Tools and Methodologies:

The Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World (GITR)

The Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World was a major collaboration between ITG at CID and the World Economic Forum (WEF). The report is the most comprehensive analysis and documentation to-date of Networked Readiness globally.

The GITR addresses issues of Networked Readiness of nations through:

• Essays written by internationally renowned experts on ICTs and development
• Networked Readiness profiles of 75 countries
• A Networked Readiness Index of countries
• Comprehensive data

The GITR was edited by Geoffrey Kirkman and was published in the spring of 2002 by Oxford University Press.

The Networked Readiness Guide

Readiness for the Networked World: A Guide for Developing Countries is a tool designed to assist leaders in the developing world to assess their preparedness for participating in the global information economy.

The Guide incorporates a systematic approach that looks at both qualitative and quantitative indicators in a community (town, city, province, nation), and provides a robust picture of the opportunities and challenges that the community will face in preparing itself for the Networked World.

The Guide considers five broad areas (network access, networked learning, networked society, networked economy, and network policy) which include nineteen specific categories with indicators that suggest the community's Networked Readiness.

The Guide was initially unveiled February 23rd, 2000 in Budapest, and was formally released to the public April 19, 2000 in Washington, DC.

Assessments using the Guide's methodology have been carried out in communities around the world, some with ITG participation and others completely independently. Many of our Readiness Assessments can be found in our Library of Publications.

Both at Harvard and with partners around the world, we translated the Guide into as many languages as possible. Thus far, we have Bangla, French, Chinese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Thai versions completed or in process. It is essential to get this information into the hands of hands of non-English speakers, and anyone interested in either translating the Guide or adapting it for the www.readinessguide.org website should contact us.

Region or Country-specific Projects:

The Harvard Dominican Initiative

ITG was responsible for the IT Component of the Harvard Dominican Initiative at CID, a project begun in the summer of 2001 that was concluded in October 2002. In close cooperation with the Economic Competitiveness and Children's components of the Initiative (being carried out by other colleagues at CID), the IT component of the Dominican Initiative completed the following, with the involvement of the Dominican private sector, NGOs and government. The project's final report was published in October 2002.

Networked Readiness of the Andean Region (a component of the Andean Competitiveness Project)

The overarching goal of the Andean Competitiveness Project (ACP) was to increase the economic competitiveness of the Andean Region, and the the IT component focused specifically on the role of information and communication technologies as they pertain broadly to competitiveness -- and how to best leverage them for growth. The first stage began with research on each nation's Readiness for the Networked World conducted with local partners in Bolivia,Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Preliminary results were presented in multi-sectoral workshops held in each country, where working groups formed to concretely address the complex set of challenges identified relating to the ICT environment and use in their nation. Results were shared with diverse stakeholder groups, and integrated iinto the sponsoring institution's (Corporacion Andina de Fomento) regional activities. More information and documentents are available here.

Networked Readiness of Mozambique

The Center for International Development selected Mozambique as the first country in Africa to collaborate with on ICT policy development. Mozambique, a country that is one of the fastest growing countries of the world, and one of the poorest, is eager to enter the information age. The Information Technologies Group worked closely with the ICT Policy Commission, headed by Prime Minister Mocumbi, to make this happen. The ITG conducted an initial Networked Readiness Assessment of Mozambique as part of its efforts to provide assistance to the government.

Other Projects

eDevelopment Seminar Series

From 2000 to 2002, ITG hosted a very successful seminar series in which invited experts gave brown bag lunch presentations to the Harvard, MIT, Tufts and Cambridge/Boston communities. You can find a record of these seminars here.

Workshops, Conferences and Events

Over the past four years we have organized a number of other conferences, events and workshops. Some of these events can be found here.

Expert Content for HIV/Aids, Malaria and TB for Developing Countries on the Net

Developing countries are facing a dire health crisis with millions of people dying each year from basic health care deficiencies. Major threats to public health stem from a shortage of health professionals, inadequate health education, and out of date clinical treatment. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to help improve the delivery of information and services to the healthcare community and to end-users in developing countries. Within this context, the Information Technologies Group designed and implemenedt the Expert Health Portal that will provide information on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis for policy makers and practitioners in the developing world as well as open the door to developing country users and facilitate access to the Global Fund announced at the G8 Summit in Genoa, July 2001. The Global Fund provides grants for projects that tackle HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The fund was launched in June 2001 by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who stated that between $7 billion and $10 billion would be needed to tackle effectively the three diseases that are widespread in many of the world's poorest countries. The fund is used to procure drugs and medical equipment as well as prevent the further spread of the disease. This project served to complement the Fund’s efforts of helping developing nations prevent, treat and provide care for the three diseases. It now serves to disseminate information about these diseases to the developing world as well as facilitate access to potential funding for these diseases.

LINCOS

Little Intelligent Communities (Lincos) is a project that provides connectivity and new opportunities for joining global ICT networks to people in remote areas of the developing world. Wireless communications in conjunction with computers, scientific diagnostic equipment, and all-important human capital allow for cutting edge health, education, community, and e-commerce benefits to be extended to previously unreachable areas.

The first containers were deployed in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic in fall of 1999. LINCOS is a joint venture of the MIT Media Lab and the Costa Rican Foundation for Sustainable Development. ITG is a contributor to the project in the consideration of sustainable business models, impact evaluation and general development issues.