On June 7-9, 2006, infoDev hosted a series of workshops on information for development (ICT4D) topics for staff from donor agencies and members of the wider international development community. 

These workshops coincided with the annual meeting of infoDev's donors to help set the organization's strategic direction for the coming fiscal year.

The first workshop focused on "Making e-Government a Reality: Strategies, Policies and Tools," and featured presentations and discussions on a number of related topics. The workshop highlighted key lessons from the World Bank Public Sector Reform Group’s work on governance, transparency and accountability, and provided a forum for discussing the role of ICT as a catalytic tool to support reform programs. Special attention was paid to on-going initiatives in India and Ghana.

The second workshop looked at "Competitiveness: The Role of ICT." The findings from infoDev's recent country studies were presented and discussed, as was a broader framework for analyzing the impact of ICT on growth and competitiveness. 

"Scaling Up ICT-Enabled Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development" highlighted the experience of developing country incubator managers and entrepreneurs, drawing in large part on the preliminary lessons from infoDev's Incubator Initiative, and its ongoing analytical work in the ICT-enabled entrepreneurship and private sector development field.  Specific country examples from Ghana, Kenya and India were presented.

The final workshop examined issues and initiatives related to "Expanding Financial Services To The Poor: The Role of ICTs." Presented in cooperation with CGAP, the presentations and discussions analyzed how these emerging delivery channels are deployed, including the various business models and technologies.  Key impediments to expanding these services were higlighted. Case studies from Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines were featured.

For more information about infoDev Day 2006, and view workshop presentations, please see the related event page.