The Guide incorporates a systematic approach that looks at both qualitative and quantitative indicators in a community (town, city, province, nation), and provides a robust picture of the opportunities and challenges that the community will face in preparing itself for the New Economy.

The Guide considers five broad areas (network access, networked learning, networked society, networked economy, and network policy) which include nineteen specific categories with indicators that suggest the community's Readiness.

The Guide was initially unveiled February 23rd, 2000 in Budapest, and was formally released to the public April 19, 2000 in Washington, DC. You may read the guide online or download a copy at readinessguide.org.

In conjunction with developing world communities, we have been using the Guide since the spring of 2000. Many other communities will use it without our direct involvement, as have many businesses, international organizations, governments, NGOs and others around the world.

Assessments using the Guide's methodology have begun in communities around the world, some with ITG participation and others completely independently.

Both at Harvard and with partners around the world, we are striving to translate the Guide into as many languages as possible. Thus far, we have Bangla, Chinese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Thai versions completed or in process. It is essential to get this information into the hands of hands of non-English speakers, and anyone interested in either translating the Guide or adapting it for the www.readinessguide.org website should contact us.