The Principles for Digital Development (''the Principles, or the Digital Principles'') are a set of nine guidelines that aim to guide institutions working on digital initiatives in the area of
sustainable development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...
.
History
Originally developed in 2014, the Principles are endorsed by more than 300 organizations, including donors, international organizations, and civil society organizations.
Discussions about the need for a set of "Digital Principles" began in 2009 when
UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
launched itsPrinciples for Innovation and Technology Development.
A year later, meetings of 40
mhealth donors resulted in the Greentree Principles. In 2014, a "Principles for Digital Development Working Group" was established. The group met nine times over the course of the year, with the participation of over 500 individuals representing more than 100 organizations. Following the working group meetings, an endorsement campaign led by
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance.
Established in 19 ...
was launched in 2016. 54 organizations endorsed the new Principles for Digital Development. Also in 2016, the
United Nations Foundation's Digital Impact Alliance became the steward of the Principles for Digital Development to help facilitate their adoption. According to the group, the principles have influenced funders' procurement policies and the design and implementation of development programmes. In 2024, the Principles were updated in consultation with individuals and organizations. The original principle three "Design for Scale", principle six "Use
open standards,
open data
Open data are data that are openly accessible, exploitable, editable and shareable by anyone for any purpose. Open data are generally licensed under an open license.
The goals of the open data movement are similar to those of other "open(-so ...
,
open source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
, and
open innovation
Open innovation is a term used to promote an Information Age mindset toward innovation that runs counter to the secrecy and silo mentality of traditional corporate research labs. The benefits and driving forces behind increased openness have b ...
" and principle eight "Address Privacy and Security" and are no longer part of the updated Principles.
Principles
# Understand the existing ecosystem
# Share, reuse, and improve
# Design with people
# Design for inclusion
# Build for sustainability
# Establish people-first data practices
# Create open and transparent practices
# Anticipate and mitigate harms
# Use evidence to improve outcomes
Endorsers
The Principles for Digital Development ar
endorsed by over 300 organizations[.]
References
{{reflist
External links
Principles for Digital Development HomepageDigital Impact Alliance Homepage
International development
2014 introductions