Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ... - ITU

appropriate technologies and approaches are adopted, responding to the needs and priorities of each
context.
– Active international engagement: The experience of Ghana also suggests the importance of an active
involvement in international policy processes (e.g., international climate change negotiations, ICT and
climate change conferences and events). These processes contribute to raising high-level political
awareness on ICTs and climate change adaptation issues, and can act as key drivers of policy action and
innovation in this field.
– Complement policy with research and practice: Effective ICT and climate change structures should
combine policy action with research and practice (e.g. case studies, pilot projects), in order to foster
the development of evidence-based data and lessons learned that can inform decision-making, as well
as to identify good practices that can be used in the design of novel e-adaptation approaches and
initiatives.
Building on these key factors and on Ghana’s institutional arrangement experience, Figure 7 provides an
example of a policy structure that can be considered by developing countries working towards the
integration of ICTs and climate change policies.
Figure 7. Example of a national ICT and climate change structure
Source: Adapted from Ospina and Heeks (2012)
The institutional structure reflected in the figure distinguishes between the strategic level of policy design
(led by the key ICT and environmental authorities in the country, supported by a high-level advisory group
that integrates ICT, climate change and sectoral experts) and the operational level of policy implementation
(where diverse stakeholders with ICT and environmental responsibilities interact towards the
implementation of policy actions at the local and territorial levels).
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