countries and perpetuates the disadvantages of the less developed.
This study has found that this need not be the case. It is far from inevitable that ICT will have a negative impact on developing economies; in fact, with the right policies and practical actions, ICT can be a powerful enabler of development.
This is not mere theory—it is already starting to happen in practice. Section 2.2 of this study highlights a range of ICT initiatives, directly targeted at specific development goals, where ICT is producing tangible benefits for different communities. Across the developing world, ICT is helping women and men improve their lives, take advantage of new opportunities and realize their full potential. From the provision of low cost healthcare services to skill-building through long-distance education, from unearthing the entrepreneurial skills of Bangladeshi women to empowering development workers in Southern Africa with information and communication tools, ICT is undoubtedly making a difference in developing communities.
Initiatives that are properly conceived and implemented can have an impact that extends beyond the individual communities they are designed to serve. Model initiatives can be scaled nationally or even regionally, contributing to the critical mass and the threshold levels needed to ignite a virtuous cycle of development. In such circumstances, the increasing use and pervasive impact of ICT can substantially enhance the ability of developing countries to address the full range of development goals.
Of course, ICT is just one of the many resources that must be deployed as part of an overall development strategy. But the analysis in Section 2.3 of this study suggests that those countries that have employed ICT as an enabler of development goals, rather than just to position their economies in the global market, increase exports or build national capacity—can indeed achieve higher levels of development. In contrast, those countries that have had a single-minded focus on economic growth, and as such failed to integrate development imperatives into their national ICT visions, have ended up with narrowly defined ICT initiatives that do not fully address development goals.
Drawing on the analysis in this study, the DOI has developed a framework to assist policymakers and stakeholders in choosing strategically aligned ICT initiatives that can be implemented to achieve a "development dynamic." Well-targeted ICT interventions in five key interrelated areas can play a crucial role in igniting and sustaining this development dynamic by creating the necessary conditions to achieve critical mass and to reach the thresholds required for significant multiplier effects and increasing returns to scale.
The framework also emphasizes the importance of a new "strategic compact" for development, one that aligns government, civil society and business strategy and creates powerful linkages among organizations and communities across global, regional, national and local levels.
The need for a common framework and a shared vision in the effort to harness ICT for development does not mean that there is just one way of using ICT to achieve development objectives. Countries and communities are experimenting with very different initiatives and approaches, that take account of diverse conditions and resources, with great effect. Similarly, the holistic approach put forward does not imply that action must necessarily be taken in all five areas at once or that only large-scale efforts will do. Rather, it offers a strategic framework with which to design and prioritize development initiatives with a view to maximizing their long-term impact.
No matter what priorities a particular country chooses to adopt, all can benefit from greater coordination and broad inclusion of all stakeholders in the creation and implementation of an ICT strategy for development. The development dynamic framework aims to help in this effort. It provides a focused yet flexible basis on which ICT can be used to achieve real change for people living in developing economies—even those that have yet to reap the benefits of the ICT revolution. It is not too late for all countries and communities to take advantage of digital opportunities, but it will take strong leadership, vision and a commitment by all stakeholders to work together, now, to achieve this goal.
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