Date: 9-13 December, 2002
Duration: 5 days including a full day field trip
Venue: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizer: UNDP-Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP)

Background

At the global level, through its contribution and participation in the G-8 Digital Opportunity Task Force (Dot Force) and the UN ICT Task Force, UNDP has played an important role in bringing recognition to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a crucial enabler to development. In doing so, UNDP has adopted "ICT for Development" as one of its six key thematic areas of work .

Information and Communication Technology is a thematic area that cuts across all other UNDP development interventions and thematic areas and is, therefore, emerging as a prominent programme area for UNDP Country Offices all over the world.

In the Asia-Pacific region, at least eighteen out of twenty-five UNDP Country Offices have dedicated ICT programme officers or focal points tasked with developing ICT for development strategies, assisting national institutions with a wide array of ICT for development initiatives that impact on multiple levels of government, the economy, and society.

The Challenges for UNDP Country Offices

In pursuing their tasks, ICT Programme Officers are faced with challenges that are nationally and regionally inherent and distinct:

• Challenges stemming from trying to achieve goals set by global and regional UNDP frameworks - while, at the same time, giving priority to local needs and demands;
• Challenges stemming from the lack of information available in a field that is in itself under development;
• Challenges stemming from the application of ICT for Development in non-ICT related UNDP programme areas.

In addition, there are the in-house country office information technology needs of programme management and administration.