Why national strategies are needed for ICT-enabled development

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) offer substantial opportunities for development effectiveness. ICT has a pervasive impact on competitiveness and all aspects of life in advanced economies as well as potential impact on social and economic development. Therefore the strategic significance of ICT for enabling national development and poverty reduction strategies must be operationalized by countries striving to gain a competitive edge. In fact, the author of this paper asserts, economic history, the cumulative learning and transformation process involved in using ICT, and the pace of this wave of technological change suggest that, with timely action, many developing countries could participate in a technological revolution no less profound than the last industrial revolution. This paper explores the need for national strategies for ICT-enabled development, including: 1) the challenges and opportunities created by the information and communication technology revolution and their implications for development policy and strategies; 2) the many ways ICT is likely to impact social and economic development; 3) an examination of why developing countries should look ahead and try to adapt and harness ICT in support of economic and social development; 4) the importance of mastering the use of ICT has become a core competency for competition and sustained development; 5) a broad view of the promises and risks of the ICT revolution and its potential impact on, among others, productivity, markets, organizations, and education; and 6) a rational for designing national strategies for e-development.

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