How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS IFAD Panel Discussion Tunis, November 17, 2005 Richard Gerster, Switzerland

How ICTs Support the How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor The Role of the Donor

CommunityCommunity

WSIS WSIS

IFAD Panel DiscussionIFAD Panel Discussion

Tunis, November 17, 2005Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster, SwitzerlandRichard Gerster, Switzerland

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor CommunityWSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005 Richard Gerster

OverviewOverview SDC’s ICT4PR commitmentSDC’s ICT4PR commitment Donor Playgrounds (1) Operations Donor Playgrounds (1) Operations Donor Playgrounds (2) ResourcesDonor Playgrounds (2) Resources First Mile Emerging Issues (1)First Mile Emerging Issues (1) First Mile Emerging Issues (2)First Mile Emerging Issues (2) ChallengesChallenges The way forwardThe way forward Relevant linksRelevant links


SDC’s ICT4PR Commitment SDC’s ICT4PR Commitment Relevance Relevance of ICTs:of ICTs: Assumption that ICTs make a Assumption that ICTs make a

difference as enabler & sector in PR; conditioned by people’s difference as enabler & sector in PR; conditioned by people’s needs for IC; untapped up-scaling pro-poor potential needs for IC; untapped up-scaling pro-poor potential

Activities:Activities: Global networking (GKP, BDO, etc.); ICT4D Global networking (GKP, BDO, etc.); ICT4D platform at WSIS; partnership MSSRF/SDC, and collaboration platform at WSIS; partnership MSSRF/SDC, and collaboration GKP, OWSA, UNDP; conceptualisation & mainstreaming in GKP, OWSA, UNDP; conceptualisation & mainstreaming in operations; supporting pilots operations; supporting pilots

Products:Products: (1) Book ICT4D 2004; (2) Chennai Statement & (1) Book ICT4D 2004; (2) Chennai Statement & up-scaling SDC/MSSRF study; (3) SDC/MSSRF/IICD/FDC/Panos/ up-scaling SDC/MSSRF study; (3) SDC/MSSRF/IICD/FDC/Panos/ UNDP study on ICTs & Large Scale Poverty Reduction 2005UNDP study on ICTs & Large Scale Poverty Reduction 2005


Playgrounds (1): OperationsPlaygrounds (1): Operations Areas of supportAreas of support

- Market area: profitable solutions, no donor involvement Market area: profitable solutions, no donor involvement required;required;

- Mixed area: Private & public involvement subject to Mixed area: Private & public involvement subject to context, policies and approaches taken;context, policies and approaches taken;

- Development area: The deployment of ICTs requires Development area: The deployment of ICTs requires public intervention public intervention

Integration matters: Integration matters: Instead of ICT projects rather Instead of ICT projects rather built-in ICT components in on-going pro-poor programmes;built-in ICT components in on-going pro-poor programmes;

Mainstreaming Mainstreaming ICTs in donors‘ portfolios of ICTs in donors‘ portfolios of operationsoperations


Playgrounds (2): ResourcesPlaygrounds (2): Resources Up-scaling to reach the MDGs requires additional Up-scaling to reach the MDGs requires additional

public (ODA, etc.) and private resources, including public (ODA, etc.) and private resources, including PPPs;PPPs;

National ICT licensing obligations to mobilise finance National ICT licensing obligations to mobilise finance for community initiatives and ICT business SME start for community initiatives and ICT business SME start ups; ups;

Tapping technical progress to reduce costs and lower Tapping technical progress to reduce costs and lower access barriers which is key for the poor; access barriers which is key for the poor;

Flexible platforms of complementary technologies, Flexible platforms of complementary technologies, such as radio & internet, may be particularly efficient;such as radio & internet, may be particularly efficient;

Local staff & local knowledge & local innovation are Local staff & local knowledge & local innovation are key resources for success.key resources for success.


First Mile Emerging Issues First Mile Emerging Issues (1)(1)

General remark: Not new insights but confirmation of General remark: Not new insights but confirmation of well established wisdom well established wisdom

Build collaboration before infrastructure: Technology Build collaboration before infrastructure: Technology serves people‘s needs; e.g. for Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka) serves people‘s needs; e.g. for Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka) community mobilisation comes first, followed by community mobilisation comes first, followed by training and village information centre to create training and village information centre to create information culture, last step may be technological information culture, last step may be technological equipment equipment

Blending the old and new: E.g. community radio Apac Blending the old and new: E.g. community radio Apac (Uganda) combines radio & internet; significant impact (Uganda) combines radio & internet; significant impact on agricultural production, on food consumption on agricultural production, on food consumption (maize), on household income ( sales of milk, beans, (maize), on household income ( sales of milk, beans, tobacco)tobacco)


First Mile Emerging Issues First Mile Emerging Issues (2)(2)

Genius of local innovation: Multimedia matters to reach Genius of local innovation: Multimedia matters to reach illiterate users. E.g. MSSRF developed in Pondicherry illiterate users. E.g. MSSRF developed in Pondicherry (India) touch screen posts to identify veterinary (India) touch screen posts to identify veterinary sicknesses & treatment, benefitting mainly poor womensicknesses & treatment, benefitting mainly poor women

Relevance of local knowledge: E.g. people use services Relevance of local knowledge: E.g. people use services of CMC Namaacha (Mozambique) for typing applications of CMC Namaacha (Mozambique) for typing applications or funeral announcements over radioor funeral announcements over radio

Public & private roles: Along market chains public grants Public & private roles: Along market chains public grants only highly selective & targeted; e.g. public supprt to only highly selective & targeted; e.g. public supprt to CBT Association of the Kyrgyz Republic including CBT Association of the Kyrgyz Republic including internetinternet


ChallengesChallenges SustainabilitySustainability in financial terms is a key challenge for in financial terms is a key challenge for

donor funded ICT projects and ICT components contextual donor funded ICT projects and ICT components contextual & dynamic: appropriate technologies favouring social & dynamic: appropriate technologies favouring social sustainability are equally important;sustainability are equally important;

ContextContext: simple, context related technologies not : simple, context related technologies not requiring high connectivity or high-level human capacity requiring high connectivity or high-level human capacity (including local content) determine social sustainability(including local content) determine social sustainability

PoliticsPolitics: Enabling environment, including freedom of : Enabling environment, including freedom of expression, competition, ICT mainstreaming in PRS, expression, competition, ICT mainstreaming in PRS, targeted pro-poor ICT policies, political backing and targeted pro-poor ICT policies, political backing and capacity of the regulators to enforce compliance, capacity of the regulators to enforce compliance, supporting infrastructure at affordable prices supporting infrastructure at affordable prices


The way forwardThe way forward Mainstreaming ICT4PR in PRS & ODA Mainstreaming ICT4PR in PRS & ODA

support support Building multi-stakeholder-partnerships Building multi-stakeholder-partnerships Strengthening South-South exchange Strengthening South-South exchange

(MSSRF!) (MSSRF!) Promoting national level advocacy Promoting national level advocacy Building global coalitions (GKP!)Building global coalitions (GKP!)


Relevant linksRelevant links SDC: SDC: http://www.deza.ch/ict4dhttp://www.deza.ch/ict4d

Gerster Consulting: http://www.gersterconsulting.ch Gerster Consulting: http://www.gersterconsulting.ch

Chennai Statement:Chennai Statement:http://www.deza.ch/ressources/deza_product_en_1447.pdf http://www.deza.ch/ressources/deza_product_en_1447.pdf http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/fs/fs_main.asp?http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/fs/fs_main.asp?kt=2&skt=5kt=2&skt=5

Up-scaling pro-poor ICT-policies and practices:Up-scaling pro-poor ICT-policies and practices:

http://www.deza.admin.ch/ressources/deza_product_en_15http://www.deza.admin.ch/ressources/deza_product_en_1514.pdf 14.pdf http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/fs/fs_main.asp?http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/fs/fs_main.asp?kt=2&skt=5 kt=2&skt=5

http://www.deza.ch/ict4d

Documents

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS IFAD Panel Discussion Tunis, November 17, 2005 Richard Gerster, Switzerland