Digitally empowering Least Developed Countries: 5 steps for driving impact (UNDP)

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have distinct social, cultural and geographical contexts, but they also share common socioeconomic challenges, such as high poverty rates, limited infrastructure and capacity constraints. These issues are also compounded by structural barriers such as weak connectivity, regulatory fragmentation, and gaps in digital literacy. To fully unlock the benefits of the digital era, LDCs require strategies tailored to their national priorities with strengthened capacity-building. This will ensure that digital development creates meaningful opportunities and outcomes for all. (...) UNDP is designing and building impact-driven digital transformation strategies for LDCs with a focus on five key areas: early engagement, tailored solutions, impactful action, knowledge-sharing, and technical capacity. To strengthen technical expertise in particular, UNDP’s Digital Capacity Lab is tailored to the needs of government institutions, offering an innovative, hands-on approach to designing and rolling out citizen-centric solutions. Here we outline five steps for delivering impact.