"Africa has become a linchpin in the EU’s ambitions to support economic development, particularly through digital transformation. The February 2022 EU-African Union (AU) Summit will provide an opportunity to present the EU’s Global Gateway not only in opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initia
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tive but also as a cooperation project between two interested parties. The goal should be to jointly accelerate digital development, not only in infrastructure but also in the development of sector-specific digital applications digital skills and capacity building as well as policy frameworks and regulations. Such efforts require a partnership of mutual respect and shared interests that advances individual and human rights and democratic norms and that addresses pivotal issues such as health, education, climate change and sustainability. The EU also needs to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach that links Global Gateway with the European Green Deal." (Summary)
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"This Primer aims to: improve USAID staff's understanding of digital literacy; demonstrate how digital literacy contributes to broader global development goals; describe how digital literacy can be incorporated into various stages of the USAID program cycle; and detail ways in which different sector
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s and practice areas can develop digital literacy through their unique activities. This primer builds on the Digital Competence (DigComp) digital literacy framework developed by the European Union (EU) and considered to be the gold standard for understanding digital literacy. The DigComp framework will enable USAID staff to develop digital literacy activities, share best practices, and capture lessons learned with a shared understanding and technical approach. Digital literacy is a broad topic that encompasses a range of competences from basic literacy and numeracy skills to advanced computing and information processing skills. Sharing a language and an understanding of each of the core competences of digital literacy will improve USAIDfs programming, understanding, and collaboration on this topic that is critical to effective digital programming." (About this primer, page 6)
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"Nepal’s digital ecosystem does not yet meet the needs of all Nepalis and runs the risk of falling further behind. Over the past decade, mobile phones, and mobile internet have become increasingly widespread in Nepal; however, the government’s capacity to implement digital policies and solutions
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has not kept pace with Nepalis’ embrace of the internet. In the coming years, equitable access for all Nepalis, establishment of internet connectivity in remote areas, and safe internet use practices for the digitalization of Nepal’s economy are just some of the key challenges that the country will face." (Executive summary)
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"The Zambia Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment report outlines the key aspects of the country's digital ecosystem and provides recommendations for the international development community to create a more inclusive, safe, and enabling environment to achieve development outcomes." (https://www.usaid
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.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings include: 1. Peru’s digital ecosystem is one of many contrasts. There have been sustained advances over the last 30 years in connectivity, digital literacy, digital rights, digital government, and the digital economy; 2. Challenges in digital policy implementation and coordination cap
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acity slow efforts to remedy digital divides and secure important digital safeguards; 3. The dense Amazon and the Andes mountains challenge the success of traditional models for rural connectivity; 4. Improving digital literacy for all Peruvians is a central element of the government’s strategy for inclusive digital transformation; 5. Regulations in the digital space are at odds with the protection of basic digital rights, such as freedom of expression online; 6. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) struggle to carve out a role to influence the digital ecosystem; 7. Peru’s enabling environment for digital financial inclusion in terms of policy and regulation is positive, but challenges remain in terms of product offerings and customer uptake; 8. International and regional players dominate Peru’s growing e-commerce landscape. Technology startups are hitting their stride, but continue to face a multitude of challenges. Technology remains out of reach for the country’s large base of informal micro-, small, and medium enterprises." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings include: Moldova is home to a competitive telecommunications market, affordable internet, and well developed internet infrastructure, much of which has been achieved over the last 10 years; cybersecurity implementation and capacity have not kept pace with policy development. The govern
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ment introduced regulatory and policy measures on cybersecurity in an effort to harmonize with EU protocols. However, implementation requires support due in part to a fragmented cybersecurity ecosystem, a shallow cybersecurity talent pool, and gaps in government technical capacity; digital literacy is a clear policy priority and Moldova is on par with its regional counterparts when it comes to the public’s general digital skill levels; Moldova’s digital government systems and services are advanced with more than 200 public services partially or fully digitalized; Moldova has a relatively open environment in terms of internet freedom but gaps persist with regard to key legislation on data protection, access to information, and the protection of children and youth from digital harms; The ICT sector is experiencing exponential growth, but it is afflicted by an undersupply of technically skilled talent and a shortage of promising technology startups; while the National Bank of Moldova does not have a dedicated financial inclusion unit or a strategy to improve outcomes, e-commerce is at the forefront of the government’s agenda." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings include: Connectivity infrastructure is fairly well developed in coastal urban areas but lags behind in Libya’s sparsely populated southern region; COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital tools and services across sectors; however, Libyans are reluctant to adopt new tools du
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e to unfamiliarity with specific platforms, lack of trust, lack of digital literacy, or when they feel these tools and services are unnecessary; Many Libyan internet users are “Facebook literate,” but are less familiar with more advanced digital tools such as online payments; Libya’s decade-long conflict and instability have limited the House of Representatives' ability to clarify roles, and responsibilities, and to pass new legislation. Laws from the previous regime are still technically in force; The government is prioritizing digitalization; however, there are significant barriers to execution. These are tied to inadequate digital infrastructure, a piecemeal approach rather than an overall strategy, and insufficient legal and regulatory frameworks; Libyan government institutions have uneven cybersecurity capabilities and there is no information publicly available on cybersecurity strategies, data privacy laws or authority, or effective cyber crisis management; Civil society organizations and journalists have limited capacity to respond to cyber attacks and online harassment, often leading to self-censorship." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"The Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC) Regional Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) report presents the findings and recommendations of the DECA, covering 11 ESC countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenad
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ines, Suriname, The Bahamas, and Trinidad & Tobago. The report outlines the key aspects of the region’s digital ecosystem and provides 10 recommendations for the international development community to create a more inclusive, safe, and enabling environment to achieve development outcomes in these small island nations. Guided by two USAID/ESC priorities, i) improving government accountability and transparency; and ii) strengthening community resilience, the DECA process consisted of desk research, consultations with USAID/ESC technical offices, and 63 key informant interviews with stakeholders across the region from civil society, academia, and the private and public sectors." (https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development)
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"Key findings: Overcoming the digital divides between men and women and urban and rural populations requires long-term planning and resource commitments that include broad stakeholder engagement and coordination [...] The public’s appetite for online content is growing, but accessible, diverse, hi
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gh-quality educational and professional content in local languages is sorely lacking [...] High, unmet demand for digital and IT talent and a weak digital startup ecosystem are critical bottlenecks to growing Uzbekistan’s domestic IT sector and driving digital transformation across the economy [...] The COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened the Government’s commitment to digital transformation of the health sector." (Executive summary, page 12)
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"The production of knowledge in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) research has been characterized by an ongoing shift from dominantly Western-based to Indigenous theory formulations. This editorial puts forward core concepts in the decolonization of ICT4D, arguing that
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these are fundamental to the creation, reading, and interpretation of ICT4D know ledge. Drawing on a decolonial read of the articles published in Vol. 28.3, we advance the argument that decolonizing ICT4D, rather than simply a means to read and analyze data, is an emancipatory practice to be adopted in an open challenge to Western-centric modes of doing ICT4D research." (Abstract)
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"This study sought to assess the hypothesis that age and gender are associated with the VIAMO digital platform usage in our GOAL project UNITLIFE. The study identified significant gender- and age-based differentials in the platform usage. These findings are interpreted as suggestive evidence that mo
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bile phone-based services, while they do offer good platforms to reach underserved communities, they can also generate new inequalities, between age groups and between genders as women and men do not equally access the platforms. There is a risk that certain groups will be left behind by such services. It is evident from literature and our study that barriers to mobile phone ownership and use disproportionately and negatively impact older age groups and women, who tend to belong to the groups that are most likely to be unconnected, such as those who are unemployed or have low literacy levels and are also often affected by social norms which make mobile ownership and use more difficult." (Conclusion)
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"The aim of this report is to provide a landscape scan of how an extremely diverse set of communities and movements are working at intersections of technology, digital rights, environmental justice and climate justice. The report’s primary audiences are grantmakers and practitioners working in or
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adjacent to the digital rights sector interested in understanding how to centre environmental/climate justice in their work going forward. Secondary intended audiences are grantmakers and practitioners with an environmental or climate focus who are interested in exploring the intersections between their work and that of the digital rights sector. The report aims to provide qualitative insight on the needs of and challenges faced by practitioners engaged in work spanning digital rights, tech and environmental/climate justice issues. It also aims to identify opportunities for digital rights funders to provide impactful support that is grounded in the real-world experiences of different communities and movements engaged in the fight for climate and environmental justice." (Introduction, page 5-6)
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"Thailand faces the dual challenge of swiftly navigating the disruptions caused by COVID-19 while also enabling sustainable and inclusive development. To enable inclusive development, Thailand must focus on building resilience and enhancing the productivity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MS
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MEs), which form the backbone of its economy. Mobile, digital and frontier technologies have a key role to play in this process. Supporting the resilience, growth and profitability of MSMEs and rural communities is therefore critical to meeting Thailand's strategic objective of sustainable and inclusive development. This report explores the role of mobile and frontier technologies in supporting the development, success and resilience of rural MSMEs in Thailand's agriculture and tourism sectors. The adoption of digital technologies can help increase efficiency, improve product/service quality and increase business opportunities, leading to greater productivity, competitiveness and wellbeing." (Executive summary, page 4)
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"This book explores case studies across India, Kenya, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, and global, comparative settings, and asks what positive impact ICT applications (Health Information Systems, Pandemic response systems, Early Warning and Response Systems, Hospital Information System and Smartphone based Ap
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ps) can have on today’s most pressing challenges. The authors use this lens to discuss a wide range of issues facing communities around the world, including public health and pandemic management; the mitigation of ethnic violence and violence against women; the emergence of an informal economy; and the displacement of refugees. The case studies are analyzed through a wide means-process-ends framework, which is complemented with micro-level observations of people’s experience, such as empowerment, agility and trust within communities. This interplay between the macro framework and micro concepts helps us to understand how and why digital interventions can contribute to positive outcomes, and which stories of hope may inspire other development channels." (Back cover)
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"Digitale Technologien sind wichtige Hebel zur Erreichung der Globalen Ziele für nachhal tige Entwicklung. Die Digitali sierung betrifft die drei Dimen sionen Soziales, Umwelt und Wirtschaft der Agenda 2030 gleichermaßen. Österreichs Freiwilliger Nationaler Bericht zur Umsetzung der Nachhalti gen
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Entwicklungsziele be handelt daher Digitalisierung als Schwerpunktthema. Im Sinn des Ansatzes Leaving No One Behind gilt es, die digi tale Kluft zu überwinden – geografisch sowie zwischen den Geschlechtern und Gene rationen. Österreich fördert etwa die Erschließung des Potenzials der digitalen Wirt schaft für Afrika, zum Beispiel über die African-Austrian SME Investment Facility, die Investi tionen in Afrika unterstützt." (Digitalisierung im Brennpunkt, Seite 8)
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"This guide is for teams or managers involved in considering or building “civic technology”, i.e., technology that helps people engage government more effectively. It is the distillation of my four years spent building Grassroot, a civic tech platform in South Africa. The guide is focused on the
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practical. I have chosen the topics by reflecting on what people have asked for advice on over the years; on what I wish I knew when I started, or on what early advice to me was most valuable; and on some of the things that went wrong along the way. Since software provides in itself no guardrails against building what should not be built, an organization or leadership team needs to develop its own precautions. But that is very hard when all around you people are pretending to build cool new apps and one article after another is talking breathlessly about supposed “technology for good”. As proof of these forces, we can observe that for half a decade one research report after another has pointed to the limited effect (if any) of well-intentioned but insufficiently rigorous technology projects (“let’s build an app”). And despite all of that research, the apps keep being built. That brings you to my motivation for writing this guide. I believe that technology can help ordinary people build power and make the state more accountable and responsive. I believe that, when targeted at the right problem at the right time, it can make an enormous difference. I’ve also seen close-up how the forces of contemporary thought, funding and status will push you towards building what should not be built, with teams who don’t know how to build it. You’ll notice the tone isn’t typical of academic how-to guides—my approach is to describe the process honestly and realistically, with hopes that it will give people a better sense of what “building an app” entails, and how they can do it well, or (better yet) not do it in the first place." (Preface)
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"Wir leben in einer zunehmend digitalen Welt. Weltweit nutzen über vier Milliarden Menschen das Internet – seit 2011 hat sich die Zahl fast verdoppelt. Nach aktuellen Schätzungen werden im Jahr 2023 weltweit rund 30 Milliarden Geräte an das Internet angeschlossen sein. Die fortschreitende Digit
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alisierung kann den wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung in unseren Partnerländern massiv beschleunigen und das Leben von Millionen Menschen verbessern. Die Beseitigung der Armut, die Sicherstellung der Welternährung, mehr Bildung und die Bekämpfung des Klimawandels – nur mit echten Entwicklungssprüngen können wir die Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung noch erreichen. Die digitale Transformation kann das Fundament dafür bilden. Deshalb hat die Weltgemeinschaft die Chancen digitaler Innovationen auch in vier der 17 Ziele der Agenda 2030 explizit hervorgehoben – SDGs: hochwertige Bildung (4), Geschlechtergleichheit (5), Industrie, Innovation und Infrastruktur (9) und Partnerschaft zur Erreichung der Ziele (17). Auch die COVID-19-Pandemie hat die Bedeutung und Notwendigkeit der digitalen Transformation aufgezeigt. Digitale Lösungen sind ein wichtiges Instrument, um die aktuellen Herausforderungen zu meistern – aber auch um für zukünftige Krisen gewappnet und schnell reaktionsfähig zu sein. Die vom BMZ geförderte Plattform SORMAS vernetzt beispielsweise in Echtzeit alle relevanten Akteure im Bereich Epidemie-Management wie etwa Kliniken, Labore und Behörden. SORMAS lässt sich auch per Smartphone oder Tablet nutzen und hilft so 100 Millionen Menschen weltweit bei der Bekämpfung der Pandemie – in Entwicklungsländern und zunehmend auch in Deutschland." (Seite 4)
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"This report aims to answer two fundamental questions. First, how can data better advance development objectives? Second, what kind of data governance arrangements are needed to support the generation and use of data in a safe, ethical, and secure way while also delivering value equitably? One impor
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tant message of this report is that simply gathering more data is not the answer. Significant data shortfalls, particularly in poor countries, do exist, but the aim of this report is to shift the focus toward using data more effectively to improve development outcomes, particularly for poor people in poor countries." (Overview, page 3)
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