IICD’s mission is to help developing countries to create practical and
sustainable solutions that will connect people and enable them to benefit from
ICT in order to improve their livelihoods and quality of life. Together with
partners from the public, private and non-profit sectors, IICD puts knowledge,
innovation and finance to work within the fields of Education, the Environment,
Governance, Health and (agricultural) Livelihoods. In 2007, IICD continued to
work in line with its strategy for 2006–2010. In doing so, it contributed
towards realising the UN Millennium Development Goals.
In November 2006, IICD started
implementing a new strategy based on its Strategic Framework for 2006–2010: ‘Making
the Most of Experience in ICTs for Development’. The Strategic Framework builds
on what had already been achieved over the previous nine years. Having
implemented a Country Programme (an ICT for Development programme comprising
several projects in two or more sectors, together with the development of a
national ICT for Development network) in each of the nine countries we operate
in, IICD can now work on increasing the impact of the use of ICT.
For the period from
2006 to 2010, IICD’s aim is to make the most of its experience in realising
three strategic goals:
Embedding: Integrating ICT at the organisational
level
To ‘embed’
ICT as a tool, IICD helps its project partners integrate ICT activities within
the core business of their organisations. This means in the first place actively
supporting decision-makers and in the second place that partners and their
beneficiaries will have to acquire the capacities they need to be able to
formulate and implement ICT activities. They will also need to have the
interest and capacities to secure the financial means to continue the ICT
activities, whether through the allocation of internal funds, the contributions
of beneficiaries or the acquisition of external resources from development
partners and governments.
Harvesting: Translating experience
into reusable lessons and accountability
All
the work done on the ground is constantly being monitored and evaluated by IICD
and its local partners. This allows us to ‘harvest’ lessons and analyse them.
Those lessons, in turn, become valuable sources of information and reference.
They are packaged in tangible products, both offline and online, which are then
shared throughout the ICT for Development sector and enable IICD to further
improve its work on the ground.
Leveraging: Working on larger-scale sector programmes
through partnerships
Country
Programmes are not in themselves a final goal. Rather, they are merely the
first stage in initiating, embedding and consolidating the use of ICT for
Development in a country. Once a Country Programme has reached completion –
meaning that there is a critical mass of projects, capacity and knowledge for
implementing new ICT for Development activities – IICD will take on the role of
adviser and broker in further expanding the use of ICT for Development within
the same sector, whether in existing or new geographical areas. To increase the
impact and outreach of ICT for Development, IICD will use various approaches:
- IICD
will use its experience and the input of trained partners to help governments,
donors and NGOs implement large-scale ICT for Development projects and
programmes.
- IICD
will help governments, donors and NGOs develop and implement national or sector
strategies and policies.
- IICD
will embark on new projects and programmes in new countries, in close
cooperation with partners.
The challenge for IICD is to
strengthen and complement existing resources – both human and financial – in
order to implement this strategy. Human Resource Management is central to
building the necessary capacity and competencies. New partnerships and enhanced
communications should help IICD realise new financing opportunities among international
NGOs and the Dutch private sector.
Strategic objectives for 2007
IICD planned to move slowly in the
direction of ‘leveraging’ in 2007. Part of the new strategy is that IICD will
no longer be offering direct financial, technical or operational support to
local project partners, but will instead be guiding the programmes from a
distance. IICD will increasingly assume a largely advisery role as a broker for
knowledge and in finding additional funding; direct support should now come
from trained partners. To take up its new role as adviser, IICD will be
focusing more on policy making and finding ways to initiate new large-scale ICT
for Development programmes together with partners or at the request of donors.
Besides its strategic goals, IICD
also set organisational goals to help in implementing its strategy. In 2007,
IICD planned to:
- Acquire new
funds
Finding new funding for IICD’s
work, especially with the implementation of the new ‘leveraging’ strategy, was
high on the agenda in the year under review. IICD’s funding strategy focused
on:
- Targeting joint ventures with international NGOs and
national NGOs
- Building a strategic consortium with the private
sector
- Mainstreaming ICT relationships with bilateral agency
offices.
- Increase IICD’s
visibility
To support the acquisition of new
funding, to enhance knowledge, and to get recognition for IICD’s contribution
to development, a new communication strategy was implemented. It focused on
three aspects:
- Increasing awareness of the added value of ICT for Development
among IICD’s stakeholders (through publicity,
events and debates)
- Positioning IICD as an expert in the field (through
the dissemination of knowledge
products, publications in magazines on development, and participation at
events)
- Positioning IICD as a partner for achieving
development and for realising corporate
social responsibility policy (through an improved website, new products for the
acquisition of private partners, events, advertising).
- Strengthen
the organisation
In order to strengthen the
organisation, in 2007, IICD worked on:
- Increasing
the transparency of the organisation
- Acquiring
quality certification (ISO 9001 certificate)
- Increasing
human resources and financial capacities to contribute to a professional and
sustainable organisation.
