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ICT for Development


ICT4D: Making e-development work - implementation and Results

ITECO has been providing IT solutions for its clients in developing countries for more than 15 years. The level of sophistication of these solutions has increased with technological advances in hardware and software and the capacity of the end users.

Early products centred around added value applications - development of specialised spreadsheet and database applications to meet the needs of the local actors in the development projects. Recent projects have included facilities to deliver information to a wider target group than before, taking advantage of the data available on the Internet and transforming it into a more useable form for specific audiences. Solutions have ranged from spreadsheet or relational database management systems to Geographic Information Systems.

 

ICT4D in Serbia: "Leap frogging" the telephone bottleneck

The replacement of manual exchanges and the installation of new digital telephone PABX systems in municipal offices in Kraljevo makes communication with staff in the Town Hall building easier given that only a small number of external lines are available to service the administration. Direct access to individual officers, including provisions for leaving messages, means less time spent waiting compared with the previous situation where a telephonist had to search around the building for the called party. The introduction of new technology for telephones has a definite 'knock on' effect in that increased usage of the system will create demand for more and better infrastructure. With the continuing improvements in technology users are able to take advantage of features only relatively recently available in economically more advanced countries.

 

ICT for Development in Nepal

Reconstruction of the Arniko Highway in Nepal required local consultants and contractors to work with together to design and produce asphaltic concrete mixes which would allow the road to stand up to the environment of the sub-Himalayas. Training manuals and multimedia presentations to these groups assisted them to design cost effective roads and to pass on the knowledge to others in the local engineering industry. Arniko Highway Project »»»

 

Mapping landslide risks in the Himalayas

As a result of disastrous floods and ensuing landslides in 1987 a landslide risk mapping program for PCs was developed in 1988 by ITECO and used in Nepal and Bhutan for a number of years to determine the 'least risk' alignment of new roads which passed through existing or potential landslide areas.

 

ICT4D in Serbia: eKiosks information for citizens of Kraljevo and Uzice municipalities

As part of a project providing support to municipalities in Serbia an information kiosk was provided and installed in Kraljevo. Interest has been expressed by other cities and at least one already has concrete plans for deployment. The e-kiosks allow information to be made available to people from a centralised source, in a fast and efficient manner. Information is up to date, reliable and complete information.

Public administration is highly information intensive and the use of modern ICTs has the potential to increase the efficiency, transparency and accountability of government at all levels. The citizens do not have to spend time trying to find out where to go and with whom to talk about matters relating to the municipality. The facility is designed to be the first step on the road towards municipal e-governance. It provides citizens of the municipality the means to access information about services provided by the municipality, the municipal administration and, eventually, from elsewhere in the country as well as on the internet. The kiosk allows for a form of rapid, interactive communication between the user and the administration. Public awareness of the facilities is a necessary part of the process and education is essential if all sections of the community are to have equal access to the facilities. Municipal Support Programme in Serbia »»»

 

ICT for Development in Tanzania: Workshop and Equipment management

SAVAS - the Stock and Vehicle Administration System - was a database system developed to address the needs of the Equipment Hire Unit and Road Workshop in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. The system was based upon widely available database software, standard routines developed, local staff were trained in its use and the system implemented. The staff proposed a number of refinements which were subsequently incorporated into the system. The system was managed entirely by the stakeholders.