In preparation for the February 28 ICT Solutions Day, the World Bank ICT team is piloting a crowdsourcing initiative to develop innovative ICT-enabled solutions for client countries. Thanks to innovations in information and communication technologies (ICT), individuals around the world can now be active participants in the value creation process, and co-creators of smarter solutions to a range of development challenges. Co-creation means developing a product or service guided by the feedback received from a community, including end-users.

We recently surveyed our LinkedIn Open Development Technology Alliance Group, a 2,700+ expert community focusing on improvements in public service delivery, and found a high interest in co-creating innovative development solutions and knowledge products.

For ICT Solutions Day, problem statements were submitted by senior policymakers, in consultation with World Bank staff and consultants, from five countries:

Ghana: How can Ghana transform the delivery and reach of public services, especially in health and education for under-served communities, while also creating new business opportunities and jobs?

Kazakhstan: How can Kazakhstan develop an ICT innovation ecosystem and competitive workforce to support economic diversification, job creation, and better public services

Nicaragua: Natural disasters in the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua are high impact and carry serious consequences for the region. What technologies are the most accessible and affordable to use in disaster preparedness?

The Philippines: Urban populations across the Philippines include many low-income communities which suffer from unequal access to power, prestige, income, and information. How can emerging technologies help support a participatory process and create new employment opportunities that increase the empowerment of vulnerable urban residents?

Rwanda: How can advances in ICT connectivity and mobile access be leveraged to improve the lives of rural inhabitants in key areas such as education, health, agriculture, and business services?

We have invited a wide range of stakeholders from expert communities to social media users to share ideas on how ICT can tackle these issues. You can provide feedback in our Open Development Technology Alliance LinkedIn Groupor our social media channels: Twitter and Facebook. The rules of participation are simple and there are no barriers to entry: all you need to do is access the LinkedIn Group or social media channels and post your suggestions.

Specific ideas that emerge from this discussion will be debated in front of a wide audience at ICT Solutions Day and could contribute to shaping client countries’ development strategies. You can submit questions in advance and watch the opening session, with United States Chief Technology Officer Todd Park, live on the World Bank Live website. We look forward to your participation in this initiative.