Return-on-Investment in National Digital Transformation: Exploring the Development Impact of Digital

Digital transformation is often measured in the context of systems and subscribers—for example, increases in 4G mobile coverage, numbers of active users and the value of financial investment in hardware and software. This results in digital being seen solely through the lens of solutions and not outcomes. This brief highlights the importance of broadening our measurement of digital transformation: ‘return-on investment in digital transformation’ (RoI-DT) aims to position digital approaches as key to achieving development outcomes. This includes the role of digital in reducing poverty, improving equality and protecting the planet. By broadening the definition of impact and return-on investment, the development community can better integrate digital as a key human development enabler—and one that should no longer be solely the responsibility of digital, technical or IT teams and experts.