Citizen Access to Information MDG Tracker™

Emerging trends from the developing world

by Samia Khatun, Klara Debeljak and Dr. Gerry Power

InterMedia Research Innovations: Citizen Access to Information. This article published in the International Institute of Communication's journal outlines the new InterMedia approach to analyzing and improving citizen's access to critical information for achieving key goals of development.

Progress on the MDGs is reliant upon populations in developing countries understanding and acting upon MDG-relevant information. But despite a growing consensus that information provision is important and that, for example, ICTs can improve the delivery of services and facilitate management and transfer of knowledge, the role of information has largely been left off the MDG agenda.To obtain sufficient understanding of citizen’s access needs in relation to development outcomes it is crucial to understand that the availability of information and access to different technology platforms in countries in development varies significantly across different population sub-groups; men and women, among educated and uneducated and between those living in rural and urban areas.

To address these issues, InterMedia has developed a citizen-centred research framework Citizen Access to Information MDG Tracker™, that identifies which population sub-groups lack what information and provides direction on where the gaps need to be filled.

Read the article here......