Guiding Principles/Objectives

Programmes:

CIDA:

► Interventions must be demand-driven
► Ensure governments, civil society, and the private sector in developing/transition countries play the lead role in deciding and implementing
► Use the UN Millennium Development Goals to ensure ICT programming targets the poor
► Use the full range of technologies available as   appropriate - from low technology (radio) to high technology (Internet, e-commerce)
► Build partnerships with like-minded donors, other government departments, multilateral organizations, etc.

Areas of Application:

CIDA has a broad programming portfolio in KD and ICTs. The Agency's work in KD and ICTs can be divided into three categories:

1) ICTs as a sector in itself
2) Using ICTs as tools across sectors
3) Using ICTs to promote knowledge sharing and networking

IDRC:

► IDRC's contribution is shaped by the Centre's long commitment to ICTs for development and by its partnerships with researchers and institutions in the South.
► IDRC's emphasis on the role of information for development began with the creation of an information sciences division in the Centre's first year of operations - 1970.
► IDRC's programs are regionally allocated and driven.
► IDRC programming in ICT for development is based on the understanding that these technologies have enabling impacts on health, education, governance, employment, resource management and enterprise.

Areas of Application:

► ICT for capacity building
► Connectivity
► Telecentres
► ICT for Health
► Policy/Governance
► ICT for Education
► Gender and ICTs
► SMEs and entrepreneurship

Industry Canada:

Digital opportunities provided by Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are fundamental to the improvement of all aspects of developing economies and their entry into the global marketplace.

While ICTs are not a panacea for all development problems, they offer enormous opportunities to narrow social and economic inequalities and thus help achieve broader development goals that the international community has set at the UN Millennium Summit. 

By facilitating the exchange of information and knowledge, by helping deliver education and health services, by stimulating civil society participation in a country’s democratic process, and by helping small and large businesses explore new markets, ICTs greatly contribute to global social and economic enrichment.

It is a top priority of the Government of Canada to help developing countries overcome the digital divide as illustrated by the key initiatives announced at the Summit of the Americas in 2001 and the G8 Summits.

Chaired by Industry Canada Deputy Minister V. Peter Harder, the DOT Force represented both a unique model of international co-operation and a new way of responding to the challenges of development.

Areas of Application:

► National e-strategies and policy frameworks
► Connectivity and the use and development of local content
► Helping African entrepreneurs

CIDA:

CIDA's approach to ICT for Development is at two levels - programming and strategic institutional partnerships:

1. Programming should focus on, but not be limited to:

a) Using ICTs as tools for development of the education and health sectors, in particular, the control and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases;
b) Building enabling environments through support for policy and regulatory framework advice and development and promoting local capacity development; and
c) Supporting knowledge sharing and networking with the help of ICTs.

Projects and programs are funded through a variety of sources, primarily via the bilateral and multilateral branches of the Agency.

2. Strategic institutional partnerships support international initiatives and partnerships between the government, private sector, and civil society focused on activities related to knowledge sharing and bridging the digital divide through the Knowledge for Development Fund.

Participation in Multi-donor Programmes:

► infoDev
► Development Gateway Foundation
► Bellanet
► Global Development Learning Network (GDLN)
► Global Knowledge Partnership
► International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA)
► Orbicom
► International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

IDRC:

► Acacia supports research on ICTs for social and economic development in Africa.
► Pan Asia Networking supports research on ICTs for Asia's social and economic development.
► Pan Americas Networking: ICT for development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
► Institute for Connectivity in the Americas supports connectivity issues and ICT applications for development in the Americas.
► Bellanet supports partnerships and collaboration by providing advice and assistance on more effective use of ICTs.
► Connectivity Africa builds on Canada's    experience in connectivity projects in Africa and supports ICT needs of African countries - G8 and Dotforce outcome (see also the entry for Industry Canada).

For more details and links to programmes see: http://www.idrc.ca/webmap_e.html#ict

Participation in Multi-donor Programmes:

► Bellanet founding member
► GKP
► DOT Force
► WEF

Industry Canada:

As part of a Canadian package of initiatives in support of the G8 Africa Action Plan and in the context of Canada's leadership role in the work of the DOT Force, three initiatives have been created:

► Global e-Policy Resource Network (ePol-NET, formerly IeDRN), designed to marshal global efforts in support of national e-strategies for development. In addition to planning and co-ordinating the implementation of the ePol-NET, Canada has committed $10 million (CDN) over five years to the establishment of a Canadian e-Policy Resource Centre (CePRC) as Canada’s specific contribution to the ePol-NET.
► The Canadian government is providing $12 million (CDN) to launch Connectivity Africa to promote connectivity, increase access and support the creation of local content and applications in Africa.  Connectivity Africa will be incubated at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for a period of three years (see the entry for IDRC). Linked to Connectivity Africa is another $3 million (CDN) DOT Force initiative, the Open Knowledge Network (OKN), which is being developed under the chairmanship of OneWorld International, with initial support from the UK Government. Local content development is closely tied to human development, and the ultimately goal of the OKN is the empowerment of local communities. 

Enablis (formerly the DOT Force Entrepreneurial Network) consists of a coalition of public, private and civil society organizations co-led by Telesystem Ltd. (Canada), Accenture (UK) and Hewlett-Packard (US) aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs in developing countries to leverage the power of ICTs for social and economic development. Through an initial $10 Million (CDN) over five years contribution from the Government of Canada, Enablis will encourage governments and entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs), including aid agencies and multilateral organisations and other NGOs and third parties, to take up the advantages of ICT-related entrepreneurship in pursuing sustainable social and economic development.

Participation in Multi-donor Programmes:

n/a

► CIDA works in many developing countries and countries in transition
► IDRC: Africa, Asia, Latin America. Some global support
► Industry Canada: Africa

► CIDA: estimated at a minimum of US$13.4 million (Fiscal Year 2000/2001)
► IDRC: US$13.4 million per annum
► Industry Canada: US$23.5 million for the three mentioned programmes (US$13.4 million over five years and US$10.1 million over three years)

► CIDA: Mr. Graham Todd, Economic Policy Advisor, Information and Communications Technologies for Development, Economic Policies Division, Policy Branch, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), GRAHAM_TODD@acdi-cida.gc.ca
► IDRC: Mr. Richard Fuchs, Director, ICTs for Development, rfuchs@idrc.ca
► Industry Canada: Mr. Richard Bourassa, Director, International Policy, Electronic Commerce Branch, Industry Canada, bourassa.richard@ic.gc.ca