UNDP Fiji Multi Country Office: ICT for Development

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UNDP Fiji Multi Country Office ICT for
Development

• UNDP Asia- Pacific Programme Officers Workshop,
  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9-13 December 2002

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Contents

• Information on our UNDP Fiji Multi Country Office
• Government/Donor Initiatives
• Success stories PFnet
• What seems to work best?
• Obstacles

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Info on UNDP Fiji 1/4
UNDP Fiji is a Multi Country Office, we serve 10
countries

• Priority areas of intervention for TRAC funding
  in UNDP Fiji
• Governance ( Crises Prevention and Recovery),
• Poverty Reduction and,
• Energy and Environment.
• ICT for Development is a cross cutting area for
  TRAC funding.

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Info on UNDP Fiji Ctd 2/4
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Info-Ctd 3/4 www.undp.org.fj/ICT.htm
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Info on UNDP Fiji Ctd 4/4

• UNDP ICT Projects (see ICT pages website)
• E-Pacifika national ICT strategies
• Telecom Sector Governance,
• PFnet Solomon Islands.
• Policy advice of UNDP Fiji office.
• Under development
• Regional Multi purpose center project (ITU),
• Tele-Health project Fiji School Medicine (TTF)
• (e-Governance Fiji)?

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Government/Donor Initiatives

• JICA Computer Science at USP other initiatives
  planned for PALM 2003,
• AusAid Virtual Colombo Plan,
• NZAID DFID (projects),
• Fiji development of national ICT strategy and
  pilot e-Government,
• World bank e-Government Fiji and ?
• ADB Kiribati and Samoa.

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Success stories PFnet

• What is does Rural networking Internet Café in
  the Solomon Islands.
• 2002 Finalist in ICT stories competition
  (IICD/InfoDev) and Stockholm Challenge
• Next phase project Feb 2003 - European Union
  and UNDP TTF ?
• In Feb 2003 PFnet strategy workshop.
• For integrated rural development project in SI in
  2004 3 more PFnet email stations, Community
  Radio station and Internet cafe pilot.
• Distance education pilot (APDIP).
• Web site www.peoplefirst.net.sb

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What seems to work best?

• Promotion, promotion, promotion,
• Close and pro-active contact with projects on
  substantial matters,
• Results oriented.

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Some Obstacles

• No clear direction ICTD for our office,
• No clear guidelines for mainstreaming ICTD in
  programming work,
• Limited contact with 9 other Pacific Islands
  governments,
• Travel is expensive in the Pacific,
• ICTD more seen as technical issue - less
  development issue,
• Lack of awareness decision makers,
• ICTD relatively new theme in development,
• Little resources for ICTD.