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The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank’s Information for Development (infoDev) programme joined forces to organise a workshop on Policy Coherence in the Application of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), held 10-11 September 2009 in Paris.
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Realising the full benefit of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for development requires that they be seen as a development innovation rather than just another development tool. This chapter gives a general overview of the six ICT-enabled applications discussed at the OECD/infoDev workshop, outlining how each may contribute to development while presenting some of the challenges faced by countries currently implementing them.
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There are problems with the coherence of Information and Communication for Development (ICT4D) policies today. This chapter identifies some of those problems and proposes, if not solutions, at least a shape or framework for moving forward. It then charts the logic and chronology of applying ICTs to developing countries.
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Full participation in the global Internet Economy requires electronic connectivity of increasing complexity. Today, due to a wave of liberalisation and technological and business innovation, much of the world is electronically connected, albeit not at levels that support full participation. This chapter examines the contributions made by competition and business innovation to achieving current levels of connectivity and the possibilities for extrapolation to ensure widespread participation in the global Internet Economy.
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The rise of the mobile phone in emerging markets, particularly Africa and large parts of Asia, is well documented, as is its use in a growing number of initiatives to increase the availability and variety of financial services in emerging economies. This chapter explores relevant issues by recounting the experience of the IT consultancy firm Consult Hyperion in the conception, development and deployment of M-PESA, a mobile payment service in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as their conversations with a range of financial regulators from around the world.
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Developed and developing countries face many environmental challenges, including climate change, improving energy efficiency and waste management, addressing air pollution, water quality and scarcity, and loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. This chapter explores how the Internet and the ICT and related research communities can help tackle environmental challenges in developing countries through more environmentally sustainable models of economic development.
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Education is a key requirement for social and economic prosperity. In the developing economies of South Asia it is often seen as the only means to social mobility and financial self sufficiency. Recognising the significance of education, governments across the region have devoted considerable resources in terms of money and comprehensive programmes for improving access, quality and delivery mechanisms.