According to this 332-page document from the Global Information and Communication Technologies Department (GICT) of the World Bank (WB) Group, information and communication technology (ICT) has a critical role to play in development efforts around the world. "In response to the call for increased [monitoring and evaluation] M&E efforts for ICT by the development community, ... GICT is undertaking several initiatives to advance methods of monitoring results in ICT for development projects.... GICT has defined a core set of information- and communication-related indicators to create tables that present a snapshot of country-specific ICT issues." This document attempts to track and analyse global ICT development trends and to provide empirical evidence of the benefits that ICT is providing in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction. Indicators for the MDG targets, among others, have been incorporated into the ICT At-a-Glance tables compiled for this report.

Included in the document are the following:

• PART I
1. Chapter 1 Overview
2. Chapter 2 Foreign Direct Investment in Telecommunications in Developing Countries
3. Chapter 3 Extending Communication and Information Services: Principles and Practical Solutions
4. Chapter 4 The Role of ICT in Doing Business
5. Chapter 5 Trends in National E-Strategies: A Review of 40 Countries
6. Chapter 6 Tracking ICT: World Summit on the Information Society [WSIS] Targets

 

• PART II
1. User’s Guide to ICT At-a-Glance Country Tables
2. At-a-Glance Country Tables
3. Key ICT Indicators for Other Economies
4. Definitions and Data Sources
5. Contributors

Annexes include. among other data: Data Sources of FDI in Telecommunications; ICT-Related Investment Climate Survey Data by Country; Resources and Links for ICT Policies and E-Strategies; Countries Covered in E-Strategy Review; and A Benchmarking Example of the WSIS Targets - Estonia.