Tackling the digital divide is an enormous task, and no one group could solve the problem on its own. Bridges.org has examined the ICT-based development field and considered what works, and what does not work -- and why. It has built on its own experience and the thinking of a number of other organizations to design a holistic, integrated strategy it calls Real Access/Real Impact (RA/RI). This framework sets out the determining factors in whether there is Real Access to ICT: access that goes beyond computers and connections so that technology use makes a Real Impact on socio-economic development. It is not about a specific technology application that is used in a certain way. Rather, the RA/RI framework offers a roadmap to the digital divide that can be used to improve the way that ICT is integrated into initiatives in healthcare, education, small business development, government services and other programs in the countries and communities that have the most to gain.

A desire to promote equal access to information and communication technology (ICT) has led to a variety of projects bringing computers to the disadvantaged in Africa. Many put computer labs in public places like schools and community centres. But these projects face a range of practical realities -- from poor infrastructure to a lack of technical support -- and the choice of appropriate technology can be a make-or-break factor. So it is crucial that decision-makers behind these efforts carefully weigh the pros and cons of different technologies and their suitability for the local context. The choice of software is one of the core issues.

This study considers the use and usefulness of e-readiness assessments, based on an in-depth evaluation of the e-readiness assessment initiative of the World Bank Information for Development Program (infoDev). Top-down, international initiatives waste money and effort on poorly conceived and under-supported e-readiness assessment programs and can be better targeted toward concrete development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals. The focus needs to move from “how much bandwidth?” to “how much bandwidth is needed for remote diagnosis to reduce child mortality?” Even before this report made it to final publication, the infoDev e-readiness initiative was retired and many of the statements made in this report are now taken as a given.

A number of organizations have conducted e-readiness assessments in developing countries using a variety of tools. One report looks at where e-readiness assessments have been carried out, and by whom; a companion report evaluates the various assessment models used including what they measure, their definitions of e-readiness, and their underlying goals and assumptions which shape their outcomes. These reports provide a resource to policy-makers and others who want to use e-readiness assessment results to plan for the integration of technologies in society, and to organizations that are considering new assessments.