<p>In my opinion, there are many important lessons in ICT4D. Technology is becoming increasingly important not only for the globalizing world, but also for developing countries. It is important to note that because we are increasingly connected, countries in the early stages of development need to work with technology to develop in a way that allows them to compete in the globalizing world. One important lesson that seems to be often times overlooked in ICT4D is the importance of sustainability. Thousands of projects that include telecenters and old/not durable technology have failed because they do not take into account the environment and the needs of the people. Programs need to be able to be measurable and compatible with the environment to be sustainable and help the area develop in the long run. There must be a way to measure success to know if these type of projects will help millions of other people.</p><p>This brings me to another point, the needs-based approach lesson of ICT4D. Projects like One Laptop Per Child are not sustainable or helpful because they are not compatible with the skills, resources and technological understanding of the people the project was aimed to help. ICT4D projects need to focus on the capabilities of the people and how to best meet their needs with projects, whether it is the technology used or catering the training sessions/applications to the people who will be using the tools. I think that this important lesson I learned will be extremely helpful in my future. Although I am not planning to focus on ICT4D, the needs-based approach is vital in all aspects of development. Projects and tools need to be catered to the specific population being targeted. Even if I just focus on one successful method of social entrepreneurship, that method needs to be compatible with the people and the environment in which it will be used.</p><p>In the future, it would be really interesting to study more case studies. Specifically, how technology has freely come into areas without ICT4D projects being implemented. Similar to the case study about the fishermen using cell phones in India to increase their income. I think it is really important to study these topics to learn about how technology can benefit certain populations and how to create ICT4D projects from these occurrences.</p>
Author Archives: khock1
This week’s reading focused on CyberSecurity and the importance of
nationalstrategies. In ITU’s report ITU National Cybersecurity Strategy Guide
written by DoctorFrederick Wamala he discusses the importance that a national
government and securityshould consider when creating their national strategy.
Cyberspace involves all of thesystems connected directly or indirectly to the
Internet while cyber security focuses on thestrategic plan to protect cyberspace
and ensure that the system continues to functionunder a threat.
According to the
guide there are 10 important elements of creating aNational Cybersecurity
Programme.The first item of the list is “Top Government Cybersecurity
Accountability”.According to the guide this element is important for a cyber
security programme has to becross- sectional across a nation. Not solely local
or national but has to cooperate under alllevels of government. They are the
ones accountable for devising a functional plan. Thesecond term on this list is
a coordinator. Like Homeland Security it is crucial that there isan office or
individual who oversees cyber security activities. Thirdly a “National
Cybersecurity Focal Point” meaning the multi- agency body is the focal point for
all of theactivities dealing with protection. Fourthly when creating a
Cybersecurity you need todesign the “Legal Measures” in which a team drafts a
policy and law procedures inresponse cybercrime. Fifth on the list is a
Framework. This is your start of the plan forwhich you state the basic elements
required in a national security. Sixthly, you need todesignate a Computer
Incident Response Team (CIRT) which is a “strategy led programmecontains
incident management capabilities with national responsibility”. They
areresponsible for coordinating responses to the stakeholders. After creating a
team you needto promote awareness and education about cybersecurity. It is
important that the nationknows and understands the importance of cyber threats.
Eighth on the list is a “Public –Private Sector Cybersecurity Partnership” for
which Government agencies shouldcollaborate with private companies such as
google. In order for a security team to be set upyou do however need to train
cybersecurity professionals. Lastly, the government needs toform “International
Cooperation” especially cause most cyber threats come from othercountries and
global cooperation is vital to additional security.If a country follows these
initial guidelines to forming and creating a NationalCybersecurity Programme,
they should soon be able to generate a national strategy planfor which they will
increase security and ensure that their nation’s cyberspace and
privateinformation is never threatened.
Researchers everywhere are always updating and creating better ICTs in order to make life easier and faster for consumers. ICTs have changed in shape in size, especially important to note, becoming smaller and have increased performance capability. The transition from computers to mobile phones has already occurred, thanks to increasing Internet speed and capability. Operating systems have become more user-friendly as well.
Where did this all begin? Konrad Zuse created the first “computer” in 1936. Although the mobile phone was created long ago, it is unsure the exact date. The first mobile telephone calls were made in 1946 and weighed over 80 pounds. Electronic computers gave way ot the internet in the 1950s, but was not standardized until 1982. In that short time all of these devises have grown in use a tenfold. The social media boom began around 1995 and is now used for marketing and sharing all types of information.
Clearly, the use of ICTs in development has become increasingly necessary over the past 2 decades. ICTs have created a lot of improvements in the development system, especially in regards to mapping and location information. It is the goal of many ICT development programs the integrate the use of ICTs in developing countries with other programs. In Lesotho, for example, ICT use is low and the city is not equipped with ICT infrastructure. The country has just begun to take the necessary steps toward higher ICT access and usage, especially in schools. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) eSchools Demo Project has focused attention on the potential benefits of ICTs in schools (skills to use internet/learn interactively). This program seeks to combat challenges of e-school scenarios, monitor the effectiveness of the program, and improve the provision of education in schools through ICT applications and the internet.
visit this website for more details:
With the transformations occurring rapidly across the world, there are many challenges and opportunities countries have to improve their political, economic and social standing across the world. Many countries have the opportunity to focus on the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals for their citizens. But clearly, there is a lot of work ahead, especially with technology.
The ICT revolution is keeping the attention of the private sector, civil society and policy makers. The world is communicating and processing information rapidly and demanding more of this. With the ease of international trade, financial flows and global networking, ICT is becoming increasingly important and there is a clear necessity for ICT policies and strategies in the Asia-Pacific region.
It is necessary for each nation in the region to step back and evaluate, implement and monitor the ICT strategy to more forward. At the United Nations Development Program’s Asia-Pacific Development Information Program they help a forum on ICT policies and e-strategies. The 17 point Kuala Lumpur Declaration was adopted. It emphasizes the need for specific policies on “poverty reduction, gender, infrastructure and access, human resources, content and applications, enterprises and entrepreneurs, and regional cooperation” through ICT policies. Currently the Asia-Pacific looks to expand and develop their ICT sector, but lack all the resources, abilities and funds to make this a reality. This is a problem because on policy suggests privatization though the private sector shows reluctance to supply services to the program.
Some progress has been made since the declaration. Community e-centers or telecenter models have been adopted across the region, including the Philippines. This is a way to achieve universal access to phones, computers and the internet. Broadband is important; however, not overemphasized like it may be in other places. The problem with these centers is that they often fail for many reasons. Often times the centers do not make long-term ties in the region, there is no education process within the facility, and they do not meet the immediate needs of the surrounding community.
Countries need need ICT policies that engage both the private sector and civil society organizations to move forward in the digital society. These capabilities will allow countries in the Asia-Pacific to meet the social, economic, political and cultural issues across the region–starting with the Millenium Development Goals.