Title: Impact of ICT and innovation on industrial productivity in Uruguay
Author: Griselda Charlo
Pages: 18 pp.
Source: DIRSI - Diálogo Regional sobre la Sociedad de la Información
Date (published): 01/08/2011
Date (accessed): 09/08/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The characteristics of Uruguayan economy determine that firm innovation behavior has specific features that are different from empirical evidence related to developed countries. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the effects of ICT and innovation on productivity in manufacturing firms in Uruguay. We are also interested in finding out if firm’s employees vary in quantity and quality in relation to the level of ICT investment and innovation. This study is organized as follows. Section 2 presents a brief literature review, and Section 3 describes the methodological and empirical approach. Section 4 shows the main features of innovation activities in Uruguay. Finally, Section 5 discusses econometric results and Section 6 concludes."

Title: The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology 2011
Author Editor:
Pages: pp.
ISBN: 978-0-8213-8248-6
e-ISBN: 978-0-8213-8447-3
Publisher: World Bank
Date (published): 22/06/2011
Date (accessed): 09/08/2011
Type of information: book
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The impacts of information and communication technologies cross all sectors. Research shows that investment in information and communication technologies is associated with such economic benefits as higher productivity, lower costs, new economic opportunities, job creation, innovation, and increased trade and exports. Information and communication technologies also help provide better services in health and education and strengthen social cohesion.

The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology 2011 charts the progress of this revolution for 213 countries around the world. It provides comparable statistics on the sector for 2000 and 2009 across a range of indicators, enabling readers to readily compare countries.

This book includes indicators covering the economic and social context, the structure of the information and communication technology sector, sector efficiency and capacity, and sector performance related to access, usage, quality, affordability, trade, and applications. The Glossary contains definitions of the terms used in the tables."

Title: Local governance and ICTs in Africa : case studies and guidelines for implementation and evaluation
Authors: Timothy Mwololo Waema, Edith Ofwona Adera
Pages: 357 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-55250-518-2, 978-0-85749-032-2
Publisher: IDRC, Pambazuka Press and CAFRAD
Date (published): 08/04/2011
Date (accessed): 12/07/2011
Type of information: book
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"With governance high on the agenda in Africa, many governments are using information and communications technologies (lCTs) to develop ways in which they deliver services to citizens. E-governance has the potential to enable local governments to engage citizens in greater participation, leading to socio-economic developments at local and national levels. But this potential remains largely unexploited and until now there has been a lack of evidence on information technology in local governance in Africa. This book addresses that gap. It offers studies from nine African countries that explore how lCTs can transform service delivery, tax, financial management, land management, education, local economic development, citizen registration and political inclusion. A synthesis of the findings and a roadmap for implementing and evaluating e-local governance projects mean that this book is not only relevant to researchers and students but is also a practical handbook for government decision makers. With lCTs increasingly available in Africa, this timely book speaks to the current issues."
(via zunia.org)

Title: From Silicon Valleys to Community Informatics Neighbourhoods—Digital Development Strategies as Though Local Economies Mattered
Author: Michael Gurstein
Source: Gurstein's Community Informatics
Date (published): 02/08/2010
Date (accessed): 03/08/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Many (most) countries in the world have in the decade just passed, developed and at least partially implemented what may be called a “digital development strategy”. These strategies are based on a perception that the kind of economic activity that has resulted from the technical/digital development taking place in Silicon Valley and similar such locales particularly in the US is a necessary element of the economic development strategy for any/every country that wants to be competitive and thus prosperous at this time in economic history.

The perception is that the well funded science and technology programs at the leading universities in the San Francisco and California region—Stanford, CalTech, UC Berkeley and so on attracted faculty and produced students whose leading edge work contributed more or less immediately and directly to the generation of technology innovations which in turn led directly to the creation of start-up technology enterprises. These mixed with fairly ready availability of investment capital, in turn sparked the technology (and commercial) digital revolutions of the Internet and other digital enterprises. In turn these enterprises provided the basis for economic advance and importantly (from a government’s perspective) job creation and enhancements to the national revenue stream through taxes and so on.

This logic is probably correct at least in outline (but would be worth examining in some close detail) however, what is rather less obvious is that this model can (or should) be reproduced not just once or twice but repeatedly in tens and hundreds of locations around the world..."

Title: “Either you make films or make excuses” – ICT and the Nigerian film industry
Author: Ethan Zuckerman
Source: My Heart's In Accra (blog)
Date (published): 27/07/2010
Date (accessed): 03/08/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
In discussing this workshop with our Nigerian partner, we’d proposed a round-table conversation between three ICT and development scholars and a dozen participants from the Nigerian film industry. Our goal was to learn more about how Nollywood (and Kanowood – turns out that “Nollywood” has become a political term in Nigeria, more associated with the South than the North) works, what the challenges the industry faces are and think about how we as academic researchers could take on questions that might help the sector move forwards. Basically, it was intended to be the first step in a process that might later lead to giving some presentations about what we’d learned.

Title: The Dangers and Opportunities of Girls in Cyberspace
Author: Wayan Vota
Source: ICTWorks
Publisher: Inveneo
Date (published): 02/08/2010
Date (accessed): 03/08/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Girls in Cyberspace: Dangers and Opportunities" (PDF) from Plan USA examines both the challenges and empowering possibilities facing girls when accessing ICTs (Information Communication Technologies). In many ways, technology has facilitated girls’ ability to do what they were already doing: connecting, learning and sharing. ICTs have also increased their opportunities to do these things and to interact beyond their immediate communities.
Although adolescent girls are not a homogeneous group, and the way they choose to interact with ICTs may vary according to their location, social-economic status, capacity for mobility and personal inclination, there are some common threads emerging from Plan’s analysis."

Title: Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge
Pages: 332 pp.
Publisher: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and United Nations Development Programme/ Regional Bureau for Arab States
Date (published): 27/10/2009
Date (accessed): 18/11/2009
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (several pdfs)
Abstract:
Foreword, team and table of contents
Preamble
Chapter 1: The theoretical framework: Concepts and problematic of the knowledge society
Chapter 2: Arab knowledge performance environments: Expanding freedoms and building institutions
Chapter 3: Education and the formation of knowledge capital
Chapter 4: Information and communications technologies in the Arab countries: The pillars and tools of knowledge
Chapter 5: Arab performance in research and innovation
Chapter 6: Building the knowledge society in the Arab world: A vision and a plan
References
Annex 1: List of background papers
Annex 2: Project for a database on knowledge in the Arab region
Annex 3: Measurement of the Arab countries’ knowledge economy
Statistical Annex

See also:
Arab world 'long way' from knowledge society
Science and Development Network

Title: ICT and the environment in developing countries: opportunities and developments
Author: John Houghton
Pages: 21 pp.
Source: Workshop on “Policy coherence in the application of information and communication technologies for development"
Publisher: OECD, World Bank
Date (published): 31/08/2009
Date (accessed): 05/10/2009
Type of information: conference paper, draft
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Both developed and developing countries face many environmental challenges, including climate change, improving energy efficiency and waste management, addressing air pollution, water quality and scarcity, and loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. This paper explores how the Internet and the ICT and related research communities can help tackle environmental challenges in developing countries through more environmentally sustainable models of economic development, and examines the status of current and emerging environmentally friendly technologies, equipment and applications in supporting programs aimed at addressing climate change and improving energy efficiency. Discussion focuses on the role of ICTs in: (i) climate change mitigation (e.g. investing in smart transport and energy efficient infrastructure); (ii) mitigating other environmental pressures (e.g. biodiversity loss, water and soil pollution); (iii) climate change adaptation (e.g. adapting to rising sea levels, droughts, desertification); and (iv) international co-operation (e.g. technology transfer and the development of sustainable ICT value chains). This paper provides an overview and points to further information sources where available.

Report for Joint Workshop on “Policy coherence in the application of information and communication technologies for development,” organized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Information for Development Program (infoDev), World Bank, 10-11 September 2009, Paris, France

Title: Literature Review on the Impact of Public Access to Information and Communication Technologies
Authors: Araba Sey, Michelle Fellows
Pages: 27 pp.
Series: CIS Working Paper No. 6
Source: The Global Impact Study, Center for Information & Society
Publisher: Center for Information & Society, University of Washington
Date published: April 2009
Date accessed: 21/06/2009
Type of information: research publication
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are widely acknowledged as important resources for socioeconomic development. Due to resource constraints, shared access forms the dominant mode of access to these technologies in most developing countries. Governments, non‐governmental institutions and business entrepreneurs have invested significant amounts of human and financial resources in public libraries, telecenters, internet cafés and other forms of public access, without clear evidence on what the ultimate outcomes will be and the actual costs. This report presents a review of empirical research on the impacts of public access to ICTs in order to document what is known about this approach to ICT service delivery.

The results show that there is limited conclusive evidence on downstream impacts of public access to ICTs. The evidence that does exist suggests that the public access ICT model is not living up to the expectations placed on it. This is not necessarily because public access has had no impacts, but because its impact is particularly difficult to identify and measure. As a model, public access to ICTs has experienced success and failure, leading to both reinforcement of the belief that the model should be expanded and strengthened; as well as claims that public access ICTs are ultimately ineffective or even counter‐productive from the development perspective.

Four main types of evidence are identified – evidence on venue performance and sustainability, users, usage patterns and downstream impacts. Assessment of this evidence indicates that trends are most apparent in the first three areas, while evidence of downstream impacts remains elusive. Most studies show that sustainability is a critical challenge especially in low resource, low income environments where commercial services are not viable. They also show that users are primarily young males with relatively high socio‐economic status and prior access to the Internet. Users tend to engage in social and personal activities as opposed to economic activities, for example. Findings on downstream impacts fall on both sides of the equation – some studies conclude that impacts are high in a variety of areas – development of ICT skills, job creation, civic engagement etc; others find limited impacts.

Ultimately there is as yet no definitive evidence‐based statement on the impacts of public access to ICTs. A research agenda is required that shifts from individual case studies and nominal level impact claims, to lines of enquiry that not only cut across contexts, but also utilize methodologies that (whether quantitative or qualitative) enable some quantification of identified impacts.

Title: The Impact of ICT Investments on Economic Development in Egypt
Authors: Sherif H. Kamel, Dina Rateb, Mohamed El-Tawil
Pages: 21 pp.
ISBN: 1681-4835
Source: EJISDC (2009) 36, 1, 1-21
Publisher: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC)
Date published: 2009
Date accessed: 21/06/2009
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Since the mid 1980s, Egypt has realized significant growth in information and communication technology (ICT) usage across different sectors in the economy. However, in today’s global environment, the challenge no longer lies in accommodating the growth of the ICT sector that introduced changes that are arguably the most important since the industrial revolution. The essence is the diffusion of ICT across the society and ensuring that it furthers socioeconomic development. Managing this transformational process requires cooperation and partnerships between different stakeholders in the society to ensure steady and successful progress towards the goal of realizing a fully developed information society. Moreover, in order to generate economic development and growth, ICT need to be transformed into economic activities offering services, applications and content that create new markets, reduce costs and increase productivity. While ICT are generally adaptable; their effectiveness in addressing development issues still depends on their introduction, adoption, diffusion and adaptation within a healthy and encouraging regulatory environment. In that respect, the importance of ICT in socioeconomic development in Egypt was realized since 1999 leading to the allocation of ICT on the government agenda supported by the private sector and the civil society. This article addresses the recent efforts that were exerted in Egypt, as an emerging economy, in terms of building its ICT sector while analyzing the associated investments and their impact on economic development.