Using Information Technology for Development
Khitma and Luna, two volunteers trained by USAID, show members of a rural community
in Jordan how to use a computer. Their students learn how to search the internet
for information on issues they care about, including water, health and the environment.
Photo: USAID/Jordan
USAID ICT PROGRAMS
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Egypt,
India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Morocco,
Nepal, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Vietnam
CONTACTS
Jonathan Metzger
ICT for Development Advisor
Tel: (202) 661-5856
Email: jmetzger@dis.cdie.org
Overview
Access to telephones and the Internet is low in most countries
in Asia and the Near East. In India, for example, about five
people out of 100 have access to a telephone, and in Egypt,
less than one person out of 100 has access to the Internet.
For those lucky few with access to information and communications,
they use them to research products to get fair prices; for
online government services to avoid long-travel distances,
and to find life-saving health and nutrition information.
Expanding access to communications and technology for people,
businesses and the governments in the region makes a positive
difference in people’s quality of life, strength of
the economy and governments’ ability to govern effectively.
To reach these goals, USAID invests in policy reform, private
sector entrepreneurship, and people through innovative and
development appropriate applications of information technology.
Programs
Encouraging Policy Reform
Across the region, e-commerce transactions and Internet
use are increasingly common, but they are not yet used in
everyday business practices. Internet and communications technologies
(ICT) must be high quality and available to a large percentage
of the population for them to be used successfully. USAID
works with governments and businesses to reduce barriers to
ICTs and allow global e-commerce to function openly and transparently.
In Bangladesh, this allows shoe manufacturers to increase
exports while promoting employment for women.
Enabling Businesses to Succeed
Ensuring businesses can do what they need to do to be successful
means combining policy reform with the ability to provide
universal and affordable ICT access to consumers. This includes
training enough technicians to support the industry’s
growth. USAID has established Internet cafes in rural Cambodia,
India, and other countries to give people in remote areas
access to a computer and the Internet when they need it. In
partnership with CISCO Systems, USAID trains women and men,
young and old, to be systems administrators, giving them skills
for good jobs and making sure the industry has well-trained
professionals to support it.
Using ICT to Improve Approaches to Development
Internet and communication technologies can significantly
improve the way USAID and its partners carry out their development
programs, whether it is improving health and education, supporting
democracy, increasing economic growth, and promoting the environment.
Remote sensing technology, for example, improves the ability
to map and monitor use of forests and other environmental
resources. The Internet strengthens communications with projects
and central offices, strengthening quality control and delivery
of services. Increased use of these technologies in development
itself is a critical part of building a foundation for expanding
ICT use across the Asia and Near East region.
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