ICT for Development: Utilizing New Technologies for Regional Development

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ICT for DevelopmentUtilizing New Technologies
for Regional Development

• Todor Yalamov
• Coordinator, IT Group ARC Fund
• Partnership Coordinator, BgDG

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Plan of presentation

• From stories to theories
• From theories to implementation Utilizing ICT
• From fragmented cases to integrated future

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From stories to theories

• ICT4DEV concept Glocal activism and convergence
  of partnerships
• Stories of glocal (global local) activism
• Convergence of partnerships

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From stories to theoriesStories of glocal
(global local) activism

• Story 1. ICT4DEV in Bulgaria UNDP CSD
  stakeholders ? position paper advocacy ? CCICMT
  
• Story2. DEV4ICT in Bulgaria USAID MSI BIBA
  stakeholders ? strategy shared vision ? work
  in progress
• Story 3. Development Gateway World Bank ?
  Country Gateways ? Development Gateway Foundation
  ? regional partnerships in progress
• Story 4. Corporate Governance in ECA CIPE
  network of grantees ? World Bank joins ? virtual
  one-stop shop
• Story 5 ARC Funds experience of building
  web-presence of NGOs in SEE USAID ? Southeast
  Europe Online
• Other stories Please share yours!

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From stories to theoriesConvergence of
partnerships

• Coalitions vs. One-man shows ? partnerships
  between coalitions
• Public-private partnerships vs. sector (1, 2,
  3)-separated activities ? partnerships between
  NGOs and international organizations
• Regionalize or Die!

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From theories to implementation Utilizing ICT

• Utilizing ICT for NGO development in SEE
  Southeast Europe Online
• To find who (individual and institutional) is
  doing what in the region?
• To find websites in or about the region!
• To read the daily news and country info for seven
  countries!
• SEE provides structured information around topics
  and interactive tools for community building!
• Find out more at http//www.southeasteurope.org

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From theories to implementation Utilizing ICT
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From theories to implementation Utilizing ICT

• Utilizing ICT for country development Bulgaria
  Development Gateway Initiative
• Policy level
• Glocal efforts
• Portal
• Building communities!

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From . to policy level

• Policy research, awareness raising and advocacy
  to position Knowledge economy as a top national
  priority

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From . to glocal efforts

• Hosting two regional Country Gateways meetings
• Regional pilot projects (Romania)
• Integrating different global initiatives on local
  level GDLN and GDG
• Integrating content between GDG and thus gt 40
  countries and BG trough XML

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From . to portal

• Interactive content management system (dynamic
  relative taxonomy tree, users post files, links,
  news, events, comments, and participate in
  forums)
• Pilot projects in progress (interlinking outside
  databases, offline initiatives or specific user
  demands)

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From . to portal
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From to building communities
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From theories to implementation Utilizing ICT

• Challenges or lessons learned
• Hat syndrome Everybody wants to coordinate!
• Zero-sum and non-transparent mentality!
• Strong donor rivalries for ownership of products
  and still not enough focus on the processes!
• With the exception of EU programmes other
  financing mechanisms provide incentives rather to
  compete than to cooperate!

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From fragmented cases to integrated future

• How we could respond to the challenges?
• Extensive use of XML between different fragmented
  web4dev sites
• Advocacy for new models of donor assistance that
  would encourage
• best practice transfer from one country to
  another
• implement cooperative pilots

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From fragmented cases to integrated future

• Expanding national public-private partnerships on
  a regional level
• Shifting focus from communication tools to
  communities
• Develop a culture of sharing trough common
  projects
• Meet more often ?

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Thank you!

• todor.yalamov_at_online.bg