Skip Navigation LinksDigitalization

Digitalization

Great potential for sustainable development

New technologies have the power to accelerate sustainable development and poverty reduction. This is why they are an integral part of Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2021–24. The core aims of the IC Strategy are to protect people in need, reduce poverty and address global challenges. As part of its activities to promote good governance, Switzerland’s international cooperation harnesses the opportunities of digitalisation to further increase the effectiveness and efficiency of administrations, reduce red tape and prevent corruption.

Technological advances have the potential to generate positive political, social and economic change by opening up opportunities like easier access to information, payments by mobile phone and online financial services. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) works closely with the private sector and the research community to find innovative solutions. All sections of the population in developing countries should be able to reap the benefits of technological progress. Universal and affordable internet access is therefore one of the goals of the SDC's engagement in partner countries.


Digitalisation of work has become more relevant than ever before. An analysis from UNCTAD shows that the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the uptake of digital solutions, tools, and services, thus accelerating the global transition towards a digital economy. Furthermore, in the past months, the world has seen a sky-rocketing amount of PSE and PSE-like initiatives, which use technology as an enabler. In addition, there are many start-up companies emerging from the current crisis, which have used the challenging situation as a (business) opportunity and launched innovative tools and resources.  Though digitalisation brings many opportunities, it can also enlarge the digital divide, in particular for women, as stated by UNI Global Union. 

Best practices

Support online food delivery service: The OPTIM project in Moldova supports the establishment of an online food delivery service in response to the closure of the farmers' market, which has led to the loss of the sole source of income for many food producers. The project has supported the "Association of Organic and Traditional Food Producers and Consumers in Moldova" in developing the online food delivery service. In addition to setting up the online platform, the association was advised on logistics (storage in collection centres, transport and delivery planning). After the first three months, the results will be evaluated to assess whether the model can survive the current crisis.

Online business registration process: In March 2020, Benin took its business registration processes 100% digital, setting up an efficient, new online single window that houses all regulatory processes needed to open a business in record time.
Working Aids
SDC [2 MB]

SDC and its partners have supported several hundred thousand learners who were excluded from educational opportunities due to Covid-19 restrictions. In over 20 projects on four continents, pioneering teams have implemented innovative digital solutions in supporting vulnerable learners in basic education, vocational training, and lifelong learning.

This Technical guide provides practitioners in the field and decision makers with practical advice on how to develop effective and sustainable ICT-based educational solutions for inclusive learning. You can learn how to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to support participative learning.
Case Studies
SDC [1.5 MB]

Education faces new challenges – reaching vulnerable learners in new ways of digital learning

Since Spring 2020 the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has reached, together with its partners, several hundred thousand learners who were excluded from educational opportunities, due to Covid-19 restrictions. Some 20 pioneering teams have implemented innovative solutions on four continents, using digital technologies.

Featured Items

Swiss Government

The present report, which was approved by the Federal Council on 4 November 2020, is a thematic follow-up strategy to the Foreign Policy Strategy 2020–23 (FPS 2020–23).  
Show all

Key Documents

GIZ - Maximilian Schulz

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of most economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

When it comes to the digitalisation of businesses, both economic development programmes and the IT and tech industries have often ignored this important business segment. Yet digitalisation is a key driver to strengthening the competitiveness of  MSMEs, and their ability to create jobs.

It is not only the most cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT), that offer promising prospects. For most micro and small businesses the adoption of 'basic' technologies - emails, websites and office software packages - can already bring far-reaching and transformative changes.

This guide looks at the benefits that the application of digital solutions can unlock for MSMEs - digitalisation can offer a path towards formality and financial inclusion for businesses operating in the informal economy; provides case studies of programmes that have worked with MSMEs and Business Development Service (BDS) providers to digitalise their operations using the MSD approach; and, reflects on how to refine and adapt fundamental MSD principles for the digitalisation of MSMEs

The International Trade Centre (ITC) launched a publication to support “bringing SMEs onto the E-commerce highway”. The publication identifies the bottlenecks and requirements of e-commerce participation and presents examples of best practices in regulating cross-border e-commerce.
Show all

Relevant Documents

Title Year Created Date
Disruptive Technologies for Private Sector Development in the DRC

2019

 2019-05-28 16:11:24
COVID-19 and Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa - How to Leverage Digital Technologies During the Pandemic

2020

 2020-11-29 16:51:27
Institution Title Year
Institution Title Year
World Bank COVID-19 and Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa - How to Leverage Digital Technologies During the Pandemic

COVID-19 and Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa - How to Leverage Digital Technologies During the Pandemic

This short Policy Brief focuses on  the  impact  of  Covid-19  on  financial  inclusion  and  the  potential  of  robust  policy  responses.  The  authors  drew  on  the  Global  Findexdatabase to showcase policy options that harness maximum benefits from digital technology, promoting financial  inclusion  and  mitigating  adverse  impacts  during  the  pandemic  and  beyond.

2020
mesopartner, DFID Disruptive Technologies for Private Sector Development in the DRC

Disruptive Technologies for Private Sector Development in the DRC

Mesopartner has supported the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to make sense of how they can use technology support to support their private sector development work.

The report makes the case for moving from a sole focus on the transfer of specific technologies to solve development problems, to a more broad-based, systemic technological development focus involving various actors and institutions in developing countries. More concretely, it recommends the use of an innovation systems approach to strengthen the technological capabilities of developing countries like the DRC. 

2019
Show all
General Topics
Result Measurement
Migration
Governance
Gender
CBA
Fragility
Future of Work
Decent Work
LNOB
Digitalization
Systemic Approach

Relevant Events

  • 03 Oct 2023
    FoBBIZ Talk: The potential of XR and VR for Skills Development in ASEAN countries

    FoBBIZ Talk: The potential of XR and VR for Skills Development in ASEAN countries

    Two and a half years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, societies all-over the world are still suffering from the impact of the pandemic. The TVET and the Education systems in general have not been spared and the lack of system-level digital strategies, poor technological infrastructure, and weak teachers’ e-readiness, has exposed important inequalities in the global skills development picture. Emerging technologies such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (all together known as XR - Extended Reality) can support TVET and Education systems in easing the impact of future disruptions, ensuring not only continuity of training delivery but also an impact in terms of scalability, personalization, safety, and cost-effectiveness, to drive the sustainable improvement of Skills Development opportunities, far beyond the pandemic response.

    During this talk, we will converse about the ongoing advancement of collaboratively developed action-oriented solutions in the field of Extended Reality applications for skills development to respond to the challenges brought forth by the stakeholders involved in the digital innovation process of some of the ASEAN countries we had the opportunity to work with, at the ITCILO.

    The FoBBIZ Talk will be held in English.

    For more information about the event and registration (until 02.10.) click here. 
Show all
03 Oct 2023 03 October 2023 03 October 2023 03 October
FoBBIZ Talk: The potential of XR and VR for Skills Development in ASEAN countries

Two and a half years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, societies all-over the world are still suffering from the impact of the pandemic. The TVET and the Education systems in general have not been spared and the lack of system-level digital strategies, poor technological infrastructure, and weak teachers’ e-readiness, has exposed important inequalities in the global skills development picture. Emerging technologies such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (all together known as XR - Extended Reality) can support TVET and Education systems in easing the impact of future disruptions, ensuring not only continuity of training delivery but also an impact in terms of scalability, personalization, safety, and cost-effectiveness, to drive the sustainable improvement of Skills Development opportunities, far beyond the pandemic response.

During this talk, we will converse about the ongoing advancement of collaboratively developed action-oriented solutions in the field of Extended Reality applications for skills development to respond to the challenges brought forth by the stakeholders involved in the digital innovation process of some of the ASEAN countries we had the opportunity to work with, at the ITCILO.

The FoBBIZ Talk will be held in English.

For more information about the event and registration (until 02.10.) click here. 

​​Relevant Links

Title Year Created Date
WEF - How women in developing countries can harness e-commerce

2020-05-20 11:38:29
Show all

SmartNotes - Profiles