Lessons in e-inclusion: A new Economist Intelligence Unit study examines best practice for closing the digital divide

Ethical MarketsSustainability News

Thursday, December 11, 2008

While broadband penetration and computer literacy are improving in Europe, access to information and communications technology (ICT) is not equal across all sectors of society. Many of the elderly, the disabled,
the poor and the uneducated are shut out of the “information society”; a society in which ICT plays an increasingly important role economically and socially. Under the Riga Ministerial Declaration, signed on June 11th 2006, 36 European countries committed to reduce the digital divide – the gap between the technology haves and have nots – by 2010. Today, there are several hundred electronic inclusion (“e-inclusion”) projects in Europe. Closing Europe’s digital divide, a briefing paper by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored
by Intel, reports on a number of these projects and highlights the lessons learned by the pioneers.

Extensive interviews with government ministers and e-inclusion programme managers reveal that the critical success factors for any e-inclusion project include:

? Knowing your audience. Even the best technology will fail if the audience’s needs and fears are not properly addressed.

? Developing infrastructure. There is no point in teaching people to use the Internet if access is hard to come by.

? Raising awareness. Not everyone is aware of the benefits that ICT can bring. To overcome resistance, it is important to “sell” the benefits of technology

? Working with established groups. Partner with local groups and make use of their knowledge of the target audience.

? Co-ordinating. E-inclusion projects often involve multiple companies and government departments and require careful co-ordination and frequent communication.

“Today, computer literacy and access to the Internet is fundamental for anyone who wants to fully participate in the economy or society,” says Delia MethCohn, editorial director, CEMEA, at the Economist Intelligence Unit. “Unequal access to information technology can only lead to a more fragmented society.”

Closing Europe’s digital divide can be downloaded for free at
www.eiu.com/sponsor/Intel/e-inclusion