AFRO-NETS> Tanzania: Technology test in fight against poverty

[Dieter Neuvians MD <neuvians@mweb.co.zw>]

Tanzania: Technology test in fight against poverty
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Source: IRIN <irin@ocha.unon.org>

NAIROBI, 11 May (IRIN) - The Tanzanian authorities, backed by UN 
agencies and Britain's Department for International Development 
(DFID), are planning to use information technology to improve plan-
ning and decision-making in their efforts to reduce poverty.

The Tanzania Socio-Economic Database (TSED) is intended to make it 
easier for government agencies to discern trends and spot disparities 
among regions, according to the UNDP, which is backing the endeavour. 
The database is also to be made available to civil society organisa-
tions. The Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics is carrying out the 
initiative, in collaboration with UNICEF, 14 government ministries 
and the UNDP, and with support from DFID. 

"The formation of the Tanzania Socio-Economic Database will go a long 
way towards giving us a road map of where we are in our war against 
poverty," according to Daniel Yona, Tanzanian Minister of State for 
Poverty Alleviation in the Vice-President's Office.

"Using data from TSED to understand what is happening to poor people 
in Tanzania, district by district, is what will make it useful and 
important," said Sally Fegan-Wyles, UNDP Resident Representative and 
Resident Coordinator. "The real benefit of the database will come 
from giving government and civil society the capacity to assess the 
impact of policies, budget allocations and development assistance on 
poverty, so that policies and resource allocation decisions can be 
reviewed and revised."

The database will track 67 indicators by sector and theme, in areas 
ranging from health, education, agriculture and food security to la-
bour, women's affairs, children, and science and technology. Future 
plans for the project include expansion of the number of indicators, 
a web version to improve access, and development of a training pro-
gramme to facilitate the use of data for analysis and planning.

For further details, go to:
http://www.undp.org/dpa/archive/index.html

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