This book compiles the Blog4Dev 2019 winning blog entries in the original language they were received (English, French or Portuguese). It also presents some highlights of their stay in Washington DC during the Spring Meetings 2019.
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Digital technologies have permeated modern life, and their impact on creative work has been revolutionary. This revolution, as widely noted, has disrupted the making, distribution, and consumption of creative output.
... See More + On the downside, key concerns include Internet-induced piracy and inequality. Yet digital technologies also accelerate opportunities. So, how can these opportunities be reaped to promote creative work for development? Suggestions here include closing the digital gender gap, promoting appropriate intellectual property rights, and providing digital literacy. More needs to be done to understand the benefits and limitations of digital technologies on creative work for human development.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS7683 MAY 24, 2016
Recent history around the world has revealed that ICT can play a crucial role in economic and social development of societies at all levels of development.
... See More + ICT improves communication and the exchange of knowledge and information necessary for development processes. In other words, ICT has revolutionized the way the society, businesses, and the government interacts, working procedures and processes, as well as product innovations. ‘As an accelerator, driver, multiplier, and innovator, ICT is a powerful if not indispensable tool in the massive scaling up and inter-linkages of development interventions and outcomes.’ Policy makers in Sri Lanka, like those around the world, are concerned with ensuring that the new drivers of competitiveness are a part of the development strategy. However, Sri Lanka’s first mover advantage in opening and transforming its economy has placed it in a fortuitous position of having the luxury to take a holistic and comprehensive approach to ICT development. Such a strategic approach can at once build on past strengths, apply lessons from Sri Lanka and around the world, and enable any course-corrections based on these lessons. The Government’s role in this process, therefore, is to ensure: good network infrastructure (discussed in chapter two), a good business environment (discussed in chapter three), and public and semi-public services (discussed in chapter four).
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Ratings for the E-Lanka Development Project for Sri Lanka were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, risk to development outcome was negligible, Bank performance was moderately unsatisfactory, and Borrower performance was moderately satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: when problems arise from perceived or real inconsistencies between legal documents or ambiguity, the Bank team must involve the participation of legal experts in resolving such inconsistencies or ambiguities. The project development objective (PDO) of the project must be formulated in a way that is fully coherent with the scope of the project. The lack of implementation capacity or experience in the implementing agency must be addressed in a proactive way, before it translates into shortcomings in project implementation. When the participation of third parties is needed for the project implementation, it is important to engage with those parties during project design to assess realistically their ability and willingness to participate. A well-established monitoring and evaluation (M and E) system is critical for proper monitoring and evaluation for a project.
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR939 NOV 20, 2014
The development objective of the E-Lanka Development Project is to enhance growth and equity through: 1) improved access and use of means of information and communication; 2) access to and use of public services on-line by businesses and citizens; and 3) enhanced competitiveness of the private sector and in particular of knowledge industry and small medium enterprises.
... See More + The extension is necessary to complete activities and roll out successful applications developed under the project. This period will also allow the additional financing as requested by government to be prepared. The implementing agency has provided a credible work plan, including a procurement plan to complete the project. The closing date for project will be extended from December 31, 2011 to March 31, 2012. This will be the second extension of the project. The project had earlier been extended for a period of 24 months.
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The Knowledge Economy Project will accelerate the participation of knowledge disadvantaged communities within the knowledge-based society and economy in Romania.
... See More + To this end, the Project will enable the Government implement the National Strategy for the New Economy and Implementation of the Information Society, as well as the European Union (EU) programs related to the information society for all. The project consists of the following components. Component 1 - Access to Information Communications Technology (ICT) in knowledge disadvantaged communities, and improved digital literacy - shall provide access to ICT services through the provision of physical equipment and connectivity, as well as provide the local populace with the basic digital literacy skills required to increase their utilization of knowledge. Component 2 - development and promotion of e-government services - will finance the full-scale implementation and deployment of a small number of e-government services, currently being piloted through the use of local community e-network (LCeNs), as the primary means of access, prior to full-scale deployment on a national level. Component 3 - promotion of e-commerce and innovation support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) - will facilitate Internet-based networks between MSMEs, both in horizontal clusters, and vertical supply chains, serving as a platform of both absorption of innovations, and market support, making MSMEs better informed, more competitive, placing Romania in-line with EU standards. Finally, Component 4 - Project Management - through the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), responsible to manage the Project Management Unit.
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Russia is reforming its education system to meet the needs of the country's evolving economic structure with its changing focus on information and services.
... See More + This is known as the information - or knowledge - economy. The reform effort is now being expanded to incorporate the support that technology can give to new systems of teaching and learning. Currently the Government of Russia is investing a significant part of its limited education budget into Information and Computer Technology (ICT) equipment for general schools and initial vocational education. The report intends to help to maximize the social and educational impact of these investments. This report focuses on the analysis needed to facilitate I C T integration at the level of general and Initial Vocational Education (IVE). Both the general and the vocational streams have fallen behind Higher Education (HE) in the introduction and integration of ICT. However, IVE has been particularly neglected, not only in respect of funding for hardware and software, but also in the design of a curriculum appropriate to potential employers. From the other hand, recent international researches demonstrate that Russian general education falls behind education systems of developed countries. The report identifies the three primary issues of educational reform, as recognized internationally, and discusses them in terms of the part that can be played by ICT. Russian understanding of the needs created by this synthesis breaks down as follows: equal access to quality education; enhanced teaching and learning relevant to the information age; and appropriate skills to be developed by students. The report then describes the situation in Russia as it exists today, including measures already taken by the government and others, and the continuing barriers to reform. It ends with a section listing policy options and recommendations that look towards the medium and long term. Looking towards the short term, the report concludes with three broad priority recommendations for early or more immediate action. This report concentrates on policy issues. It reviews developments in the context of the three key issues identified above. The report has been developed by the World Bank education team and is based on research and interviews with key policymakers and stakeholders at the federal and regional levels throughout the Russian Federation.
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