mediadev library

State of digital development and trends in the Africa region: Challenges and opportunities

Geneva: ITU (2025), iv, 49 pp.

"This publication reveals that the gap between ambition and reality remains wide. Mobile broadband coverage has expanded rapidly, offering most of the population the possibility of going online. And yet, only 38 per cent of the population currently uses the Internet—the lowest rate among all ITU r ... more

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Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA): Ghana

Reyn Anderson, Yaroslav Eferin, Kate Gromova, Vlad Manoil, Victor Teppeh

Digital Frontiers Project USAID, external version (2024), 149 pp.

"Ghana is among Sub-Saharan Africa’s leaders in digital transformation. Over the past decade, the government has put the key institutions, legislative frameworks, strategies, and policies in place that are necessary to drive change. The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization leads and coord ... inates development and implementation of a core set of policies and strategies that are digitally transforming the government, economy, and society. The ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Policy has guided this journey for more than a decade. A new Digital Economy Policy is drafted and under review to drive the next stage of Ghana’s digital development. The National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy and the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy have also been key. Ghana adopted an inclusive approach to developing its cybersecurity strategy, which contributed to improved cybersecurity capacity and considered citizens’ online safety and freedoms. However, a clear strategy for protecting critical national infrastructure is missing. Ghana has been a pioneer and champion of digital government transformation in West Africa over the past decade, with funding and support from the World Bank. Important whole-of-government platforms and services have been put in place, including the Government Wide Area Network (GWAN), which provides internet connection to more than 1,000 district assemblies, hospitals, police stations, and post offices across the country; a National Data Center; the Smart workplace suite, which includes email and productivity tools for government employees; and Ghana.gov portal, a one-stop-shop for citizen services. Still, digital government transformation is incomplete. Easy, efficient, online government services are in demand, but the Ghana.gov portal options are limited, and most major government service providers have their own separate online services portals. The national identity Ghana Card could enhance digital service delivery by providing a universally recognized, secure, and easy-to-use means of digital identification and authentication for citizens when accessing both public and private digital services, but the current identification system is not integrated with other government-operated databases, significantly reducing its many potential applications. The Regional Coordinating Councils, and metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) are just now embarking on the digital transformation journey. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development coordinates their efforts. Challenges for Ghana’s remaining efforts at digital government transformation include adequate funding to manage and maintain its connectivity and data center infrastructure, affordable internet for regional governments, inadequate digital literacy and skills among mid-level and regional staff, or related national training programs. A big skill gap exists in cybersecurity; Ghana faces a deficit of skilled cybersecurity professionals. The government also needs to improve efforts at stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising when developing new policy proposals." (Executive summary, pages 11-12) more

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Trainer's Manual: Digital Literacy Training Toolkit

Hive Colab; UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) (2023), 53 pp.

"[...] digital divide has demonstrated the urgency of our vision of building an inclusive digital economy and made it even more critical than ever before. UNCDF’s strategy, ‘Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era’ launched in 2019, UNCDF continues to work with the government, private sector, ... more

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Participatory video in agrifood systems and digital environments: A practitioner’s guide
Key Guidance

Alberto Troilo, Ayushi Singh et al.

Rome: FAO (2023), ix, 66 pp.

"This field practitioner’s guide provides step-by-step guidance for creating and using participatory video within a ComDev process. The guide is part of a modular training series, but can be used as a stand-alone resource for self-learning. It is ... more

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Towards building inclusive digital communities: ITU toolkit and self-assessment for ICT accessibility implementation

Geneva: ITU (2023), viii, 101 pp.

"This newly revised edition of the ITU toolkit and self-assessment for ICT accessibility implementation, "Towards Building Inclusive Digital Communities", incorporates updates aimed to support the efforts of ITU members and all stakeholders in understanding and implementing ICT accessibility at nati ... more

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The Learning Power of Listening: A Practical Guide for Using SenseMaker
Key Guidance

Irene Guijt, Maria Veronica Gottret, Anna Hanchar, Steff Deprez, Rita Muckenhirn

Baltimore, MD; Oxford: Catholic Relief Services (CRS); Oxfam (2022), 189 pp.

"The Learning Power of Listening guide is intended for those who wish to coordinate, participate in, or support the use of SenseMaker—a complexity-aware, narrative-based method—in conducting assessments, monitoring progress, and carrying out evaluations or research. The guide can be used for per ... more

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Results-Based Report on Projects Approved by the 64th Meeting of the IPDC Bureau (June 2020) and Implemented in 2020-2021. Part II

UNESCO (2022), 278 pp.

"This document reports on the implementation of projects approved by the 64th meeting of the IPDC Bureau (June 2020) and implemented in 2020-2021, and on projects approved as part of IPDC’s rapid response mechanism in January 2021. It also includes the implementation reports of several projects th ... more

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Ten Lessons Learnt: Scaling and Transitioning One of the Largest Mobile Health Communication Programmes in the World to a National Government

Sara Chamberlain, Priyanka Dutt, Anna Godfrey, Radharani Mitra, Amnesty Elizabeth LeFevre et al.

BMJ Global Health, volume 6, issue e005341 (2021), 6 pp.

"There has been exponential growth in the numbers of ‘digital development’ programmes seeking to leverage technology to solve systemic challenges. However, despite promising results and a shift from pilots to scale-ups, many have failed to real ... more

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South Malekula: A smart island of Vanuatu. Preliminary study of needs and priorities

Geneva: ITU (2021), vi, 21 pp.

"The study identified resource gaps relating to broadband connectivity, affordability, digital literacy and skills, and priority digital services. It identified the need for reliable and quality telecommunication network coverage; digital literacy ... more

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Telecommunications/ICTs for rural and remote areas. Study period 2018-2021

Geneva: ITU (2021), xiii, 90 pp.

"There is need for further studies focusing on access to broadband services and how emerging technologies can be used to transform rural and remote areas into digital economies. There is no one-size-fits-all model for financing rural connectivity a ... more

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Ethnic Journalism in the Global South

Anna Gladkova Jamil, Sadia

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2021), xiii, 319 pp.

"This book focuses on ethnic journalism in the Global South, approaching it from two angles: as a professional area and as a social mission. The book discusses journalistic practices and ethnic media in the Global South, managerial and editorial strategies of ethnic media outlets, their content spec ... more

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Building Resilient and Inclusive Digital Ecosystems: A Toolkit for Using Digital Payments in Development Programs

USAID; NetHope (2020), 35 pp.

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Tools for rapid ICT emergency responses and sustainable development

Smart Sustainable Development Model (SSDM); ITU (2018), xv, 112 pp.

"The SSDM Report 2018 provides a number of concrete steps to further and strengthen the implementation of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Smart Sustainable Development Model (SSDM) Initiative. The ITU ... more

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Buy Burkinabè! Yam Pukri’s Agripol Advocacy Platform in Burkina Faso

Sylvestre Ouédraogo, Théophile Assane Sawadogo

Wageningen: Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) (2017), 6 pp.

"Agripol is a platform that facilitates lobbying and advocacy of government, decision makers and the public by farmers’ organisations and others interested in agricultural development. Yam Pukri, which maintains the site, runs workshops and ... more

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ICT Trends

Incheon: Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT-ESCAP) (2017), 198 pp.

"This publication aims to provide timely and relevant information on the major ICT trends and the implications of these trends. It serves as a knowledge resource for policymakers and government officials in Asia and the Pacific to increase their awareness and appreciation for the continuously evolvi ... more

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Beyond the Hype: Mobile Phones and the Web to Improve Agricultural Value Chains
Inspiring Practice

Paul Mundy, Benjamin Kwasi Addom, Krishan Bheenick

Wageningen: Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) (2017), 16 pp.

"CTA’s ICT4Ag project (2014–15) enabled seven organisations in Africa and the Caribbean to develop, test and promote information services for smallscale farmers and fishers, traders and lobbying groups. Key recommendations: Understanding users� ... more

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Evaluation Approaches for Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Programs

Nicole K. Eberhart, Jennifer L. Cerully, Amy L. Shearer, Sandra H. Berry, M. Audrey Burnam, Patricia A. Ebener

Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation (2017), ix, 81 pp.

"The goal of this handbook is to provide guidance to practitioners and organizations interested in evaluating mental health prevention and early intervention (PEI) programs. In the course of developing an evaluation plan for a series of PEI programs implemented statewide by the California Mental Hea ... more

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Community Radio for Change

Basudev Mahapatra, Biswajit Padhi

Bhubaneswar (IN): ActionAid; Young India (2017), 85 pp.

"ActionAid’s efforts of bring together communities radio stations from different states across the country in the recent National Consultation on Community Radio held at Bhubaneswar was quite useful to discuss the best practices of community radio stations, the challenges they face and the way for ... more

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Rights and Jobs in Journalism: Building Stronger Unions in Europe

Brussels: European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) (2016), 60 pp.

"Journalists’ organisations play a key role to defend the rights of journalists and equip them to rise to the challenge of the changing labour market. Journalists’ organisations themselves also undergo changes to renew their commitment and strategies to counter new challenges. This handbook [... ... more

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Journalism in Afghanistan: Current and Post-2014 Threats and Journalist Safety Mechanisms

Copenhagen: International Media Support (IMS) (2013), 28 pp.

"This report seeks to provide an immediate overview of the current insecure media environment in which Afghan journalists work and the threat scenario potentially facing them after the 2014 withdrawal of international troops. The aim of the report is to provide input into local and international dis ... more

Participatory video in agrifood systems and digital environments: A practitioner’s guide Key Guidance

The Learning Power of Listening: A Practical Guide for Using SenseMaker Key Guidance

Beyond the Hype: Mobile Phones and the Web to Improve Agricultural Value Chains Inspiring Practice

Participatory video in agrifood systems and digital environments: A practitioner’s guide
Key Guidance

The Learning Power of Listening: A Practical Guide for Using SenseMaker
Key Guidance

Beyond the Hype: Mobile Phones and the Web to Improve Agricultural Value Chains
Inspiring Practice