The World Bank's Global Information and Communication Technology Department (GICT) is sponsoring a series on seminars on "ICT as Enabler for Growth and Public Sector Reform" in the context of the World Bank's Annual Conference on Poverty Reducation and Economic Management, PREM.

The PREM Network is the Bank’s focal point on key issues such as Economic Policy and Debt, Gender, Poverty Reduction, Public Sector Governance and Trade. Its mission and overarching objective is to integrate the Bank’s poverty reduction efforts at the country level and provide policy advice to the Bank’s clients during the formulation and implementation of policies and programs

The conference, to be held in Washington D.C. on April 15 & 16, 2008, will focus on issues related to inclusive and sustainable Growth. This year's conference also features 4 sessions on the use of ICTs for economic growth and public sector reform:

• BBL on India's Emergence as a Global IT Player: The Role of NASSCOM (April 15, 2008)
  
• PREM Conference: Session on Global Sourcing of Services for Achieving Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (April 16, 2008)
  
• Government Enterprise Architecture as Enabler of Public Sector Reform (April 17, 2008)
  
• ICT Applications for the Public Sector (April 23, 2008)

These workshop series aim to address practical issues in the development of projects that have ICT components as well as to enhance knowledge of ICT issues so World Bank operational staff can better deploy ICTs as a tool to meet the demands of their clients in international development.

To learn more about these events or to participate through webcast, click on the seminar titles above or visit www.worldbank.org/edevelopment.

About e-Development Thematic Group

e-Development Thematic Group is a global forum and community of professionals interested in the role of ICT in development, open for participation by both World Bank staff and external clients and partners. The e-TG is hosted by World Bank's Global ICT Department in collaboration with many other partners. Visit us at http://www.worldbank.org/edevelopment to download materials for this and all previous e-development seminars (over 120 since 2001).

To join eTG's mailing list, please send an email to edevelopment@worldbank.org.

Watch some of the recent events sponsored by the e-Development Thematic Group if you missed them (with links to videos, slides, speaker profiles, background materials etc.):

• Next-Generation Organizational Models for e-Government
• Transforming Government, Empowering Communities, and Building the Knowledge Economy
• mGovernment: The New Frontier in Public Service Delivery
• The Human Factor in Re-engineering Government
• The Australian e-Government Experience: A View from the Trenches
• ICT for Rural Development: Access and Applications
• Gender and Economic Empowerment: The Role of ICT