[Cross-Post] IMC endorses the Principles for Digital Development
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CROSS POST FROM: http://www.imcworldwide.com/news/imc-endorses-the-principles-for-digital-development/
We are pleased to announce that IMC Worldwide has officially endorsed the Principles for Digital Development, a set of nine best practice guidelines designed to help practitioners successfully apply digital technologies to development programmes.
We are pleased to announce that IMC Worldwide has officially endorsed the Principles for Digital Development of the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) at the United Nations Foundation.
This set of nine best practice guidelines has been designed to help practitioners successfully apply digital technologies to development programmes and ensure a consistent approach by donors and partners during design and implementation.
THE PRINCIPLES FOR DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT.
We join over 100 organisations including UN agencies, international non-government organisations, tech companies and civil society groups, that have formally endorsed the principles.
IMC has been at the forefront of recognising the potential of technology to maximise the impact of development programmes on the lives of poor communities. We have led the way in the implementation of donor-funded technology-focused programmes. We have also incorporated technology within programmes to deliver better outcomes for beneficiaries and value for money for clients, with a particularly strong track record in the areas of monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL).
While we have seen great progress through our technology-focused programmes, we also appreciate the significant amount of failure in the adoption of technology, which can be traced to problems that are well documented and therefore preventable.
IMC has made great strides in harnessing lessons learned to ensure practical adoption of technology within development. As an example, we deliver the Frontier Technology Livestreaming (FTL) project, which is helping the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to identify, fund and disseminate frontier technologies to tackle development challenges. FTL pilots are implemented in ‘sprints’, small batches of work that generate learning to inform the decision to continue, undertake a different approach, or discontinue a pilot. In 2017, FTL was awarded as the most innovative programme in the entire UK Civil Service.
IMC also delivers Ideas to Impact, a DFID-funded action-research programme which is designing, implementing and testing innovation prizes to encourage solutions to access to energy, water and sanitation and climate change adaptation. A sharp focus is on testing, researching and capturing learning about innovation prizes for development.
Even with these evidence-based approaches to technology utilisation, we still need to ensure our programmes are guided by best practice and agreed standards. We appreciate that while the technologies we pilot have the potential to increase impact, systemic problems limit their full potential.
Endorsing the Principles will help ensure the delivery of quality services and increase our impact as an organisation.
As such, at IMC we see the Principles for Digital Development as a tool to help realise that full potential. As with other standards we adopt (like ISO certifications), endorsing the Principles will help ensure the delivery of quality services and increase our impact as an organisation.
As an endorser, we will seek to embody the concepts of the Digital Principles through our work culture and the policies and processes that guide our development activities. We are also committed to raising awareness among our staff and continuing to engage with other endorsing partners to share achievements and lessons, including through the Digital Principles Forum.
Technology provides a unique opportunity in international development and IMC is committed to realising its full potential. Our endorsement is a testament to this commitment.
Cover photo: UAVaid’s Hansard V drone deployed as part of the FTL’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Long Distance Air Bridge pilot.
