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 Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster Overview SDC’s ICT4PR commitment SDC’s ICT4PR commitment Donor Playgrounds (1) Operations Donor Playgrounds (1) Operations Donor Playgrounds (2) Resources Donor Playgrounds (2) Resources First Mile Emerging Issues (1) First Mile Emerging Issues (1) First Mile Emerging Issues (2) First Mile Emerging Issues (2) Challenges Challenges The way forward The way forward Relevant links Relevant links

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster SDC’s ICT4PR Commitment Relevance of ICTs: Assumption that ICTs make a difference as enabler & sector in PR; conditioned by people’s needs for IC; untapped up-scaling pro-poor potential Relevance of ICTs: Assumption that ICTs make a difference as enabler & sector in PR; conditioned by people’s needs for IC; untapped up-scaling pro-poor potential Activities: Global networking (GKP, BDO, etc.); ICT4D platform at WSIS; partnership MSSRF/SDC, and collaboration GKP, OWSA, UNDP; conceptualisation & mainstreaming in operations; supporting pilots Activities: Global networking (GKP, BDO, etc.); ICT4D platform at WSIS; partnership MSSRF/SDC, and collaboration GKP, OWSA, UNDP; conceptualisation & mainstreaming in operations; supporting pilots Products: (1) Book ICT4D 2004; (2) Chennai Statement & up-scaling SDC/MSSRF study; (3) SDC/MSSRF/IICD/FDC/Panos/ UNDP study on ICTs & Large Scale Poverty Reduction 2005 Products: (1) Book ICT4D 2004; (2) Chennai Statement & up-scaling SDC/MSSRF study; (3) SDC/MSSRF/IICD/FDC/Panos/ UNDP study on ICTs & Large Scale Poverty Reduction 2005

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster Playgrounds (1): Operations Areas of support Areas of support - Market area: profitable solutions, no donor involvement required; - Mixed area: Private & public involvement subject to context, policies and approaches taken; - Development area: The deployment of ICTs requires public intervention Integration matters: Instead of ICT projects rather built-in ICT components in on-going pro-poor programmes; Integration matters: Instead of ICT projects rather built-in ICT components in on-going pro-poor programmes; Mainstreaming ICTs in donors‘ portfolios of operations Mainstreaming ICTs in donors‘ portfolios of operations

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster Playgrounds (2): Resources Up-scaling to reach the MDGs requires additional public (ODA, etc.) and private resources, including PPPs; Up-scaling to reach the MDGs requires additional public (ODA, etc.) and private resources, including PPPs; National ICT licensing obligations to mobilise finance for community initiatives and ICT business SME start ups; National ICT licensing obligations to mobilise finance for community initiatives and ICT business SME start ups; Tapping technical progress to reduce costs and lower access barriers which is key for the poor; Tapping technical progress to reduce costs and lower access barriers which is key for the poor; Flexible platforms of complementary technologies, such as radio & internet, may be particularly efficient; Flexible platforms of complementary technologies, such as radio & internet, may be particularly efficient; Local staff & local knowledge & local innovation are key resources for success. Local staff & local knowledge & local innovation are key resources for success.

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster First Mile Emerging Issues (1) General remark: Not new insights but confirmation of well established wisdom General remark: Not new insights but confirmation of well established wisdom Build collaboration before infrastructure: Technology serves people‘s needs; e.g. for Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka) community mobilisation comes first, followed by training and village information centre to create information culture, last step may be technological equipment Build collaboration before infrastructure: Technology serves people‘s needs; e.g. for Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka) community mobilisation comes first, followed by training and village information centre to create information culture, last step may be technological equipment Blending the old and new: E.g. community radio Apac (Uganda) combines radio & internet; significant impact on agricultural production, on food consumption (maize), on household income ( sales of milk, beans, tobacco) Blending the old and new: E.g. community radio Apac (Uganda) combines radio & internet; significant impact on agricultural production, on food consumption (maize), on household income ( sales of milk, beans, tobacco)

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster First Mile Emerging Issues (2) Genius of local innovation: Multimedia matters to reach illiterate users. E.g. MSSRF developed in Pondicherry (India) touch screen posts to identify veterinary sicknesses & treatment, benefitting mainly poor women Genius of local innovation: Multimedia matters to reach illiterate users. E.g. MSSRF developed in Pondicherry (India) touch screen posts to identify veterinary sicknesses & treatment, benefitting mainly poor women Relevance of local knowledge: E.g. people use services of CMC Namaacha (Mozambique) for typing applications or funeral announcements over radio Relevance of local knowledge: E.g. people use services of CMC Namaacha (Mozambique) for typing applications or funeral announcements over radio Public & private roles: Along market chains public grants only highly selective & targeted; e.g. public supprt to CBT Association of the Kyrgyz Republic including internet Public & private roles: Along market chains public grants only highly selective & targeted; e.g. public supprt to CBT Association of the Kyrgyz Republic including internet

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster Challenges Sustainability in financial terms is a key challenge for donor funded ICT projects and ICT components contextual & dynamic: appropriate technologies favouring social sustainability are equally important; Sustainability in financial terms is a key challenge for donor funded ICT projects and ICT components contextual & dynamic: appropriate technologies favouring social sustainability are equally important; Context : simple, context related technologies not requiring high connectivity or high-level human capacity (including local content) determine social sustainability Context : simple, context related technologies not requiring high connectivity or high-level human capacity (including local content) determine social sustainability Politics : Enabling environment, including freedom of expression, competition, ICT mainstreaming in PRS, targeted pro-poor ICT policies, political backing and capacity of the regulators to enforce compliance, supporting infrastructure at affordable prices Politics : Enabling environment, including freedom of expression, competition, ICT mainstreaming in PRS, targeted pro-poor ICT policies, political backing and capacity of the regulators to enforce compliance, supporting infrastructure at affordable prices

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster The way forward Mainstreaming ICT4PR in PRS & ODA support Mainstreaming ICT4PR in PRS & ODA support Building multi-stakeholder-partnerships Building multi-stakeholder-partnerships Strengthening South-South exchange (MSSRF!) Strengthening South-South exchange (MSSRF!) Promoting national level advocacy Promoting national level advocacy Building global coalitions (GKP!) Building global coalitions (GKP!)

How ICTs Support the Eradication of Poverty: The Role of the Donor Community WSIS, Tunis, November 17, 2005Richard Gerster Relevant links SDC: Gerster Consulting: SDC: Gerster Consulting: Chennai Statement: Chennai Statement: Up-scaling pro-poor ICT-policies and practices: 4.pdf Up-scaling pro-poor ICT-policies and practices: 4.pdf pdf pdf