Technologies de I’Information et de la Communication, Langues Vernaculaires et Stimlation du Haut Debit au Gabon [French]

Published in 2014

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A Decade of Development in Sub-Saharan African: Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Research

Published in 2014

This report uses the Scopus abstract and citation database to evaluate trends in research growth in SSA. While the re- port recognizes that indicators on peer-reviewed research outputs do not fully capture all research activity in SSA, this is the most systematic and objective foundation for analysis currently available. Although previous studies have also analyzed research output trends in SSA, this is the first report that provides comprehensive policy analysis and recommendations at a regional level and builds an analyti- cal foundation for stakeholder dialogue in driving the STEM agenda. Key Findings and Policy Recommendations This report presents four main…

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Information and communications in the Chinese countryside : a study of three provinces

Published in 2014

China is set to become one of the East Asia and Pacific region s most connected countries and plans to upgrade its connectivity radically over the next few years. The government s Broadband China Strategy, approved by the State Council in August, 2013, characterizes high-speed or broadband Internet as strategic public infrastructure for the economic and social development of China in a new era. Investments in broadband Internet are intended to stimulate new opportunities through connectivity, particularly in more rural and remote areas of the country in order to reduce the digital divide. Key targets include provision of broadband Internet…

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ICT Regulation Toolkit

Published in 2014

The ICT Regulation Toolkit, produced by the Information for Development Program (infoDev) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is a practical, web-based tool intended for ICT policymakers and regulators around the world. Module 1 provides an overview of the Toolkit while Modules 2-7 cover a number of specific topics including competition and pricing; authorization; universal access; radio spectrum management; legal and institutional frameworks; and new technologies. The Toolkit also contains extensive practice notes and reference materials. Under each Module abstract below are links to the full text of the module, the executive summary, and a clickable table of contents. Translated…

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Using regulatory impact analysis to improve decision making in the ICT sector

Published in 2014

Regulatory impact analysis (RIA) is defined as a systematic, structured, evidence-based analysis of the prospective impacts of a proposed policy measure against possible alternatives. First launched in the US in 1981, it has been heavily promoted by international organizations such as the OECD and the World Bank in the past three decades, and has seen successful implementation in a number of developed and also developing economies. The adoption and implementation of RIA can promote the efficiency, transparency and accountability of government action. However, implementing RIA is also challenging from a procedural and methodological viewpoint, and many countries have failed to…

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Morocco 2040 Emerging by Intangible Capital

Published in 2013

The new World Bank Country Economic Memorandum on Morocco, Emerging by Investing in Intangible Capital, is remarkable for at least three reasons: It is primarily a prospective report. Considering, like Fernand Braudel, that the future cannot be predicted, but has to be prepared, this Memorandum proposes ways to build Morocco in 2040, and favors convergence with the countries of Southern Europe, a scenario dear to IPEMED since its project Mediterranean 2030. And the stakes are high, since the per capita GDP of Morocco could reach 45 percent of that of Southern Europeans in 2040, versus 22 percent currently. It is…

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Broadband Strategies Handbook

Published in 2012

The world is shifting from narrowband to broadband. Services that were only available in the form of static, text-based websites 10 years ago are now offered in full-motion, high-definition video. Usage-based transmission prices that were once prohibitive are now bundled into an affordable monthly “all you can eat” charge. A decade after the dot.com bubble burst because network realities had not yet caught up with user aspirations, a whole new generation of Internet entrepreneurs is ready to take their ideas to the stock market. Nevertheless, a gap remains between the developed and the developing world when it comes to broadband.…

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Information and Communications for Development: Maximizing Mobile

Published in 2012

Mobile phones, a rarity in many developing countries at the turn of the century, now seem to be everywhere. Between 2000 and 2012, the number of mobile phones in use world- wide grew from fewer than 1 billion to around 6 billion. The mobile revolution is transforming livelihoods, helping to create new businesses, and changing the way we communicate. The mobile phone network is already the biggest machine the world has ever seen, and now that machine is being used to deliver development opportunities on a scale never before imagined. During this second decade of the new millennium, maximizing the…

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Science, Technology, and Innovation in Uganda : Recommendations for Policy and Action

Published in 2011

Between 2006 and 2010 the World Bank sought to unmask the role of science, technology, and innovation in Ugandan industry. This report presents insights from this research based on case studies of six sectors: agriculture, health, energy, information and communication technology (ICT), transport, and logistics. Based on more than 80 interviews cutting across Uganda’s small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, and government entities, the report’s findings are intended to offer the government and its partners in industry increased clarity about how better to harness science, technology, and innovation to propel the economy. Enabling implementation of the recent Uganda National Science, Technology,…

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Poor Places, Thriving People: How the Middle East and North Africa Can Rise Above Spatial Disparities

Published in 2011

It is now well known that the clustering of production in major cities is a driving force of economic growth. However, the governments of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are determined to make sure that their citizens benefit from their national development no matter where they live. The principle of economic justice makes wide gaps in living standards between leading and lagging areas politically intolerable. So the key question is this: how can MENA reap the benefits of economic agglomeration while mitigating geographic disparities in well-being? It is hard for policy makers to find straightforward advice on lagging…

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