Developing Countries and ICT Initiatives: Lessons Learnt from Jordan's Experience

Abstract

Many developing countries have started major Information Communication Technologies (ICT) initiatives including e-Government, e-Learning, e-Health, and other schemes that are designed to boost the adoption of ICT based applications within public and private sectors as well as creating a knowledge society. The main aims of these initiatives is to be ready to undertake major reform programmes in order to achieve the social and economic development that ICT is believed to deliver. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan commenced major ICT programmes in 1999. Eight years on most of the e-Initiatives that have been implemented have not met their intended objectives. This paper will review Jordan's ICT transformation over the past decade identifying critical factors that might be behind the country's lack of progress with its transformation. This might prove useful for other developing countries undertaking similar ICT initiatives.