ToR-MobTech

Background 

The explosive growth in developing countries of mobile technologies, in particular mobile phones, brought forward a new wave of technological optimism. With some countries claiming up to 90% coverage, a new series of mobile-based initiatives have taken off, many of them focusing on the population at the bottom of the pyramid who, now have access to a mobile device and thus can potentially be part of the global network. And the current economic crisis seemingly has not had a major impact on these developments.

At the same time, many poor countries, particularly the LDCs in Africa, are falling behind in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Current forecasts indicate that many, if not most of them, will not be able to reach the targets globally agreed by the UN in 2000. This has been further complicated by the decline in exports, commodity prices, remittances and FDI which effectively reduce national income in these countries and thus calls for potential reductions in public investment.

The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Development can play a catalyst role in the achievement of key development goals. By providing innovative solutions to existing traditional challenges and gaps, ICTs can be strategically deployed to tackle some of the most burning issues on a large scale and at relatively low cost per beneficiary. However, an exclusive focus on the so-called “digital divide” will not help advance this agenda.

In addition, the depth of mobile technology penetration in developing countries has, to a large extent, contribute to debunk the “access” myth. In effect, according to some statistics up to 4 billion people in the globe have access to a mobile device -this is more than those who have access to justice, for example. But the real question here is: is it possible to use these technologies to tackle such issues as access to justice?

The assumption that mobile technologies and the many related initiatives that have been launched in the last couple of year will undoubtedly be successful due to their high penetration is not necessarily accurate. There is need to link network access to service provision, access to information and citizen participation in democratic governance processes among others. Other factors such as usage costs, privacy, illiteracy, lack of electricity , etc. also pose critical challenges when implementing such solutions. Thus, it is important to study and understand the various factors that can prevent citizens in developing countries to effectively use mobile technologies to improve their own lives and thus enhance human development.

Objective

Under the supervision of DGG's e-governance policy advisor, the consultant will identify the challenges and trends that determine the success or failure of mobile initiatives in developing countries, with a focus on public service provision in the context of the MDGs.

Specific Tasks

The consultant is expected to undertake and complete the following tasks:

• Conduct research on the development impact of mobile-based initiatives on developing countries
• Analyze successful mobile initiatives and identify trends in the use of mobile technologies for such projects
• Identify the challenges, lessons learners and good practices of mobile technologies programmes and initiatives
• Identify trends in the utilization of mobile technologies/service/applications in developing countries 

Deliverables

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in social sciences and related areas
• Excellent knowledge of ICT for development and telecommunications
• Good research skills with knowledge of data analysis tools
• Knowledge of e-governance issues in developing countries
• Perfect command of English; additional knowledge of UN language desirable

Competencies

• Excellent presentation, communication and writing skills
• Knowledge of UNDP's work on Democratic Governance and e-governance
• Previous experience with UNDP or another UN agency
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to take initiative and be innovative
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team structure in a multicultural environment

Duration

The consultancy is expected to start on 1 October and end on 31 December 2009.

Location

The consultant will be home based. No travel is envisaged.