The principal objective of this project is to reinstate human development at the heart of ICT deployment and initiatives. The project seeks to examine the following questions: how best can ICTs be used to bring about social transformation and development? What are the ways in which ICTs can be harnessed to best address the key critical concerns and sectors of human development - poverty eradication, healthcare, education, human resources and environmental management and economic development.

Essentially, this proposal aims to review and assess progress made by countries in the Asian region, in drafting and implementing their national e-policies and -strategies for harnessing the potential of ICTs for reducing poverty and enhancing human development. It will identify gaps and constraints to implementation of ICT strategies, document best practices, and in general provide a practical knowledge-sharing instrument for encouraging and facilitating greater South-South and North-South cooperation for ICT for Development. The countries that will be covered by the project will be based on a mix of their Technology Achievement Index, including leaders, potential leaders, dynamic adopters and marginalized countries. Nine countries have been selected for this research project: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Specifically the research will:

The rationale for undertaking such a comparative assessment of progress is twofold. First, to date, no such comparative study has been undertaken that seeks to concretely assess progress of ICT for Development efforts in the Asia region. Second, by focusing on the lens of human development, this proposal fully meets UNDP’s mandate in the area of ICT for Development by concretely linking what is still traditionally advocated as technology issue with the organization’s most recognized and primary core business focus - promoting human development and eradicating poverty. Human Development Reports, for example, have for many years served as an effective policy advocacy tool, and it is expected that a focus on ICT for Development through a HD len will provide an immediate benefit and learning tool for both countries within the region and beyond.

The final report that will be published at the end of this research project also has a strong potential to contribute to the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) to be held in December 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland. As this research project focuses on human development, which is one of the central concerns of the information society, it could contribute significantly to deliberations in the WSIS by presenting an in-depth analysis of the role and impact of ICTs on human development. The research will therefore be positioned with the WSIS process in mind and attempt to provide as many useful insights and experiences as possible in order to contribute significantly to the WSIS summit in 2003.