Inclusive Digitalization in Eastern & Southern Africa (IDEA) is a World Bank Sponsored regional Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) for Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE), which includes three focus areas of:
- building the foundations for affordable and quality broadband connectivity, data hosting capability, enabling access to digital technology and digital services including
- interoperable and safe data platforms and trusted online transactions at national and regional level;
- Advancing high-impact digitally-enabled applications in priority sectors (with an initial focus on social protection and financial services), digital skills and competencies to increase productive digital usage and enhance economic and social activities.
Project Development Objective (PDO) for the COMESA activities is to enhance enabling environment for increasing access to and inclusive usage of the Internet and digitally-enabled services in Eastern and Southern Africa. This operation will monitor progress toward the overall Program Development Objective (PrDO) indicators. The COMESA activities has three components
Component 1: Regional Harmonization and Planning Platform: This component aims to enhance the enabling environment for regional digital market development and integration and create a platform to inform and mobilize investments for regional digital infrastructure. Activities under this component include:
Component 2: Regional Knowledge and Capacity Building: This component aims to support holistic knowledge transfer throughout the program cycle, to build capacity and support institutional strengthening for participating countries in a sustainable manner and to increase the efficiency and impact of the program activities by leveraging regional synergies between countries.
Component 3: Regional Project Coordination and Management: This component will set up the IDEA’s regional Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at COMESA.