4. Building Capacity

There is a critical need to build capacity at all levels in methods of using information and increasing participatory communication to improve livelihoods. Intergovernmental agencies need greater capacity to work on international information technology infrastructure, policies and standards. International and bilateral agencies need capacity to help governments build partnerships with the private sector to develop national information systems and strategies. At the sub-national level, there is a need to develop and extend electronic networks, and to link these with rural areas. Local capacity in information collection, storage and dissemination will also need to be enhanced in order to bridge the gap between information providers and users. In this regard, local government and non-government institutions need to be encouraged and strengthened to provide more information locally. Education leading to basic literacy and numeracy, especially for marginalized groups, is a priority. Without such basic education, the local capacity to use and generate information is severely compromised.