FY 2021 Results: Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership

Government's Indo-Pacific Strategy, aiming to expand broadband and digital connectivity in a secure, commercially sustainable way. The initiative seeks to combat top-down authoritarian approaches to internet governance, promote trade and investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods and services, and build the cybersecurity capacity of relevant partners. The overall goal of DCCP is to advance and maintain an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet in the Indo-Pacific region. The DCCP Theory of Change outlines four outcomes and related intermediate and cross-cutting outcomes. Outcome 1 focuses on increasing connections to open, interoperable, reliable, and secure networks. In FY 2021, USAID/Vietnam continued to provide assistance to the Government of Vietnam's National Public Service Portal, integrating 15 administrative procedures into the portal. USAID/Philippines Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND) project assisted in setting up the Vaccine Information Management System, an integral part of the government's COVID-19 vaccination program. Outcome 2 aims to implement policy frameworks for internet governance. In FY 2021, the USAID/Timor Leste Autonomous Telecommunications Landscape (ATLATL) Activity supported the development of a draft law on data privacy and protection, which was finalized and sent to the Council of Ministers for review and approval. Three laws, policies, regulations, or standards promoting open, interoperable, reliable, and secure digital infrastructure were formally proposed, adopted, or implemented as supported by USG assistance. Outcome 3 focuses on increasing human and institutional capacity to participate in a secure digital economy. The USAID/ASEAN Policy Implementation (API) Activity launched several studies to support the implementation of the Digital Integration Framework Action Plan, a core set of policies and programs to create an integrated regional digital economy. USAID/India's South Asia Regional Digital Initiative activity selected an India-based subcontractor to deliver digital transformation training to 1,500 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in two states, with a particular focus on cybersecurity and digital privacy. Outcome 4 aims to strengthen the capacity to detect, deter, mitigate, and respond to cyber incidents. The USAID/RDMA's Digital Asia Accelerator supported eight sub-activities targeting different small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including SMEs owned by women and people with disabilities. As a result of this work, more than 100 SMEs were upskilled in FY 2021. Additionally, USAID/RDMA supported the scale-up of several sub-activities, including the Passerelle Numerique's cybersecurity training app, which finalized an agreement with the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre Foundation to translate and expand its application to the Philippines and Vietnam.