BDP Director will be in Brussels next week meeting with EU/EC representatives and also exploring funding opportunities. Several DGG sub-practices were requested to provide proposals which the e-gov team diligently produced. Today we got feedback from our Practice Director indicating that the proposals needed to be strengthened as it was not clear what exactly we are offering in terms of internal expertise, capacity and knowledge.
I redrafted the original proposal and shared with DGG directorate. Here is the text.
ICTs for Inclusive Governance and Sustainable Human Development
Inclusive participation is one of the core pillars of democratic governance, New ICTs, especially mobile phones that are now in the hands of six billion across the world (including vulnerable groups in remote areas), present new opportunities for people to engage with their government and be part of the governance and policy processes where decisions affecting their lives are made.
New ICTs are also starting to transform in several ways the way in which people and stakeholders interact among each other and with governments, local and national, As shown from events unfolding around the world, particularly the so-called “Arab Spring”, new ICTs are empowering people by widening access to information and data, giving voice to the voiceless, creating new spaces for engagement, opening up governments and enhancing transparency accountability through a connected.
These changes are indeed at the hears of UNDP’s democratic governance practice and portfolio of programmes and initiatives. And the rapid development of new ICTs in the last two decades, along with the “democratization” of access to new ICTs, have opened new opportunities for moving forward this agenda.
According to the latest e-governance mapping results for 2012, UNDP is supporting 228 e-governance and ICT for development programmes and projects in 92 countries. The estimated overall expenditures of these projects amounted to US $221million.
Key messages and projects:
Building on its long standing experience of over 20 years in the area of ICTs for governance and inclusiveness, UNDP’s sees ICTs as means to an end – not as ends in themselves. Social innovation at the local level is one of the essential features of the new ICTs, a feature that brings them closer to local communities while addressing in concrete fashion local development priorities and gaps.
Based on EU strategy and priorities the possible entry points to explore a partnership include:
1) Enabling participation of people in decision-making processes that directly affect their own future – US $ 500,000
2) Promoting innovation in public institutions to foster e-service delivery through ICTs with a focus on poor and under-served communities – US $ 1,000,000
3) Promote South-South collaboration and triangular cooperation focusing on local innovation, addressing global priorities and local needs – US $ 500,000
To implement these initiatives UNDP has it disposal:
- A team of internal experts
- Policy advise, programme and technical support to countries
- Ongoing related initiatives in at least 60 developing countries
- Knowledge brokers, state of the art research capacity, and relevant knowledge products
- Networks of over 500 internal practitioners and over 100 external experts
- Global comparative knowledge on the issues but region and country typology
- Partnerships with leading IT companies
Cheers, Raúl
