| With the participation of Neil Pierre, chief of the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean (9/29/2008) ICTs can only become an effective tool for development and poverty reduction if they are an integral part of the broader, more comprehensive national development and poverty reduction strategies and programmes. The donor community, development agencies and their developing country partners are making a concerted effort to effect this integration of ICTs into the development agendas. A very effective approach and driver to ‘mainstreaming’ ICTs for development and to transforming the digital divide into a digital opportunity is e-government, that is, the adoption and use of ICTs by Governments in their management and provision of services. Government agencies interact with citizens, businesses, other arms of government, and non-governmental organisations and thus the impact of e-government systems can be very far-reaching. The resulting benefits are empowered citizens, improved governance and accountability, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth and cost reduction. The Caribbean Development Bank in collaboration with other development partners, is hosting a workshop for senior policy makers and advisers to sensitise them to the importance of mainstreaming ICTs into the development agendas and to the benefits to be derived from deploying e-government systems. This two-day workshop is designed for Policy Makers within the Governments of the Borrowing Member Countries of CDB and for Policy Advisers within CDB to help them to:
- Build awareness of the importance of mainstreaming ICTs into the development agenda, and the tremendous potential for stimulating economic growth and poverty reduction;
- Highlight the impact of e-government systems as a driver to ICT adaptation;
- Identify the approach and structure necessary for effective implementation of e-government systems in the Caribbean;
- Share information and experiences on e-government development in the region and elsewhere and to identify some best-practices;
- Determine a programme for collaboration so as to eliminate repetition of errors; ensure compatibility for sharing and integration; and reduce costs by taking advantage of economies of scale and other cost saving approaches. The expected benefits to be derived from the workshop are:
1. A better appreciation of the role of ICTs in national and regional development;
2. A better understanding of the requirements for effective planning and implementation of e-government systems;
3. A plan of action for accelerating e-government development in the Region. | 
eclac.org
