Digital transformation poses a dilemma for developing country policymakers. On one hand, they want to encourage innovation and scaling up of these new technologies; one the other hand, they don’t want to be overtaken by multinational monopolies. This new book, Driving Digital Transformation, documents the experiences of implementing the Digital Economy Kit, a process developed by the Pathways for Prosperity Commission and the Digital Pathways at Oxford program, which aims to help policymakers design their own middle ground between these stark choices. The book was written in the name of Benno Ndulu - who was among other things the academic co-director of the Pathways commission - by Elizabeth Stuart, Stefan Dercon, and Peter Knaack.
The book conveys lessons learnt in the process of working with a group of seven developing countries in their efforts to identify the necessary first steps to start digital transformation. Drawing from the Kit experience, the book also speaks to wider debates about how outsiders partner with developing countries and in particular the importance of respectfully supporting (rather than directing) policymakers, and of outsiders deferring to domestic knowledge on a country’s own interests.
At this launch event, Rosemary Ndulu will open the meeting with a few words of tribute to her grandfather and his work on digital development, Then Elizabeth Stuart and Stefan Dercon will discuss the book, with comments from Shanta Devarajan.
FEATURING
Elizabeth Stuart, Executive Director, Digital Pathways at Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government
Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy, Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government
Shanta Devarajan, Professor of the Practice of International Development, Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
MODERATOR
Charles Kenny, Senior Fellow, CGD