Paper for discussion only Not CIDA policy INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ISSUES FOR CIDA Feedback required. Of course we would welcome any input but we are particularly seeking supplementary information, views and lessons from experience on: How CIDA can more effectively use IT as a development tool a) to improve delivery of existing types of programs? - "lessons learned" using IT as a development tool? Examples when IT has worked to build civil society, promote other development objectives. Pitfalls to avoid when using IT as a programming tool. - how could IT be used to help promote CIDA objectives including good governance, social development, economic growth and regional integration in the Americas? - how could CIDA create an "enabling environment" (policies, regulations etc.) within developing countries to ensure that IT programmes have optimal developmental impact? - how could CIDA use IT to better network with development partners? -good publications about the use of IT in international development? b) to explore new programming approaches, goals etc.? (Potential IT uses) - what new types of programming does Internet (IT) open for CIDA and other development agencies. - how could CIDA collaborate with IDRC, NGOs and other donor agencies to share experiences, lessons learned Information Technology Executive Summary Information technology is a powerful force for democratization and development around the world. There is currently a North-South gap in information technology, which limits economic and social progress in developing countries. As a world leader in information technology, Canada is in a unique position to help eliminate this gap. Computer-based communication is changing the nature of governance, by enabling civil society to play a more direct and active role. It has allowed people who were previously excluded to take part in policy-making and implementation, and has contributed to greater collaboration between the private and public sectors. Electronic networking is improving the efficiency of government as well. Information technology is also changing the nature of international development. CIDA needs to integrate information technology more effectively and extensively into its policy and programming. This would facilitate and strengthen CIDA's activities promoting good governance, social development, economic growth and regional integration in the Americas. CIDA can help developing countries overcome many of the political, technical and financial constraints that currently limit their use of computer communications. Evolving technology is more cost effective for international donors than older, obsolete approaches. Information technology is both appropriate and necessary for developing countries. Several organizations in the Americas are already applying information technology in areas such as women, environment, human rights, education and community development. Through electronic networks, NGOs exchange information, coordinate campaigns and lobby policy-makers at the national and international levels. As government agencies become computerized, they are linking on issues including trade and fiscal management. Current use of information technology in the Americas, however, represents just a fraction of what it could be. There is enormous potential for quantitative and qualitative growth in information technology. Both government and civil society could benefit from wider access to electronic communication. Information technology also offers CIDA new opportunities and challenges. This is still a relatively new and rapidly-changing field that is not yet fully understood. Many people at CIDA recognize the potential of information technology, but are not sure how to implement it. CIDA needs an Agency-wide strategy and action plan to ensure the optimal use of information technology in international development programming. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE AMERICAS: PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT I. INTRODUCTION Information technology has been called the world's most potent tool for democratization and development. In the coming years, development assistance allocated to information technology will have greater leverage and impact than funds spent any other way. Despite this, most international development agencies including CIDA have yet to integrate information technology into policy and programming. It is time for CIDA to step boldly into the 21st century. At a recent G7 meeting on the new information society, Canada stated its strong commitment to reducing the North-South communications gap, which is limiting economic growth and social progress in developing countries. Canada noted how the quality of life in the developing world could be greatly improved by using information technology to deliver services such as education and health care. CIDA must find ways to implement these goals. Canada is recognized as a world leader in information technology. Given Canadian expertise in informatics infrastructure and services, CIDA is in a unique position to use information technology as a tool of development assistance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of information technology in governance, social development, economic growth and regional integration in the Americas. The paper will start by describing how information technology is changing democracy, before assessing why it is an appropriate development tool. Examples will illustrate the current and potential use of information technology in the region. The final section recommends ways to selectively integrate this new area into CIDA programming. This paper is designed to spark interest in information technology and raise some issues for CIDA to explore further. II. CHANGING DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT Information Technology Changing CIDA and Development "Information technology" refers to the software (programs) and hardware (equipment such as computers or modems) needed to work in a computerized setting. It includes things like e-mail, CD-ROM, on-line databases or computer conferencing. Electronic networking can take place between two users or millions of computers. Most of this electronic traffic travels on the information highway, commonly known as the Internet. As the largest global electronic network, the Internet links some 30 million people in 160 countries around the world. Information technology allows CIDA and other organizations to carry out their traditional activities in a more effective and efficient way. For example, the use of e-mail makes communications easier, faster and more reliable, while databases facilitate information storage and retrieval. Once working relations and trust have been built through face-to-face meetings, a lot of business can be conducted long-distance via links such as video-conferencing. This saves travel time and expense. In addition to changing the way traditional functions are done, information technology creates a new way of working and a new type of activities. Alongside the "real" world of offices, information technology opens a new "virtual" or electronic workspace that crosses lines of time and geographical location. Through information technology, virtual organizations or communities are formed around common interests and activities. These virtual communities reshape and change as their members' interests and needs evolve. This new electronic world called cyberspace is limited only by people's imagination. So what does all this mean for CIDA? Quite simply, information technology is changing the way CIDA works, what it does and why. Information technology enables CIDA to explore new development options. Information technology is revolutionizing development in ways such as: shifting priorities; empowering more people to participate directly in social and economic programs; facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors in project design and delivery (as will be discussed below). Information Technology Changing Governance Information technology is changing the nature of democracy and governance. Increased access to information and technology has helped create thousands of citizens' organizations around the world. Through these networks, civil society is playing a growing role in governance at the local, national, regional and international levels. Coalitions exist in areas including literacy, community development, poverty, environment, business and farming. Computerized communication is needs-driven, from the bottom up. Rather than the top-down, one-way transmission of data in traditional media like television, information technology offers multi-way exchanges between many users. This gives people a more direct and powerful voice, which often clamours for change. Electronic networking can enable organizations and communities to achieve their social, economic and political goals. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Citizens' groups are using new technology for information, collaboration and advocacy. For example, human rights organizations gather information and compile national databases by computer. Community associations employ information technology to plan and implement immunization campaigns. Electronic networking has given NGOs greater access to, and impact on, policy-making and implementation in the region. Some have Internet connections extending from their city counsellor's office right up to the U.N. This "wired democracy" allows citizens on-line access to policy-makers. Information technology is thus helping to increase the role of civil society in governance. It is also changing the relations between civil society and government. Electronic networking is starting to improve coordination between civil society and governments at the local and national levels. A new model of governance is emerging, based more on cooperation than on corporatism or confrontation as in the past. The computerization of government offices should facilitate relations between different levels of public administration within each country. It could also enhance cooperation and communication between national governments in the region. If these governments develop the political will needed to modernize and democratize regional institutions such as CARICOM and the OAS, information technology could promote greater political and economic integration. Information technology is also a powerful tool for social integration. In the Industrial Age, power and wealth depended on controlling the means of production. In this new Information Age, power depends increasingly on access to information and information technology. Information and knowledge can empower people to effect social change. Information technology and networking can promote the participation of formerly-excluded communities by breaking the geographical, economic, political, social or cultural barriers that were isolating or marginalizing them. Information technology has the potential to be an equalizing, democratizing force for groups and nations in the south. III. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY There has been some debate about whether information technology is appropriate for developing countries. Several issues must be assessed in determining when, where, how and why information technology is an appropriate technology. Information technology is not a panacea for development problems in the Americas, nor can it be applied in a uniform way. It must be tailored to suit each country's needs and capabilities. Cultural, political, technical and economic factors should be considered before introducing new technology. As an example of a possible cultural constraint , some indigenous groups in the Americas are reluctant to begin computer networking. They still prefer more traditional, personal forms of communication over the electronic connection. Thus increased use of information technology is not necessarily an appropriate goal for all indigenous groups at all levels. However several indigenous organizations have readily integrated computers. For example, one group in Guyana uses Internet to consult native associations in Canada about land claim issues. Steps should be taken to ensure that political constraints do not limit the use of information technology by civil society. Within some countries in the Americas, political obstacles are the biggest barrier. Vested interests still control access to information technology in order to monopolize the resulting political power or economic profit. Without policy, legislative or regulatory measures to democratize those systems, information technology could bring more power and wealth to the existing elite. Issues such as who controls, finances and benefits from new technologies are currently being discussed in Canada. To date, the information highway here has been built mainly by government, corporate and academic users, although the general public has been given relatively affordable access. It is not yet known who will fund and control the future expansion of Internet here. Latin America is just starting to grapple with these questions of who builds, directs traffic and drives on the information highway. Technical limitations include the fact that some countries in the Americas still lack the necessary telecommunications infrastructure. CIDA has already been providing telephone links to many remote villages in the Americas. For a marginal cost increase, telephony could be upgraded to a computer link. Having access to a community computer would mean that an organization of campesinos or indigenous women could network electronically with the outside world, even though each member would not have his or her own equipment. We should not expect to see an Andean campesino sitting out in the middle of his corn-field with a laptop computer and a cellular phone. At least not in the immediate future. The "poorest of the poor" in the Americas will not have direct access to information technology within the next decade. They can, however, have indirect access through community nodes (electronic stations) as described above, or through traditional means of communications. Countries lacking the infrastructure or financial and technical resources for full-scale computerization will likely go through a transitional phase, where information technology will complement rather replace existing communications technologies. Many NGOs and community groups currently use radio, video and print media to reach their grassroots constituents. For example, if one member of the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network has access to Internet, it can multiply that electronic information throughout the whole network via radio transmission. Information technology can thus support traditional techniques. The challenge will be to find the optimal mix of conventional and information technology during this transitional period. The majority of computers in North America are owned by wealthy or upper middle-class families. Computers here have tended to widen the gap between the rich and poor, the educated and uneducated. That scenario will not necessarily be repeated in the South. Latin America and the Caribbean have far fewer computers per capita than North America. Most of these computers belong to NGOs or community groups, not to individuals as in the North. If community groups in the South use their scarce computers to form electronic coalitions for change, they could potentially have a greater impact on social process than individual computer users in the North. The total of individual computers is merely the sum of their parts. Networks multiply, rather than add, the impact of each computer. The use and effect of information technology in Latin America could thus be quite different than in the industrialized countries. Its content could also vary. Most of the information currently available on the Internet originates in the North. Not satisfied with merely retransmitting imported data, some NGOs in the South have started to produce and process information that is more relevant to their particular needs and interests. The content, as well as the form, of information technology must be adapted to Latin American realities, not just transplanted from the North. The start-up costs of forming an electronic network are still an economic constraint to community organizations. Computer networking requires a critical mass of users in order to be cost-effective. Many NGOs are not yet able to afford computerization. However cost is quickly becoming less of a deterrent to wider use of information technology. The cost of computer equipment has been halved every eighteen months for the last decade. 1992 technology is available in 1995 at one-quarter of its original price. The price of information technology is further reduced by falling telecommunications costs. Seven Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil, have started deregulating and privatizing their national telephone companies. Global competition among private telecommunications companies would make information technology more affordable. If current trends continue, telecommunications access will be almost free to all users globally within a decade. That means that electronic communications will cease to be a luxury and become a basic right for developing countries. As costs fall and technology advances, information technology will become the best alternative for the Americas. This new "leapfrog" technology will be less expensive and more effective for developing countries than older, obsolete technologies. International donors would have higher-leverage, lower-cost impact on development by supporting leapfrog technology, rather than through a conventional stage-by-stage approach. Beyond providing computer equipment, effective projects include access to electronic networks. These projects pay for themselves in less than a year, measured in cost savings alone. Electronic networks tend to become self-financing, or require minimal ongoing funding over time. They also have low marginal costs of expansion. Once the electronic network is set up, it is relatively inexpensive to add new users and uses. That is relevant because as organizations get on-line, they often discover new ways of using the service beyond what they had initially planned. In considering options, some analysts have claimed that many countries in the Americas "are not ready" for information technology. This assertion has been proven wrong by the extent and nature of information technology already existing in the region, as shall be shown in the examples below. In some cases, Latin American organizations are using information technology more effectively and strategically than their counterparts in industrialized countries. Its potential uses in sectors such as health and education are often better understood in the Americas than here in Canada. The technology gap is widening between rich and poor countries. Having a monopoly on information technology has given industrialized nations a further competitive advantage over developing countries. This growing disparity between information haves and have-nots is not caused by information technology, however, but by the way it is currently controlled and used. The way to bridge that gap is to provide developing countries with the latest information technology, not deny them access. Excluding them from the information revolution would leave them even further behind, worsening their dependency and marginality within the global community. Information technology is not only appropriate technology for the Americas, it is essential for the region's future economic and political progress. Information technology is the gateway to the 21st century. IV. EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE AMERICAS The following examples present ways that information technology is, or could be, used in the Americas. Like WID and the environment, information technology is a cross-cutting issue. It affects sectors, programs, methods and goals. As will be seen in the following examples, information technology does not fit neatly into a box. It impacts all components, levels and objectives of development, including CIDA's programming priorities. Women Information technology is helping to break down the traditional barriers which kept women in the Americas marginalized and impoverished. Small groups of women are joining forces electronically to make their voices heard. Computers allow women to coordinate advocacy and action campaigns, thus gaining political clout. Electronic networking and lobbying have led to new policies and legislation promoting women's rights. Through information technology, small groups can share resources and materials they could otherwise not afford to produce or buy. Women's organizations are among the prime candidates to benefit from the use of information technology. This potential is apparent in two examples of effective computer networking by women in the region. Women's organizations in the Americas and around the world have been working via Internet to prepare for the upcoming Beijing Conference. Through a series of on-line conferences, these groups are drafting papers to be presented in Beijing. One of these, on women and electronic networking, is being coordinated by a team in Ecuador. ISIS International is part of the Internet conferencing towards Beijing, as well as using information technology in its other activities. ISIS, a network of over 50,000 women and groups in 150 countries, promotes women's empowerment and participation in sustainable development. ISIS is one of the largest women's networks in Latin America, and among the most effective users of information technology. Although many of its grassroots members do not yet have access to computers, ISIS networks electronically with women's groups in the region and the world. Action and advocacy campaigns, including the Latin American network on violence against women, are coordinated electronically. This computerized communication increases women's policy impact at the local, national and international levels. ISIS also has an extensive computerized database on women's issues, which is linked to other on-line services around the world. Environment Given the interconnection between local and global environmental concerns, groups in this sector make extensive use of electronic networking to exchange information and coordinate campaigns worldwide. The Earth Summit in Rio was one of the first examples of this. NGOs around the world networked electronically to produce draft resolutions and recommendations which impacted on the resulting global plan of action called Agenda 21. This electronic link between governments and NGOs continued after Rio through the UNDP's program to form Sustainable Development Networks (SDNs) in every country. A national SDN comprises NGOs, environmental coalitions, community groups, media, research centres, universities, professional and business associations, along with government bodies at the local, provincial and levels. SDNs seek to empower communities to become active participants in sustainable development. Over 20 national and regional SDNs are being formed in Latin America and the Caribbean. SDNs receive UNDP support to implement nationally-appropriate information technology. An SDN creates a local bulletin board system on sustainable development. SDN members are on-line with computerized resources such as national data systems, regional databases and international research and advocacy networks. Through Internet, SDNs participate in U.N. and other world fora on sustainable development issues. Human Rights Despite recent trends towards democratization and accountability, human rights violations still occur in the Americas. Internet access allows human rights (HR) groups to inform the world of actual or potential violations. For example, a coalition of Mexican organizations used the Internet to provide news about the situation of the Zapatista rebels in Chiapas. Through the information highway, HR groups can convey their own version of events, which is often different from the story told by the mainstream media. Information technology makes it easier for HR networks to coordinate education or advocacy campaigns at the national, regional or international levels. The Comit‚ Latinoamericano Para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer (CLADEM) uses electronic communication to mobilize over 1,000 members of its urgent action network, in cases where women have disappeared, been illegally arrested or tortured. Members then use Internet to raise international awareness and to pressure governments to stop violating women's rights. CLADEM, and other HR networks in the region, have on-line databases. Exchanging information electronically makes them more effective in lobbying for legislative changes to protect HR. Local groups do not have much electronic access to government, mainly because most government offices in the region are still not computerized. However small legal and HR groups do use computers to plug into worldwide organizations such as the UNHCR and Amnesty International. Many human rights workers in the Caribbean and Latin America have received IT training from FUNREDES, an organization in the Dominican Republic. Training has shifted from an initial focus on access to the information highway and basic user skills to operating within the new, virtual workspace. As well as changing the way groups conduct traditional activities, such as setting up databases to document abuses, information technology is also creating new forms of collaboration and work in the HR field. Education and Social Programs Some governments and NGOs in the Americas are already applying information technology to improve basic services like literacy, distance education, primary health care and housing. For example, the University of The West Indies and Canadian universities have a project that uses information technology to enhance the delivery of health care and the skills of medical professionals in the Caribbean. Uruguay's National Children's Institute employs computers and special software to improve the prospects for abandoned children and young offenders. Educational resources, information and "lessons learned" about children's health are increasingly being shared across the region via electronic networks. There is still great potential, however, for information technology to be used more extensively and effectively to provide formerly marginalized groups with access to health, education, credit, job training etc. In terms of formal education, Cuba has received world recognition for its success in integrating computers into primary and secondary schools. The Cuban national network links 150 youth computer clubs, providing a casual atmosphere for computer training. Through Internet, Cuban academics and scientific researchers collaborate with counterparts in Canada and other countries. The Internet has allowed Cuban universities to have input into international conferences and coordinate exchange programs. Otherwise isolated by the U.S. embargo, Cuba has an important electronic gateway to the world. Currently facing fiscal restraint, most governments in the Americas lack resources to expand the formal education system. Information technology could offer relatively low-cost access to basic education for millions of Latin Americans without schools or teachers. Private sector funding could help design and deliver this computerized education. Development planners in the region are starting to explore the use of information technology for on-line learning (learning on demand), training and technological transfer. That could apply to literacy, agricultural extension services, job training and other educational needs outside the formal system. For example, a farming cooperative could get the electronic information needed to repair a tractor or apply for credit. Much of this educational and training material is already available electronically at a nominal cost, so groups would just need the means to access it. Community Development As Latin American governments continue to cut national spending on social services, community-based organizations are getting more involved in areas like health, education and training. Hundreds of self-help groups are tackling problems of homelessness, poverty, violence and the environment. One of these is Promoci¢n del Desarrollo Popular (PDP), a Mexican NGO that trains cooperatives, unions, microenterprises, farmers associations and neighbourhood groups. PDP is linked electronically with regional and international networks, including ECONET and the International Group for Grassroots Initiatives (IGGRI). PDP has been campaigning for the past decade to "popularize" information technology and promote its use by community organizations. The response to date has been limited, however. Many community organizations and NGOs in Latin America are in a precarious financial state, so they cannot afford to invest scarce time or money in computerization. Others do not yet see how information technology could help them achieve their specific goals of affordable housing or potable water. Mexican NGOs still need more training to become comfortable with electronic networking and to understand its practical uses. Despite these short-term obstacles, PDP sees great potential for more computer-based communication in the future. As development becomes increasingly focused at the community level, local groups will require information technology in order to survive and prosper. PDP works with Mexico's state and federal government to provide housing and health services in marginalized areas. Having local groups like PDP and municipal authorities work together is the most powerful and lasting way to promote community economic development. As in Mexico, community self-help organizations throughout Latin America are playing a greater role in local governance, providing services and fomenting participation. Microenterprises create jobs and community economic development. Local governments are gaining more strength through the process of decentralization and democratization that is occurring in many countries in the region. These governments must develop effective ways to collaborate with community groups, including business, to find sustainable solutions to development problems. Information technology could help empower local groups and build grassroots democracy. Information technology is not used much at the local level yet, mainly because community organizations and municipal authorities lack the necessary equipment and training. As they get on-line, however, they could use electronic networking to: exchange information on community issues; share increasingly scarce resources; problem-solve; make and implement local policy; jointly lobby other levels of government; and link with other municipalities in their country, region or the world. There is still not enough coordination and cooperation between civil society and government, and between different levels of government in Latin America. There are 15,000 local governments operating throughout Latin America. Several countries have national networks of municipalities. One of the best organized is the Ecuadorean Association of Municipalities, which belongs to the Latin American Centre for Training and Development of Local Governments (CELCADEL). CELCADEL helps municipal governments develop their management capacity in areas like the provision of services and infrastructure. Steps have also been taken to form a Latin American network of municipalities. National associations in Ecuador and other countries are already linked with counterparts outside the region, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Municipal, state and federal governments in Latin America do not use the information highway much yet because most do not have computers. Government offices are becoming computerized, starting with their finance and trade offices (e.g. Mexico). As federal, state and local authorities increase their connectivity, their use of electronic networking will grow. Information technology could help link the public and private sectors; support the ongoing process of decentralization by moving services and information closer to clients; enhance communication and cooperation between different levels of government; provide access to databases on public administration etc.; and build bridges with regional and international partners. Agriculture The Association of Central American Rural Organizations for Cooperation and Development (ASOCODE) is the region's most representative network of rural groups. Some 1.4 million peasant farmers belong to ASOCODE's 86 member organizations. ASOCODE promotes the economic growth and social integration of formerly marginalized sectors: peasant farmers and rural areas. ASOCODE works with national governments to seek trade, agricultural and economic integration policies that benefit the region's farmers. On a regional level, ASOCODE is an active member of ICIC (Civil Initiative for Central American Integration), the broadest existing network of civil society. ICIC includes associations representing millions of agricultural producers, small and medium businesses, NGOs, trade unions and community groups. ICIC promotes democracy and HR; sustainable development; and commerce and production from grassroots sectors. On an international level, ASOCODE belongs to Via Campesina (VC), a network of rural and farm organizations. ASOCODE uses the information highway to reach the other members of ICIC and VC that are computerized. (Members in Europe currently use information technology much less than their Latin and North American counterparts.) Through computer conferencing, these organizations have prepared joint position papers, statements and background documents for international conferences such as the Miami Summit and the Social Summit. Campesinos now have electronic input into major initiatives for regional integration and cooperation. ASOCODE also has Internet links with other NGOs, governmental bodies and U.N. agencies on the regional and international levels. ASOCODE will expand its use of IT through the UNDP's Sustainable Development Network (SDN) in Nicaragua, which it will join this year. Several factors limit ASOCODE's increased use of information technology. Telephone lines in Central America are still scarce and expensive (e.g. ASOCODE's head office has only one phone line to handle all its national and international communication). Telecommunications protocols in Panama and Belize are incompatible with the rest of the region. There is a shortage of technicians to install and operate systems, and of human and financial resources for training. ASOCODE members would require extensive training before optimizing their computer use. E-mail and other systems are not yet "user-friendly" enough. These problems are gradually being solved, however, and ASOCODE sees enormous potential for expanding its computer capability. Information technology would facilitate ASOCODE's communication with other producers' associations around the world and with alternative trading organizations (ATOs) such as the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT). Electronic networking with ATOs would give ASOCODE information about markets, product development and technical issues. Computer links with UNCTAD and WTO would enable ASOCODE to follow negotiations or policies affecting Central American farmers. ASOCODE needs information technology to be an effective player in the changing global economy. Economic Growth and Regional Integration Agribusiness in the region is being put on-line by a recently-formed organization called Agro Americas Inc. This organization seeks to accelerate trade and investment by harnessing the power of information technology. It helps farmers market their products, while working with governments to increase national production and exports. Agro Americas Inc. reports that using the information highway boosts agricultural sales and productivity, while cutting the cost of doing business. Network members access electronic mail, bulletin boards and databases, as well as trade and investment news. Agro Americas Inc. also provides business and computer training. Agro Americas Inc. is the main electronic link between farmers, export/import companies and government ministries of agriculture and trade. It could become a model for future computerized collaboration between the public and private sectors, and contribute to the region's economic growth and integration. Electronic networking can be geared to capacity-building, research and technology transfer for small and medium enterprises, as well as to developing regional trading strategies. An example of how governments are promoting regional economic integration and trade through information technology is the Caribbean Trade Information System (CARTIS), hosted by CARICOM. CARTIS is becoming self-financing and thus less dependent on IDRC and UNDP. Improved electronic access to trade information serves businesses and governments throughout the region. This is an area where Canada has proven expertise and informatics products. CIDA support to computerize trade information would benefit both Canada and the recipient countries. There are few state-run information services in the Americas, due to limited resources and a lack of awareness. In trying to build the state's capability to offer public information on-line, donor agencies and governments have made mistakes. They often set up expensive new databases which are hard to keep current and limited in their use. Governmental bodies would generally do better to start by providing on-line public access to information already being produced. If governments in the region developed the political will required to modernize and democratize regional institutions such as CARICOM or the OAS, information technology would be invaluable for promoting economic and political integration. Canada could play a leadership in the OAS by advocating the use of electronic networking both between national governments and as a means of facilitating greater input and participation by NGOs in regional policy-making. Electronic networks are ideally suited to that type of consultation and consensus-building. V. CIDA PROGRAMMING OPTIONS We have seen above why information technology is an appropriate development tool (low-cost, high-impact), and examples of how it is already being applied effectively in the Americas. But the current use represents just a fraction of what it could be. Information technology could help CIDA achieve its programming goals in the Americas. The potential of information technology is usually over-estimated in the short-term and under-estimated in the long-term. CIDA and other agencies cannot be expected to revolutionize their development programs overnight. Some of the options proposed below will take months or years to implement. However thinking about change is the first step towards the future. Options to better integrate information technology into CIDA programming include the following: 1. Increase CIDA's Awareness and Use of Information Technology Information technology requires a unique approach. It is a cross-cutting issue, like WID or the environment. But unlike the other two, information technology is not an added component or activity. It affects the way all program components are done. Information technology can make programs more cost-effective over time. This is particularly important given CIDA's shrinking budget. Activities to raise awareness and use of information technology could include: * Develop criteria, priorities for integrating information technology into CIDA programming in a broader way. The criteria would assess the costs, benefits and impact of information technology, including access to electronic networks. * Train CIDA officers in the use and potential of information technology. This should provide officers with a few concrete ways they could start using information technology in programming. * Network with partners through the information highway. Make more use of information technology to communicate with development partners re program planning and delivery. Consult external experts and databases via computer. Share electronic information with colleagues at CIDA. * Plug into Internet. CIDA staff should be trained and encouraged to participate in electronic conferences on development issues. This would enrich knowledge in both CIDA and the international development community. Through Internet, CIDA could also inform the Canadian public and raise awareness about its development activities. Delivery mechanisms: Agency-wide. 2. Build Capacity of Governmental Partners Most Latin American governments are lagging behind corporations, universities and NGOs in their use of information technology. These governments could benefit from Canada's expertise in both the public and private sectors. CIDA could offer Canadian informatics products and technical assistance in areas such as the following: * Provide infrastructure such as telephone lines or satellite links. CIDA's current infrastructure program is providing telephone service to remote areas. For a relatively marginal increase in cost, this link could be computerized to give each community access to the Internet. * Create public information services. Latin American governments have often lacked the resources or the commitment to keep the public informed of their activities. CIDA could do capacity-building for governments in electronic information services, starting with areas of Canadian expertise such as trade and taxation/revenue. * Promote an enabling environment within which CIDA's development partners could establish appropriate legislative, policy and regulatory measures to deal with issues of access, control and benefits of information technology. These measures would help ensure that information technology is made available to broad sectors of the population, rather than becoming another instrument of social, political and economic exclusion. * Encourage cooperative use of Internet by government, academic and corporate users of information technology, wherever appropriate and possible. This would result in lower cost, higher access and greater efficiency for all users. Delivery mechanisms: Bilateral, Multilateral. 3. Strengthen Role of Civil Society Information technology holds great potential to strengthen civil society, including women's groups, small business, farmers, universities, professional associations, NGOs and community organizations. CIDA could enhance the role of civil society in governance through activities such as: * Train NGOs and other civil society groups in the use, management and potential of information technology. Many NGOs are currently using their computers only as word-processors. They need training to broaden their electronic scope. CIDA could also fund the production and distribution of user-friendly training materials suited to local conditions and needs. * Connect existing organizations. Thousands of organizations and networks already exist throughout the region covering all sectors and issues. Within CIDA priority areas, officers could work with Canadian partners to identify the optimal ways to electronically connect these existing networks. This could involve providing technical support or computer equipment. Electronic access would enhance the effectiveness and policy impact of social organizations. * Access appropriate information. CIDA could support projects that provide access, processing and dissemination of information suited to the needs and conditions of groups in the region. * Build North-South and South-South links. Once organizations in the Americas are on-line, CIDA could facilitate their linkage with counterparts in other developing countries and in industrialized regions. Delivery mechanisms: Bilateral, Partnership. 4. Collaborate with Other Donor Agencies Information technology is a new and rapidly-evolving field. Donor agencies and research centres are just starting to evaluate its development impact. CIDA, IDRC and other donor agencies should collaborate to assess where, when and how IT is optimally used indevelopment programming. Activities could include: * Share "lessons learned" with IDRC and other donor agencies currently exploring information technology (e.g. WB, IDB, UNDP). This joint study could comprise a cost/benefit analysis and a review of appropriate policies and programs in information technology. * Provide policy leadership. CIDA and IDRC could help fill the international policy vacuum that exists in the area of information technology. They could catalyze other donors, research agencies, national governments and regional institutions to better integrate information technology into development planning and programming. Delivery mechanisms: Bilateral, Multilateral. -- John Thurston, PhD, Mgr., Emerging Technologies, InfoLink ag264@freenet.carleton.ca / thurston@globalx.net Voice: (613) 737-9648 / 594-5960 Fax: (613) 235-0155 26 Stamford Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1T 3J3