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34 WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2016
work among classrooms connected online, apps that
stimulate creativity and problem solving, and games
designed for education (“gamification”).
Develop advanced technological skills and
encourage lifelong learning
As more and more parts of the economy rely heavily
on the internet, demand for advanced ICT skills
will also grow. Only a small share of the workforce
will be involved in developing software or systems
design, but exposing children to coding and basic
ICT concepts can influence career choices for some
and impart a basic understanding to many. NairoBits,
a youth organization in Kenya, exposes underprivileged
young people from informal settlements to
web design and other ICT skills, while AkiraChix
reaches out to “geek girls.” Women tend to be underrepresented
in ICT fields, and encouraging girls to
enter such professions and ICT companies to create
welcoming environments for women will increase
the available workforce in fields with rising demand
for labor. With technology likely continuing to get
more advanced and affecting ever more occupations,
workers need to continuously reevaluate and
upgrade their skills. Much of that will happen outside
the formal education system, but governments can
provide the incentives for firms and workers to create
the mechanisms for lifelong learning.
Institutions that are accountable to
citizens
Although the internet has enabled many governments
to provide some basic services more efficiently, technology
so far has not strengthened accountability. For
policies, this implies a dual strategy: tailoring the application
of digital technologies to environments with
limited accountability in the short term, and strengthening
institutions in the longer term (table O.3).
Improve informational services and
monitoring
Although internet access is still low in many emerging
economies, mobile phones are widespread and
have great potential for improving services. In the
health sector, simple mobile phone–based reminders
for taking medications have been effective for
HIV patients in Malawi and for providing maternal
health information in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. Phones can support the monitoring of teachers
or other government workers where absenteeism
is a problem, even if monitoring alone is insufficient
to improve service quality or outcomes (box O.12).
Monitoring also becomes important in provision
by nonstate entities in weak institutional contexts,
where for-profit or non-profit organizations deliver
services often funded by the government. And digital
technologies can improve electoral accountability. In
Afghanistan, Kenya, and Mozambique, election monitoring
using cellphones helped uncover fraud and
reduced election violence. This can complement—
or, even in low-capacity settings, replace—more
demanding approaches such as biometric identification
(see spotlight 4 in the full Report).
Strengthen e-government delivery and
citizen engagement
Where investments to automate government service
delivery have advanced, complementary improvements
in regulations, interdepartmental cooperation, and
streamlining become more important. Rather than just
replicating cumbersome processes such as business
regulations online, automation provides an opportunity
for simplifying steps, increasing the impact as well
as the transparency. E-procurement systems reduce the
risk of corruption, but countries have invested less in
them than in more complex budget or treasury systems.
With greater internet use in a country, the scope for
Table O.3 Priority policies for better service delivery
Emerging countries: Laying the
foundation for more effective
institutions
• Improve information services to citizens
• Strengthen monitoring of and payment
to providers
• Establish population registers
• Scale up nonstate provision of services
• Increase electoral accountability
Transitioning countries: Building
capable and accountable institutions
• Strengthen government delivery systems
• Strengthen provider management
• Get regular user feedback on service
quality
• Increase transparency in priority areas
Transforming countries:
Deepening collaborative
institutions
• Improve collaboration across
and beyond government
• Enhance participatory policy
making