DEVELOPMENT IN THE DIGITAL AGE

The rapid development and adoption of digital technology are transforming industries, governments, economies, and societies. Digital ecosystems hold immense potential to help people live more free and prosperous lives. At the same time, digital transformation comes with the risk of increasing inequality, repression, and instability.

USAID’s Digital Strategy will position the Agency to advance its mission - to end the need for foreign assistance - through digitally-supported programming that fosters partner countries’ self-reliance and maximizes the benefits, while managing the risks that digital technology introduces into the lives of the communities we serve. 

The Digital Strategy centers around two core, mutually-reinforcing objectives:

1. Improve development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the responsible use of digital technology in USAID programming; and 
2. Strengthen openness, inclusiveness, and security of country digital ecosystems.

Digital Investment Tool

The Digital Investment Tool is intended to support USAID staff in concretely integrating the Principles for Digital Development into programmatic digital systems through a participatory process with relevant stakeholders. The tool can be used throughout the program cycle, but is tailored for use during work planning and implementation. Use of this resource will support robust development of digital systems that are effective, sustainable, and support the self-reliance of local partners that own and operate these systems.

Exploring Fairness in Machine Learning for International Development

This document is intended to serve as a resource for technical professionals who are considering or undertaking the use of machine learning (ML) in an international development context. Its focus is on achieving fairness and avoiding bias when developing ML for use in international development. This document provides guidance on choice of algorithms, uses of data, and management of software development. It also illustrates the application of this guidance through a case study.

India Digital Financial Inclusion: Journey Map Report

Since 2014, India has embarked on one of the most ambitious financial inclusion initiatives ever seen anywhere in the world, bringing over 330 million people into the formal financial sector. This report tells the story of this growth. It dissects the major trends and drivers behind them, identifies key actors and the roles that they have played, and presents a roadmap for how the next phase of digital financial inclusion in India can be made more effective and more inclusive.