This study investigates the differential impacts of various forms of public efforts—economic, capacity-building, and informational—on the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) through the lens of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Drawing on the theoretical framework of policy instrument classification, the research categorizes WSIS projects into three types: economic, capacity, and informational. It examines how these categories diverge in terms of implementation scope, resource requirements, impact range, and mobilization capacity. The findings indicate that while economic projects tend to have broader implementation scopes and higher resource demands, capacity-building projects exhibit long-term sustainability and informational projects are effective in raising public awareness and disseminating knowledge. This study not only enriches the empirical research on WSIS and ICT development but also offers insights for policymakers on the strategic use of policy instruments to advance ICT initiatives.