► Telecenters for Socioeconomic and Rural Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
► manual.gob: E-Government Strategies in Region 1 Countries: Definition of an Analysis Model and Case Studies

Guiding Principles/Objectives

Programmes

The role of the IDB is to assist the countries in the Region to translate their political will to deploy ICT and expand their knowledge economy to carry out a democratic process of efficient, equitable and sustainable development.  The Information and Communication Technology for Development Division of the Sustainable Development Department stimulates the matching of the new and expanding requirements in this area with Bank’s experience and resources.  These efforts to assist countries can be summarized as follows:

► Create conditions for deploying ICT to generate and distribute new wealth more efficiently, equitably and in a sustainable manner by strengthening the capacity of their economy to increase local value added to local resources.

► Strengthen institutional adjustment mechanisms to ensure that all citizens participate in and benefit from the deployment of ICT, expansion of the knowledge economy and development so that these efforts reflect the respective values, needs, conditions, resources and aspirations of each country.

The ICT for Development Division has been assigned the following responsibilities: 

► Provide technical backstopping for project development and other activities supported by the Bank in the ICT for development field;

► Offer strategic and technical advice to governments on how to make better use of available information and communication technology for development;

► Develop co-operation agreements and co-financing arrangements to support research activities, studies, training, seminars, technical assistance and pilot projects;

► Promote linkages between public and private institutions within the Region and between the Region and institutions in non-borrowing countries, in order to strengthen the participation of local institutions in the identification and development of technical solutions to ICT for development problems, and, prepare strategic analysis of needs, priorities and opportunities in borrowing member countries in support of planning and strategy development.

Areas of Application:

► ICT in sustainable economic growth
► ICT in reducing poverty and promoting equity (through building human capital through lifelong learning in the knowledge economy)
► ICT in governance
► ICT institution building

The ICT for Development Division manages four types of programs through a matrix model that integrates support for ICT sectoral and intersectoral projects.

1. Intersectoral programs provide a framework for all Division programs and link all Bank-funded ICT related activities with the institutional strategy;

► ICT in Sustainable Economic Growth Program: Increases the rate of economic growth by increasing local value added to local resources;
► ICT in Poverty Reduction and Promoting Equity Program: Promotes human capital formation and social development through the deployment of ICT in lifelong learning in the knowledge economy;
► ICT in Governance Program: Promotes trust and a new social contract between citizens and their public representatives.

2. Institution-building programs are designed to strengthen the capacity of beneficiary countries to formulate and implement ICT for development strategies;

► National Strategies for ICT for Development Program
► ICT Public Policy and Regulation Program
► ICT for Development Training of Public Officials Program
► e-Government Program
► Cyber communities Program

3. Integrated project programs enhance the ICT dimension in specific sectoral projects and link them with the intersectoral areas;

3.1  ICT in Sustainable Economic Growth Program

► ICT Innovation Program for e-Business and SME Development Program
► Harnessing Information Technology for SME’s
► Media Convergence Program

3.2 ICT in Reducing Poverty and Promoting Equity Program (building human capital through lifelong learning)

► Virtual Classrooms Program

3.3 ICT in Governance Program

► Parlamentos en la Era Digital – Regulación Digital Program
► Development of an e-government model Program
► Promotion of Telecenters Program

4. Project development support programs promote the production of tools and resources that expedite the Bank’s response time for implementing ICT for development projects.

Participation in Multi-donor Programmes:

► Italian Trust Fund for Information and Communication Technology for Development: The Italian Trust Fund supports IDB technical co-operation projects that promote the use of information and communication technology and electronic governance in social development, poverty reduction and transparency programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

► ICT for Development Trust Fund and Co-Financing Program: The ICT for Development Fund is a multi-donor facility that provides financing for a series of studies and research activities that will enable the Bank to identify real country needs in the areas of systems and infrastructures as well as their application and specific use.

Mr. Danilo Piaggesi, Chief Information Technology for Development Division, Sustainable Development Department,  danilop@iadb.org