ICT in Development Effectiveness

ICT in Development Effectiveness Program

The current widespread call for a new development paradigm can be interpreted as reflecting an insufficient understanding of the role of information and knowledge in the current one. Latin American and Caribbean countries have been deepening their understanding of this role. They have been expressing their political will, at the highest levels, to accelerate the expansion of the national and regional knowledge economy in order to more effectively formulate and carry out programs and projects in a democratic process of efficient, equitable and sustainable development.

The IDB has responded with consideration of knowledge economy expansion in the Region as a conceptual and programmatic "bridge" between the two objectives of the Bank's institutional strategy: increasing the rate of sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty while promoting equity.

The IDB is committed to working with beneficiary countries to refine and implement processes and methodologies for building consensus in formulation of outcomes, outputs and indicators to measure, monitor and evaluate development effectiveness. At the same time, the Bank is increasing ly concerned also concerned with applying these processes and methodologies to improve the effectiveness of the contribution of ICT deployment and knowledge economy expansion to achieving development objectives.

This SDS/ICT program promotes the effective construction of the aforementioned "bridge" through greater cooperation within and between the Bank and beneficiary countries, by applying development effectiveness processes and methodologies to the following intersectoral areas: ICT in Sustainable Economic Growth; ICT in Building Human Capital; ICT in Governance and ICT Institutional Arrangements for Managing Change in the knowledge economy.

ICT for Development Statistics Program

Promote consensus on criteria and methodologies for measuring ICT in:

ICT Institutional Arrangements for Managing Change

IDB Consultative Meetings on Information and Communication Technology for Development provide an opportunity for the senior government official responsible for ICT for development in each country to meet with counterparts and Bank personal to build consensus on regional priorities and implementation strategy.

In 2002, took place the Second Consultative Meeting on Information and Communication Technology for Development in Latin America and the Carribean. The meeting was convened by Enrique V. Iglesias, Prior President of the Bank, and coordinated by the Information and Communication Technology for Development Strategy Group.
It served as an effective forum for strengthening implementation of the political will that the Latin American and Caribbean Heads of State and Government have voiced in regional and international forums during recent years regarding the use of information and communication technology (ICT) for development.

During the Consultative Meeting, public sector leaders in ICT for development from 21 countries explored how to better match their needs with Bank experience and resources. The Bank and the countries have been forging a new partnership to accelerate the growth of the knowledge economy as the basis for a democratic process of efficient, equitable, and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Related Document: Summary, Conclusions, and Follow-up

Discussion Series:

The Knowledge Economy in Development: Towards Definition of Outcomes, Outputs and Indicators in Bank-funded Projects

This series of individual presentations by senior Bank officials and outside experts provides an opportunity to expand internal dialogue among Bank units on the implications of ICT as a horizontal tool in support of the different development activities of the Bank.

All the presentatins in the discussion series have been compiled into the following publication: The Knowledge Economy in Development: Perspectives for Effective Partnerships

E-government Effectiveness Inter Agency Task Force

The E-government Effectiveness Inter-Agency Task Force (EgE IA TF) has emerged as a response to the recognition by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean that more systematic dialogue and collaboration among themselves and with international development organizations is needed in order to improve the effectiveness of their individual and collective efforts to use information and communication technology in the institutional transformation of public administration at the all levels. Task Force members include: the Development Gateway Foundation, the Information and Communication Technology for Development Division (SDS/ICT) of the IDB, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) of the Organization of American States, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) of the United Nations and the World Bank.
On June 29, 2005, the parties in the Task Force approved and began the implementation of an Action Plan.

Contact: Guillermo Castillo,

Last updated: 01/25/07