COMESA eStrategy Update in the Progress

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COMESA e-StrategyUpdate in the Progress

• Prof. Dr. Eng. Venâncio Massingue,
• E-mail venancio.massingue_at_uem.mz
• Dr. K M Baharul Islam
• E-mail islamb_at_un.org
• Kigali Rwanda
• September 2004

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Topics

• 1. Preparatory work
• Produce instruments
• Select Countries
• 2. Identified Key players and conducted
  interviews(fact finding)
• 3. Major findings in ICT sector
• 4. Mapping up the e-strategy
• 5. Draft e-strategy Structure

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Fact findingBased on Prof. Tony Rodrigues
Research instruments

• Overall context for ICT
• Broad perceptions as to the overall diffusion of
  ICT in the country
• The ICT Sector Drivers and Impediments
• Issues driving the demand for ICT
• Factors within the ICT sector
• Specific factors for the ICT public and private
  sector (especially small firms)
• The Investment Climate in the ICT Sector
• ICT Industrialization to foster wealth creation
• Towards an Information Society. Compatibility
  with internationally agreed development goals
  such as MDG, the WSIS principles and plan, and
  progressive country PRSPs
• Critical Success Factors
• Stakeholder Involvement

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Selected Countries

• Arab Republic of Egypt
• Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
• Republic of Malawi
• Republic of Rwanda
• Republic of Sudan
• Republic of Uganda
• Republic of Zambia

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Identified Key Players

• Individuals/Entities/and Government Institutions
  responsible for the development of Information
  and Communication Technologies Policies/Strategies
  
• Telecommunication Operators
• Internet Services Providers
• Government ministries and other institutions
  responsible for the development sector
• Civil Society/ Gender
• Regulatory Bodies (Telcos)
• Academia
• Media

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Desired outcomes of the interview process

• Identification of impediments to growth of the
  ICT sector as a whole and in the public sector in
  particular.
• Identification of interventions that could
  ameliorate the impact of the impediments
• Identification and prioritisation of ICT
  projects, which would have a positive economic
  and developmental impact on COMESA enabling it to
  move towards the Information Society.

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Major findings from the ICT Policies/Strategies
at country level

• The number of selected countries (7) is limited
  compared to the 20 member states at COMESA.
• The outcome of the interviews were also benefited
  from the vast available literature at Economic
  Commission for Africa (ECA), COMESA Secretariat
  and also the available material in the Internet
  about the different COMESA member States.
• The first conclusion is that in all COMESA member
  states there are some sorts of ICT developments

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Major findings from the ICT Policies/Strategies
at country level

• The second conclusion is that the COMESA member
  states can be grouped in three categories in
  relation to ICT development. This grouping is for
  research purpose not for rating!
• GROUP ONE Countries that have produced both the
  ICT Policy and ICT Strategy for more than 5 years
  and implementation is underway
• GROUP TWO Countries that have produced ICT
  Policies or ICT Strategy or both but they are
  still waiting for approval already for a year or
  more!
• GROUP THREE Countries that have not started the
  development of their ICT Policies/Strategies
  although preparations are underway.

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Major findings from the ICT Policies/Strategies
at country level

• In group one and two countries, the major issues
  being addressed in the Policy/Strategy are
• INFRASTRUCTURE - Develop countrywide backbone,
  universal access, rural telephone/network
• HR - University/Education research networks,
  Schoolnet, introduction of ICT in Secondary
  level, adequate technology support network
• INDUSTRY Needs incentive/ support to
  grow/incubate e.g. tax holidays, simplified
  processing of business registration/taxation
• REGULATION Liberalizing ICT sectors with due
  data security mechanisms in place.

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Major findings from the ICT Policies/Strategies
at country level

• Lack of coordinated multi-sectoral efforts to
  promote application of ICT in delivering services
  which led to more competition then
  complementality
• ICT Policies/Strategies are getting obsolete
  before full implementation takes place
• Regulatory agencies are becoming more stronger
  and independent from telecommunication operators
  but with less skills and instruments in the area
  of computers and communication hardware/software
• Fragile legal environment and shortage of ICT
  regulatory counsels
• Political will and enthusiastic sectoral
  leadership

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Major findings from the ICT Policies/Strategies
at country level

• Inability to mobilize/attract investments for but
  not limited to the establishment for broadband
  regardless privatisation of telecommunication
  mainly to the rural areas where the majority of
  people live.
• There is a considerable involvement of various
  stakeholders
• The number of ISPs increased but services
  confined/targeted to main cities because of
  market constraints and lack of incentives
• Although in ICT policies/strategies documents
  there is a reference to NEPAD, PRSPs and
  Government five years programme, in the ground it
  seems there is no real linkages between them.

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Mapping up the COMESA e-strategy

• (In the Kigali meeting we seek inputs and
  preliminary consensus on these aspects)
• Title COMESA Information and Communication
  Technologies Strategy (CICTS) or COMESA
  e-strategy
• AIM Governments of COMESA member states agree to
  join a regional initiative on ICT for Development
  and assume to
• Act at National Level
• Strengthen the COMESA Region through
  harmonisation of ICT initiatives and cooperation
  
• Bring more tangible benefits to their citizens
  and communities.

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e-Strategy Theoretical Postulate

• Applying the convergence concept COMESA should
  adopt an e-strategy in which Telecommunications
  Infrastructures/ Computers and Communication
  Hardware/ Computers and Communication
  Software/Data and ICT Applications/ ICT Services/
  Visibility of Services supported by ICT/ICT
  Skills (on RD/ Education/ Training/ Innovation)/
  Legislative Environment are all dealt with
  simultaneously

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e-Strategy Structure

• Introduction
• Presents and give characterization of the ICT
  developments in the COMESA Region.
• Millennium Development Goals/ WSIS Process / AISI
  / NEPAD/ African Union/PRSPS/COMESA Objectives/
  Integration of ICT into Regional Development
• Priority areas in accordance to PRSPS/COMESA
  Objectives/ Integration of ICT into Regional
  Development
• How to go about these priorities areas/Approach
  for the implementation of the E-Strategy
  (Infrastructure-Mobile/Fixed, VSAT/Education-skill
  s/Services, including Broadcasting,
  Postal/Media), e-Governance, e-Commerce, ICT
  industry (Hardware/Software development, ICT
  Applications development, ICT services), websites
  for market business promotion

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e-Strategy Structure (cont.)

• Key Partners. Stakeholders. Role of each (user
  side- majority of the population/ facilitators
  (norms-regulations-laws-money and other
  facilities/implementators- knowledge-money-desire-
  creative and donors)
• ICT Skills for/on transformation
• Phasing the implementation of the E-Strategy
• The Special role of Governments and Legal
  Environment
• Institutional Framework

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e-Strategy Structure (cont.)

• Monitoring and Evaluation of the E-Strategy
• Principles and Methodologies for establishing
  programmes and elaborating projects (Here we have
  to discuss why we are not being successful in the
  various ongoing ICT projects. We have to see if
  is any other way of doing things to bring the
  desired impact).
• Mobilizing Financial Resources (by listening to
  what is going on worldwide, with the few
  financial and human resources available make
  small projects with high impact and attract big
  projects/initiatives)
• National/Regional and intra-regional/International
  Cooperation

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Thank you for attention

• Prof. Dr. Eng. Venâncio Massingue,
• E-mail venancio.massingue_at_uem.mz
• Dr. K M Baharul Islam
• E-mail islamb_at_un.org
• September 2004