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Asian Development Bank6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City0401 Metro Manila, Philippineshttp://www.adb.org/publicationsPublication Stock No. 070203 Printed in the Philippines

TOWARDE-DEVELOPMENTIN ASIA ANDTHE PACIFIC

ICT_cover.p65 11/27/2003, 3:56 PM1

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A Strategic Approachto Information andCommunication Technology

TOWARDE-DEVELOPMENTIN ASIA ANDTHE PACIFIC

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Published by Asian Development Bank, November 2003. This is a typesetversion of the official policy paper approved by the Asian DevelopmentBank Board of Directors on 27 March 1998.

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Contents

Abbreviations 4

Executive summary 5

I. Introduction 7

II. The information revolution 9A. What is ICT? 9B. The global information society 9C. ICT and development 10D. ICT development in Asia and the Pacific 17

III. Need for an ADB strategic approach to ICT 21A. ADB and ICT 21B. Why a strategic approach? 22

IV. Strategic thrusts 23A. Create an enabling environment 23B. Build human resources 23C. Develop ICT applications and information content 24

V. Proposed action plan 25A. Undertake e-readiness assessment 25B. Integrate ICT applications in ADB’s activities 26C. Promote partnerships 29D. Establish a center for learning, information, communication,

and knowledge for Asia and the Pacific 30

VI. Implications for ADB 33A. E-readiness at ADB 33B. Staff skills 33C. Resource requirements 34

Appendixes 35

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ADB Asian Development BankAPEC Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationASEAN Association of Southeast Asian NationsCLICK Center for Learning, Information, Communication, and

KnowledgeDMC developing member countryICT information and communication technologyIT information technologyITU International Telecommunication UnionMCT multipurpose community telecenterUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization

NOTEIn this report, “$” refers to US dollars.

Abbreviations

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Executive summary

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become a powerfultool in the fight against world poverty, providing developing countries withan unprecedented opportunity to meet vital development goals, such aspoverty reduction, basic health care, and education, far more effectivelythan before. The countries that will succeed in bridging the digital divide byharnessing the potential of ICT can look forward to enhancing economicgrowth, and improving human welfare and good governance practices. TheAsian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to helping bridge the grow-ing digital divide and reap digital dividends within and across its develop-ing member countries (DMCs), in line with the G8’s Okinawa Charter onGlobal Information Society. Gains from ICT should be used in the DMCs toaccelerate social and economic development, improve governance, andgenerally support the fight against poverty.

This paper aims to explore how ICT can be harnessed as an enablingtool to enhance the impact of ADB’s overarching goal of reducing povertyin the Asia and Pacific region. The paper lays the groundwork for immedi-ate thinking within DMCs and ADB on how to move quickly and credibly indeveloping ICT applications and promoting their extensive use. The strate-gic approach to ICT recognizes that ADB’s financial and human resourcesare limited, thus its ICT development assistance must be selective, and en-courage regional cooperation and networking to enhance local efforts atdevelopment and promote private sector participation in ICT development.The DMCs must manage their own ICT strategies and activities to achievetheir development agenda. Three strategic thrusts are proposed.

• Create an enabling environment by fostering (i) the development ofinnovative sector policies, (ii) the strengthening of public institutions;and (iii) the development of ICT facilities and related infrastructure,and networks.

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• Build human resources to improve knowledge and skills, and to pro-mote ICT-literacy and lifelong learning of citizens through E-learningand awareness programs.

• Develop ICT applications and information content for ADB-supported projects/activities, e.g., poverty reduction and goodgovernance.

The proposed action plan is expected to be implemented sequentiallyand will initially comprise the following main activities.

• Undertake E-readiness assessment in selected DMCs following theprocedures for formulating ADB’s country strategy and program in aDMC.

• Integrate ICT applications in ADB’s activities to improve the flowand use of information and knowledge for the effective execution ofADB-supported projects and activities.

• Promote strategic alliances and partnerships with existing ICT ini-tiatives at national, regional, and international levels, and establishprinciples of effective public-private sector partnerships.

• Establish a center for learning, information, communication, andknowledge for Asia and the Pacific to improve the disseminationand use of information and knowledge for development, as well asbest practices, through ICT.

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I. Introduction

1 G8 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation, United King-dom, and United States.

2 The G8 Charter on Global Information Society is the joint statement by members of theWorld Economic Forum, which met in Kyushu-Okinawa, Japan on 21–23 July 2000. Thecharter provides the key principles and approaches that the G8 will follow and commendto others to bridge the international information and knowledge divide. For details, visitthe web site at http://www/g8kyushu-okinawa.go.jp, and/or http://www.g7.fed.us.

1. One of the most persistent criticisms of open markets and free tradeis that they increase the gap between developed and developing countries.The rapid emergence of the Internet economy is giving this argument newimpetus. Many fear that the Internet will worsen the gap between rich andpoor countries. The inequality debate has taken a new turn with an increas-ing focus on the digital divide, the gap between “information rich” and“information poor” countries.

2. Information and communication technology (ICT) is widely recog-nized as a potentially powerful tool in the fight against world poverty, withthe capacity to provide developing countries with an unprecedentedopportunity to meet vital development goals such as poverty reduction, basichealth care, and education, far more effectively than before. Countries thatsucceed in harnessing the potential of ICT can look forward to greatlyaccelerating economic growth, dramatically improving human welfare, andfostering good governance practices.

3. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recognizes that ICT is a powerfulforce in shaping the social and economic development of the Asia andPacific region. ADB must help its developing member countries (DMCs)benefit from the new opportunities created by ICT and is committed tohelping bridge the growing digital divide and reap digital dividends withinand across its DMCs, in line with the G8’s1 Okinawa Charter on Global Infor-mation Society.2 DMCs should use gains from ICT to accelerate social andeconomic development, improve governance, and generally support thefight against poverty. This paper explores how ICT can be harnessed tosupport ADB’s poverty reduction strategy.

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II. The informationrevolution

3 For more detailed information, see http://www.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/stats.4 FID Bulletin. 1998. New Information and Communication Technologies: Social Develop-

ment and Cultural Change. 48:3-4.

A. What is ICT?4. ICT is currently defined as the set of activities that facilitate by elec-tronic means the processing, transmission, and display of information.3 ICTis at the convergence of a tripod made of three specialized domains, namelyinformation technology, data and information, and socioeconomic issues,to fuse the capabilities and functionality of each specialized domain into aholistic yet fluid domain that works to develop a customized informationsystem for each user. Information technology (IT) or informatics was definedin 1990 as (i) the aggregation of information-related fields, such as com-puter hardware and software, telecommunications networks and equip-ment, and information technology-based industries; and (ii) the applica-tion of these technologies in all economic sectors, publishing, broadcast-ing, libraries, data banks, and other information services industries. Themajor difference between IT and ICT is the emphasis given in the case ofICT to the communication aspect—the collaboration and connectivity thatthe technologies facilitate.4 A new vocabulary is emerging with referenceto its electronic character using the prefix “E.”

B. The global information society5. The world economy is in the midst of a profound transformation,spurred by globalization and supported by the rapid development of ICTthat accelerates the transmission and use of information and knowledge.This powerful combination of forces is changing the way we live, and rede-fining the way companies do business in every economic sector. It is alsovastly expanding the range of opportunities for entrepreneurs to createinnovative products and pioneer new markets. The cumulative effect of

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these microlevel changes in firms and their markets is the macrolevel shiftto an increasingly information-based global digital economy. Thisphenomenon, commonly referred to as the information revolution, has givenbirth to what is now called the global information society and the neweconomy, spawned by digital technologies. The current information revo-lution driven by ICT, without being a panacea, promises to bring enormousopportunities for growth and poverty reduction. World leaders have beenlooking at the potential impact of ICT and globalization on the social andeconomic development of poor countries.

6. The ICT issue was recently brought to the forefront of the internationaldevelopment agenda. ICT, which transcends national borders and makesknowledge more important than physical assets, is now acknowledged tohave the potential to seriously widen the gap between people with accessto the information economy and those without. For example, the digitaldivide issue was extensively discussed in some major international politi-cal meetings such as the G8 meeting in Okinawa, Japan, in July 2000. Tonarrow the divide, ICT must be equitably deployed, and knowledge andjobs brought to poor countries. However, these opportunities have to beseized quickly as changes in the world’s digital economy are happeningrapidly. To address the digital divide issue, the G8 meeting in Okinawaadopted the G8 Charter on Global Information Society; the charter stressesthe need to ensure that ICT is used in developing countries to facilitatesocial development, good governance, and pro-poor growth (Box 1). Theleaders of the G8 also established the Digital Opportunity Task Force5 (DOTForce) to strengthen international cooperation in implementing this charter.

C. ICT and development7. ICT is thought to impact economic growth in the same way as othermajor inventions, but evidence relating to ICT’s impact on the economy,although accumulating rapidly, is still incomplete. ICT and the Internet

5 The task force members are (i) G8 (17): one government and one private sector represen-tative from each G8 country, and one representative from the European Commission;(ii) developing countries (9): one representative (either from the government or the pri-vate sector) from Bolivia, Brazil, People’s Republic of China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, SouthAfrica, Senegal, and Tanzania; (iii) international organizations (7): World Bank(Cosecretariat); United Nations Development Programme, Economic and Social Councilof the United Nations; International Telecommunication Union; United Nations Educa-tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization; United Nations Conference on Trade andDevelopment; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; (iv) businessorganizations; and (v) nongovernment organizations.

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Box 1: Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society

In July 2000, the G8 countries adopted the Charter on Global Informa-tion Society at their summit meeting in Okinawa, Japan. This reflected theG8’s recognition that information technology (IT) is one of the most potentforces shaping the 21st century. The charter discusses the creation of aglobal information society and toward this end, the host country, Japan,has committed $15 billion.

The G8 vision of an information society is one that enables people tofulfill their potential and realize their aspirations. The charter seeks to en-sure that IT serves the mutually supporting goals of creating sustainableeconomic growth, enhancing public welfare, and fostering social cohe-sion. The ancillary objectives that IT growth is expected to achieve indeveloping economies include increasing transparency and accountabilityin governance, enhancing cultural diversity, and fostering internationalpeace and stability.

The G8 charter is a call to both public and private sectors to bridge theinformation and knowledge divide—the digital divide. It underscores thefact that an effective partnership of stakeholders, through policy coopera-tion, is key to the sound development of a truly global information society.The charter emphasizes the importance of building on the following foun-dations:

• economic and structural reforms to foster an environment of open-ness, efficiency, competition, and innovation;

• sound macroeconomic management to help economic agents planconfidently and exploit the advantages of new technology;

• development of information networks offering fast, reliable,secure, and affordable access through competitive market conditions;

• development of human resources capable of responding to thedemands of the information age; and

• active utilization of IT by the public sector.

The private sector is expected to play a lead role in the development ofIT networks. Governments, however, have to create a predictable, trans-parent, and nondiscriminatory policy and regulatory environment. They mustalso ensure that IT-related rules and practices are responsive to the emerg-ing revolutionary changes in the way people conduct business using IT,while taking into account the principles of an effective public-private sec-tor partnership.

Source: Asian Development Bank. 2000. Okinawa Charter on the Global Information Society.Asian Development Outlook 2000 Update. Box 1, 59. Manila.

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provide the means for a sweeping reorganization of business, from on-lineprocurement of inputs to more decentralization and outsourcing, and canboost efficiency and productivity in manufacturing and the distribution sec-tor. By increasing rapid access to information, ICT helps make markets workmore efficiently, by allowing consumers to seek the lowest price, and firmsto get quotes from more suppliers. It also reduces transaction costs andbarriers to entry. Farmers can, for instance, get instant information onweather, prices and crop conditions in other regions. Manufacturers cantrack changes in demand more closely via direct links to electronic scan-ners in shops.

8. In developed countries, ICT and the Internet have helped globalizeproduction and capital markets and speed up innovation by reducing thetime for designing new products, through powerful computers that make iteasier and cheaper to process large amounts of data. This is not generallythe case for developing countries, where the cost of computers and tele-communications remain generally high, because of insufficient liberaliza-tion and deregulation of markets, and years of chronic underinvestment.The private sector can play a lead role in ICT development but remainsskeptical about the profitability of ICT investment in rural areas, especiallyin least-developed countries. More progressive and innovative policies anda determined leadership are required to enable the full potential of ICT towork for the benefit of developing countries.

9. Without the enabling environment, many developing countries,especially the least developed ones, will account for a smaller fraction ofthe global digital economy, as the vast majority of economic activity relatedto ICT will continue to be concentrated in the industrialized world. Con-cerns for these disparities between industrialized and developing countries,especially with respect to people’s access and use of telecommunicationsand the Internet (Figure), have started a worldwide debate about the exist-ence of the digital divide and the dire consequences for poor countries if itis not addressed in time. The digital divide may serve to widen the economicdivide between developed (advanced) and developing countries with pos-sible repercussions for the future stability of the international community.

10. Many examples of successful ICT applications for development havebeen documented in governance, education, public health, and environ-mental and natural resource management. Some developing countries have

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Europe 27%

Figure: Distribution of Population and Users of ICT by Region, 1998

Population

Main Telephone Lines

Cellular Subscribers

Internet Users

Asia and the Pacific32%

Africa2%

Europe36%

Africa 13%America

14%

Europe

14%

Asia and the Pacific

59%

America30%

Asia and the Pacific

36%

Africa 1%America 30%

Europe

33%

Asia and the Pacific 23% Africa 1%

America 49%

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been creating new ways to dramatically help the poor.6 For example, inIndia, one third of its software workers were tapped in programs aimed toeliminate poverty. The government of Andhra Pradesh, one of the less-developed states of India, has pursued an aggressive strategy to promotethe pervasive use of ICT, especially in modernizing governance systemsthrough E-government over the last few years. Farmers in Bangladesh areusing cellular phones to bypass intermediaries and get better prices for theirproducts. In Jordan, a nongovernment organization (NGO) reported anincrease in village wealth through use of solar energy and Internet facilitiesfor health, education, and communication. In Shanghai, People’s Republicof China, Project Hope created a pediatric hospital to bring high-technologysolutions to thousands of health professionals, and in some countries inAfrica, village artisans are using web sites to sell their wares in Paris. InPeru, more than 1,000 telecenters7 or cabinas publicas were successfullydeveloped as instruments for E-commerce, creating jobs and small busi-nesses, and teaching Internet access to people who have no telephone orcomputer.8 Box 2 describes another concrete example of an ICT successstory. These examples show how diverse and powerful ICT can be—enabling the most sophisticated access to information to very basic appli-cations. However, the digital opportunity can only be fully realized if devel-oping country governments take enlightened and decisive action on ICTdevelopment.

11. Among multilateral development banks, the World Bank undertook astudy on information technology as early as 1990.9 The study aimed to maxi-mize applications of information technologies in all sectors, reorient WorldBank assistance for telecommunications and information technologyindustries, and determine the evolving role of the World Bank in line withworld development. As a result, the World Bank launched numerous initia-tives, such as the Global Knowledge Conference in Canada in 1997,10 andtwo recent projects Global Development Gateway and Global DevelopmentLearning Network (Box 3). Although some progress has been reported, the

6 For more detailed information, see Digital Partners at http://www.digitaldivide.org.7 A telecenter, multipurpose community telecenter (MCT), or kiosk is a location that facili-

tates and encourages the provision of a wide variety of public and private information-based goods and services, and supports local economic and/or social development.

8 For more detailed information, see http://click.egroups.com.9 World Bank. 1990. Development in the Information Age: An Evolving Role for the World

Bank. Discussion Paper, Washington, DC. Visit the World Bank web site at http://www.worldbank.org.

10 For more details, visit the web site at http://www. globalknowledge.org.

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Box 2: Does Connectivity Mean Productivity:The Grameenphone Project—An ICT Success Story

The Asian Development Bank-supported Grameenphone Telecommu-nications Project1 in Bangladesh proves that connectivity results in increasedproductivity. This is one concrete example of a success story.

Grameen Bank has microlending operations in 35,000 villages through1,100 branches and 12,000 workers. Typically, a woman borrows $100–$200 without collateral from Grameen Bank to purchase a cow and pro-duce milk. This process allows the poorest of the poor to stand on theirfeet. An enterprising Bangladeshi, when he approached the Grameen Bank,substituted a cellular phone as the object of business instead of a cow. Awoman could borrow, say $200 from the bank; purchase a handset; andsell telephone services by going door-to-door to villagers, thereby makinga living and thus paying off her loan. In 2 years’ time, he managed toestablish a partnership called Grameen Phone Limited, and run a very suc-cessful commercial operation providing cellular services in both urban andrural Bangladesh.

The average daily earning of $2 by phone operators is an indication ofthe phone’s utility. However, more interesting is the anecdotal evidence ofhow people living in villages with phones began thinking of doing thingsdifferently after the phones arrived, showing the multiplier effect of thetechnology. For example, one lady thought of raising a large number ofchickens, a business she was afraid to pursue for fear of not being able tocall a veterinarian on time if the chickens developed a disease. Anotherman reported his plan to cultivate bananas on a large scale, because he isnow able to obtain market prices on time to make the correct shippingdecisions. One woman contacted the doctor on time to save her child,who was running a high fever. The migrant workers throughout the worldwith roots in Bangladeshi villages can now call home to know how theirfamilies are doing, and if the money they are sending is indeed reachingits destination. This success story cites many examples, but what isremarkable is the positive social impact of this digital technology in thehands of the poor: new thinking is unleashed and new business modelscreated that could be appropriate for poor countries, as entrepreneurialskills of the poor are stimulated and catalyzed (http://www.grameenphone.com).

1 Loan 1603-BAN/EI 7143-BAN: Grameenphone Telecommunications Project, for $16.7million loan and $1.6 million equity investment, approved on 20 January 1998. The otherproject lenders are the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the InternationalFinance Corporation, and the Commonwealth Development Corporation to finance atotal project cost estimated at $124.4 million equivalent.

Source: Friedman, Thomas. 2000. The Lexus and the Olive Tree. New York: Anchor Books,p. 360–362.

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Box 3 : World Bank’s ICT-Related Initiatives

The World Bank has launched four important information and commu-nication technology (ICT)-related initiatives in its effort to assist develop-ing countries cope with world developments in the information age.

i. InfoDevInfoDevInfoDevInfoDevInfoDev was created in 1995 to promote the innovative use of ICT foreconomic and social development. It coordinates the efforts of variousstakeholders in fostering information-based services in emerging econo-mies through ICT-related activities (http://www.infodev.org).

ii. The Global Development GatewayGlobal Development GatewayGlobal Development GatewayGlobal Development GatewayGlobal Development Gateway is a major collaborative initiativedesigned to create an Internet portal for the development community.It aims to offer access to high-quality development information; facili-tate Internet access by developing member country governments,entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations; and serve as an interac-tive platform for local, national, and global development communitiesto exchange information openly. The gateway will be managed by aninternational board (http://www.worldbank.org/gateway).

iii. The Global Development LGlobal Development LGlobal Development LGlobal Development LGlobal Development Learning Networkearning Networkearning Networkearning Networkearning Network connects distance-learningcenters in countries around the world. It is operating several projects inAfrica and Latin America, but has only four centers in Asia and none inthe Central Asian republics. The Asian centers are in the People’sRepublic of China, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam (http://www.gdln.org).

iv. The Global Development NetworkGlobal Development NetworkGlobal Development NetworkGlobal Development NetworkGlobal Development Network aims to harness the existing knowl-edge on development for governments and development finance insti-tutions, and to generate and direct research with developmental andoperational relevance (bridge knowledge and policy or connect researchwith practice). The network seeks to facilitate networking, build researchcapacity, and help researchers transfer knowledge to policymakers(http://www.gdnet.org).

impact of these initiatives on developing countries cannot yet be realisti-cally assessed. In 1998 the Inter-American Development Bank approvedfunds for creating what has become an information technology for devel-opment unit to strengthen its efforts to support ICT components in develop-ment projects, e.g., health, education, and modernization of the statethrough E-government.

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D. ICT development in Asia and the Pacific12. A preliminary comparative analysis of the ICT environment in someselected DMCs (Appendix) shows the great disparity in their ICT prepared-ness. Some countries have the necessary policies and legislative frame-work already in place, but very slow implementation progress; others haveformulated their policies but are still awaiting adoption; some have IT orICT plans that are not implemented. The following table shows an exampleof the E-business-readiness ranking of selected countries/areas in the Asiaand Pacific region. Some have already reached a similar stage or have out-paced advanced countries, whereas others are lagging behind, mainlybecause of insufficient infrastructure.

13. In Asia, Singapore11 is most advanced in ICT. Reports indicate that thefull support and extensive preparations spearheaded by the Government ofSingapore are paying off. Singapore is ranked first in Asia and eighth in theworld for E-business readiness, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.The World Competitiveness Yearbook 2000 has ranked Singapore as first inAsia and fourth in the world in electronic commerce infrastructure, whilethe Boston Consulting Group has ranked Singapore seventh in total con-sumer on-line spending after Japan; Republic of Korea; Australia;Taipei,China; Hong Kong, China; People’s Republic of China; and NewZealand.

14. In the Asia and Pacific region, several regional initiatives are designedto prepare countries for the information age. For example, the concern ofthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) about ICT is demon-strated by its recently created E-ASEAN Task Force.12 The purpose is todevelop a broad and comprehensive action plan for an ASEAN E-space andto develop competencies within ASEAN to compete in the global informa-tion economy through the establishment of an ASEAN informationinfrastructure. In developing the infrastructure, the task force will examinethe physical, legal, logistical, social, and economic infrastructure neededto create the basis for ASEAN’s competitiveness in the 21st century.

11 For more details on ICT development in Singapore, visit Singapore’s web site at http://www.ida.gov.sg.

12 For more information, visit the E-ASEAN web site at http://e-aseantf.org.

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15. Similarly, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)13 recentlylaunched a wide-ranging action agenda for the new economy that outlinesprograms that will use advances in IT to boost productivity and stimulategrowth, and to extend basic services to the community. The action agendaincludes ways of promoting the right policy environment and build capac-ity to create a framework to strengthen markets, E-commerce, and knowl-edge and skills development, and to provide affordable and efficient accessto communications and the Internet. APEC supports the development ofdistance learning capacity and IT as a core competency for teaching andlearning. It also strongly supports the development of IT to enable networksto extend health and medical services to a wider community and to addressbasic health issues.16. Other key players in the region include the International DevelopmentResearch Centre (Canada), Canadian International Development Agency,

Table: The E-Business-Readiness Rankings: Asia and the Pacific Region

BusinessEnvironment

Ranking, 2002–04

8.558.528.148.107.437.308.137.276.916.166.725.975.88

5.87

Rank

891617212427283238465051

52

Countries/Areas

SingaporeHong Kong, ChinaAustraliaNew ZealandJapanRepublic of KoreaTaipei,ChinaThailandMalaysiaIndonesiaPhilippinesIndiaPeople’s Republic ofChinaSri Lanka

E-Business-ReadinessRanking

8.38.38.18.17.77.26.66.16.05.64.94.54.4

4.4

ConnectivityRating

8888875555333

3

Source: Charmonman, Sriskadi. 2000. The Role of Internet in ASEAN Development. Paper presentedto ITU Telecom Asia 2000 Forum, Gateway to Opportunity. Hong Kong, China. The E-commerce variables used to rank the E-business-readiness include logistics,telecommunications infrastructure, and financial systems.

13 Visit APEC at http://www.apec.org.

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14 At its most basic version, a community multimedia center offers the simplest portableradio station, plus a single computer for Internet browsing, E-mail and basic office, library,and learning applications. At its most developed version, the center is a major infrastruc-ture offering a full range of multimedia facilities, linking to a local hospital for telemedicineapplications.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and AgricultureOrganization, and International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Theassistance provided is focused on community-based projects, which includeestablishing multipurpose community telecenters, community multimediacenters,14 distance education, and skills-building courses directly aimed atimproving livelihood activities in the community.

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III. Need for anADB strategicapproach to ICT

A. ADB and ICT17. ADB’s Long-Term Strategic Framework recognizes the importance ofsupporting ICT to promote development and close the gap between theinformation-rich and information-poor.15 ADB is thus positioning itself toeffectively assist DMCs to have “increased access to information and allowthe less privileged in society, and the less-developed parts of the region tohave wider options and a greater role in determining their future.” Specialemphasis will also be placed on regional cooperation in the context ofregional sharing of knowledge and information through ICT, and learningfrom the experiences of other ICT key players and stakeholders.

18. A preliminary survey of ADB’s ICT-related activities, conducted inAugust 2000, shows that most ADB assistance provided over the past 5 yearshas focused on informatics or IT and telecommunications and not specifi-cally on ICT. This is not surprising, as ICT is a relatively recent development.Some exceptions are found in the education sector activities and in projectssuch as the Grameenphone Telecommunications Project in Bangladesh(Box 2), the geographic information system-based approach to rural devel-opment project in the Philippines,16 and the technical assistance for devel-opment of the Internet for Asian law.17 Despite these ICT initiatives, muchremains to be done in view of the rapid changes in ICT and its applications.

15 ADB. 2001. Moving the Poverty Reduction Agenda Forward in Asia and the Pacific: TheLong-Term Strategic Framework of the Asian Development Bank (2001–2015). Manila.

16 Loan 1772-PHI: Infrastructure for Rural Productivity Enhancement Sector, for $75.0 million,approved on 31 October 2000. R220-00: Grant 9001-PHI: Supporting the Sustainable Liveli-hood for the Poor in Southern Philippines, for $2.8 million, approved on 31 October.

17 TA 5701-REG: Small-Scale Technical Assistance—Feasibility Study for Creation of An Elec-tronic Development Law Center, for $100,000, approved on 3 September 1996. TA 5820-REG: Development of the Internet for Asian Law, for $600,000, approved on 17 December1998 (http://www.austlii.edu.au/dial).

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A. Why a strategic approach?19. ICT can provide a great opportunity for DMCs to leapfrog stages ofeconomic development. As the only regional multilateral development bankin the Asia and Pacific region, ADB cannot ignore the growing digital dividewithin and across its DMCs. Together with its DMCs, ADB must help bridgethis divide. Furthermore, in May 2001, at the 34th ADB Annual Meeting, sev-eral member countries stressed the importance of ICT and the possiblerole of ADB in helping its DMCs fully exploit their ICT potential; Japan pledgedto assist ADB in promoting ICT in its DMCs. ICT has an ever-increasing rolein promoting sustainable economic growth through increases in produc-tivity; promotion of exports, especially of services; and improved marketsand quality and efficiency of government services. Provision of ICT can alsohelp the poor access markets, demand services, receive education, andlearn new skills. ICT can give a voice to the disadvantaged, a voice thatenables the poor to use their own knowledge and strengths to escape pov-erty. ICT can provide rural populations with access to information such ascrop prices, weather, and new farming techniques that can be translatedinto improved income.

20. A strategic approach to ICT is therefore necessary in providing thebroad guidelines on how ICT can be harnessed by ADB to increase theimpact and effectiveness of its poverty reduction strategy. It is not meant tobe a detailed implementation plan. The strategic approach aims to assistthe DMCs to seize the opportunities presented by the digital economy, andgives indications on the broad assistance areas that could be provided. Itdefines a more responsive but realistic role for ADB on ICT suited to respondto the DMCs’ requirements. The increasing awareness of the positive andnegative impact of ICT can help ADB focus its interventions, and identifyhow synergies with other key players and stakeholders can be built throughregional cooperation and strategic partnerships.

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IV. Strategic thrusts

21. The strategic approach for ICT must (i) recognize that ADB’s financialand human resources are limited, so that its ICT development assistancemust be selective and focused, and (ii) look for ways to enable DMCs toaccess additional resources from other sources. DMC ownership of man-aging their ICT strategy and activities is essential. The strategic approachwill support DMCs in systematically developing and integrating ICT compo-nents in development projects and activities to increase their reach, effi-ciency, and impact. The strategic approach will encourage regionalcooperation, partnerships, and networking to enhance local efforts atdevelopment, and promote private sector participation in ICT development.

22. The strategic approach to ICT will support ICT-related activities in DMCsto enhance the impact of ADB’s poverty reduction strategy and other devel-opment activities through three main thrusts: create an enablingenvironment, build human resources, and develop ICT applications andinformation content.

A. Create an enabling environment23. ADB will help create an enabling policy environment to foster(i) improvement and development of sector policies to encourage user-friendly and barrier-free technologies, including expanded provision ofaccess to telecommunications and information systems, as well as poli-cies on confidentiality, information security, and intellectual property rights;(ii) strengthening of public institutions in DMCs to improve their efficiencyand effectiveness in achieving their development goals through ICT appli-cations; and (iii) development of ICT facilities and related infrastructure,and networks, with priority given to more disadvantaged ICT-poor DMCs.

B. Build human resources24. ADB will foster the development of human resources capable ofresponding to the demands of the information society. Education and life-long learning are important components for improving knowledge and skills,

24

especially at the community level, to address the rising demand for ICTworkers in many DMC sectors. ICT supports distance learning and knowl-edge sharing, as does globalization of specialized communication andinformation networks. The Internet is an important component in this, pro-viding a shared means of distributing information and knowledge, as areother newly developed powerful communication tools. ICT has particularpotential for enriching and improving the quality and relevance of educa-tion provided to the poor. An awareness-building program, as well as voca-tional training, through an information, education, and communicationcomponent should be incorporated in ADB’s future development activitiesto increase ICT awareness among ADB clients and project beneficiaries, aswell as other segments of DMC society.

C. Develop ICT applications and information content25. ADB recognizes that ICT applications and information content devel-opment are especially crucial to respond to specific DMC needs anddemands that are not currently adequately met. Information content pack-ages, appropriate to DMCs and relevant to beneficiaries, will be developedfor ADB-supported projects and activities, e.g., poverty reduction, gover-nance, education and specialized training, and strengthening of DMC bank-ing and financial institutions. Developing ICT applications and informationcontent, in local languages when necessary, and primarily based on ADB’swide-ranging development experience, will help enhance the dissemina-tion of knowledge and best practices to enhance the impact of ADB’spoverty reduction strategy.

25

V. Proposed action plan

18 McConnell International. 2000. Risk E-business: Seizing the Opportunity of Global Readi-ness. Report by McConnell International: 17 (http://www.mcconnellinternational.com/ereadiness/EreadinessReport.htm).

19 For additional E-readiness studies, visit the web site at http://www.readinessguide.org. InFebruary 2001, a call was made for a proposal for the infoDev ICT infrastructure andE-readiness assessments initiative. InfoDev is planning to offer 20–30 grants averaging about$50,000 per grant to government organizations to fund a participatory analysis of a country’sinformation infrastructure and the policy, legal, and regulatory environment for E-commerceand E-government.

20 Strategy and Policy Department. 2000. Report on the Redesign of ADB’s Operational BusinessProcesses. Asian Development Bank, Manila.

26. The proposed action plan is expected to be implemented sequen-tially, but some activities could be developed simultaneously depending onthe needs and demands of the selected DMCs. The proposed action planwill initially comprise four major activities.

A. Undertake e-readiness assessment27. To obtain a clearer picture of the E-readiness of the selected andinterested DMCs for ICT, a more detailed country analysis is needed to as-sess variables such as connectivity, E-leadership, information security, hu-man capital, and E-business climate.18 The country analysis will providethe baseline information for follow-up actions at the country level. Countrystudies in selected DMCs, particularly the less-connected ones, will be un-dertaken, in cooperation with the DMCs; ADB resident missions; and otherinterested international, regional, and bilateral organizations.19 The resultsof the assessment will provide relevant and reliable information and datato assess the current status; identify the gaps and weaknesses of the exist-ing infrastructure, policies, regulations, standards, human resources, andthe actual use of ICT in DMCs; and be reflected in ADB’s country strategyand program20 for the selected DMC.

26

28. Based on the results of the country analysis, a DMC national ICTdevelopment action plan can be developed and/or strengthened as a partof the country strategy and program. The results of the E-readiness assess-ment should also provide a basis for improving social and institutional frame-works, as well as work routines developed before the advent of ICT. Inharnessing ICT, a change in mind-set and work culture, including opera-tional business processes, may be necessary to reap full ICT benefits. Activeutilization of ICT by the public sector and the promotion of on-line servicedelivery, which are essential to ensure improved citizens’ access togovernment, will be encouraged.

29. The private sector plays a lead role in the development of informationand communications networks in the information society. Therefore, aspart of the E-readiness assessment of the DMCs, a review of what privatefirms and ICT industries (i.e., local, national, regional, and global privatesectors) are doing, domestically and regionally in the Asia and Pacific region,should help identify potential strategic public-private sector partnerships tobe developed. In several more advanced countries of the region, ICT devel-opment is spearheaded by the private sector; the public sector comple-ments private sector initiatives by focusing on policy and human resourcesdevelopment. However, in many DMCs, especially the least developed, theprivate sector can be reluctant to invest in ICT and should be encouragedwith adequate lending and/or guarantee instruments to actively participatein ICT development, especially in rural areas where business opportunitiesmight exist but where business is considered risky.

B. Integrate ICT applications in ADB’s activities30. Some ICT applications are well suited to the development processand should be incorporated, as appropriate, in ADB’s activities, e.g., geo-graphic information systems to help protect natural resources and supportland use planning, distance learning to support education and skills build-ing in remote rural areas, and telemedicine to support health care in ruralareas. Other applications can include, for example, creation and manage-ment of information sources and location tools (factual, statistical, andbibliographic databases; directories; and experts’ addresses).

31. Information content for strategic program areas, e.g., poverty reduc-tion, governance, and law and development should be developed as multi-media messages, content for web pages, press releases, video presentations,

27

and other forms of packaging information and data used in radio and tele-vision broadcasts. It also includes messages and technical presentations inconferences and meetings, and discussions with target groups in rural areas.Using appropriate ICT, more interesting and locally relevant messages, pre-sentations, and packages could be prepared to fit the needs of target audi-ences in local languages and dialects taking into account local culture.

1. ICT applications for poverty reduction32. A critical focus of ADB’s poverty reduction strategy is on empoweringthe region’s poor.21 The strategy aims to foster inclusive social developmentby promoting pro-poor economic growth, good governance, and socialdevelopment. Improvements in human and social capital by increasing con-nectivity and outreach between people and communities that result fromcarefully targeted ICT development-oriented interventions are importantelements of inclusive social development. ICT should be applied for moreeffective use and timely delivery of required information and data byincluding well-designed ICT development interventions in ADB projects andprograms. Part of this process would mean that poverty partnership agree-ments between ADB and its DMCs should also promote pro-poor interven-tions through adequate use of ICT applications where appropriate. Some ofthese applications, especially designed at the community level—whichinclude creation and management of information systems and services,information sources, and location tools (databases and directories)—couldbe ICT enabled. ICT can also be used to develop greater social content andclearer poverty reduction focus, improve the bottom-up and horizontal focusof communication, and integrate or combine old and new ICTs to ensureglobal information flow to the poor.

33. ICT applications for the development of rural and disadvantaged areascan also be initiated by ADB in partnership with the private sector and/orother funding agencies. For example, multipurpose community telecenter(MCT) projects can be established in some disadvantaged or underservedcommunities. MCTs are important for government and nongovernmentorganization efforts to bring ICT and access to information into rural areas,given the inability of the poor or many rural people to afford ICT equipmentor the supporting infrastructure needed. MCTs have been established insome countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia22 supported by numerous

21 ADB. 1999. The Poverty Reduction Strategy of the Asian Development Bank. Manila.22 Visit the web site http://www.barangay-mct.org and http://www.ehealth.net.ph.

28

of agencies, such as the Canadian International Development Agency,International Development Research Center (Canada), UNDP, UNESCO, andITU, in partnership with NGOs. MCTs can be used to deliver health servicesthrough telemedicine (or any of its appropriate variations depending onavailable infrastructure) or distance learning for local students and out-of-school youth or unemployed rural residents with no employable livelihoodskills. They can also provide business services for a fee to small businessesand entrepreneurs to facilitate development of small- and medium-sizedenterprises. Properly designed and implemented, with community partici-pation, MCTs can have a great impact on the clustered communities beingserviced and the financial sustainability of MCTs can be improved. Theycan change residents’ attitudes to governments, both local and national,through better understanding and efficient delivery of government programs.

2. ICT applications for governance34. Improving the quality and efficiency of public and private sector gov-ernance is crucial to poverty reduction. Good governance is predicated oneffective institutional arrangements that promote accountability, participa-tion, predictability, and transparency.23 Information-openness is critical tothis process. ADB should foster appropriately targeted ICT applications thatcan facilitate stakeholders’ participation in policy formulation and ensuretransparent use of public funds. Timely and wide access to relevant andreliable information and data is key to good governance. ICT can improvetransparency and accountability in government and private sector operations.

35. For example, E-government is the use of ICT to promote more effi-cient and cost-effective government, facilitate transaction in delivery of gov-ernment services, allow greater public access to information, and makegovernment more accountable to citizens. It enables the public to give itsviews and comments on issues affecting their lives, and authorities or agen-cies concerned to provide replies and prompt government actions. If gov-ernment forms, such as income tax returns, applications for passports, birthcertificates, clearances from police, registration of voters, land certificates,can be made available on-line, public confidence in public administrationcan be increased; difficult or lack of such access is often the object of pub-lic cynicism and the reason for lack of trust in government. Such on-lineservices will build citizen trust and goodwill toward government. In bank-ing systems, applications for loans, for example, could also be madeavailable via the Internet.23 ADB. 1995. Good Governance: Sound Development Management. Manila.

29

36. Simultaneously, E-government initiatives should include programs forfostering ICT-literacy and lifelong learning, such as the ongoing experiencein modernizing the governance systems in Andhra Pradesh. The programswill aim to enable every citizen to be adept at using ICT to reap the benefitsof an enhanced E-lifestyle. ADB will promote national efforts that focus onareas, such as improving access for all (universal access), changing mind-sets, promoting on-line culture, developing on-line communities, andcreating multilingual/multidialect Internet content for countries withmultiethnic minorities and plural societies.

37. The benefits of E-government and Internet for the poor who live inisolated and remote areas without access to electricity, telephone, Internet,or ICT facilities could be questioned. Nevertheless, for villages without thosebasic facilities, appropriate technologies are available, e.g., solar energy forelectricity, and satellite linkups for multimedia data access. Clustering vil-lages around strategic Internet/networks access points is a cost-effectiveway of providing connectivity and access at affordable cost. Communitylinkages to government-run educational and information sites will be use-ful for providing access to information on public sector operations, e.g., jobopportunities, business expertise, microcredit.

3. ICT applications for other areas38. ICT applications can contribute to development in many other areas,aside from poverty reduction and governance, such as banking and busi-ness transactions, education, and private sector development. Providinggreater access to education and learning has been made possible throughinnovative application of distance and E-learning, interconnected schools,virtual libraries, and laboratories. ICT applications can provide resourcesfor teachers in poor schools and flexible learning schedules for out-of-schoolyouth. ICT can facilitate the creation of databases useful for analyzing andidentifying niche markets and investment opportunities where the privatesector could benefit and play an important role. It can also assist smallentrepreneurs to access financial and logistical support.

C. Promote partnerships39. Many important ICT initiatives have already been implemented by dif-ferent agencies at national, regional, and international levels in the Asiaand Pacific region. ADB must forge close relationships with existing initiativesand develop strategic alliances and partnerships with them (e.g., ITU, UNDP,

30

UNESCO, World Bank) to share and disseminate knowledge to enhancecoordination efforts for better development assistance. For example in Asia,the recently established E-ASEAN—with its three components, namelyeconomy, society, and government—shares the ICT-related objectives andgoals of ADB and can be a strategic partner. ADB can help ASEANshare information with poorer and/or isolated DMCs to assess the adequacyof ICT infrastructure, human resources, and policies; to elaborate anappropriate awareness-building program for all segments of society to pro-mote ICT and its role in development; and to develop appropriate recom-mendations for promoting E-commerce and E-government. By sharinginformation, knowledge, and expertise, through regional and subregionalcooperation, DMCs should also be able to amplify their domesticdevelopment efforts.

40. To support ICT-development and related infrastructure investments,ADB with appropriate lending mechanisms can foster a dynamic climatefor entrepreneurs and help DMCs establish principles of effective public-private sector partnerships and networks. This will also facilitate accessand exchange of information between government, civil society, NGOs,private sector, and ICT industries to design adequate projects, incorporat-ing, for example, governance aspects required for E-finance andE-commerce.

D. Establish a center for learning, information,communication, and knowledge for Asiaand the Pacific

41. In the knowledge economy, a premium has been added to educationand intellectual capital, facilitated through ICT. Therefore, improvement indissemination and use of information and knowledge for developmentthrough ICT, especially in Asia and the Pacific, should be one of the priori-ties for DMCs and ADB. To disperse such knowledge and best practices andfacilitate access to existing ICT-based systems and experiments for pos-sible replication in DMCs, a regional center for learning, information, com-munication, and knowledge for Asia and the Pacific (CLICK) might beestablished through ADB. The CLICK can be initially housed within ADB toimplement a program that widely disseminates and produces value-addedinformation products and services using ADB’s reservoir of information andknowledge for development acquired in lending and technical assistance

31

operations. The CLICK will provide E-advisory services based on ADB’sexpertise through a specialized web site, and promote the use of ICT-baseddistance learning (E-learning) and communication systems (networks, tele-conferencing), on a cost-sharing basis when possible, to improve DMCinstitutional and human capacity for timely access, use, and sharing ofinformation on development.

42. Initially, information content for the CLICK will focus on developmentissues related to Asia and the Pacific and on an Asian perspective of worlddevelopment and poverty reduction. Information content will primarily beprovided and developed by ADB; ADB’s comparative advantage consists ofknowledge, valuable publications, and documents produced as a result ofextensive technical assistance and experience in implementing projects indifferent development areas, as well as lessons learned in the Asia andPacific region. ADB has also developed specialized courses, which can beon-line, for its DMCs, e.g., procurement and disbursement procedures, con-sulting services, and law and development. The CLICK must also establishhyperlinks to local and global ICT-based information services provided todifferent sectors in the DMCs, e.g., agriculture (market prices, weather fore-casts for farmers and fisherfolk), health (telemedicine and health advisory),education (training opportunities, on-line courses), and governance(E-governance).

43. The proposed CLICK will establish and develop network connections,where possible, with existing initiatives (e.g., ASEAN, Global Disaster Infor-mation Network, UNDP, and World Bank Global Development LearningNetwork); and be a demonstration center to showcase facilitation of com-munication, and methods to increase learning opportunities and knowl-edge exchange for development practitioners within and outside the region.It will also provide a place where the use, dissemination, and adoption ofICT will be available and on display for visiting officials from DMCs andADB-sponsored workshops and seminar participants, and will enhance theICT-related knowledge within ADB.24 CLICK implementation should pro-vide useful experience for replication in DMCs, as well as development ofpartnerships with existing ICT-related initiatives.

24 Over 1,000 people from DMCs visit ADB headquarters each year for loan negotiations,workshops, and projects.

33

VI.Implications for ADB

25 R144-98: Information System and Technology Strategy and Capital Expenditure Require-ment: 1998–2002. September 1998.

26 For more details on the INTEGRA project, visit its web site at http://integra.asiandevbank.org.27 Visit the ADB web site at http://www.adb.org.

A. E-readiness at ADB44. ADB’s Information System and Technology Strategy (ISTS)25 has fourmajor objectives: to align, improve access to, optimize the use of, and man-age ADB’s information resources effectively. Under the ISTS action plan,the communications system between ADB headquarters and its residentmissions and the DMCs’ agencies will be upgraded to ensure ease andaffordability of access and use. The ISTS will ensure information security,through ADB’s E-management initiatives, specifically its human resourcesystem, loans and technical assistance processing, and the financial man-agement systems (INTEGRA project26). The ISTS will ensure (i) ease of doingE-business with ADB, and (ii) that ADB’s financial system can support secureelectronic business transactions. As part of the strategy, ADB continues todevelop, improve, and maintain its web site to provide more relevant andup-to-date information to its stakeholders.27

B. Staff skills45. Implementation of the strategic approach for ICT will mainly requireupgrading skills of selected specialists in ADB operational units to acquireICT knowledge to understand how ICT can be useful in facilitating theirwork and its applications in ADB assistance to DMCs. This proposed strate-gic approach recognizes ICT as a powerful tool for development and requiresa systematic process within ADB to ensure that carefully targeted ICT appli-cations are designed and implemented to support ADB’s overarching goalof reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region. To that end, given exist-ing resource constraints, core ICT competencies within ADB must be built.

34

46. An internal ICT network will be established, such as a multidisciplinaryICT technical working group, and its members will become the focal pointin their respective units to improve coordination and support ICT applica-tions. Network members will also assist the project specialists to lead thedialogue with governments and other stakeholders on possible ICT issuesaffecting projects, and review ICT developments in DMCs to identify newopportunities and niche markets that may need to be developed. Thesemembers will provide the initial core competencies that will help jump-start the process of integrating ICT considerations into ADB’s operationalprocedures. This core group will subsequently provide direction and guid-ance on ICT implementation matters of strategic importance and prepare areview of the strategy after 2 years. This team approach has been success-fully tested by the private sector and is in line with the recommendations ofthe ADB study on the redesign of ADB’s operational business processes.

C. Resource requirements47. The internal changes described will not require any new structure, orany additional administrative layer. It calls for a new work culture and effi-cient knowledge management, which will require more interaction andconsultation among ADB staff at all levels, more exchange of information,and more active participation of subject specialists in maintaining anddeveloping ADB’s information systems and resources. The suggestedmultidisciplinary team approach will open the possibility of fully harness-ing the qualifications and skills of current ADB staff in areas where theirexpertise is required, with their involvement being unhampered by rigidorganizational compartmentalization. Only in cases where ADB has noexpertise in the specific ICT area will additional staff, consultants, or exper-tise from cooperating agencies or partners be needed.

48. For the medium and long term, ADB will put more emphasis on ICTskills for staff as many staff are not ICT competent and not in a position tothink creatively about possibilities offered by ICT. Operational units will bestaffed with at least one specialist on ICT applications. Resources will berequired to design and organize specific training courses to improve skillsand knowledge of staff in using and applying ICT in their respective workand projects.

35

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obile

acce

ss to

Inte

rnet

,tr

aini

ng in

Inte

rnet

use,

pol

icy

dial

ogue

to s

timul

ate

the

ITse

ctor

, and

con

fer-

ence

on

IT d

evel

op-

men

t

•E

-Com

mer

ceS

oftw

are

com

pani

es h

ave

star

ted

deve

lo-

ping

E-c

omm

erce

site

s, b

ut m

ost

are

host

ed o

ut o

fco

untr

y du

e to

band

wid

thlim

itatio

n.

•Fi

ve-Y

ear E

cono

mic

Pla

n (1

995–

2000

)—su

ppor

t for

the

build

up o

f IC

Tre

sour

ces

both

inin

fras

truc

ture

and

hum

an re

sour

ces

Co

untr

y

Ind

ia

Appendix

37

Ind

ia (

con

t’d

)

Co

untr

yN

atio

nal D

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s an

d Pr

ogra

ms

wit

h IT

Com

pone

nts

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

-Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/P

roje

cts

Oth

ers

expa

nd c

omm

unic

atio

nan

d in

form

atio

n ne

twor

kspr

ovid

e te

chni

cal

assi

stan

ce a

nd tr

aini

ngpr

ogra

mpr

ovid

e pr

ojec

tm

anag

emen

t•

Prop

osed

pro

ject

s re

late

d to

stan

dard

s an

d re

gula

tory

prac

tices

1.M

easu

rem

ent

Sys

tem

ofT

elec

omm

unic

atio

n Te

st H

ouse

, to

help

regu

late

the

flow

of

vario

us te

leco

mm

u-ni

catio

ns e

quip

men

t; a

ctio

nsin

clud

epr

ovid

e eq

uipm

ent a

ndla

bora

torie

s fo

r te

stho

use

crea

te d

esig

nen

gine

erin

gco

nduc

t edu

catio

nan

d tr

aini

ngfo

r la

bora

tory

sta

ff

Appendix

38

Ind

ia (c

ont

’d)

Co

untr

yN

atio

nal D

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s an

d Pr

ogra

ms

wit

h IT

Com

pone

nts

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

entt

Pla

ns,

Polic

ies,

and

Str

ateg

ies

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

-Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/P

roje

cts

Oth

ers

2.Te

chni

cal A

ssis

tanc

e to

the

Min

istr

y of

Com

mun

i-ca

tions

in t

he F

ield

of

Tele

com

mun

icat

ion

Reg

ulat

ions

•To

str

engt

hen

the

polic

y an

d re

gula

tory

and

supe

rvis

ory

capa

bilit

yw

ithin

the

Min

istr

y of

Com

mun

icat

ions

and

Tele

com

mun

icat

ions

;ac

tiviti

es in

clud

eim

prov

e av

aila

ble

plan

ning

sys

tem

elab

orat

e, im

plem

ent,

and

take

follo

w-u

pac

tions

on

stan

dard

iza-

tion

prac

tice

form

ulat

e gu

idel

ines

and

proc

edur

es fo

r IT

impr

ove

hum

anre

sour

ces

deve

lopm

ent

Appendix

39

•Th

ree-

stag

e te

leco

mm

uni-

catio

ns s

ecto

r pr

ojec

t to

be c

ompl

eted

by

Apr

il20

01;

proj

ect

to b

efin

ance

d by

Ger

man

Ban

k,K

fW, M

CTP

C•

Oth

er s

ecto

rs w

ith IC

Tco

mpo

nent

s ap

plie

d in

man

agem

ent

info

rmat

ion

syst

em,

data

base

, ele

ctro

nic

data

com

mun

icat

ions

, and

geog

raph

ic in

form

atio

nsy

stem

•C

apac

ity B

uild

ing

of W

ater

Sup

ply

Ent

erpr

ises

for

Wat

er L

oss

Red

uctio

nS

ecto

r (L

oan

1527

-INO

)•

Cor

al R

eef R

ehab

i-lit

atio

n an

d M

an-

agem

ent

(Loa

n 16

13-IN

O)

•S

ocia

l Pro

tect

ion

Sec

tor D

evel

op-

men

t Pr

ojec

t(L

oan

1623

-INO

)

Ind

one

sia

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

s

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

-Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/Pr

oje

cts

Oth

ers

Co

untr

y

•IT

dev

elop

men

t was

prio

ritiz

ed in

fiv

est

rate

gic

sec

tors

E-g

over

nmen

tfo

r goo

dgo

vern

ance

E-c

omm

erce

to s

uppo

rtsu

stai

nabl

eec

onom

ics

IT-b

ased

com

mun

ityIT

for

educ

atio

n E

-dem

ocra

cy

•Te

leco

mm

unic

atio

nsS

ecto

r (to

pro

vide

netw

orks

out

side

Java

)•

Firs

t Te

leco

mm

u-ni

catio

ns P

roje

ct(L

oan

1157

-INO

)•

Sec

ond

Tele

com

-m

unic

atio

nsPr

ojec

t (L

oan

1233

-IN

O)

•P

D N

o. 3

0/19

97 o

n IT

Dev

elop

men

t•

Est

ablis

hed

the

coor

dina

ting

team

for I

T de

velo

pmen

tin

Indo

nesi

a; th

epl

an c

onsi

sts

ofth

ree

com

pone

nts

IT in

fras

truc

ture

IT a

pplic

atio

nIT

res

ourc

es♦

Indu

stria

lsu

ppor

t♦

Stan

dard

izat

ion

♦H

uman

reso

urce

s♦

Law

s an

dre

gula

tion

♦IT

cul

ture

•P

D 5

0/20

0 re

new

edth

e st

ruct

ure

and

mem

bers

of t

he IT

Dev

elop

men

tC

oord

inat

ing

Team

Appendix

40

Cou

ntry

Oth

ers

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pon

ents

Non

-AD

B-F

unde

dPr

ogra

ms/

Proj

ects

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

s

•H

ealth

and

Nut

ri-tio

n S

ecto

r Dev

el-

opm

ent P

rogr

am(L

oan

1676

-INO

)•

Fam

ily H

ealth

and

Nut

ritio

n Pr

ojec

t(L

oan

1471

-INO

)•

Bio

dive

rsity

Con

-se

rvat

ion

in F

lore

san

d S

iber

ut (L

oan

1187

-INO

)•

Cap

acity

Bui

ldin

gfo

r Fin

anci

alG

over

nanc

e(L

oan

1620

-INO

)•

Cap

acity

Bui

ldin

gPr

ojec

t in

the

Wat

erR

esou

rces

Sec

tor

(Loa

n 13

39-IN

O)

Ind

on

esi

a (c

on

t

In

do

ne

sia

(co

nt

I

nd

on

esi

a (c

on

t

In

do

ne

sia

(co

nt

I

nd

on

esi

a (c

on

t ’d

)’d

)’d

)’d

)’d

)

Appendix

41

•TA

for

cap

acity

build

ing

for t

rain

ing

inst

ruct

ors

on h

owto

dev

elop

IT tr

aini

ngpr

ogra

ms

•Fi

ve- Y

ear N

ew E

co-

nom

ic M

echa

nism

for

1995

–200

0 an

d20

01–2

005

LLLL L ao

Pao

Pao

Pao

Pao

Peo

ple’

seo

ple’

seo

ple’

seo

ple’

seo

ple’

sD

emoc

rati

cD

emoc

rati

cD

emoc

rati

cD

emoc

rati

cD

emoc

rati

cRRRR R

epub

licep

ublic

epub

licep

ublic

epub

lic

•D

raft

regu

lato

ryfr

amew

ork

ICT

due

for

legi

slat

ion

in20

01

Cou

ntry

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

s

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pon

ents

Ne

pal

Ne

pal

Ne

pal

Ne

pal

Ne

pal

•9t

h Fi

ve-Y

ear P

lan

(199

7–20

02)—

stre

sses

that

ICT

will

pla

y a

high

lyco

ntrib

utor

y ro

lein

Nep

al’s

econ

omic

deve

lopm

ent

•IT

pol

icy

2000

;dr

aft o

f pro

pose

dcy

ber l

aw;

prop

osed

spec

trum

polic

y

•TA

295

4-N

EP:

Str

engt

heni

ng th

ePr

ojec

t Per

for-

man

ce M

anag

e-m

ent S

yste

m;

TA 3

117-

NE

P:Fo

rmul

atin

g an

Act

ion

Pla

n on

Civ

ilS

ervi

ce R

efor

m

Non

-AD

B-F

unde

dPr

ogra

ms/

Proj

ects

Oth

ers

•Pr

opos

ed T

A fo

r20

01:

IT f

orim

prov

edfin

anci

alse

rvic

epr

ovis

ion;

corp

orat

e an

dfin

anci

algo

vern

ance

Appendix

42

•TA

154

3-PA

K:

Dev

elop

men

t of

Mat

hem

atic

s an

dC

ompu

ter E

duca

tion

Prog

ram

s fo

r Gra

des

9–10

; TA

157

6-PA

K:

Impr

ovem

ent a

ndM

oder

niza

tion

ofS

ecur

ities

Infr

astr

uc-

ture

; TA

157

7-PA

K:

Dev

elop

men

t of

Cen

tral

ized

Cle

arin

gan

d S

ettle

men

tS

yste

ms;

Loa

n 16

81-

PAK

: Mod

erni

zatio

nof

Cus

tom

s A

dmin

is-

trat

ion;

TA

168

2-PA

K:

Est

ablis

hmen

tof

a N

atio

nal

Acc

redi

tatio

nS

yste

m;

Loan

168

3-PA

K:

Inst

itutio

nal

Str

engt

heni

ng o

f the

Boa

rd o

f Inv

estm

ent

•E

cono

mic

Rev

ival

Pla

n of

199

9,ex

plic

it su

ppor

t for

the

deve

lopm

ent o

fIT

and

sof

twar

ein

dust

ry in

the

coun

try

Paki

stan

•D

raft

pol

icy

on IT

(to

be f

inal

ized

200

1)

Co

untr

yN

atio

nal D

ev’t

Pla

nsan

d P

rogr

ams

wit

h IT

Com

pon

ents

Nat

iona

l IC

T-re

late

dD

ev’t

Pla

ns, P

olic

ies,

and

Str

ateg

ies

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/P

roje

cts

Oth

ers

Appendix

43

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

s

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

sC

oun

try

•TA

pro

vide

d to

the

Dep

artm

ent o

fA

gric

ultu

re fo

r apr

ojec

t on

Dev

elop

-m

ent o

f Inf

rast

ruct

ure

for

Rur

al P

rodu

ctiv

ityE

nhan

cem

ent S

ecto

r,w

ith G

IS/M

ISco

mpo

nent

usi

ng E

SR

IA

rc V

iew

sof

twar

epa

ckag

e.•

TA fo

r str

engt

heni

ngM

IS o

f PD

IC a

ndIn

sura

nce

Com

mis

sion

•TA

for L

AN

and

MIS

for

SEC

•Le

gisl

ativ

e Fr

amew

orks

•R

epub

lic A

ct89

72(E

-Com

mer

ceLa

w)

Faci

litat

es u

seof

digi

tal c

om-

mun

icat

ion

with

inan

d a

mon

gna

tions

Prom

otes

and

valid

ates

tran

s-ac

tions

of

ICT

Prom

otes

uni

-fo

rmity

of

law

son

ele

ctro

nic

docu

men

ts•

Exe

cutiv

e O

rder

No.

468

Cre

ated

the

Phi

lippi

nes

Inte

rnet

Com

-m

erce

Cou

ncil

Cat

alys

t to

rev-

olut

ioni

ze tr

ade

in b

oth

good

san

d se

rvic

esov

er e

lect

roni

cne

twor

ks

Phi

lippi

nes

Phi

lippi

nes

Phi

lippi

nes

Phi

lippi

nes

Phi

lippi

nes

•D

epar

tmen

t of S

cien

cean

d Te

chno

logy

in IC

TC

reat

ion

and

stre

ngth

enin

g of

the

NIT

CA

dopt

ion

of th

eG

ISP

Part

ners

hip

and

part

icip

atio

n of

the

NIT

C in

the

Glo

bal K

now

ledg

eP

lan

Est

ablis

hmen

t of

the

VC

TI-IT

topr

omot

e te

chno

-lo

gica

l cha

nge

inke

y in

dust

ryse

ctor

s by

poo

ling

reso

urce

s an

def

fort

s of

the

pri-v

ate

sect

or,

gove

rnm

ent,

and

the

acad

eme

No

n-A

DB

-Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/Pr

oje

cts

Oth

ers

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

Appendix

44

Co

untr

y

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Pro

gram

s/Pr

ojec

ts w

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

-Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/Pr

oje

cts

Oth

ers

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

Enh

ance

sgo

vern

men

t an

dpr

ivat

e se

ctor

part

ners

hip

Ack

now

ledg

esth

e po

tent

ial

for t

rans

actin

gbu

sine

ss o

ver

the

Inte

rnet

of

glob

al In

tern

etin

fras

truc

ture

GIS

PM

issi

on-c

ritic

alfr

ontli

ne s

ervi

ces

info

rmat

ion

syst

ems

Ove

rsig

ht a

ndco

mm

on a

ppli-

catio

n sy

stem

sS

ecto

ral i

nfor

-m

atio

n sy

stem

Loca

l gov

ern-

men

t inf

orm

a-tio

n sy

stem

s•

Rep

ublic

Act

792

5(P

ublic

Tel

ecom

mu-

nica

tions

Act

):In

tere

xcha

nge

carr

ier

Valu

e-ad

ded

serv

ice

prov

ider

•S

enat

e B

ill 2

025

(Ant

i-Hac

king

Bill

)

Trai

ning

and

cer

ti-fic

atio

n pr

ogra

ms

Cre

atio

n of

ICT

lear

ning

hub

s in

15 r

egio

nsC

reat

ion

of th

eA

dvan

ce S

cien

cean

d Te

chno

logy

Cor

pora

tion

•IT

21 P

hilip

pine

s—N

atio

nal I

Tpl

an f

or t

he 2

1st c

entu

ryfo

cusi

ng o

n th

e fo

low

ing

Tele

com

mun

ica-

tions

Indu

stry

Gov

ernm

ent

Edu

catio

nR

esea

rch

and

deve

lopm

ent

Sup

port

Str

uctu

res

Appendix

45

•TA

for

web

site

dev

-el

opm

ent f

or o

ffic

eof

the

audi

tor g

ene-

ral o

f Th

aila

nd t

oim

prov

e po

stev

alua

-tio

n ca

pabi

lity

bypr

ovid

ing

publ

ic a

c-ce

ss t

o au

dit

repo

rts

•Lo

an fo

r com

pute

rle

arni

ng c

ente

rs in

800

scho

ols

(pro

-po

sed)

•TA

on

skill

s de

velo

p-m

ent t

o pl

an tr

ain-

ing

prog

ram

s fo

rte

chni

cian

s in

IT in

colla

bora

tion

with

the

priv

ate

sect

or

•10

-Yea

r E

cono

mic

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

n(1

990–

2000

) exp

licit

supp

ort f

or IC

T to

achi

eve

bett

er n

atio

-na

l qua

lity

and

effi-

cien

cy

•N

EC

TEC

tran

sfor

-m

atio

n; n

ewS

trat

egic

Mas

ter

Pla

n on

Ele

ctro

nic,

Com

pute

r,Te

leco

mm

u-ni

catio

n, a

nd In

for-

mat

ion

Tech

nolo

-gi

es (E

CTI

-21)

for

2000

–200

9

•In

foco

mm

21;

IDA

Act

of

1999

; Te

le-

com

mun

icat

ions

Act

of 1

999;

Ele

ctro

nic

Tran

sact

ions

Act

•M

inis

try

of P

ublic

Hea

lth’s

Hos

pita

lM

anag

emen

tS

yste

m•

GIN

et—

E-g

over

n-m

ent

•S

oftw

are

park

•S

choo

lNet

exp

ansi

onpr

ogra

m•

Sch

oolN

et c

onte

ntcr

eatio

n an

d pr

omo-

tion

cam

paig

n•

E-c

omm

erce

initi

ativ

es•

IT p

roje

ct o

f H

RH

Prin

cess

Mah

aC

hakr

i Siri

ndon

•IT

law

s•

Inte

rnet

pol

icy

deve

lopm

ent

•G

over

nmen

t pro

-gr

am to

impr

ove

IT

Sin

gap

ore

Thai

land

•Pr

omot

ing

fore

ign

inve

stm

ent;

BO

Iin

cent

ives

:•

Cor

pora

te in

com

eta

x ex

empt

ion

for

8 ye

ars,

rega

rdle

ss o

f zon

e•

Exe

mpt

ion

from

impo

rt d

uty

onm

achi

nery

, reg

ard-

less

of

zone

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

sC

oun

try

Nat

iona

l IC

T-re

late

dD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

-Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/Pr

oje

cts

Oth

ers

Appendix

46

Ap

pen

dix

•Pr

opos

ed 1

0-Ye

arS

ocio

econ

omic

Dev

-el

opm

ent S

trat

egy;

5-Ye

ar P

lan

skill

s of

gov

ernm

ent

info

rmat

ion

offic

ers

and

exec

utiv

eof

ficer

s•

Tele

com

res

earc

h—fr

om W

LL to

WA

P•

Low

-cos

t P

C•

Mic

roel

ectr

onic

s•

Sol

ar c

ell d

evel

op-

men

t pro

ject

•Th

aila

nd In

tegr

ated

Wat

er R

esou

rce

Man

agem

ent

Net

wor

k•

Clu

ster

com

putin

gan

d ne

twor

ked

GIS

clea

ringh

ouse

•R

esol

utio

n N

o. 4

9/19

93/C

P o

n IT

Dev

-el

opm

ent i

n V

iet

Nam

: R

esol

utio

n N

o.07

/200

0/N

Q-C

P o

nes

tabl

ishi

ng a

ndde

velo

ping

the

soft

war

e in

dust

ry fo

r20

00–2

005

•D

ecre

e 21

/CP

Pro

vi-

sion

al R

egul

atio

nson

man

agem

ent,

esta

blis

hmen

t, a

nd

Vie

t N

am

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

sC

oun

try

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/Pr

oje

cts

Oth

ers

Appendix

47

use

of In

tern

et in

Vie

t Nam

•D

ecis

ion

No.

136

of

the

PM

est

ablis

hing

the

Nat

iona

l Int

erne

tC

oord

inat

ion

Com

mis

sion

,co

chai

red

by M

OS

TEan

d M

SP

Nat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

tPl

ans

and

Prog

ram

sw

ith

IT C

ompo

nent

sC

oun

try

Nat

iona

l IC

T-R

elat

edD

evel

opm

ent

Plan

s,Po

licie

s, a

nd S

trat

egie

s

AD

B-A

ssis

ted

Prog

ram

s/Pr

ojec

tsw

ith

ICT

Com

pone

nts

No

n-A

DB

Fun

ded

Pro

gram

s/P

roje

cts

Oth

ers

AD

B=

Asi

an D

evel

opm

ent B

ank;

BO

I=B

oard

of I

nves

tmen

ts;B

TTB

=B

angl

ades

h Te

legr

aph

and

Tele

com

Boa

rd;

GIS

=ge

ogra

phic

info

rmat

ion

syst

em;

GIS

P=

Gov

ernm

ent I

nfor

mat

ion

Sys

tem

Pla

n; IC

T= in

form

atio

n an

d co

mm

unic

atio

n te

chno

logy

; ID

A=

Inte

rnat

iona

l Dev

elop

men

t Ass

ocia

tion;

IND

= In

dia;

INO

= In

done

sia;

ISP

=In

tern

et s

ervi

ce p

rovi

der;

IT=

info

rmat

ion

tech

nolo

gy;

KfW

= K

redi

tans

talt

fur W

iede

rauf

bau;

LA

N=

loca

l are

a ne

twor

k;M

IS=

man

agem

ent i

nfor

mat

ion

syst

em;

MO

STE

= M

inis

try

of S

cien

ce, T

echn

olog

y, a

nd E

nviro

nmen

t; N

EP

= N

epal

; N

ITC

= N

atio

nal I

nfor

mat

ion

Tech

nol-

ogy

Cou

ncil;

PA

K=

Pak

ista

n; P

C=

per

sona

l com

pute

r; P

D=

pres

iden

tial d

ecre

e; P

DIC

= P

hilip

pine

Dep

osit

and

Insu

ranc

e C

orpo

ratio

n; S

EC

= S

ecur

ities

and

Exc

hang

e C

omm

issi

on;

TA=

tech

nica

l ass

ista

nce;

VC

TI-IT

= V

irtua

l Cen

ter f

or T

echn

olog

y In

nova

tion-

Info

rmat

ion

Tech

nolo

gy

Appendix