1. ICT for Open Contracting in
Fragile States
Claire Schouten
OpenGovHub
March 19th, 2013

2. Concepts
Fragile States
– Not clear (35 to 47 countries), but limited ability to govern their
territory, failure to build mutually constructive and reinforcing
relations with society
– 70% of fragile states have experienced conflict since 1989
– Home to 14% of world pop, 33% of poorest -> 50% by 2015
– 38% of total ODA flows (USD 50 billion)
ICT and ICT4D
– Use of info tech, communication device or application
applied for socio-economic development, human rights
Open Contracting
– Global movement for increased disclosure and
participation in public contracting

3. Accountability Chain
X % of aid
Y%
State in Reconstruction
Contract
• Tax • Implementer
Payers • Donor • NGO / • Beneficiaries
Company
Semi-
contractual Non
contract
Actual accountability chain
A2I? Engagement? M&E?
Audit and financial accountability Feedback & Response?
The affected communities must be reintegrated in the accountability chain

4. Context and technology
• Population et literacy rates
• Democratization – EIU Index – authoritarian & hybrid, TL -
flawed
• Access to information - Angola, Ethiopia, Guinea Conakry, Liberia,
Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Colombia, El
Salvador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal,
Pakistan
• Independence of the media – not free to partly free
• Infrastructure – mobiles: 65% penetration; 69% of mobiles in
Africa will have internet access by 2014

5. OpenSpending

8. Community Engagement and Monitoring
Afghanistan Dem Rep Liberia Nepal Palestine Timor Leste
of Congo
EITI, OBI, EITI, OBI EITI, OBI, FOI, OBI, Social Audits EITI, OBI,
FOI, OC FOI, OC Open Nepal in Schools Budget and E-
Portal, FOI
Integrity FOCHI Poverty Teacher
Watch Reduction CAHURAST Creativity Luta Hamutuk
Afghanistan Strategy Centre
- Water Tracking - Education
- Health projects Network services - Roads - Roads
centers - Health - Health - Schools - Electricity
- Schools centers - Irrigation - Water and - Veteran
- Roads - Roads Infrastructure - Roads waste housing
- Electricity - Land and basic - Library - Health
- Police - Electricity services of - Parks centers
station the PRS - Food - Schools
security

10. Questions for the use of ICT
• Do we understand the context?
• Do we have a good diagnostic of the problem?
• Does the tool reinforce a particular strategy?
• What is the comparative advantage of the tool?
• Who are the providers and users?
• Is the information credible, timely and useful with
respect to the objectives?
• Are we enabling collaborative processes?
• Are we closing the loop?
• Is it sustainable?

11. Thank you!
Claire Schouten
Claire.schouten@integrityaction.org
www.integrityaction.org