Ramping Up ADB's Role in Information and Communications Technology for Development

Ramping Up ADB's Role in Information and Communications Technology for Development This unpublished prÊcis delineates ADB's ICTD Team Work Plan, 2016–2017, which aims to identify ICT options in ADB's operations, diversify ICT portfolios in ADB's operations, develop ADB's capacity for ICT operations, and leverage knowledge partnerships in ICT. Olivier Serrat 28/04/2016

CONTENTS Page Abbreviations

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Acknowledgments

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Executive Summary

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I.

Understanding the Context

1

II.

Structuring ADB's Actions

8

III.

Implementing the Work Plan

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IV. Monitoring and Reporting on Actions Appendixes

11

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Connectivity Trends and Issues in Information and Communications Technology

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Progressing from ADB's Experience in Information and Communications Technology for Development

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Information and Communications Technology for Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

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References to Information and Communications Technology for Development in ADB's Operational Plans

38

Showcasing Information and Communications Technology for Development in ADB's Operations

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Boxes, Figures, Tables Box 1.1: Box 1.2: Box 1.3:

A Note on Smart Cities Building and Deepening Co-Financing Partnerships for ICTD Referenced Lessons from Self-Evaluation

Figure 1.1: Figure 1.2: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure A2:

The New Dimensions of ICT The ICTD Ecosystem Ramping Up ADB's Role in ICTD—Strategic Thrusts, 2016–2017 Ramping Up ADB's Role in ICTD—Outcomes and Impact, 2016–2017 Possible ICTD Directions

Table 1:

Illustrative ICTD-Related Opportunities in Sample Sector and Thematic Areas of Interest Ramping Up ADB's Role in ICTD—Results Framework, 2016–2017 Promoting ICTD in ADB's Operations—Possible Directions in Sample Sector and Thematic Areas of Interest

Table 2: Table A2:

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ABBREVIATIONS ADB COBP CPS DMC ICT ODs OIST O&M SDCC

– – – – – – – – –

STGs

–

Asian Development Bank country operations business plan country partnership strategy developing member country information and communications technology operations departments Office of Information Systems and Technology Operation and Maintenance Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department Sector and Thematic Groups NOTES

In this work plan, "$" refers to US dollars.

ADB recognizes "China" by the name "People's Republic of China".

ADB recognizes "Korea" by the name "Republic of Korea".

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Vice-President Director General Director Team Members

B. Susantono, Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development C. Locsin, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department (SDCC) B. Édes, SDCC O. Serrat, Principal Knowledge Management Specialist, SDCC S.Y. Yoon, Senior Public Management Specialist (e-Governance), SDCC

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We live in a digital age in which business and societal interaction increasingly takes place online. Ever faster and cheaper, when it is not entirely new, information and communications technology (ICT) allows people to seek, acquire, and share expertise, ideas, services, and technologies locally, nationally, regionally, and around the world. It boosts efficiency and productivity; reduces risks, transaction costs, and barriers to entry; provides the means for sweeping reorganization of business; and generally makes governments, markets, and networks work better. Nevertheless, success does not come out of nowhere: everything points to the need for enabling policy and regulatory frameworks in line with well thought-out investments in ICT infrastructure at local, national, and regional levels; development of applications; and capacities and skills for development, implementation and sustainable operation and maintenance.

"ICT for Development" (ICTD) springs from the desire to leverage ICT to propel economic and social progress and enhance its effects. In 2014, the midterm review of Strategy 2020, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s long-term strategic framework, made a strong case for greater and more deliberate use of ICT in ADB's operations. Because ICT can help achieve the aspirational, transformational, and universal objectives of the post-2015 development agenda, four targets of the newly approved 17 Sustainable Development Goals make direct reference to it. The four related goals are to (i) Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; (ii) Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girl; (iii) Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation; and (iv) Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Implicitly, Goal 17 recognizes ICT as essential to the effective achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals and their associated targets.

This Work Plan of the ICTD Team situated in the Social Development, Governance, and Gender Division of the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department supports the ramping up of ADB's role in ICTD in the short term, 2016–2017. It will help the operations departments, the Sector and Thematic Groups, and the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department forge strong cross-functional partnerships for quick and tangible rewards, ultimately to the benefit of ADB's developing member countries. The Work Plan draws mainly on existing resources to deliver improved outcomes. It looks horizontally to lead organizational change, connect business processes, build portfolios, tender advisory services, and drive knowledge generation and sharing, this in anticipation also of the likely thrusts of ADB's next corporate strategy regarding the use of ICT. From contributing actions/outputs, the intermediate outcomes of the Work Plan shall be that:  ICT options in ADB's operations are identified.  ICT portfolios in ADB's operations are diversified.  ADB's capacity for ICT operations is developed.  Knowledge partnerships in ICT are leveraged.

The envisaged outcomes of the Work Plan are enhanced policy and regulatory frameworks for ICT operations, strengthened capacity in developing member countries to utilize ICTD; and increased investments in ICT-led and ICT-enabled operations. The desired impact is a narrowed digital divide and better, inclusive service delivery to the public through ICT.

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The Work Plan aims also to serve as an organization-wide springboard of early actions/outputs against which ICT-related elements of ADB's next long-term strategic framework can be couched. On 2 October 2015, ADB President Takehiko Nakao approved Regional Policy and Advisory Technical Assistance for Boosting ADB's Relevance in a Transforming Asia and Pacific: Support for ADB's New Corporate Strategy: importantly, a background paper toward the new strategy shall:  Determine how ADB can help developing member countries make better use of ICT to strengthen productivity and competitiveness.  Recommend concrete ways to integrate and mainstream ICT and other new and innovative technologies in sector operations.  Identify gaps and recommend measures to improve ADB's own technical capacity and institutional positioning to become a stronger technology enabler for developing member countries.

Thus, the experience of the Work Plan shall inform the preparation of ADB's next corporate strategy and hasten its next steps.

I.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

1.

Information and communications technology (ICT)1—defined here as technologies that facilitate by electronic means the processing, transmission, and display of information—is an umbrella term for any communication device or application, e.g., computer and network hardware and software, radio, satellite systems, telephones, television, etc., as well as the various multidimensional services associated with them. Since the 1950s, ICT has grown into one of the most powerful forces shaping the 21st century (Figure 1.1). It allows people to seek, acquire, and share expertise, ideas, services, and technologies locally, nationally, regionally, and around the world; boosts efficiency and productivity; reduces risks, transaction costs, and barriers to entry; provides the means for sweeping reorganization of business; and generally makes governments, markets, and networks function better. Already, it has transformed the financial services, media, retail, and telecommunications sectors. Significantly, more than threequarters of the world's population has a mobile phone, and the number of mobile-cellular subscriptions is close to seven billion.2 Figure 1.1: The New Dimensions of ICT • Broadband • Mobile Devices • Next Generation Systems • Wireless Technology and Optical Fibers

• Big Data • Data Analytics • Data Management • Data Mining

• Cloud Computing • Internet of Things • Remote Sensing • Sensor Technology Connectivity

Structure

Usage

Support

• Applications • Control Centers • Helpdesks • Information Technology Security

Note: Issues related to data management include ownership, collection, storage, protection, retention, analysis, sharing, and reporting. The most challenging aspects of working with data concern the dynamic relationships between storage, analysis, and sharing.

Source: ADB.

2.

However, ICT has yet to be fully embedded in the lives of those living in developing countries where over three billion people—almost half of the global population—subsist on less than $2.50 a day (Appendix 1). For sure, in these less fortunate environments, countries can veritably leapfrog stages of development by harnessing ICT to increase avenues for economic and citizen engagement, strengthen social networks,3 and make public services more efficient;4 but without ICT, the efforts of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s developing member countries (DMCs) to connect, innovate, and transform shall be stymied, irrespective of income thresholds. 5 Therefore, ADB can make major contributions by catalyzing—in what might be termed the "ICTD ecosystem"—the development of policy and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, applications, 6 and capacities and skills for ICT, with an eye also on standardization and information technology security.7

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Figure 1.2: The ICTD Ecosystem

Policy and Regulatory Framework

Infrastructure (including connectivity)

Capacities and Skills

Applications (including contents and services)

Source: ADB.

3.

In international organizations, attention to "ICT for Development" (ICTD) springs from the desire to leverage ICT to propel economic and social progress and enhance its positive impacts.8 In ADB, ICT options traverse the distinct but complementary strategic development agendas of inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. There, because of its all-pervasive nature, ICTD is best understood in particular contexts such as, say, ICT in disaster management; education; energy; finance; health; industry and trade; public sector management; rural development and food security; transport; and urban development; not forgetting their subsectors and ICT infrastructure per se, all this at local, national, and regional levels.9 The proliferation of megacities and smaller settlements demands multisectoral interventions too (Box 1.1). ICTD can introduce new opportunities to the poor and other under-represented groups, including women, so they may truly get ahead, at least keep up.10 4.

In Asia and the Pacific, ramping up ADB's role in ICTD is intrinsic to ADB's mandate, vision, and mission.11 ADB's value as a "finance++" partner means it can rise to the challenge by offering superior combinations of its own finance plus additional resources leveraged through public, private, and other partnerships plus knowledge derived from deep expertise across the many sectors and themes in which ICT finds applications and in which ADB is already involved.

Notwithstanding needs for ICT financing, ADB's record of accomplishment in research and development, policy and advisory technical assistance, and capacity development summons it also to stimulate all-important upstream reforms in policy and regulatory frameworks for ICT and associated development of capacities and skills that few other organizations can advance.

Box 1.1: A Note on Smart Cities By 2030, Asia and the Pacific shall have at least 22 megacities including Tokyo (37.2 million), Delhi (36.0 million), Shanghai (30.7 million), Mumbai (27.8 million), Beijing (27.7 million), Dhaka (27.4 million), and a Karachi (24.8 million). From Mumbai to Shanghai, such cities are deploying "smart" technology— electronic devices connected to other devices or networks—to address the multisectoral challenges faced by massive, interconnected metropolitan centers. A "smart city" is a place where traditional infrastructure, networks, and services are made more efficient through ICT.

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Notwithstanding the mobility challenges the phenomenal increase in cars poses, what do smart cities mean for the three billion people who shall be living in slums by 2050? The concept of a smart city can— and must—mean more than the use of ICT for urban transport and lower emissions of greenhouse gases: among others, it implies smarter, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities, and more efficient ways of lighting and regenerating urban districts; it also encompasses a more interactive and responsive administration, education, healthcare, safer public spaces, and the needs of growing and ageing populations. Digital financial services systems beckon too.

In short, a smart city is not just a city that leverages ICT in a particular sector but that implements ICT for the benefit of its communities, with their participatory action and engagement, to excel in the areas of economy, environment, living, mobility, people, and government. Definitely, ICT cannot do it alone: but it is an indispensable ally of commercialization, funding, intelligent policies, business-process transformation, and business-model innovation. All the while, smaller settlements of 500,000 inhabitants continue to grow; indeed many of the fastest growing cities in the world are such settlements. a

United Nations. 2014. World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision, Highlights. esa.un.org/unpd/wup/ Source: ADB.

5.

The Republic of Korea was quick to seize the opportunities ICT presents: in 2006, it worked with ADB to establish the e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund. For the last 10 years, that Fund has helped reduce the digital divide; promote full access to ICT; and share experience, information, and knowledge in Asia and the Pacific.12 The Fund operates through two windows: the e-Asia program and the knowledge partnership program. The e-Asia program aims to strengthen the capacity of ADB DMCs to achieve the targets of the World Summit on the Information Society Plan of Action, and provide technical assistance for promoting ICT and bridging the digital divide through national and regional e-strategies; the knowledge partnership program aims to strengthen the capacity of DMCs by facilitating the creation and sharing of experience, information, and knowledge in Asia and the Pacific. Other co-financing partnerships can be envisaged (Box 1.2).

Box 1.2: Building and Deepening Co-Financing Partnerships for ICTD The reach of ICT, its potential for poverty reduction, ADB's experience in the sector, and new operational thrusts for ICT offer scope for collaboration and cooperation, for instance by means of:  Partnerships with other multilateral (and bilateral) institutions that magnify the ambit of projects and have a greater impact in ADB's developing member countries.  Public–private partnerships that reduce uncertainties and give the private sector added confidence in a project's viability.  Partnerships with civil society—including nongovernment organizations—that test new concepts or fortify new approaches, such as strengthening civil society-led ICT initiatives for anticorruption.  Partnerships with governments in ADB's developing member countries that drive policy reforms through fee-based services.  Partnerships with government, civil society, and the private sector that identify and develop actionoriented knowledge products to enrich debate on development agendas such as inclusive economic growth and environmentally sustainable growth.  Partnerships with academia and centers of excellence that evaluate development impact and refine application and system designs.

Sector- and theme-specific funds for ICT are a good way to build, extend, and sustain partnerships for higher efficiency and effectiveness. Such funds can be used to:  Design, develop, and implement innovative concepts for using ICT in the sector or theme of interest, such as digital platforms for financial services systems.  Establish regional centers of excellence in sector- and theme-specific activities and support

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incubators in academic and research institutions.

Undertake capacity development and knowledge sharing programs.

Create sector- and theme-specific ICT tools and platforms for regional use.

Encourage private sector participation.

Undertake research and experimentation activities by way of small-scale pilots.

Source: ADB.

6.

ADB has yet to carry out an independent evaluation of ICT in its operations.13 This is partly because data and information on projects with ICT features is scattered, while ICT-led projects have been few. Only in 2014 was a new project classification system introduced identifying ICT as a separate sector, distinct from the erstwhile "Transport and ICT" appellation. 14 In the absence of independent feedback on overall performance with ICT, it suffices that four principal lessons from self-evaluation are recognized:  The primary focus of ICT initiatives must be on how to support a country's development goals, not just aim at "technology catch-up".  ICT projects hinge on appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks.  The design of ICT projects must adequately consider the local context and ICT readiness, including a country's sector development status as well as the government's capacity to implement the project and provide sustainable and secure operation and maintenance (O&M).  ICT initiatives must introduce sustainability measures at the early stages of a project by establishing government ownership upfront, finding partners in the private sector, having a concrete plan to mobilize investment, and ensuring allocation of continuous O&M budgets (Box 1.3).

7.

A comprehensive, independent evaluation of ICT in ADB's operations is wanted.

However, in the absence of that, ADB must rely on what experience and knowledge have accumulated from self-evaluation to put in place an organization-wide springboard of early actions/outputs upon which ICT-related elements of ADB's next long-term strategic framework can be constructed.15 This can be achieved based on a forward-looking assessment of ICTDrelated opportunities in sample sector and thematic areas of interest (Table 1), some of which— quite innovative—are being seized that might be scaled up and replicated more strategically to flesh out a substantial portfolio; ADB's experience in ICTD (Appendix 2); and possible ICTD directions (Appendix 2, Table A2), informed also by the opportunities ICT offers to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (Appendix 3). Time flies and ICT evolves fast.16 Box 1.3: Referenced Lessons from Self-Evaluation On Development Goals, Beyond "Technology Catch-Up"  ADB. 2007. Technical Assistance Completion Report: South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Information and Communication Technology Development Master Plan.

Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/sasec-ict-development-master-plan-tcr On Policy and Regulatory Frameworks  ——. 2007. Technical Assistance Completion Report: Early Warning Systems Study in Bangladesh.

Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/early-warning-systems-study-ewss-tcr  ——. 2009. Technical Assistance Completion Report: Implementation of Telecommunication Sector Policy Reforms and Capacity Building in Cambodia.

Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/implementation-telecommunication-sector-policy-reforms-andcapacity-building  ——.2011. Completion Report: Information Technology Development Project in Maldives. Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/information-technology-development-project

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On Local Context and ICT Readiness  ——. 2007. Technical Assistance Completion Report: South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Information and Communication Technology Development Master Plan.

Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/sasec-ict-development-master-plan-tcr  ——. 2011. Extended Annual Review Report: Roshan Cellular Telecommunications Project in Afghanistan, Phases 1–3.

Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/roshan-cellulartelecommunications-project  ——. 2011. Completion Report: Information Technology Development Project in Maldives. Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/information-technology-development-project  ——. 2013. Technical Assistance Completion Report: Public Transport Information and Communication Technology in Mongolia. Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/public-transportinformation-and-communication-technology-tcr On Sustainability Measures, Ownership, Resource Mobilization, and Partnerships  ——. 2006. Technical Assistance Completion Report: Community Information Services for the Poor in Sri Lanka. Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/community-information-services-poor-tcr  ——. 2012. Technical Assistance Completion Report: Rural ICT Connectivity Project in Bangladesh.

Manila. www.adb.org/projects/documents/rural-ict-connectivity-project-tcr  ——. 2013. Performance Evaluation Report: Bangladesh: Grameenphone Telecommunications Project and Grameenphone Telecommunications Expansion Project.

Manila. www.adb.org/documents/bangladesh-grameenphone-telecommunications-project-andgrameenphone-telecommunications-exp Source: ADB.

Table 1: Illustrative ICTD-Related Opportunities in Sample Sector and Thematic Areas of Interest Sector/Theme Climate Change

Disaster Risk Management Education

Energy

Environment

Finance

Opportunity ICT can play multiple roles at all stages of climate change—from monitoring it, adapting to it, mitigating its impacts, and developing long-term solutions—in sectors such as energy, housing, transport, etc. To note, ICT itself contributes to climate change through the proliferation of user devices, all of which require power and radiate heat.

ICT can improve early warning systems; supports rapid assessments; and facilitates communication, coordination, and management of resources.

ICT strengthens education system capacity, facilitates access to educational services, and improves teacher ability to deliver those services. In higher education, for one, ICT is beginning to globalize open, online, and flexible systems that deliver cost-effective and equitable pathways to just-in-time, mobile learning.

Beyond "build and grow", smart grids are the emerging paradigm: they are webs of technologies aiming to automate, improve efficiency, monitor, and increase the availability of electric grids at generation, transmission, and distribution levels. ICT can rejig business models.

ICT that frees detailed trend and real-time data offers promising solutions to enhance monitoring, policy design, regulations, and citizen engagement for environmental management. This can enable significant transformations of economic and social structures, human activities, and governance processes to accelerate transitions to green growth.

ICT can promote the cost-effectiveness, stability, and integrity of financial systems and advance consumer protection, security, and transparency. The alternative delivery channels for financial services it makes possible include automated teller machines (ATMs); agent banking; call centers; e-wallets; extension services, e.g., field staff, mini-branches, and "branches on wheels"; as well as internet banking, all of which quicken financial inclusion.

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Sector/Theme Gender Equity

Health

ICT

Public–Private Partnership

Public Sector Management

Regional Cooperation and Integration

Rural Development and Food Security

Opportunity ICT can enrich the education, health, and material asset endowments of women, whose mobility and time constraints are more severe compared to men. ICT-enabled jobs in banking, insurance, printing, and publishing, for example, are likely to be taken up by women. Social media can also empower women to participate and have a stronger voice in society.

Growing and aging populations challenge healthcare spending and dictate a shift away from treatment to predicting, diagnosing, and monitoring. ICT can drive sector-wide improvements in accountability, efficiency, and transparency.

E-health and e-medicine have an increasingly important role to play.

Opportunities also exist for medical services in times of crisis.

A reliable ICT infrastructure for storage and connectivity is the basis for the operation of all ICT-related services across sectors. This said. reaping in full the opportunities ICT provides means that priority topics such as sustainable and redundant international and domestic connectivity, coverage, sustainable O&M, processes, quality of service, performance, standardization, security, affordable tariffs, storage, resiliency, well trained staff and adequate budgets for capital expenditure (capex) and operating expenditure (opex) must be addressed. At a higher level, the development of ICT infrastructure must to go hand in hand with ICT-related national or regional strategies, policy and regulatory frameworks, and reliable power supply.

The need for public–private partnerships is likely to grow in the first and middle miles, but also where clients live in rural and remote areas but demand justifies their formation. Beyond the ICT sector per se, partnerships that leverage ICT are both feasible and necessary in a wide range of sectors such as education, health, transport, urban, and water.

Open government is gaining momentum. Increasingly, ICT can be used to hold governments accountable, raise efficiency, and improve transparency. By helping monitor and report on trends and events and engage citizens in dialog, the participation it fosters can also optimize service delivery.

Regional cooperation and integration and ICT are highly complementary: the first opens economies of scale and more diversified business opportunities for ICT investments while the latter enables broader scope and greater depth of real economic activity within and across sectors, this without the need for physical connectivity in the case of services. On top, "cross-border mobility" of skilled and scarce professionals can take place on demand without the need for physical travel. Furthermore, with nation-wide internet access that is also operable across countries, any business can take advantage of cross-border physical logistics systems to conduct what business requires physical movement. Thus, ICT is instrumental in trade facilitation through enhancing production networks and supply chains. The internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use a protocol commonly known as TCP/IP—short for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol—to link billions of devices worldwide. Evidently, this international network can be better managed if countries cooperate, for instance in information technology security. Additionally, the internet can also serve as a powerful accelerator of regional cooperation and integration; the vast landscape encompasses internet governance, common digital markets, and the provision or safeguard of regional and global public goods.

ICT can serve rural communities by providing local content and basic services to people who are marginalized by distance or geography. It can also help rural communities stay in touch, eliminate intermediaries, directly access markets and value chains, grow bargaining power, facilitate the provision of agriculture extension services, aid long-distance learning, improve farm productivity, and develop nonagricultural economic activities.

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Sector/Theme Social Protection

Transport

Urban Development

Water

Opportunity ICT can enable client identification, registration, and tracking; transaction processing using management information systems; cash delivery; and monitoring and evaluation. Opportunities also exist to support citizen feedback and grievance redress systems and monitor and assess spatial dimensions of poverty and vulnerability.

Intelligent transportation systems emphasize safety, management, and efficiency. But, ICT can also lessen environmental impact, for example through guidance systems that lead motorists to the most appropriate parking spaces, which reduces engine time; use of the Global Positioning System for navigation or vehicle dispatch, which cuts journey time; and road pricing schemes that encourage greater use of public transport, which alleviates congestion and reduces energy use.

Cloud-based services, increasingly powerful mobile phones, sensors, big data, and data analytics present huge opportunities for cities to enter new phases of technological development and better deliver services. Game-changing opportunities exist across most aspects of urban life including education, energy and other utilities, health, inclusion, and urban mobility, as well as related urban planning. Integrated and comprehensive Geographic information systems applications for planning, implementing, and monitoring urban development are keys tools and mechanisms that can ensure cohesion, efficiency, and smooth articulation across all urban sub-sectors. Smart and connected buildings using cutting-edge material would enhance the optimization and sharing of resources, Community-based mapping and planning would help improve local governance and civil society engagement.

Integrating ICT such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems in water and sanitation projects can, for instance, reduce the cost and duration of monitoring and inventory activities, disseminate hydrological information, improve efficiency gains of water service providers, track water use with remote sensing, improve collection rates of water service providers through ICT based-payment systems, ensure better services to the poor, decrease business and physical non-revenue water, optimize water pressure and pumping stations energy efficiency, measure water quality and implement water safety plans, and strengthen citizen voice and accountability frameworks.

ICT = information and communications technology; O&M = operation and maintenance.

Note: The Work Plan uses the concepts of "environmentally sustainable growth" and "green growth" interchangeably.

Overall, both are about synergizing environmental protection and economic growth, while reducing poverty and ensuring equitable outcomes in terms of human well-being.

Note: Across the sample sector and thematic areas of interest, to which trade facilitation and others might be added, the transformative power of ICT stems from the generic factors of heightened efficiency, enlarged scale, reduced risks, and informed decision making; singly or in unison, they beget improved outcomes. This table isolates a few ICT-related opportunities for illustrative purposes; it complements but neither completes nor replaces Table A2 in Appendix 2. The two invite deeper reflection elsewhere, preferably in the form of background papers, on how ICT can transform subregional, country, sector, and thematic interventions. Reference is invited to Appendix 3.

Source: ADB.

8.

The midterm review of Strategy 2020 drew attention to the role that ICT can play in making ADB's assistance more innovative, inclusive, and integrated.17 It communicated vision and presented the case for actions to (i) strengthen ADB capacity to support the use of ICT and public–private partnerships in education to meet the requirements of growing and modernizing economies; (ii) make innovative use of ICT to improve access to finance (inclusive finance); (iii) use ICT more effectively in projects to improve development impact, including technical assistance for e-governance;18 (iv) utilize ICT to help address the challenges of upper middleincome countries; and (v) improve service delivery through ICT. Next, an operational and organizational agenda verbalized specific actions.19

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9.

To reach the objectives the midterm review set in 2014, ADB formed an interdepartmental working group on ICTD under the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department (SDCC) in June 2014. The team acknowledged the institutional challenges ADB faces: ICT could be a sector for stand-alone ICT infrastructure projects—that might well deliver multi-sector benefits—as well as a theme for ICT components in projects. From a sector point of view, there is no institutional home, e.g., a sector group, responsible for ADB's ICT operations; from a thematic point of view, there is no organizational mechanism by which to coordinate ICT issues in ADB's sectors of intervention. The team recognized also that a corollary of sector and thematic ambiguity about ICT is that ADB finds it difficult to respond even when DMCs make concrete demands. Still, the team saw a felt need to represent and advance ICTD across ADB, not just at subregional, country, sector, or thematic levels; this is congruent with SDCC's corporate-wide function to boost quality, knowledge, and innovation for inclusive and sustainable development. Therefore, the team framed challenges to expanding the use of ICT in DMCs and highlighted opportunities for ADB to increase the effectiveness of the support it provides by making more strategic and greater use of ICT in its operations.

II.

STRUCTURING ADB'S ACTIONS

10.

ADB must organize to better harness ICT as a natural and important enabler of development effectiveness. Nevertheless, the size, variety, and intensity of subregional, country, sector, and thematic demand for ICT are such that ADB must concentrate on where, and how, it can most expeditiously expand and imbed ICT options in ADB's operations, especially in cross-sector areas—such as ICT infrastructure and e-governance—from which more ICT-based, sector- and theme-specific interventions can materialize. With reasonable ambition, the Work Plan means to draw on existing resources to deliver intermediate outcomes.

It looks horizontally to lead organizational change, connect business processes, build ICT portfolios, tender advisory services, and drive knowledge generation and sharing. To wit, four mutually reinforcing enterprises shall enjoy dedicated attention in the short term, meaning 2016–2017, across the ICTD ecosystem of policy and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, applications, and capacities and skills for ICT (Figure 2):  Identify ICT Options in ADB's Operations. The charge shall be to identify areas where there seems to be general demand, often poor awareness, and great potential. In each DMC, ADB's country partnership strategy (CPS) and associated country operations business plan (COBP) are the primary planning instruments of ADB's assistance. Systematically, they are guided by operational plans of the Sector and Thematic Groups (STGs). Informed by country diagnostics, e.g., problem analysis, stakeholder analysis, and institutional appraisal, of demand and readiness for possible ICT interventions, such strategic and operational documents must be scrutinized for ICT issues and options by dedicated ICT point persons in the STGs.20 This shall also serve to offset the fact that—excepting those for education, health, finance, and disaster risk management, in declining order of occurrence—most of the operational plans of the STGs do not make much reference to ICT-related terminology (Appendix 4). 21 (The Governance TG has done much to promote ICT thanks to the eGovernance and ICT for Development unit in SDCC but its operations are not driven by an operational plan.)  Diversify ICT Portfolios in ADB's Operations. ADB has few ICT-led projects and an indeterminate albeit rapidly increasing number of ICT-enabled projects in its portfolios, the former being concentrated in a couple of sectors. But, the mix and size of the overall ICT portfolio in ADB's operations can hardly be amplified

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

without serious consideration of possible—and necessarily strategic and operational—ICT directions concerning policy and regulatory frameworks, infrastructures, applications, and capacities and skills for ICT. Here, informed by country diagnostics, a holistic combination of stand-alone ICT projects, ICT components of projects, and technical assistance for policy, regulatory, and capacity development would be warranted. Technical assistance can prepare high-priority ICT projects in parallel with capacity development that helps DMCs design and sustain them. ADB can also pilot ICT initiatives for scale-up or replication elsewhere in a DMC or indeed in other DMCs. The operative words shall be "sector positioning" and "value addition".

Develop ADB's Capacity for ICT Operations. It is not easy for ADB to maintain ICT expertise across the broad range of issues that growing demand for ICT throws up. ADB is short of staff with ICT expertise. All the same, there are feasible options even if ICT-savvy human resources are still scarce. First, training programs can help targeted staff acquire skills and knowledge relevant to projects in their sectors and themes of interest. To raise ADB-wide awareness, there is also scope for lectures by eminent persons, "brown bag" seminars that showcase field-proven, scalable, and sustainable ICT solutions,22 and a focus on ICTD in the ICT Week sponsored by the Office of Information Systems and Technology (OIST), the scope of which should be broadened—over time—on a par with ADB's Water Week or Clean Energy Week and with substantial contributions by the ODs, including staff in resident missions.23 Second, it makes sense to build—with support from the Operations Services and Financial Management Department—a roster of internal and external ICT experts— beginning with practitioners who are working or have worked on either ICT-led projects of ADB or ICT components thereof: this would facilitate capture and storage as well as sharing and learning of experiences and lessons in ICT, including case studies of and briefings on successful applications in key sectors and short-format publications such as the Knowledge Showcases24 (Appendix 5); the roster would also locate experts in particular fields of ICT who might support ICT initiatives and projects managed by the ODs.25 Leverage Knowledge Partnerships in ICT. The success of ICT projects hangs on the ability to mobilize expertise: judicious and carefully managed partnerships are key to this. In 2014, ADB and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)26 launched the ADB/ITU ICT Initiative on ICT for Development in the AsiaPacific Region.27 In this setting, ADB shall host—or at least take part in—regional knowledge-sharing forums that enrich in strategic alliances the quality and quantity of knowledge capabilities in ICT. ADB's collaboration with the Asia eHealth Information Network, the largest peer-to-peer learning network on digital health globally, is another example of attractive venues. Because good practice— that is, the right way to do something—improves the quality of involvement, makes that more dynamic, and increases overall efficiency and functionality, SDCC shall seek out partnerships with centers of excellence in ICT, aiming to institute a regional knowledge network in tandem with the ODs. The creation and running of partnerships shall be informed by ADB's Guidelines for Knowledge Partnerships,28 a resource document and reference that specifies the essentials of designing for performance, articulates building blocks, and underscores success factors and special considerations. One area for collaboration might be the development of flexible ICT screening tools, e.g., checklists; templates for assessing capacity, connectivity, and usability; and technical notes, with which to

10

better circumscribe and firm up ICT options in ADB's operations;29 another might be the development of guidelines for public procurement of ICT goods and services.

Figure 2: Ramping Up ADB's Role in ICTD—Strategic Thrusts, 2016–2017 Performance

Identify ICT Options in ADB's Operations

Develop ADB's Capacity for ICT Operations

Diversify ICT Portfolios in ADB's Operations

Opportunity

Quality, Knowledge, and Innovation

Leverage Knowledge Partnerships in ICT

Source: ADB.

III.

IMPLEMENTING THE WORK PLAN

11.

The actions/outputs that aim to make more strategic and greater use of ICT in ADB's operation are clear, practical, incremental, and cost-effective. They heed the call of the midterm review of Strategy 2020 and anticipate, regarding ICT, likely thrusts of ADB's next corporate strategy. During the short life of the Work Plan, the discreet financial resources required to deliver the actions/outputs shall come primarily from SDCC's technical assistance budgets, supplemented as necessary by those of other relevant offices and departments, notably the operations departments (ODs).

12.

The ICT for Development Team, situated in the Social Development, Governance, and Gender Division (SDGG) of SDCC, shall be responsible for overall coordination of the Work Plan, and for communications with staff.30 To deliver inclusive and profile-lifting solutions across ADB, this team shall mobilize the point persons in the STGs as a cohesive lineup; establish work plans for guidelines, position papers, studies, and think pieces; facilitate peer assists; identify and organize training activities; and provide advisory services. It shall also seek to exploit synergies with SDCC secondees working on space technology and geographic information systems.

13.

Because of the Work Plan, the ODs, SDCC, and the STGs shall be able to forge a strong cross-functional partnership for quick and tangible rewards. The envisaged outcomes are enhanced policy and regulatory frameworks for ICT operations, strengthened DMC capacity to utilize ICTD; and increased investments in ICT-led and ICT-enabled operations. In DMCs, the desired impact is a narrowed digital divide and better, inclusive service delivery to the public through ICT (Figure 3).

11

Figure 3: Ramping Up ADB's Role in ICTD—Outcomes and Impact, 2016–2017

Intermediate Outcomes ICT options in ADB's operations are identified ICT portfolios in ADB's operations are diversified ADB's capacity for ICT operations is developed Knowledge partnerships in ICT are leveraged

Envisaged Outcomes Enhanced policy and regulatory frameworks for ICT operations Strengthened DMC capacity to utilize ICT for development Increased investments in ICT-led and ICT-enabled operations

Desired Impact A narrowed digital divide and better, inclusive service delivery to the public through ICT

ADB = Asian Development Bank; DMC = developing member country; ICT = information and communications technology.

Source: ADB.

14.

Core assumptions are that (i) there is a strong commitment by ADB's Senior Management; (ii) there is close coordination among offices and departments, especially the ICT for Development Team in SDCC, the ODs, OIST—which may have to take on a more operational function, and the STGs; (iii) adequate technical assistance budgets are available; (iv) knowledge partnerships are framed for relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and—as appropriate—sustainability; (v) staff capabilities, e.g., experience, competencies, and technical and professional skills, rise moderately in consequence of actions/outputs from the Work Plan; (vi) staff attitudes, e.g., beliefs, values, and commitment adjust in support of ICTD, also on account of actions/outputs from the Work Plan; and (vii) the Operations Services and Financial Management Department, with assistance from OIST, gives sufficient guidance to staff to identify and address difficulties associated with procurement of ICT goods and services.

However basic, these assumptions underpin all the results the Work Plan aims to accomplish.

The courses of action by which they should eventuate shall be the subject of reflective and adaptive understanding, made explicit in annual reports. In relation to the core assumptions, the annual reports shall zero in on process; prioritize learning; be locally led (not top–down); and make use of compasses, not roadmaps.

IV.

MONITORING AND REPORTING ON ACTIONS

15.

The responsibility centers tasked with playing lead, joint, or supporting roles across the eight actions/outputs of the Work Plan are few. The indicators and targets are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-related. With inputs from the ODs and the STGs, the ICT for Development Team shall monitor all actions toward the intermediate outcomes of the Work Plan based on a results framework (Table 2). It shall submit annual progress reports to ADB's Senior Management: over and above numbers, each report shall emphasize what worked and what did not work, and make recommendations. Upon completion of the Work Plan, based on accomplishments, demand, and opportunity, there may be reason for an instrument such as the President's Planning Directions to instruct CPS teams to more systematically explore ICT options on a country-by-country basis. The utility of the annual progress reports

12

shall hinge on the extent to which their recommendations are appraised, discussed, and acted upon; for the same reason, flexibility must be granted to adjust the Work Plan in light of experience.

Table 2: Ramping Up ADB's Role in ICTD—Results Framework, 2016–2017 Intermediate Outcomes and Indicator Contributing Actions/Outputs 1. ICT Options in ADB's Operations are Identified 1.1 ICT issues in strategic and From an ICT perspective, highoperational documents are quality peer reviews of strategic peer-reviewed. and operational documents and high-profile ICT projects with inputs from dedicated ICT point persons in the STGs 1.2 Country-level assessments Country diagnostics on ICT in of ICT options are selected DMCs, based on conducted. demand and with support from the ODs 2. ICT Portfolios in ADB's Operations are Diversified 2.1 Technical assistance for ICT readiness assessments high-priority ICT projects and pre-feasibility studies of and capacity development is potential ICT projects extended.

2.2 ICT is featured in CPSs and Participation of ICT and eattendant COBPsa in governance specialists in the selected DMCs. preparation of CPSs and COBPs 3. ADB's Capacity for ICT Operations is Developed 3.1 ICT skills of targeted staff Training programs in ICT for are built. targeted staff in the ODs, supplemented by lectures of eminent persons, "brown bag" seminars that showcase sector- and theme-specific interventions, and an ICTD focus in OIST's ICT Week 3.2 Informal knowledge-sharing Roster of internal and external activities on ICT-related ICT experts, with knowledge topics are conducted, products disseminated by new leading to case studies of social media accounts and briefings on, say, successful applications in key sectors and short-format publications.

4. Knowledge Partnerships in ICT are Leveraged 4.1 A regional knowledge Online and offline regional network of centers of knowledge network on ICT excellence in ICT is instituted.

4.2 The quality and quantity of Regional knowledge-sharing knowledge capabilities in forums with strategic partners ICT are enriched by learning in the field of ICT in strategic alliances.  = Lead role;  = Joint role;  = Supporting role.

Responsibility Center

Time Frame and Target

SDGG STGs

 

Continuous

ODs SDGG

 

3–5 per year

ODs SDGG

 

5–8 per year

ODs SDGG SPD STGs

   

3–6 per year

BPMSD ODs OIST SDGG

   

2 per year

ODs OIST OSFMD SDGG

   

Continuous

ADB Partners

 

One time

ITU OIST SDGG STGs

   

1 every year

13

ADB = Asian Development Bank; BPMSD = Budget, Personnel, and Management Systems Department; COBP = country operations business plan; CPS = country partnership strategy; DMC = developing member country; ICT = information and communications technology; ICTD = ICT for Development; ITU = International Telecommunication Union; OIST = Office of Information Systems and Technology; OSFMD = Operations Services and Financial Management Department; ODs = operations departments; SDGG = Social Development, Governance, and Gender Division; SPD = Strategy and Policy Department; STGs = Sector and Thematic Groups. a COBPs have identified ICT as a priority in more than five Pacific countries. To note, the Strategy and Policy Department has reformed the CPS process. Therefore, work against action/output 2.2 will be informed by and adhere to the new procedures when they are issued.

Source: ADB.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Put differently, ICT is an extended synonym of information technology that stresses the unification and integration of information and communications, increasingly so by the quickening convergence of telephone, audiovisual, and computer networks, this through cabling and other link systems.

The world's population reached 7.3 billion in 2015. More than three billion people use the internet, two billion of whom in developing countries, and connect by means of digital platforms. The yearly active users these digital platforms serve number hundreds of millions; the most popular include Facebook (1.5 billion), YouTube (about 1 billion), WhatsApp (about 900 million), WeChat (about 650 million), Instagram (about 400 million), Alibaba (about 385 million), Twitter (about 320 million), Skype (about 300 million), Amazon (about 245 million), and PayPal (about 175 million).

Traditional platforms for information and communication include face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, paper mail, fax, and so on. Nowadays, social media (or "Web 2.0") makes possible many-to-many connections in numerous domains of interest and practice, powered by the increasing use of blogs, image and video sharing, mashups, podcasts, ratings, Really Simple Syndication, social bookmarking, tweets, widgets, and wikis, among others.

FireChat, to name but one, is a mobile application that lets smartphones connect through wireless mesh networking. With FireChat, mesh networks can be set up in disaster areas or rural and remote areas without cell coverage: if one person can access the internet, that connection can be shared through the mesh network.

Aside from their intrinsic worth, the accountability, efficiency, and transparency that ICT enables are integral to improvements in performance.

In 2014, an ADB study recommended investments in ICT—as well as higher education, innovation, and research and development, all of which ICT supports—so countries might advance as knowledge-based economies. Some countries face a "middle-income trap" whereby what economic success they have achieved through comparative labor advantage diminishes as wages rise and productivity levels decline, slowing overall economic growth. Out of 45 DMCs, 33 have achieved middle-income status and five are in the high-income group. ADB. 2014. Innovative Asia: Advancing the Knowledge-Based Economy. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/innovative-asia-advancingknowledge-based-economy In information technology, an application program—"app" for short—is a computer program designed to help a user perform a specific activity. (Thus, it differs from an operating system, a utility, or a programming tool.) With the introduction of Apple's iPhone in 2007, the development of mobile applications has become one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Applications are usually made available through distribution platforms, which appeared in 2008 and are typically operated by the owner of the mobile operating system. The largest platforms are Google Play, App Store, Amazon Apps, Windows Phone Store, and BlackBerry World, with the first two enjoying more than 90% of worldwide "app" revenues. As of July 2015, the number of applications available for download from Google Play was about 1.6 million; that from App Store was about 1.5 million. Popular categories are games, business, education, and lifestyle, which together comprise almost 50% of active applications, followed by entertainment, utilities, travel, books, music, etc. It is harder than ever to predict the future: but, some already see the contours of a post-app world, with a shift from applications to advanced forms of artificial intelligence that positively and autonomously generate next decisions or suggestions; under this scenario, smart agents and virtual personal assistants would by 2020 handle 40% of mobile interactions.

Information technology security, also known as computer security or cybersecurity, is the process of safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all information processed, stored, or transmitted using electronic resources. Since ICT directs most funds, there are serious implications for e-finance, to name one area of concern bisecting all sectors. (E-finance is the use of electronics to share information, transfer representations of value, and execute transactions. Its primary channels are electronic funds transfers, electronic data interchange, electronic benefits transfers, and electronic trade confirmations.) However, the occurrence of cybercrime (the most prevalent form, involving cyber defamation, e-commerce frauds, hacking, infringement of digital copyrights, malware, money laundering, privacy leaks, viruses, etc.), "hacktivism", cyber espionage, and even cyber warfare increases as dependence on ICT heightens risks. Financial services are the most lucrative industry targeted by cybercriminals

14

but there are risks across economies and societies. Attacks on critical infrastructure, for instance, could significantly disrupt the functioning of government, civil society, and the private sector. As we connect everything to the internet, we open more—and certainly more dangerous—gateways through which cyber attackers can wreak havoc. Ever more, makers of next-generation connected devices will have to be on the lookout for damage that hackers might cause and for malfunctions from bad software. To protect their most valuable assets, organizations must begin to build—then constantly fortify—digital resilience.

8 ICTD, the dedicated use of ICT in the field of international development, is 50 years old. From the mid-1950s to the late-1990s, the emphasis was on radio—to broadcast development communications—and on mainframes—for administrative, back-office support in the public sector of developing economies. From the late-1990s to the late2000s, growing use of the internet in industrialized countries, the International Development Goals of 1996, the 1998 World Development Report of the World Bank, as well as the advent of the Millennium Development Goals spurred broader investments in ICT: thousands of projects were launched to deploy computers and the internet—a typical application was the telecenter (to bring information on development issues into poor communities, for instance in agriculture, education, and health.) From 2010, mobile telephony developed as the archetypal application: the poor were "reframed" as "producers and innovators", this in stark contrast with their erstwhile status as "mere recipients". In the second decade of the 21st century, the use of smart phones—not, as foretold, cheap laptops—is patently changing the global landscape: mobile and smart phones are essential to work, education, health, and leisure (for the less hard-pressed). ICT has become integral part of life and a critical determinant of its dimensions. Pending actualization of the irreversible Internet of Things, that some dub the Fourth Industrial Revolution, all must embrace the digital world. By 2020, about 50 billion devices shall be connected to the internet, up from approximately 5 billion today: one third of them shall be computers, smart phones, tablets, and televisions; the rest shall be embedded technology, e.g., sensors, actuators, and intelligent devices, that shall monitor and manage our world by communicating information in support of everything from remote medical diagnosis and treatment to early warning systems. In a quickly growing space, the four largest end-user segments are manufacturing, energy and utilities, automotive and transportation, as well as healthcare. "Big data" is a catchphrase that describes the massive, high-velocity and high-variety volume of both structured and unstructured data that ICT generates: cost-effective, innovative forms of information processing are required to permit enhanced insight, decision making, and process automation. In this latest phase of its development, ICT lies at the evercloser intersection of people, information, and technology systems: it invites prompt consideration of the development, implementation, adoption, use, and impact of new technologies, and of course overarching issues of policy and strategy, in ways that are inclusive, enabling, and focused. In the immediate, acknowledging the important contribution that ICT can make to delivering the aspirational, transformational, and universal targets of the post-2015 development agenda, ICT is directly referenced in four targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the 193-Member United Nations General Assembly adopted at the Sustainable Development Summit held in New York on 25–27 September 2015, namely, (i) Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (see Target 4. b: By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and ICT, technical, engineering, and scientific programs, in developed countries and other developing countries); (ii) Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls (see Target 5. b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular ICT, to promote the empowerment of women.); (iii) Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation (see Target 9. c: Significantly increase access to ICT and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in least developed countries by 2020.); and (iv) Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development (see Target 17.8: Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology, and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular ICT.) Implicitly, Goal 17 recognizes ICT as essential to the effective achievement of all SDGs and their associated targets. NetHope, a collaborative arrangement between 43 international nonprofit organizations and the technology sector, has published the SDG ICT Playbook to help leverage promising ICT tools across the 17 SDGs. See NetHope. SDG ICT Playbook: From Innovation to Impact. nethope.org/ 9 Reference is invited in particular to the manifold contributions space technology and geographic information systems applications can make by providing timely observation of land, ocean, and weather. To note, they provide unique and significant solutions in integrated disaster risk management and post-disaster response, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. ADB. 2014. Space Technology and Geographic Information Systems Applications in ADB Projects. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/space-technology-and-geographic-information-systems-applicationsadb-projects 10 Technological progress, globalization, and market-oriented reforms have propelled Asia's remarkable economic growth and reduced poverty; but, they have also had deleterious effects on income distribution. ADB. 2014.

Inequality in Asia and the Pacific: Trends, Drivers, and Policy Implications.

Manila. www.adb.org/publications/inequality-asia-and-pacific. Similarly, widening digital divides between "the haves" and "the have-nots" may fuel resentment and spark violence. Accordingly, some think the internet is a basic need,

15

hence a human right. A related case in point is that of official identity: as one might expect, a government's capacity to deliver services depends on its ability to identify people. So, a legal identity—that the poor often do not have—is central to everything, viz., education, healthcare, public transport, social protection, etc.; it is critical to private enterprise too as financial institutions require client verification; here too, ICT can assist by means of identity management and civil registration programs.

11 Strategy 2020 is unequivocal about the role that partnerships must play to realize ADB's vision of a region that is free of poverty. Partnerships are one of Strategy 2020's five drivers of change, along with private sector development and private sector operations, good governance and capacity development, gender equity, and knowledge solutions. Partnerships with international development agencies, multilateral and bilateral institutions, the private sector, nongovernment organizations, community-based organizations, and foundations are to become central to planning, financing, and implementing ADB's operations.

12 ADB. 2006. Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/e-asiaand-knowledge-partnership-fund 13 In 2011, the erstwhile Regional and Sustainable Development Department requested an independent evaluation of ICT in ADB's operations. Such an evaluation has not—to date—been included in the three-year work programs of ADB's Independent Evaluation Department. To ascertain the nature and scale of ADB's ICT operations, the data and information in the Work Plan was captured "manually" by reviewing all loan, grant, and technical assistance projects since 2000. It was found that 326 projects had included ICT components from 2000–2014. But, it was only possible to identify the size and composition of investments in ICT components where such projects had been explicitly recorded in the "ICT" sub-sector of eOps, the ADB-wide electronic system that helps manage all projectrelated information and documents and supports ADB's streamlined business processes. There were only 50 such instances, almost 70% of which were technical assistance projects. To note also, little intelligence was garnered on the outcomes of ICT components because most self-evaluation reports had been conducted from a sectoral perspective.

14 ADB. 2014. Project Classification System: Final Review. Manila.

15 See ADB. 2015. Technical Assistance for Boosting ADB's Relevance in a Transforming Asia and Pacific: Support for ADB's New Corporate Strategy. Manila. A background paper to the new strategy shall (i) determine how ADB can help DMCs make better use of ICT to strengthen productivity and competitiveness; (ii) recommend concrete ways to integrate and mainstream ICT and other new and innovative technologies in sector operations; and (iii) identify gaps and recommend measures to improve ADB's own technical capacity and institutional positioning to become a stronger technology enabler for DMCs. 16 Applications, for one, allow things that were inconceivable—or at least impractical—in the recent past. For example, Fundación Paraguaya's Poverty Stoplight enables people to self-diagnose their level of poverty in 30 minutes with a smartphone or a tablet. Across six dimensions, e.g., education and culture, income and employment, health and environment, housing and infrastructure, interiority and motivation, and organization and participation, the Poverty Stoplight quantifies 50 indicators, which by itself is empowering, but more importantly helps develop and implement clear plans to overcome poverty. The Poverty Stoplight is being applied in 18 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, with the private sector reportedly showing interest. Elsewhere, to name one other current development, use of Television White Space (TVWS)—which refers to the high-quality, underutilized portions of the radio frequency spectrum—can tackle last-mile connectivity issues progressively with wireless functionalities. (The term "last mile" refers to what infrastructure at the neighborhood level carries signals from the backbone ICT infrastructure at the national level along the relatively short distance to and from the home or business. The point where the internet enters a country is called the "first mile"; the "middle mile" is the intercity internet backbone of a country.)

17 ADB. 2014. Midterm Review of Strategy 2020: Meeting the Challenges of a Transforming Asia and Pacific. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/midterm-review-strategy-2020-meeting-challenges-transforming-asia-and-pacific-r-paper 18 E-governance refers to the use of ICT to allow greater public access to information, enhance efficient service delivery in the public sector, and make government more accountable to citizens. The four basic models of egovernance encompass government–to–citizens, government–to–employees, government–to–business, and government–to–government digital interactions. See United Nations. 2003. E-Government at the Crossroads. New York.

19 ADB. 2008. Strategy 2020: The Long-Term Strategic Framework of the Asian Development Bank, 2008–2020.

Manila. www.adb.org/documents/strategy-2020-working-asia-and-pacific-free-poverty; and ——. 2014. Midterm Review of Strategy 2020 Action Plan. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/midterm-review-strategy-2020-action-plan 20 At heart, any framework to circumscribe and meet felt or latent demand would explore context—where clients are today; ends—what clients need; ways—how ADB might structure ICT investment; and means—what ADB might do to realize success, including partners and relationships. Policy and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, applications, and capacities and skills for ICT make up the ICTD ecosystem of a country—or sector and thematic areas—of interest in which context, ends, ways, and means are to be investigated. Proactivity is of the essence: many (if not most) DMCs do not include ICT in their plans, either from lack of understanding or the belief that ADB has no interest in such plans; without a mechanism to identify ICT options in ADB's operations, there are few

16

opportunities to increase awareness of opportunities for ICT at country, sector, or thematic levels, even less promote interagency cooperation within DMCs. Thus far, SDCC has conducted country diagnostics for Indonesia (2014), Mongolia (2014), and Tajikistan (2014). In 2016, SDCC shall cover Sri Lanka and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

21 To carry out the assessment, the operational plans were searched for four terms, namely, "ICT", "communication", "information", and "technology", in various combinations.

22 Valuable applications include computerized land information systems, e-computers for education, e-procurement, electronic withdrawals for social programs, health surveillance systems, integrated financial management systems, mobile banking, mobile telephony for disaster relief, and traffic and road information systems.

23 In 2010, with support from the Budget, Personnel, and Management Systems Department and SDCC, OIST organized an ICT Week to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing in the areas of business process automation and efficiency improvement, this to facilitate early absorption of technologies in ADB. OIST organized a second ICT Week in 2014. There is scope for a more outward focus on ICTD—with talks by development practitioners, not just IT specialists, as well as South–South knowledge sharing; so, the three-day program can target staff in the ODs (and resident missions) and the STGs, but a selection of DMC officials too, to raise awareness of, say, applications across countries, sectors, and themes of interest.

24 ADB. 2008–. Knowledge Showcases. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/series/knowledge-showcases 25 A project involving ICT requires a combination of (i) analysts, e.g., business, businesses and systems, and analysis and programming specialists; (ii) human resources specialists; (iii) information system services specialists; (iv) procurement specialists; (v) project management specialists; (vi) technical audit specialists; (vii) technical authorship; and (viii) technical specialists, e.g., programming, database, operating system, hardware, communication, networks, environment, information technology security, processes, O&M, and contingency planning specialists. (Other expertise needed may relate to audit and control, information and data management, investment appraisal, ICT legal and policy, ICT regulation, licensing, tax (for cross-border operations), records management, and work-study and organizational analysis.)

26 With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, ITU is a specialized agency of the United Nations, responsible for issues that concern ICT. Its regional office in Bangkok, Thailand covers Asia and the Pacific. ITU has 193 Member States and around 700 public and private sector companies as well as international and regional entities, known as Sector Members and Associates, which undertake most of the work in the radio communication, standardization, and development sectors. ITU's data and statistical resources are nonpareil.

27 The ADB/ITU Initiative aims to (i) provide technical advisory support for ICT investment in high-priority projects in DMCs; (ii) mobilize resources and facilitate ICT investment through coordinated partnerships among stakeholders; and (iii) build institutional capacity through the sharing of experience and knowledge in ICT in Asia and the Pacific. www.ictd-asp.org/events/ 28 ADB. 2011. Guidelines for Knowledge Partnerships. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/guidelines-knowledgepartnerships 29 ICT projects or ICT components might deliver (i) business capability and technological change that may relate to information management, information technology security, or ICT infrastructure, e.g., asset replacement, upgrades, etc.; and (ii) strategies and programs where ICT is used in whole or in part to deliver outputs and outcomes, effect change, or attain benefits that do not necessarily have to be technological in nature, e.g., business process improvement, community engagement, legislative improvements, etc.

30 A note on comparator organizations is pertinent. In ICTD, multilateral development agencies fund most of the major projects even if a large number of international organizations lend a hand. (Bilateral development agencies and other partners generally build capacity and support small-scale projects.) To note, the World Bank's portfolio of projects with ICT components grew from about $500 million to approximately $1.7 billion over 2006–2014. (In 2013, six stand-alone ICT projects were approved for $171 million.) In 2014, the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, committed financing for 28 projects in the amount of $638 million and mobilized $135 million in additional financing. The same year, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency provided investment guarantees totaling $114 million for three projects. ICT components are increasingly common in agriculture, education, health, and public sector management. (Some 70% of them do.) ICT for Greater Development Impact: World Bank Group Strategy for Information and Communication Technology, 2012–2015, was influenced by the growth of mobile phones, a drop in device prices, and the spread of social networking. The strategy has three thrusts: (i) transform—making development more open and accountable and transforming service delivery; (ii) innovate—supporting ICT innovation for growth, jobs, and competitiveness; and (iii) connect— increasing affordable access to the internet. The World Bank Group delivers ICT services through its Global ICT Group and hosts a Digital Development Community of Practice. Elsewhere, the Inter-American Development Bank has leveraged projects, policy advice, and knowledge products in support of broadband development plans and digitalization strategies, strategic regulations, infrastructure, and human capital in both the public and private sectors. It has been active in ICT for education, in particular. It channels its efforts by way of a Competitiveness, Technology, and Innovation Division. The African Development Bank's ICT interventions, delivered by an ICT Division, have targeted broadband infrastructure and policy and regulatory frameworks. That organization has also

17

collaborated with the World Bank on several regional and national backbone connectivity projects. In 2012, the ICT Division in the African Development Bank—the only comparator organization for which information on staffing strength is at hand, was envisaged to comprise a manager, an e-governance specialist, an infrastructure specialist, an ICT regulation specialist, an ICT policy specialist, a public–private partnership expert, and an administrative/research assistant. In comparison, ADB has three ICT specialists: two in the e-Governance and ICT for Development unit in SDCC and one in the Pacific Department; this means that four of ADB's five ODs have no dedicated in-house ICT expertise.

Appendix 1 18

CONNECTIVITY TRENDS AND ISSUES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY 1.

In developing countries as elsewhere, information and communications technology (ICT) offers opportunities to transform, innovate, and connect. Deloitte reckons that expanding internet access could generate over $2 trillion in gross domestic product, a 72% increase in the growth rate of that, and 140 million jobs in a hypothetical internet-fueled present.1 To capitalize on what openings ICT can bring, high-speed, reliable, secure, and affordable broadband connectivity 2 is necessary. Yet, the connectivity gap between developing and developed economies is huge. In 2014, fixed-broadband penetration in developing economies was a mere 6% compared with 21.5% in developed countries; this said, mobile-broadband (3G and 4G)3 penetration reached 21%, suggesting that in many cases (depending on access to and the use of networks) it is becoming an alternative to fixed broadband, which requires high-cost ICT infrastructures, sustainable operation and maintenance (O&M) and associated budgets, and stable and predictable—indeed, sophisticated—policy and regulatory frameworks. 4 The developed economies of Asia and the Pacific have mature ICT markets and are world leaders in broadband penetration; still, many of the region's developing countries lag far behind in terms of broadband access and ICT-based services. In 2014, mobile-broadband penetration in Asia and the Pacific was almost 22.8%, lower than the world average of 32%.

2.

To expand broadband access and the e-services it drives, developing economies must address and surmount teething problems vis-à-vis (i) unsupportive policy and regulatory frameworks for sound ICT markets; (ii) lack of ICT infrastructure, built for resilience and performance; (iii) affordability of ICT access and equipment, backed by related services, operations, maintenance; (iv) limited public financial resources with which to support noncommercially viable areas; (v) partial access to reliable electricity; (vi) low availability of local content; and (vii) lack of content in local languages. Where these issues can be resolved with they must on top develop capacities to formulate, implement, monitor, and evaluate national development plans for ICT,5 with an eye to the long term;6 this demands competencies in such diverse subjects and practices as multisector infrastructure sharing, sustainability planning, project design, adaptation of workflow processes, operation and maintenance, quality of service, reliability, security, using renewable energy for power supply, etc.

The private sector leads in ICT where the policy and regulatory framework conduces business.7 However, it holds little interest in rural and remote areas, where low population densities and low incomes make a return on investment difficult, and prioritizes populated, business-oriented "profit" areas. Therefore, countries are introducing universal access and service schemes to benefit unserved and underserved people and businesses there and about two-thirds have established a universal service fund—a levy on operators generally used to expand ICT access—to support related programs. Even so, a quarter of these funds are inactive and only one-half of them are designed to support wireless or broadband connectivity

1

2

3

Deloitte. 2014. Value of Connectivity: Economic and Social Benefits of Expanding Internet Access. www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/deloitte-uk-tmtvalue-of-connectivity-tmt.pdf The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development define broadband as a capacity of at least 256 kilobits per second (kbps) in uplink or downlink speed.

3G and 4G are short forms for third or fourth generation mobile telecommunications technology. They are sets of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications use services and networks that comply with the specifications of ITU. 3G finds application in wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, fixed wireless

19

4

5

6

7

Internet access, video calls and mobile television. The potential and current applications of 4G include amended mobile web access, IP (Internet Protocol) telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile television, video conferencing, 3D television, and cloud computing. 5G denotes the next major phase of mobile telecommunications standards, to be rolled out by 2020. In addition to providing simply faster speeds, 5G networks also meet the needs of new use cases, such as the Internet of Things as well as broadcast-like services and lifeline communication in times of natural disaster. Generally, a new generation of mobile telecommunications technology has appeared approximately every 10 years since the first 1G system appeared in 1982.

ITU. 2014.

Measuring the Information Society Report.

Geneva. www.itu.int/en/itud/statistics/pages/publications/mis2014.aspx National development plans cut the cost of ICT infrastructure for the reason that each and every operator does not then have to set up its own domestic and international network.

In short, 5G will eventuate; traffic and the number of connected devices will increase dramatically over time, with the advent of new devices fueling the boom; new sectors will bring new priorities; and broadband communications will continue to stimulate economies. Very strong traffic growth post-2020 and future ICT, including quality and backbone capacity requirements, must somehow be factored in what strategies are formulated today.

The policy and regulatory milieu in which ICT is deployed greatly influences availability, affordability, and adoption.

The factors that favor ICT include legislation to ensure open competition, promote open and transparent licensing, establish standards, protect intellectual property rights, and guarantee data privacy; the willingness and ability of legislatures to uphold and enforce the said legislation; and incentives that foster a strong, innovative local business community and inclusive access to technology. Simplifying, the "right" enabling environment for ICT stimulates (i) ICT infrastructure and information technology hardware and software—the access layer; (ii) e-commerce—the applications layer; and (iii) consumer confidence—the trust layer. One must not overlook the fact that—as technologies and markets continue to evolve rapidly—policy makers and regulators constantly face new sets of issues.

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PROGRESSING FROM ADB'S EXPERIENCE IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT 1.

Information and communications technology (ICT) wields transformative power for economic and social progress in Asia and the Pacific. In 2003, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) defined for itself a proactive role in "e-development":1 it saw opportunities to (i) create an enabling environment; (ii) build human resources; and (iii) develop applications and information content.2 The same year, ADB particularized an approach to ICT in the Pacific to mitigate the disadvantages of its economic geography and to reap potential gains offered by links to the global market.3 Then, in 2008, it placed a substantive accent on ICT when Strategy 2020, ADB's long-term strategic framework, pointed to the "absence of well-planned rural, urban, and interconnected systems of infrastructure as well as ICT infrastructure, as a factor depriving many economies of private investment." In line with this strategic direction, from 2000–2014, ADB supported 376 loan, grant, and technical assistance projects covering ICT infrastructure, esolutions in ADB's operations, and capacity for ICT. In 2010, ADB shared timely lessons of experience in, for example, making ICT work for education in Mongolia, Samoa, and Sri Lanka; health in remote ethnic minorities in the Greater Mekong Subregion and rural health service access in Mongolia; rice information transfer in the Greater Mekong Subregion; subregional economic cooperation in South Asia; connectivity in Afghanistan; trade and investment in the East ASEAN Growth Area; early warning systems for macroeconomic, financial, and corporate sector vulnerabilities; and transport systems in the People's Republic of China.4 2.

The five sectors in which ICT components have been most frequently included are—in declining number of instances—public sector management, multisector, finance, education, transport, energy, and industry and trade. In 2014, ADB reviewed the state of play of knowledge-based economies in Asia and the Pacific and outlined a possible road map for their development.5 Together with innovation, education and skills, and economic and institutional regimes, ICT was deemed essential to learning from advanced economies, exploiting unique strengths and endowments, and leveraging new trends for leapfrogging, this to climb up the ladder of higher value-added products and services in global markets and go beyond middleincome levels by strengthening knowledge-based development processes. The same year, the midterm review of Strategy 2020 made clear that ICT can make ADB's assistance more innovative, inclusive, and integrated:6 explicitly, it called for the design of an operational and organizational agenda to translate that potential into reality;7 this Work Plan answers that call.

3.

Naturally, the portfolios of ADB's ICT projects vary by subregion, country, and type of interventions—a landscape analysis reveals that some sectors have been moderately quick on the uptake, others less so as the following text shows. But, it stands to reason that there are considerable opportunities throughout the range and geographical coverage of ADB's operations, be this on the demand side, the supply side, or the governance of ICT (Table A.2 and Figure A.2). Revisiting ADB's mandate, vision, and mission, there can be no doubt that the promise of ICT—for instance to enhance the opportunities of the poor; hike up the quantity, quality, and reach of services to the underserved; enhance the accountability, efficiency, and transparency of government; and effect social change—is yet to be more fully realized.

4.

ICT Infrastructure. ADB's ICT infrastructure projects have concentrated on expanding mobile telecommunications networks through private sector financing to telecom operators, with exceptions being sovereign projects in the Pacific. 8 They have ranged from installing telecommunications towers, fiber-optic backbones, and submarine cables to community ecenters at village level. In Bangladesh, for example, ADB financed Grameen Telecom to expand the revolutionary Village Phone program that began in 1997 and connect more than 23 million

Appendix 2

21

people via mobile phones. In the Pacific, ADB-sponsored access to affordable and reliable telecommunications opened new economic opportunities. In Papua New Guinea, ADB backed Digicel—a private telecom operator—so it might expand the capacity and coverage of the telecommunications network. In Tonga, ADB financed a submarine cable to link the country to the main trans-Pacific link between Australia and the United States, thus providing 100,000 persons with affordable and accessible ICT services in e-education, e-governance, and ehealth. In Afghanistan, ADB's private sector loans and credit enhancements to Roshan—the trading name of Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd.—laid telecommunications infrastructure and provided mobile banking and telemedicine services across the country; The Economist deemed the growth of the telecommunications industry a success story, with the spread of mobile phones having had "a revolutionary impact on business". 9 These are noteworthy but unusual examples: so far, ICT infrastructure has not been a priority area in ADB's operations, be it in the public or the private sectors.10 From 2000–2014, ADB assisted only 50 ICT infrastructure projects—by means of 7 private sector loans, 3 sovereign loans, 6 grants, and 34 technical assistance projects—under "Transport and ICT" (2000–2013) and "ICT" (2014), for a total of about $521 million.11 Of these 50 projects, seven had to do with private sector financing, accounting for 81% of the total amount of ICT sector investments. There remains strong demand for backbone ICT infrastructure at national (and sometimes subregional) levels and for last-mile connectivity in rural and remote areas where commercial operations are not entirely viable. Another priority area is redundant international connectivity to strengthen availability and keep pace with growing capacity demand and new technologies that require more capacity and latency sensitivity.

5.

Education. ADB has considerable experience of ICT in the education sector, where it has helped expand the provision and improve the quality of services. In basic education, ADBassisted projects have brought ICT to schools in rural areas and supported computer-aided learning. For technical vocational education and training, and higher education, ADB has promoted the use of e-learning systems, and integrated ICT skills in curricula. Growing adoption of mobile or smart devices, expansion of internet connectivity, and mushrooming online services are moving pedagogy toward student-centered learning. Virtual schools and blended learning environments are emerging. Even so, the diversity of the education sector in Asia and the Pacific is such that DMCs have mixed views: in 2012, an ADB study of ICT in education in Central and West Asia concluded that usage was still in infancy; beyond the provision of computers to classrooms, the study invited strategic approaches to integrate ICT in the learning process.12 The locus of interest should shift towards better content and adapting high-quality content from different sources, as well as improving teaching and learning, boosting collaborative research, and developing the capacities of teachers. The study noted further that new technologies, such as ultra-low-cost tablet computers, are constantly changing the working environment and generate as many problems as solutions, calling for clear planning and assessment tools, preferably framed by national ICT for education strategies.

6.

Energy. ADB has leveraged ICT in relation to energy transmission and distribution, metering, pricing and billing, utility management, and customer relations management. It has supported the development of numerous field-proven ICT solutions, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, power-plant management systems, incident reporting and tracking systems, and communications systems linking control centers and power plants. This said, the use of ICT in the energy sector is shifting from information systems that manage the supply side to systems that address both the supply and demand sides of the energy value chain. Gradually more, ICT is relied upon to promote energy efficiency and to encourage the conversion of power systems into smart power grids. Several DMCs wish to

22

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apply smart grid technology to their power systems to increase connectivity; automation; and coordination among consumers, suppliers, and energy networks.

7.

Environment. Both developed and developing countries face dire environmental challenges, including climate change—the major worry, but also air pollution, high energy intensity, loss of natural habitats and biodiversity, rapid urbanization, waste management, and water quality and scarcity. The relationship between ICT and the environment is complex. The positive effects of ICT stem from the dematerialization associated with online delivery and smart approaches that lead to systemic efficiency improvements; greater energy and resource (metals, minerals, paper, etc.) efficiency in production and use; a veritable host of applications for monitoring and management; product stewardship and recycling; and substitution of transport and travel, e.g., telework. Negative effects can arise from energy consumption and the materials used in the production and distribution of ICT equipment, energy consumption in use directly and for cooling, short product life cycles and e-waste, and exploitative applications, e.g., remote sensing that promotes overfishing. Both positive and negative impacts can be direct and indirect, and vary greatly by industry. As always, the key is not the technology but how it is used: pellmell, there are many applications in environmental observation, environmental analysis, environmental planning, environmental management and protection, impact from and mitigating effects of ICT utilization, and environmental capacity building.

8.

Finance. ICT is embedded in most financial systems and has expanded access to financial services with better quality. ADB has developed new information systems in central banks and other financial institutions, introduced mobile banking, supported small- and mediumscale enterprise financing, and fostered capital markets with ICT. It has often undertaken ICTenabled projects in collaboration with development partners such as the International Monetary Fund—for finance sector regulation—and the World Bank—for asset management and pension fund administration. Digital financial inclusion, to cite another promising area, is appropriate in unserved and under-served low-income households as well as micro and small enterprises. But, the regulatory, supervisory, and standard-setting challenges that must be overcome include those DMCs currently face plus others one can only imagine as billions of new digital finance users go online. ADB has the opportunity to anticipate what risks, e.g., information technology security, and rewards may stem from the digitization of financial inclusion. In the Philippines, for instance, the number of e-money accounts grew by a third over two years to 27 million in 2013.

In ADB's Central and West region, a series of studies 13 has shone light on mobile financial services in several DMCs and a $410 million project for Inclusive Economic Growth through Financial Sector Development and ICT Enhancement is being considered for Kazakhstan, pending Board consideration in 2016. 14 In the Solomon Islands, a new online business registration system made it easier for companies to secure loans by using boats, cars, or farm equipment as collateral. This, purely to illustrate: the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to low-income and disadvantaged segments of society is fundamental to Asia's future as it empowers the poor and fosters inclusive and sustainable growth.15 9.

Health. There have been few ICT applications in ADB's health sector operations; ADB's support has concentrated on health management information systems. One such example is a rural health project in Mongolia, where ADB funded the development of an ICT-supported consultative, referral, and epidemiological surveillance system. This said, ADB's newly approved operational plan for health emphasizes the power of ICT.16 The operational plan recognizes that ICT is a cost-efficient and powerful tool to improve universal health coverage goals at national and regional levels, which assuredly invites innovative and integrated policies and interventions with ICT-enabled solutions. ADB and the World Health Organization plan to play a key role in financial and technical collaboration and the Asia e-Health Information Network shall serve as a

Appendix 2

23

collaborative community for e-health in Asia and the Pacific.17 10.

Public–Private Partnerships. Asia and the Pacific require infrastructure investment of at least $8 trillion until 2020.18 Demonstrably, available funding from traditional sources falls far short of the investment required. To deal with such massive infrastructure requirements, countries have three principal options: (i) review traditional sources of funds and explore additional funding from them, (ii) investigate mechanisms for generating more resources from off-budget sources, and (iii) consider a greater role for public–private partnerships19 in procuring infrastructure and identifying and addressing impediments to the development of such transactions. In truth, the private sector is often thought to provide greater efficiency than the public sector when managing infrastructure projects and delivering infrastructure services.

Involvement of the private sector has the potential to increase operating efficiency by investing in new technologies, bringing innovative solutions, and encouraging more transparent organizational structures. However, not all infrastructure projects are suitable for public–private partnerships, and conditions must exist that attract private sector participation in the delivery of infrastructure assets and the provision of service. When efficiently and transparently procured, the benefits of involving the private sector in the delivery of infrastructure include (i) efficient use of resources, (ii) improved asset and service quality, (iii) improved public sector management, and (iv) overall improvement in public sector procurement. Innovations in ICT and its spread, compounded by growth in market demand, have deep implications for government-owned telecom utilities and ICT infrastructure. There is a trend toward deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications markets. In ICT infrastructure but also in ICT-enabled sectors such as education,20 health, transport, urban, and water, public–private partnerships can outsource the state to both symbolize and signify government efficiency and responsiveness; the broad vista of the Public–Private Partnership Operational Plan, 2012–2020 invites this.

11.

Public Sector Management. Public sector management holds the single largest share of ADB's ICT portfolios. Seventeen public sector management projects (13%) out of 126 ADB loan, grant, and technical assistance projects have included ICT components. Also, a growing number of operations have incorporated ICT under public sector reform and capacity development efforts. In particular, ADB has supported the modernization of public finance management and tax administration using ICT, and introduced e-procurement systems, business registration systems, land management systems, and local government management systems in many countries. In 2014, a thematic evaluation study of ADB on governance in public sector operations revealed that many of the projects that were rated successful upon completion included ICT components.21 To note in particular, many countries are pursuing open government initiatives to improve accountability, efficiency, and transparency in government and leverage ICT to facilitate access to government information. Thus, the establishment of consolidated e-government data centers as well as government-wide networks has attracted more attention as a way to increase efficiency in ICT investments for public sector management, thereby reducing the risk of duplicate ICT investments in a country. Recently, ADB's Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department constituted an informal working group of staff working in areas related to identity management and civil registration/vital statistics, all critical to delivering sundry public and social services more effectively. Identity management cuts across numerous sector and thematic areas including education, gender, health, public sector management, and social protection. The working group works across ADB in streams related to identity management.

12.

Regional Cooperation and Integration. Regional cooperation and integration expands markets for goods and services, in terms of both demand and supply, increasing thereby the scope for economies of scale, which raises the efficiency of resource use and enhances trade

24

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competitiveness, with beneficial downstream effects on productivity and employment. It reduces income disparities. It helps share and mitigate risks, be they environmental, financial, health, or social. It elevates the overall quality of policy and reinforces the abilities of countries to respond more effectively to sudden or unexpected changes in, say, economic circumstances. And, where international relations have fractured, it creates a peace dividend by building trust and confidence among participating countries. Hence, ADB has for long considered regional cooperation and integration an important tool of poverty reduction that can improve welfare and the quality of life. Indeed, it is one of ADB's three distinct but complementary development agendas in Asia and the Pacific under Strategy 2020, the other two being inclusive economic growth and environmentally sustainable growth, in five subregions.22 ADB has advanced crossborder physical connectivity, expanded regional trade and investment, increased regional financial intermediation and stability, and provided regional and global public goods, including work to combat climate change and HIV/AIDS. By so doing, ADB has also helped DMCs, individually and together, achieve inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth.

Coincidentally, because the convergence of its tools for handling data and information increases the scope, speed, and intensity of interaction among people, ICT begets outcomes analogous to those of regional cooperation and integration. Combined with space technology, it impacts all aspects of modern life. ICT and regional cooperation and integration are natural partners: in the areas of cross-border infrastructure, trade and investment, money and finance, and global and regional public goods, by means of both ICT projects and ICT-enabled projects, ICT can do much to scale up regional cooperation and integration, help it evolve at subregional and intersubregional levels, and strengthen also the collaboration and partnerships on which this pivotal development agenda of ADB depends. Examples include broadband for development projects, which provide high-speed internet services at affordable prices, boost international connectivity, and allow the development of new business opportunities—both domestically and regionally— and ICT-based platforms for trade-, transport-, and finance-related infrastructure and services as well as natural disaster risk management and surveillance of and response to communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS. 13.

Rural Development and Food Security. The goal of ADB's interventions for rural development and food security is to help DMCs strengthen inclusive food and agriculture value chains, emphasizing integration of agricultural productivity, market connectivity, and resilience against shocks and climate change impacts. In line with this, efforts have been deployed to deliver market information to beneficiaries, e.g., farmers, fisher folks, and extension workers, often through mobile phones. In particular, ADB has developed telecenters—shared facilities where people can access computers, the internet, and other digital technology. Thus far, however, closing the digital divide 23 has not been an explicit objective of ADB's support to improve rural connectivity.

14.

Trade Facilitation. Trade facilitation is closely linked to transport and has been a prominent feature of ADB's Greater Mekong Subregion and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation programs. It deserves special mention but naturally invites reference to ADB's work for regional cooperation and integration. In Central Asia, ICT support has been integral to ADB's efforts to support customs automation, data harmonization, and development of single window facilities to promote trade facilitation. Much more can be done: in making a greater commitment to harnessing the power of ICT, ADB must keep in mind the tremendous potential it also holds for inclusiveness.24 Distance matters less to online exporters; this means that online exporting from high-cost countries in Central Asia and the Pacific can overcome one of the biggest barriers to trade growth. Moreover, helping women-led firms to operate online can alleviate many of the primary constraints that lead women-led firms to exist largely in the informal sector: by working online, women can engage in commercial activities when they have time, they can

Appendix 2

25

find buyers online rather than traveling to costly trade shows, and they can access business development and skills building tools from the safety of their homes. In India, 9.6% of all firms export, but 98% of online firms export. This illustrates the difference of moving online.

15.

Transport. Projects in the transport sector regularly incorporate ICT. To wit, ADB has developed information systems for road asset management and road maintenance and financial information systems to manage both urban and rural transport needs in more efficient and transparent ways. ICT support for road asset management is becoming increasingly important as highway networks mature. In the railway sector, ADB has extended support to modernize signaling and other ICT-intensive applications for better and more efficient operations. These days, applications in the transport sector converge on developing intelligent transport systems, integrating user interaction, and drawing on smart technology to optimize the use of transport infrastructure and reduce unnecessary travel.

16.

Urban Development. ICT has been used holistically to bolster financial and managerial capacities of local governments and municipal service providers; manage urban traffic, and increase the competence and autonomy of urban water supply, as well as sanitation and solid waste providers. Urban services delivery and urban planning systems have been improved through the implementation and the utilization of SCADA systems and geographic information systems, capacity-building programs, the application of sensors in urban infrastructure, and improved data collection systems related to urban development and urban services. Support to establish big data and data analytics have also helped introduce integrated and comprehensive platforms to reconcile and articulate urban subsectors planning, implementation, and monitoring. Community-based mapping and planning have helped improve local governance and civil society engagement. Smart cities are expected to improve urban services and management by integrating cross-sectoral urban technologies, knowledge-intensive activities, and innovation to create new economic opportunities and boost living standards.

Table A2: Promoting ICTD in ADB's Operations—Possible Directions in Sample Sector and Thematic Areas of Interest Sector/Theme Climate Change

Disaster Risk Management

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD Given the broad sector composition of the agents of climate change, ADB has worked to promote clean energy; encourage sustainable transport and urban development; manage land use and forests, foster climateresilient development; and strengthen policies, governance, and capacities.

Asia and the Pacific is subject to all major types of natural hazards and

Possible ICT Direction

Rationale

Out of many possible directions for information and communications technology (ICT), ADB can aim to mitigate and adapt to climate change through energy efficiency in sectors using ICT, adaptation through ICT-based applications such as early warning systems and disaster relief management, and measurements and monitoring using ICT to assess the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change.

Considerable opportunities exist in risk identification by remote sensing and

Meeting global demand for energy and natural resources is destabilizing the Earth's climate and threatening development and security. Having become a leading contributor to the climate change crisis, Asia is jeopardizing its own development.

Direct physical losses are increasing more rapidly than regional

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Sector/Theme

Education

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD dominates disaster impact categories across all regions of the world.

ADB's assistance has included flood control and integrated water resource management projects, as well as the development of innovative ways of financing disaster risk management. ADB now seeks to promote integrated disaster risk management; strengthen related capabilities, knowledge, and resources; and mobilize public– private partnerships and resources in support.

ADB has a record of accomplishment in applying ICT solutions in the education sector. In 2009, it published Good Practice in Information and Communication Technology for Education.25 A report on open online resources is pending release.

Possible ICT Direction

Rationale

crowdsourcing, risk mitigation through mobile applications, risk preparedness through advanced early warning systems, disaster response and early recovery by remote sensing and geographic information systems, and rehabilitation and reconstruction through interactive mapping and data sharing. To note also, appropriate use of ICT at the community level improves dramatically the efficiency of the surveillance of and response to communicable diseases including those representing a pandemic risk.

As it lends itself to economies of scale and scope, the education sector is increasingly turning to ICT to improve quality of delivery, enhance efficiency, and broaden access to education. To improve quality of delivery, open online resources are expanding teaching and learning resources for teachers and students. New software is enabling blended learning in the classroom and self-paced learning for students.

Simulation tools show great potential for technical vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education, as well as collaborative research.

Opportunities are available to monitor the performance of students, teachers, and schools to target improvements. To enhance efficiency, new and integrated information systems for institutional management and

gross domestic product as both exposure and vulnerability to natural hazards continue to grow. The intensity and, in some areas, frequency of climatic extreme events is expected to increase with climate change, potentially exacerbating this trend in future years. Disaster risk poses a serious threat to inclusive sustainable socioeconomic development in Asia and the Pacific.

ICT is a potential game changer for education.

It is reaching a new stage of maturity in the sector, with emphasis on content curation and usage. To make sure ICT tools translate into improved learning and labor market outcomes, as well as better performing education systems, close integration with pedagogical strategies and adequate capacity development are required.

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD

Energy

ADB has experience in utilizing ICT to improve energy sector performance including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, metering, pricing, and billing systems, utility management systems, and customer support applications.

Environment

ADB's Environment Thematic Group has (i) supported operations by providing inputs to country partnerships strategies through country environment roadmaps and pilot-testing new initiatives, e.g., integrating ecosystems services valuation in decision making, enhancing the sustainability of infrastructure investments through smart green approaches and peer reviews of projects, etc.; (ii) delivered high-impact knowledge products and services to inform future operations; (iii) organized flagship knowledge sharing events and prepared knowledge products on topics such as

Possible ICT Direction performance are helping optimize the allocation of resources. E-learning is expanding access to education in rural and remote areas and—to identify replicable good practices and improve user uptake—dedicated efforts must be put into measuring and monitoring results in this relatively new field.

There are opportunities in smarter grids, leveraging electrical infrastructure for broadband communications, and strategy and policy development.

ADB's operational directions for the environment aims to (i) promote a shift to sustainable infrastructure, (ii) invest in natural capital, (iii) strengthen environmental governance and management capacity, and (iv) respond to the climate change imperative.

The directions provide fertile ground for harnessing the power of ICT for environmental management. In environmental management as elsewhere, ICT can strengthen the information base for decision making and citizen engagement.

Out of a great many, possible applications lie in air quality management, forest monitoring,

27

Rationale

The use of ICT in the energy sector is shifting from a focus on supplyside information to information systems that play an interactive role on both the supply and demand sides of the energy value chain.

Because of the importance of ICT in the energy sector, policy and policy coordination are essential to ensure that developments in one do not impede progress in the other.

The accomplishment and monitoring of four environment-related Sustainable Development Goals can be greatly facilitated by ICT. The four goals are to (i) Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; (ii) Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; (iii) Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development; and (iv) Goal 15: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,

28

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Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD environmental sustainability and safeguards; (iv) developed and implemented training and knowledge-sharing activities to build the capacity of ADB staff and developing member countries (DMCs); (v) provided facilitation support to the operations departments to access cofinance from the Global Environment Facility; and (vi) served as focal point for managing knowledge partnerships with institutions such as the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Possible ICT Direction

Rationale

identification of natural hazard risks, and water quality assessments. ICT can also bring efficiency and systemic improvements, such as smart energy grids and sustainable/smart transport systems, leading to highly needed transformational shifts towards green growth.

sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. In addition, the Sustainable Development Goals that relate to sustainable infrastructure, e.g., Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all; Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation; and Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, can be addressed more effectively by introducing smarter, more resource efficient, and greener technologies.

Financial inclusion and development, and the deepening of regional capital markets to channel regional savings to productive investments, are key priorities in ADB's plans for assistance in the financial sector.

Gender differences in mobile phone access and use are large in low-income countries.

Mobile phones alleviate time and mobility constraints on women by making it easier to

Finance

ADB has assisted in the development of new ICT capabilities in central banks, core banking systems, mobile banking, and development of capital markets.

ICT interventions can span mobile banking, improvement of payment systems, and strategies and policies, not forgetting information technology security.

Gender Equity

ADB's operational plan for gender equality and women's empowerment makes no reference to ICT. Even so, noteworthy if piecemeal accomplishments include mobile phone banking with

ICT can remedy the three primary resource deficiencies of women, viz., education (including skills and training), health, and material assets. For instance, ICT can extend access to education and

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD gender targets; egovernance services for women, e.g., business registrations and tax declarations; enrollment of girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and

Health

computer skills training with gender targets; and provision of market information by text messaging in the agriculture and natural resources sector—to which women make essential contributions; much of this informed by sex-disaggregated data for better decision making across all sectors of ADB's operations. In 2014, a groundbreaking study on Information and Communication Technologies for Women Entrepreneurs26 investigated prospects and potential in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan.

In the health sector, ADB's emphasis has been on improving the health impact of infrastructure operations, economic governance and public expenditure, regional and global public goods, partnerships, and knowledge management.

ICT in health projects has concentrated on supporting health management information systems.

29

Possible ICT Direction

Rationale

offer distance education; mobile phones can deliver basic services such as healthcare information, advice, and feedback; and supportive land management policies, coupled with the use of information systems, can also strengthen women's land and ownership rights.

Regarding material assets, ICT also create opportunities for female entrepreneurs so they may use the internet to access domestic and international markets more directly. Over and above ICT directions that palliate resource deficiencies, genderfocused identity management and civil registration/vital statistics can do much to promote gender equity.

coordinate family and work lives and cutting down the physical labor or travel required to acquire information.

The ICT arena can assuredly be engendered through gender-sensitive ICT strategies, policies, and projects.

These days, ICT is a strong element of communicable and non-communicable diseases management. It improves the quality of health services delivery by enabling better monitoring of the treatment of patients and better allocation of necessary resources based on an accurate case notification. Under ADB's operational plan for health, digital health is set to play a key role. It is one of ADB's flagship programs to help achieve universal health coverage. ADB can help develop policies, strategies, and projects for comprehensive digital health infrastructure; ensure interoperability of

Large, growing, increasingly prosperous, and aging populations challenge Asia's healthcare services. Constrained by tight health sector budgets, many countries need to reboot their health systems with better policies, smoother coordination, and innovative technology to provide quality and affordable health care to all.

30

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD

ICT

ADB's ICT infrastructure projects have concentrated on expanding mobile telecommunications networks through private sector financing to telecom operators, with exceptions being sovereign projects in the Pacific.

Public–Private Partnerships

Strategy 2020 identifies private sector development and private sector operations as drivers of change in Asia and the Pacific. Public– private partnerships are seen as an important modality to achieve this objective and Strategy 2020 emphasizes their promotion in all of ADB's five core areas of operations, e.g., infrastructure, environment, regional cooperation and integration, finance sector development, and education. To date, ADB cannot claim much experience of public– private partnerships for ICT infrastructure; this said, in public–private partnerships as elsewhere, ICT underpins components of projects.

(Public–private partnerships in transport, e.g., toll roads, come to mind.)

Possible ICT Direction ICT systems; promote digitization of patient records; automate insurance reimbursement; and build the capacity of health workers in basic ICT skills.

There are opportunities in ICT infrastructure development for reliable connectivity and storage by means of broadband and mobile networks, satellites, and data centers. National and regional strategies should build the framework for ICT infrastructure development. ICT policy and regulations need to be in line with ICT infrastructure development.

At the level of the first mile, public–private partnerships can help privatize or liberalize international gateways; develop government data centers; participate in international cable and satellite consortiums; and regulate legal intercepts. At the middle mile, there are opportunities to privatize incumbent operator; conduct industry consultation on network master plans; establish national and local Internet Exchange Points (IXPs); and advance local hosting of content, e.g., government data centers.

Openings for public–private partnerships at the last mile may be scarcer, except where misaligned incentives and limited government capacity in the face of patent demand justify their formation. The broad vista of the operational plan for public– private partnerships invites

Rationale

A reliable ICT infrastructure for storage and connectivity is the basis for the operations of all ICT-related services across sectors.

Growing numbers of ICT users and new technologies and applications require more reliable connectivity, higher capacity, and better quality.

Innovations in ICT and its spread, compounded by growth in market demand, have deep implications for government-owned telecom utilities and ICT infrastructure. There is a trend toward deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications markets. In ICT infrastructure but also in ICT-enabled sectors such as education, health, transport, urban, and water, public– private partnerships can outsource the state to both symbolize and signify government efficiency and responsiveness.

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD

Public Sector Management

Public sector management has the single largest share in ADB's ICT portfolios, with numerous interventions for anticorruption, public financial management, and public service delivery.

Regional Cooperation and Integration

ADB's experience of ICT in regional cooperation and integration is rich and varied, cutting across multiple sectors in five subregions of ADB and in the Pacific. This has also entailed substantial investments in research and development, policy and advisory technical assistance, and capacity development. For example, ADB has enhanced the availability of affordable broadband internet connections, a skilled workforce, and local content and internet applications under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Information Highway Project. ADB has used ICT recurrently to underpin monetary and financial cooperation and regional integration by developing robust local currency bond markets in Asia and the Pacific. ADB-assisted

Possible ICT Direction deepening and diversification of ICT portfolios in ADB's operations.

In e-governance, holistic ICT solutions can transform business processes, implement open governance and open data initiatives, and enable business models that marry public and private sector efforts. Possible ICT directions can promote more efficient and costeffective government, facilitate more convenient government services, allow greater public access to information, and make government more transparent and accountable to citizens.

Projects for regionally integrated and high-quality broadband capacity can do away with third-party connections, optimize the cost of interconnection within the region, help bring down the prices of ICT services, and boost ICT use across borders. With an eye to the Pacific, it must be borne in mind that effective and inexpensive ICT cooperation across island nations opens vast opportunities. Other possible ICT directions for regional cooperation and integration are innumerable but fall in the areas of internet governance, common digital markets, and the provision or safeguard of regional and global public goods.

Information technology security is a special case.

Another important area for regional cooperation and integration is digital technology to transform

31

Rationale

Good governance, as expressed through accountability, efficiency, and transparency—but also participation, predictability, and reliability—is perhaps the single most important factor in ensuring national prosperity.

ICT cuts time, distance, and the information gap. It feeds on convergence of connectivity, structure, support, and usage. It is perhaps the most dynamic force behind globalization. In a globalizing world, this makes it a natural ally of regional cooperation and integration. ICT cuts time, distance, and the information gap. It feeds on convergence of connectivity, structure, support, and usage. It is perhaps the most dynamic force behind globalization. In a globalizing world, this makes it a natural ally of regional cooperation and integration. ICT systems and services provide the most benefit when they can operate at scale across national boundaries. However, current ICT systems

32

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Rural Development and Food Security

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD geographic information systems continue to help prevent and control HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases such as avian influenza.

And, ICT-based single windows have improved border services under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.

In its first couple of decades, ADB placed an accent on agriculture and rural development. Its current operational thrust is to help strengthen inclusive food and agriculture value chains to integrate production, processing, markets, and distribution networks. ADB also aims to improve farm and nonfarm employment opportunities, increase incomes, and boost the living standards of the poor.

Possible ICT Direction

Rationale

production networks and cross-border trade.

Projects can relate to: (i) integration of ICT digital systems and services across national boundaries through harmonized policies, regulations, and operational protocols and agreements governing and managing ICT systems and services, as well as improved practices for managing cross-border data security and privacy; and (ii) ICT services designed to promote the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in regional and global trade.

The broad vista of the (draft) operational plan for regional cooperation and integration invites further deepening and diversification of ICT portfolios in ADB's operations.

ADB can strengthen rural value chains by integrating agricultural productivity, market connectivity, and resilience against shocks and climate change impacts, and by promoting food safety and security using ICT-based applications.

and services are often underdeveloped, fragmented, and subject to national monopolies. As countries move from agriculture and manufacture towards services, and in some cases toward greater manufacturing possibilities, competitiveness can be heightened by ICT services.

Farmers, wholesalers, retailers, agroprocessors, inputs suppliers, and traders are challenged severally by limited access to reliable and timely information.

There is merit in adding "access to information" more broadly to ADB's strategy for fostering rural connectivity.

Providing access to modern ICT facilities can help farmers and value chain actors overcome information isolation and improve their access to markets and essential public services, such as timely and high-quality information on weather, crop conditions, and

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD

Possible ICT Direction

Social Protection

Because of the Asian and global financial crises, ADB support for social protection has increased, and with it, the use of ICT for improving targeting, program management, beneficiary identification, benefits distribution, and program monitoring.

ICT options exist in automation of social protection programs; and deployment of technology such as mobile computing, biometrics for civil registration (often for delivery of particular services), smart cards, the Global Positioning System, radio-frequency identification tags, and automated teller machines.

Transport

ICT is increasingly integral to ADB's transport sector interventions. A review of 88 loan, grant, and technical assistance projects approved in 2012–2013 revealed that 40% of all transport projects had ICT components. Of these, 54% involved activities such as project management, road asset management, and maintenance systems.

Greater use can be made of smart transport technology for traffic management and transport infrastructure maintenance.

Sex-disaggregated data for transport planning can help design gender-responsive transport systems for women, who are at greater risk of violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault from strangers on public transportation. In the same vein, applications can map "hotspots" and highrisk zones in transport stations and nearby streets.

Urban Development

ADB has been improving urban transport, waste management, and access to clean water and sanitation.

ICT's contributions lie severally across city growth, improved governance, and service delivery; intergovernmental

33

Rationale market prices as well as technical advice on, say, improved technologies and techniques. Including telecenter development in ADB's rural infrastructure toolkit can supplement efforts to foster physical connectivity and improve the rural business environment.

Social protection institutions must extend increasingly large-scale programs and provide comprehensive coverage to vulnerable populations, with implications for gender mainstreaming. This calls for the design and management of complex administrative tools that only ICT can deliver.

There continues to be a pressing requirement for basic information systems for road asset management, road maintenance, and for financial information systems for asset management and road maintenance, this to manage fast-growing rural and urban transport needs. There are also opportunities for intelligent transport solutions, for measures that encourage substitution of telecommuting for actual travel, and for fostering cross-sector infrastructure sharing.

Asia's cities shall become home to another one billion people in the next two decades as the poor

34

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Water

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD

Since 2001, ADB has sought to promote water as a socially vital economic good that invites careful management. It has worked to stimulate a national focus on water sector reform; encourage integrated management of water resources; ameliorate and expand the delivery of water services; foster the conservation of water and increase system efficiencies; prompt regional cooperation and increase the mutually beneficial use of shared water resources within and between countries; facilitate the exchange of

Possible ICT Direction

Rationale

fiscal relations and municipal finance; urban poverty reduction and slum upgrading; urban planning, land, and housing; and urban environment and climate change.

continue to be drawn to better opportunities, compounding stress on limited land. Over 500 million live in slums, a number predicted to soar to 1 billion by 2025. Many cities are already struggling with environmental degradation, traffic congestion, inadequate urban infrastructure, and a lack of basic services such as water supply, sanitation and waste management.

The vulnerable tend to settle in low-lying and disaster prone areas and the need for disaster risk management will intensify. Future ICTenabled operations could facilitate better urban planning and management, the provision of affordable housing, and a greater role for the private sector in the provision of services.

Growing populations, rapid urbanization, increasing water pollution, and competing demands for water have left water resources in many Asian countries in a critical state. The gap between demand and supply is becoming wider and increases competition between water users—farmers, energy producers, households, and businesses.

ICT-enabled opportunities exist to harvest information on water use and availability; promote better availability of hydrological information; obtain feedback from water users using mobile and geographic information systems technologies; boost accountability, efficiency, and transparency in the water sector; and monitor water use with remote sensing.

Appendix 2

Sector/Theme

Synopsis of Recent ADB Experience in ICTD water sector information and experience; and improve governance and capacity building.

Possible ICT Direction

35

Rationale

ADB = Asian Development Bank; DMCs = developing member countries; ICT = information and communications technology; SCADA = supervisory control and data acquisition; STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; TVET = Technical Vocational Education and Training.

Note: NetHope's SDG ICT Playbook explores the benefits, trends, and challenges of what it terms "building block" technologies, e.g., power, mobile devices, connectivity, Internet of Things, cloud computing, analytics, social media, digital services, smart systems, and 3D printing, and describes how each might be applied in nine sectors and themes, e.g., agriculture, disaster relief, education, environmental protection, governance, health, infrastructure, livelihoods, and water and sanitation and power. NetHope. 2015. The SDG ICT Playbook: From Innovation to Impact. nethope.org/. See, also, Appendix 3.

Source: Developed from ADB. 2014. Promoting Information and Communication Technology in ADB Operations.

Manila. www.adb.org/publications/promoting-information-and-communication-technology-adb-operations

17.

Public Procurement of ICT Goods and Services. Learning from a study of the European Union, it is important to bear in mind recurring complexities that the technical nature of ICT throws up when preparing and processing public procurement of ICT goods and services. 27 They relate to (i) the use of standards, e.g., difficulties in evaluating the appropriateness of standards and their possible effects on the solutions proposed by bidders; too many standards to choose from—with little knowledge of the extent to which each standard may be implemented in any system or product; poor referencing of standards in tenders; use of inappropriate standards, e.g., those that restrict the ability of suppliers to compete; and use of widely accepted technical specifications or brand names that are considered standard; (ii) the need to translate ICT requirements into clear specifications that both allow suppliers the flexibility to provide "solutions" and make sure the said "solutions" meet requirements; (iii) frequent requests for backwards compatibility of new purchases with existing systems and products, which although reasonable in certain circumstances can favor existing suppliers, disadvantage competing bidders, and perpetuate reliance on previous suppliers beyond the time frame of a contract; (iv) inability to migrate to new ICT systems because of technical or vendor-dependent lock-in or organizational inertia; (v) the use of brand names or proprietary specifications to explicitly request certain systems and products; (vi) procurement, without specifying proprietary products, of ICT that must fit legacy systems; and (vii) lack of awareness of possible obligations that might be placed on citizens when interacting with public sector ICT. The Operations Services and Financial Management Department, with assistance from the Office of Information Systems and Technology, may have to give sufficient guidance to staff.

Helpfully, the document cited made a dozen recommendations to address the main difficulties of public procurement of ICT goods and services; a related document fleshed out elements of good practice.28

36

Appendix 2

Figure A2: Possible ICTD Directions

Policy and Regulatory Framework

Infrastructure Connectivity, Structure, Support, Usage Applications

Capacities and Skills Source: ADB. 1

ADB. 2003. Toward E-Development in Asia and the Pacific: A Strategic Approach for Information and Communication Technology. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/toward-e-development-asia-and-pacific-strategicapproach-information-and-communication 2 The World Bank formulated its first strategy for ICT in 2001. A follow-up strategy was approved in 2012. World Bank. 2012. ICT for Greater Development Impact: World Bank Group Strategy for Information and Communication Technology, 2012–2015. Washington, DC. The 2016 World Development Report of the World Bank, published on 13 January 2016, explores the impact the internet, mobile phones, and other digital technologies are having on development. The report argues says that while these technologies are spreading rapidly throughout the developing world, the anticipated digital dividends of higher growth, more jobs, and better public services have fallen short of expectations, and 60% of the world's population remains excluded from the ever-expanding digital economy. To get the most out of the digital revolution, countries need to work on "analog complements", meaning, regulations that promote competition and entry, skills to leverage digital opportunities, and institutions that are capable and accountable to citizens. World Bank. 2016. World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends.

Washington. www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2016 3 ADB. 2003. Information and Communication Technology for Development in the Pacific. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/information-and-communication-technology-development-pacific 4 ADB. 2010. Information and Communication Technology for Development: ADB Experiences. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/information-and-communication-technology-development 5 ADB. 2014.

Innovative Asia: Advancing the Knowledge-Based Economy.

Manila. www.adb.org/publications/innovative-asia-advancing-knowledge-based-economy 6 ADB. 2014. Midterm Review of Strategy 2020: Meeting the Challenges of a Transforming Asia and Pacific. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/midterm-review-strategy-2020-meeting-challenges-transforming-asia-and-pacific-r-paper 7 ADB. 2008. Strategy 2020: The Long-Term Strategic Framework of the Asian Development Bank, 2008–2020.

Manila. www.adb.org/documents/strategy-2020-working-asia-and-pacific-free-poverty; and ——. 2014. Midterm Review of Strategy 2020 Action Plan. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/midterm-review-strategy-2020-action-plan 8 ADB has built submarine cable systems in the Pacific and strengthened fiber-optic and data interchange capacity under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Program.

9 The Economist. 2006. Afghanistan's Economy: Creeping Towards the Marketplace.

10 As of 31 December 2011, ICT in ADB's non-sovereign operations was only 3%.

11 ICT-led projects are those that support physical infrastructure for connectivity. ICT related-projects are sector projects with significant ICT components. Under ADB's project classification system, ICT was considered a subsector, titled "Transport and ICT", until 2014.

12 ADB. 2012. ICT Education in Central and West Asia. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/ict-education-central-andwest-asia-executive-summary 13 ADB. 2013. Tajikistan's Finance Sector: Boosting Access and Development. Manila; ADB. 2014. Armenia's Finance Sector: Boosting Access and Development. Manila; ADB. 2014. Finance Sector Development in Central and West Asia: Making Mobile Financial Services Work for Central and West Asian Countries. Manila.

Appendix 2

14

37

ADB's experience in its Central and West region underscores the exceptional value of ADB's technical assistance, this to carry out essential analysis of policy and regulatory frameworks, not likely to be conducted otherwise, thence generate demand.

15 ADB. 2015. Op-Ed / Opinion. Takehiko Nakao. ADB President.

16 ADB. 2015. Operational Plan for Health, 2015–2020. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/adb-operational-plan-forhealth-2015-2020 17 ADB. 2015. Universal Health Coverage by Design: ICT-Enabled Solutions are the Future of Equitable, Quality Health Care and Resilient Health Systems. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/universal-health-coverage-by-design 18 ADB. 2012. Public–Private Partnership Operational Plan 2012–2020: Realizing the Vision for Strategy 2020—The Transformational Role of Public–Private Partnerships in Asian Development Bank Operations. Manila. www.adb.org/documents/public-private-partnership-operational-plan-2012-2020 19 The major types of public–private partnerships, as a subset of broader private sector participation, are service contracts, management contracts, lease contracts, and concession contracts.

20 In 2015, a study of ADB identified the multiple ways in which ICT for education services lends itself to the public– private partnership approach. ADB. 2015. Public–Private Partnerships in Information and Communications Technology for Education. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/ppp-information-and-communication-technologyeducation 21 ADB. 2014. Thematic Evaluation Study of ADB Support for Enhancing Governance in its Public Sector Operations Manila. www.adb.org/documents/thematic-evaluation-study-adb-support-enhancing-governance-its-public-sectoroperations 22 ADB promotes regional cooperation and integration in or through (i) the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia– The Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), launched in 1994; (ii) the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, launched in 1996; (iii) the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), inaugurated in 1993; (iv) the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program, launched in 2001; and (v) the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation program, launched in 1992. ADB also strengthens regional cooperation and integration among Pacific islands countries under the Pacific Plan, adopted in 2004.

23 In the 1980s, the digital divide was measured in terms of a citizen's access to a telephone; it is now gauged by access to digital technology such as computers, the internet, and mobile or smart phones.

24 ADB. 2015. Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Thinking Forward About Trade Costs and the Digital Economy.

Manila. www.adb.org/publications/aid-trade-asia-and-pacific-thinking-forward-about-trade-costs-and-digitaleconomy 25 ADB. 2009. Good Practice in Information and Communication Technology for Education. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/good-practice-information-and-communication-technology-education 26 ADB. 2014. Information and Communication Technologies for Women Entrepreneurs. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/information-and-communication-technologies-women-entrepreneurs 27 European Union. 2012. Guidelines for Public Procurement of ICT Goods and Services.

28 European Union. 2012. Guide for the Procurement of Standards-Based ICT—Elements of Good Practice.

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Appendix 3

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Sustainable Development Goal

Opportunity

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Beyond lack of income, poverty also refers to disadvantages in access to land, credit, and services, e.g., education and health; vulnerability to economic shocks, natural disasters, and violence; powerlessness; and social exclusion. Information and communications technology (ICT) that, one way or another, provides access to relevant information, gives a voice, and facilitates communication and network building can empower the poor to become actors of their cultural, economic, political, and social development. It also invites governments, the donor community, and nongovernment organizations among others, singly or in partnerships, to integrate ICT in their policies, strategies, programs, and projects. There is a myriad of opportunities: some pertain to ICT infrastructure and associated policy and regulatory frameworks, applications, electronic commerce, electronic governance, human resource development, universal access to information, etc. Importantly, interventions should have explicit pro-poor objectives and promote equal opportunities for men and women.

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture Nutrition, food security, and hunger are linked to sustainable agriculture. ICT can connect farmers to knowledge, networks, and institutions to improve productivity and employment opportunities. It can, for instance, give access to information about extension services, availability of fertilizers, weather forecasts, markets, etc. To extension agents, ICT affords mobile access to business planning tools, digital information services, and online education; it allows them to record service delivery events and solicit farmer feedback using mobile devices; and, governments can remotely monitor extension services with an eye to improving them over time.

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages ICT can do much for higher care quality, greater efficiency, and better patient outcomes. The connectivity that data and telecommunication networks provide links health workers to information and diagnostic services and allows them to form support networks and communicate with doctors and nurses in clinics and hospitals.

Mobile phones make it possible for community health workers to learn of and prepare for illnesses or disease, identify patient symptoms, follow established treatment protocols, perform remote diagnostics, access expert support, refer patients to clinics, send patient reminders, and both record delivery of services and receive mobile payments for these. Analytics build the capabilities needed to produce snapshots; analyze trends; and make projections about disease outbreaks, health service usage, and patient knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding their health—all within time frames critical to eradicating disease and reducing mortality rates.

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all There is great potential to improve education globally, but especially in developing countries, with the power of ICT. Mobile devices allow students to access learning assets anytime and anywhere. Teachers too can prepare for classes anytime and anywhere. Mobile phones can be used for literacy training, numeracy training, and interactive tutoring. Smartphones can serve as e-books or e-readers, and for "educative games", thereby unlocking the most valuable asset of many young students—their curiosity. Connectivity provided by data and telecommunication networks brings to teachers and students alike a wealth of learning resources and

Appendix 3

39 Sustainable Development Goal

Opportunity

online information. Digital services such as e-learning programs—self-paced and instructor-led, online certification programs, online competitions and labs, and student advisory services open up a world of learning assets to students that in turn leads to livelihood opportunities. Smart systems can analyze patterns of student learning and help prescribe individual learning plans. Social media can bolster support networks for teachers, students, and women and girls wishing to further their education.

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls ICT allows women and girls to access information of importance to their productive, reproductive, and community roles and to obtain additional resources. Access to ICT gives women a stronger voice in their communities, their government, and on the international scene. ICT also affords women much-needed flexibility in time and space and can be of great value to those facing social isolation. ICT can provide new opportunities for women's economic empowerment by creating business and employment opportunities for women as owners and managers of ICT-accessed projects, as well as employees of new business ventures; creating an environment, including through training, where women feel comfortable participating in community development activities and advocating their needs and priorities; developing ICTbased tools that address women's specific needs and are run by women, e.g., literacy programs, business planning courses, ICT training, and access to market and trading information services as well as e-commerce initiatives; and offering economic opportunities in salaried employment and entrepreneurship in the ICT sector itself and in ICT-enabled jobs. There is a growing body of evidence on the benefits of ICT for women's empowerment, through increasing access to health, nutrition, education, and other human development opportunities such as political participation.

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all ICT drives smart water management: it facilitates measurement and monitoring of water supplies—using open-source mapping software such as Field Level Operations Watch (FLOW)—and underpins the extension of water, sanitation, and hygiene services at the local level. ICT can register the location and state of infrastructure as well as the use of services. It shortens response times, cuts travel distances and maintenance costs, optimizes operations, e.g., production costs, energy efficiency, etc., and improves quality of service.

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all ICT can help improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in many sectors of the economy. ICT and energy efficiency connect in two ways: "Greening through ICT" and "Greening of ICT". "Greening through ICT" means ICT-enabled solutions, e.g., smart buildings, smart grids, smart industrial processes, and smart logistics, can gear the world to a more energy-efficient future. In tandem, green technologies and processes can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. ICT can also increase connectivity in rural and remote areas through the deployment of low-cost, lowpower solutions for off-grid mobile base stations. The "Greening of ICT" signifies it must become environmentally sound and less carbon-intensive.

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all ICT is transforming employment and the demand for both basic and more advanced ICT skills now cuts across all sectors. It is urgent to prioritize ICT in national youth employment and entrepreneurship strategies. Basic digital literacy is increasingly required even to find job listings and make job applications. New opportunities exist

40

Appendix 3

Sustainable Development Goal

Opportunity

for young people with mid-level digital skills in areas such as offshore services, including information technology and business process outsourcing, crowdsourcing, and microwork.

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation Industrialization—notably, the increases in productivity it leads to—is highly dependent on effective use of ICT. In the 21st century, global and local infrastructure—be it power networks, water supplies, transportation systems, or indeed ICT infrastructure itself—can be controlled, managed, and optimized more equitably by ICT. Moreover, never has innovation been dynamic than in the Age of Knowledge, which both accelerates and depends on open access and online collaboration.

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.

ICT clearly has potential to help reduce inequality, both within and between countries, but a focus must be placed on developing human capacity and ensuring that people at the bottom of the pyramid have the skills necessary to manage their own development. Else, ICT—like any other development lever—may exacerbate existing digital divides. The challenge is to implement policies that ensure more equal access and use of ICT. Where ICT does clearly have potential for reducing inequality is when it is used to help bring information and knowledge to disadvantaged segments of society—including women and girls as well as those living with disabilities.

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable Half the world's population already lives in urban environments. ICT must be relied upon to offer innovative approaches to managing cities more effectively and holistically—through applications such as smart buildings, smart water management, intelligent transport systems, and new efficiencies in energy consumption and waste management. It is vital to use ICT to make cities more ecofriendly and sustainable—not just for the well-being of urban inhabitants but for the sustainability of the planet.

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns ICT can promote sustainable consumption and production through product-specific improvements, increased dematerialization and virtualization, and the implementation of smart technologies across sectors—including agriculture, energy, transport, water, and urban. Related ICT applications include cloud computing; smart grids; and smart metering. Energy consumption per appliance, product, or process, for instance, can be reduced. Still, increased use of ICT means increased energy consumption and direct environmental impacts in terms of materials throughput and end-of-life treatment: policies must make sure that negative impacts from ICT are minimized.

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Key areas for application of ICT include manufacturing, energy, transport, and buildings. ICT can also foster sustainable consumption and greener lifestyles.

Elsewhere, it can play a crucial role in sharing climate and weather information and in forecasting and early warning systems; WRC-12, aka the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012, recognized the importance of Earth observation and allocated new spectrum for oceanographic radars, meteorologicalsatellite services, and Earth exploration satellite services. ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Sector, together with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Meteorological Organization, is also looking at the use of submarine

Appendix 3

41 Sustainable Development Goal

Opportunity

cables for climate monitoring and disaster warning. ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Sector is developing best practice to help countries and the ICT sector adapt to the effects of climate change.

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development ICT can play a significant role in the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, notably through improved monitoring and reporting for increased accountability. Satellite-based monitoring delivers timely and accurate data on a global basis, while local sensors deliver on the spot updates in real-time. Big data can be used to analyze short- and long-term trends in terms of biodiversity, pollution, weather patterns, and ecosystem evolution, and plan mitigation activities.

Mobile devices—and especially mobile broadband-enabled devices—help individuals access information concerning the oceans and take an active role in discussing environmental issues and monitoring adherence to conservation targets.

Goal 15: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss ICT can play a significant role in the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and the prevention of biodiversity loss—notably through improved monitoring and reporting for increased accountability. Satellite-based monitoring delivers timely and accurate data on a global basis; local sensors deliver on-thespot updates in real-time. Big data can be used to analyze trends in biodiversity, pollution, weather patterns, and ecosystem evolution and plan mitigation activities.

Mobile devices—especially mobile broadband-enabled devices—help individuals access information so they may discuss environmental issues, monitor adherence to conservation targets, and alert law enforcement authorities to illegal activities.

Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels ICT can play an important role in crisis management, humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding. When natural or man-made disasters occur, ICT helps obtain, communicate, and transmit accurate and timely information, allowing appropriate responses to be made. By means of crowdsourcing, ICT has helped monitor elections. In general, open data increases transparency, empowers citizens, and drives economic growth; data mining and big data analysis should make increasingly better use of the vast amount of data that is already openly accessible online. ICT is also essential in terms of record keeping on local demographics.

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development ICT can help achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals because it integrates and accelerates economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability—the three pillars of sustainable development—and provides innovative and effective means to act in today's interconnected world. Specifically, ICT can help develop capacity, promote monitoring and accountability, enhance international cooperation and coordination, forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and promote technology transfer.

FLOW = Field Level Operations Watch; ICT = information and communications technology.

Note: This table isolates a few ICT-related opportunities for illustrative purposes. It invites deeper reflection elsewhere, preferably in the form of background papers, on how ICT can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: Adapted from 2016. International Telecommunication Union. www.itu.int/

42

Appendix 4

REFERENCES TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT IN ADB'S OPERATIONAL PLANS Operational Plan Education by 2020—A Sector Operational Plan

Year 2010

Keyword information, ICT

Occurrence 38

Health in Asia and the Pacific: A Focused Approach to Address the Health Needs of ADB Developing Member Countries—Operational Plan for Health, 2016–2017 Public–Private Partnership Operational Plan 2012– 2020: Realizing the Vision for Strategy 2020—The Transformational Role of Public–Private Partnerships in Asian Development Bank Operations Financial Sector Operational Plan

2015

information technology, ICT

17

2012

information, information and communication technology

16

www.adb.org/documents/pu blic-private-partnershipoperational-plan-2012-2020

2011

12

www.adb.org/documents/fin ancial-sector-operationalplan

Operational Plan For Integrated Disaster Risk Management, 2014–2020

2014

information, information technology, information systems ICT, information systems, information sharing

10

Water Operational Plan, 2011–2020

2012

8

Environment Operational Directions, 2013–2020— Promoting Transitions to Green Growth in Asia and the Pacific Social Protection Operational Plan, 2014– 2020 Sustainable Transport Initiative Operation Plan

2013

information management, information, information systems, information and technology information, electronic communication

www.adb.org/documents/op erational-plan-integrateddisaster-risk-management2014-2020 www.adb.org/documents/wa ter-operational-plan-20112020

7

www.adb.org/documents/en vironment-operationaldirections-2013-2020

2014

ICT, information

6

2010

6

Urban Operational Plan, 2012–2020

2013

Focused Action—Priorities for Addressing Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific Energy Policy

2010

information, information technology information, information technology information

2009

information

4

www.adb.org/documents/so cial-protection-operationalplan-2014-2020 www.adb.org/documents/su stainable-transport-initiativeoperational-plan www.adb.org/documents/ur ban-operational-plan-20122020 www.adb.org/publications/fo cused-action-prioritiesaddressing-climate-changeasia-and-pacific www.adb.org/documents/en

4

4

Uniform Resource Locator www.adb.org/documents/ed ucation-2020-sectoroperations-plan www.adb.org/documents/ad b-operational-plan-forhealth-2015-2020

Appendix 4

43 Operational Plan

Year

Operational Plan for Sustainable Food Security in Asia and the Pacific

2010

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Operational Plan, 2013– 2020—Moving the Agenda Forward in Asia and the Pacific

2013

Keyword technology, information information, information systems

Occurrence

Uniform Resource Locator ergy-policy

2

—

0

www.adb.org/documents/op erational-plan-sustainablefood-security-asia-andpacific www.adb.org/documents/ge nder-equality-and-womensempowerment-operationalplan-2013-2020

ADB = Asian Development Bank; ICT = information and communications technology.

Source: ADB.

Appendix 5 44

SHOWCASING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT IN ADB'S OPERATIONS (as of December 2015) Sector/Theme CrossSector/CrossThematic

Disaster Risk Management

Health

Public Sector Management

An anthology of videos, the evolving ADB Sustainable Development Timeline catalogs major sector and thematic landmarks in ADB's operations since 1966.

The enormous damage caused by the December 2004 tsunami and March 2005 earthquake that struck Nias Island, off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia required rapid planning leading into practical and user-friendly action plans for reconstruction.

With loss of life from the devastating tsunami of 2004, knowledge of fishing grounds around Aceh was lost.

Combining modern technology with local knowledge, Aceh fishers mapped their sea and found a greater fish catch.

Inventories of polluted sites lead to better information and higher awareness about the scope of and possible solutions to toxic waste problems.

Information and communications technology facilitates the efficient delivery of health-care services to rural communities.

Good land administration depends on data and information about land and property, compiled in ways that promote confidence between the public, its commercial enterprises, and government.

E-governance is a potent enabler of administrative performance by transparent, efficient, and accountable institutions and encourages the participation of citizens—all essential if Myanmar is to assure a prosperous future.

Information and communications technology-driven initiatives by civil society play an increasing

Knowledge Showcase ADB. 2012. Interactive Stories of Sustainable Development. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/interactive-storiessustainable-development ——. 2010. Post-Disaster Action Planning. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/post-disaster-actionplanning

——. 2009. Mapping the Sea: Knowledge for Natural Resources Management. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/mapping-sea-knowledgenatural-resources-management

——. 2014. Knowledge Database Helps Policy Makers Identify and Assess Toxic Waste Hot Spots.

Manila. www.adb.org/publications/knowledgedatabase-helps-policy-makers-identify-and-assesstoxic-waste-hot-spots ——. 2014. Developing e-Health Capabilities in Bhutan. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/developing-e-healthcapabilities-bhutan ——. 2015. Building Modern Land Administration Systems. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/building-modern-landadministration-systems

——. 2014. Quickening e-Governance in Myanmar.

Manila. www.adb.org/publications/quickening-egovernance-myanmar

——. 2014. Tackling Corruption through Civil Society-led Information and Communication Technology Initiatives. Manila.

Appendix 5 45

Sector/Theme

Transport

role in governance, promoting accountability, efficiency, and transparency, and contributing to the fight against corruption.

Using more electronic workflows to execute transactions in government can greatly support efficient and economical management and reduce corruption.

Transport is a big CO2 emitter.

Combining planning, technology, and incentives leads to smarter transport options.

Knowledge Showcase www.adb.org/publications/tackling-corruptionthrough-civil-society-led-ict-initiatives ——. 2009. Speeding Business Application Processes in the Philippines. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/speeding-businessapplication-processes-philippines ——. 2008. The Urgent Need for "Smart Urban Transport" to Combat Climate Change in the People's Republic of China. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/urgent-need-smart-urbantransport-combat-climate-change-peoples-republicchina

ADB = Asian Development Bank; CO2 = Carbon dioxide.

Note: The ADB Briefs series offers other opportunities to publicize the role of information and communications technology in ADB's operations: with nontechnical text, the series aims to inform debate on policy issues. ADB. 2008–. ADB Briefs. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/series/adb-briefs. See, for instance, ADB. 2015. Universal Health Coverage by Design: ICT-Enabled Solutions are the Future of Equitable, Quality Health Care and Resilient Health Systems. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/universal-health-coverage-by-design Source: ADB. 2008–. Knowledge Showcases. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/series/knowledge-showcases