The Access to Information (a2i) Programme aims to provide digital public services to citizens across Bangladesh. It was launched in 2007 by the Prime Minister's Office with support from UNDP and USAID. The program works to strengthen existing digital services, expand digital literacy, and promote innovation to improve governance and make services more accessible. It operates initiatives like the National Portal Framework, District e-Service Centers, and a Service Innovation Centre to pilot new solutions. Bangladesh has won the prestigious WSIS award three times for the innovative work of the a2i Programme.

1. Access to
Information
(Digital
Bangladesh)

2. Background:
The UNDP-supported Access to
Information (a2i) Programme started
in 2007. The programme,
implemented by the Prime Minister’s
Office, heralded a mindset change
within Government to embrace ICTs
as a powerful enabler for the nation’s
socio-economic transformation. The
time-frame of the project's first phase
was 2006 – 2011.

3. Description:
Access to Information (a2i) Programme is
an UNDP and USAID supported project
(programme) having its office at the Prime
Ministers’ Office. The overall objective of
the project is to provide support in
building a digital nation through
delivering services at the citizen’s
doorsteps. The programme aims to
improve quality, widen access, and
decentralize delivery of public services to
ensure responsiveness and transparency.

4. Objectives:
The objective of the project is to increase
transparency, improve governance, and reduce the
time, difficulty and costs of obtaining government
services for under-served communities of
Bangladesh. This is to be achieved by:
(1) strengthening existing e-services and launching
a second generation of integrated, inter-operable e-
government applications
(2) sensitizing government officials, training service
providers and expanding digital literacy among the
general public
(3) forging strong policy and strategy links to
ensure implementation of needed legal and
regulatory changes in support of the project
(4) promoting innovation in the delivery of e-
services

5. Responsibilities:
UNDP is responsible for development partner
coordination, administration of the resources
allocated by development partners, and project
assurance. Resource mobilization is a joint
responsibility between the GoB and
UNDP. UNDP provides services at the request of
the implementing partner, under the arrangement
of Direct Country Office Support (DCOS), to
administer large-scale procurement and
recruitment within the framework as needed.
UNDP may call upon other specialised UN
agencies for additional support where necessary.
UNDP appointed a Programme Advisor and
sufficient support staff to ensure timely and
adequate backstopping to the project.

6. Promoting Innovation in Public
Service Delivery:
The ‘Service Innovation Centre’, proposed
in this project will be responsible for
identifying scope for innovation, provide
technical support to design innovative
solutions and encourage innovation.
Additionally, an ‘Innovation Fund’
established by the project will ensure quick
implementation of pilot and to support up
scaling of successful innovations.

7. • National portal framework (NPF)
• District e-service centre (DESC)
• Digital financial inclusion
• Capacity development
• Multimedia classroom
• e-Purjee
• Quick wins
• UISC blog
• Innovation capacity showcase
Initiatives:

8. Award:
WSIS award-
For the third consecutive year,
Bangladesh has won the world’s
most prestigious award for
excellence in information
technology - the “World Summit on
the Information Society (WSIS)”
award – for innovative initiatives of
Access to Information (a2i)
Programme of the Prime Minister’s
Office supported by UNDP &
USAID.

9. Conclusion:
• Bangladesh is a developing
country.For developing,a country
most needed thing is to
developed in IT sector.On that
view,Access to Information
programme is doing a great
job,helping and making involved
the people who are living out of
the range of it sector.This
programme is also making people
inspired for knowing more about
IT sector.thus it is helping a lot to
the people of the country.

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