Contact Person: Peter Zetterstrom peter.zetterstrom@undp.org

The project is expected to strengthen cross-sectoral coordination between sectors such as agriculture, education and health by enabling existing computer facilities in middle schools in targeted townships to serve as communication links bridging gaps in information infrastructure between the county/township level and the community/household level.

Achievements:

1. Information needs of the rural poor households and communities in the pilot areas identified through a comprehensive and participatory assessment.  
2. Contents and delivery methods (information media/technologies) of information needed determined.
3. Institutional framework to provide information services to the rural poor determined and agreed upon by all the key stakeholders. 
4. Establishment of a County Advisory Board on ICT for poverty alleviation and formation of a technical and managerial support team with international and national UNVs as a core member of the team.
5. Local capacity building to operate information delivery services through development of a series of guidelines and manuals such as operation manuals for the county communication centers, townshop communication branches, school computer unit, village ICT network, websites, use of internet, etc. 
6. Innovative information products and delivery services addressing rural household needs developed.
7. Formulation and operationalization of a consultative committee. 
8. Creation of China Information Technology for Alleviation of Poverty network linking pilot counties, MOST, CICETE, UNDP, other interested parties and similar network in HCina and the world. 
9. Policy recommendations for national development policies and programme to integrate and take an advantage of IT to reduce rural poverty and the disparities.