Towards Knowledge Society: A Handbook of Selected Initiatives in South Asia

This 204-page handbook contains ‘Information and Communications Technology for Development’ (ICT4D) initiatives of selected South Asian organisations, covering key aspects of their activities, including impact, innovation, partnerships, and management, as well as the challenges they face in implementing their ideas. The information-gathering approach and preparation of the cases are designed so that readers and users can access the ideas behind the models and can make comparisons across models.

Topics include:

1. Access to Information and Knowledge;
2. ICT Literacy and Education;
3. ICT for Peace Building;
4. Human Rights; and
   
5. Gender in ICT.
   

An example of the way that projects are presented is the description of Development Research Network (D.Net)-Bangladesh's Pallitathya information and knowledge system. It includes details of the project implementation and the following strategies gleaned from their experience:

• Demand Driven: ICT implementation based on action research results from communities.
• Engaging Local Implementing Partner: local ownership and institutions to launch the process.
• Integrating Infomediary: the physical interface between the information and knowledge base and the rural people and selected from the community, used to understand local problems and needs.
• Developing Local Language Content.
• Integrating Help Line.
• Right Mix of Ancillary Services: Added services at commercial prices.
  
• Introduction of Concept of Benefit on Investment (BOI): assessing benefit accrued by a community in monetary terms, where applicable, against investment made in a community-based unit of Pallitathya information and knowledge system.