Vision

People in the Middle East building and benefiting from an inclusive knowledge society.

Mission

The project seeks to contribute to the emergence of an inclusive knowledge society by building the capacity for applied research, and by promoting the creation and sharing of knowledge on the use of ICT for human, social, and economic development.

Objectives

• Build a network of researchers that create knowledge and inform on linkages between ICT enhanced education and employability;
• Build evidence and inform interested stakeholders on the role of ICTs in the development of women participation in the economic and political spheres;
• Build research capacity to identify, monitor and evaluate transparent processes aiming to increase the participation of all stakeholders in the development of an inclusive knowledge society;
• Develop and promote adapted ICT tools, strategies and policies to accelerate local development and enhance the delivery of social services to communities.

Partnerships

IDRC initiated discussions with like-minded donors and partners interested in developing ICT4D projects in the Middle East.

Program Modalities

The ICT4D project in the Middle East will support applied research projects and capacity building initiatives to promote knowledge creation and sharing in the five identified countries. The project will be implemented over 5 years and will be divided into two phases: an exploration phase (3 years) and a regular development phase or phase 2 conditional to securing cofunding. Only the first phase is detailed in the PAD and the budget.

The first phase will seek to: 

• Create a small grants program to fund five small projects under one theme. This small grants program will allow to develop capacity, expertise and knowledge;
  
• Fund one regional research project on the identified research themes;
  
• Organise training workshops to build the capacity for applied research;
  
• Organise a donors meeting and an outreach activity during GKIII, December 2007, in Malaysia;
  
• Build partnership with potential funders in order to secure the development of the second phase;
  
• Organize a results dissemination workshop;

Second phase may seek to :

• Fund one or two projects under the themes identified as a priority for the region;
  
• Organise a training workshops on outcome evaluation and project monitoring or other identified needs;
  
• Organise a regional conference on ICT4D in the Middle East to disseminate knowledge and project output. This conference will bring together researchers partners and potential collaborators and will help to develop the next phase of the project