*** Development policies and plans: shaping the future***

	Telecommunications development in a country starts with the 
establishment of policies and plans, based on an analysis of 
the current situation. This analysis should carefully take into 
account the implications of national plans at the regional and 
international levels.

Policy and management advice

	One major function of the BDT is to advise telecom-
munication administrations on the need for long-term planning 
of telecommunications development and management as a strategic 
process in economic, social and cultural development. Related 
areas such as the transfer of technology, the introduction of 
new services, local research and development and local 
production are also within the scope of the BDT's policy and 
management advice.

	The first step in establishing a plan for telecom-
munications development should be a sectoral study.

Sectoral studies

	Sectoral studies are carried out to obtain a broad picture 
of the current situation with regard to needs and prospects in 
the telecommunications and broadcasting sector. Studies of this 
nature have recently been carried out, for example, in 
Madagascar, Namibia and Tanzania.

	The outcome of a sectoral study also shows the relationship 
between telecommunications and the economy as a whole. It may 
identify arguments in favour of incorporating a 
telecommunication component in a country's development 
programme. The BDT would then assist the administration 
concerned in formulating the required strategic approaches and 
the related development plans, or in preparing requests for 
technical cooperation designed to enhace the use of resources, 
secure additional investment, etc. 
Sectoral studies require only short-term missions by a 
multidisciplinary team which includes nationals of the host 
country. They need to be properly timed vis-à-vis the overall 
development programming cycle.

Planning

	No major investment in, and therefore improvement of, 
telecommunications is possible without the prior establishment 
of telecommunication development plans or master plans for the 
long-term development of networks and services. The BDT has 
wide experience in formulating such plans, which cover all 
aspects of telecommunications development including technical, 
manpower and training requirements as well as financial and 
economic studies.

	Planning may be for a given country and a given sector, but 
on occasion may need to be carried out on a broader, regional 
scale. The BDT can assist in establishing such plans thanks to 
the experience it has acquired of regional planning in Africa, 
the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and the Mediterranean 
region.

	Within an overall telecommunication development plan, 
specific network planning is an important tool for which the 
BDT has developed particular expertise.

Information

	Information is a key ingredient for planning. The BDT 
maintains an information database on telecommunications geared 
especially to the developing countries and aimed at providing 
those countries interested in telecommunications development 
with information relevant to their objectives. This information 
base is available to all ITU Member States. It consists of a 
data bank with worldwide coverage comprising information on 192 
countries and territories. Besides historical and up-to-date 
facts about telecommunications, the bank contains general, 
financial and project information as well as a who's who.