USAID’s new Digital Ecosystem Framework offers a practical structure that defines the core and cross-cutting elements of a country’s digital ecosystem. This Framework provides a way to understand a country’s digital operating environment and inform the design of effective, sustainable projects and activities. 

How to use the Framework

The Framework can help you consider how each component of the ecosystem may impact development and humanitarian assistance programming and help identify risks or opportunities beyond a specific technical area. For example, an agricultural intervention that uses digital technology for agricultural extension services will certainly consider digital literacy, but may not account for potential online harms, cybersecurity risks, data privacy and protection legislation, or the existence of national data systems.

The Framework also provides insight into how USAID is prioritizing its digital development work moving forward and offers a common understanding of digital development. Donors, multilaterals, partners, the private sector, think tanks, and government agencies can adopt and incorporate the Framework to facilitate coordination, program alignment, and identify potential areas of collaboration with USAID.