Number 02
May 2005


ICTD UPDATE, est un mensuel électronique d'information sur diverses applications des technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC), notamment en matière de Gouvernance electronique (E-Gouvernance) et de facilitation d'un accès démocratique à l'information pour le développement.
ICTD UPDATE is a monthly e-newsletter of UNDP's SURF WCA which seeks to highlight ICT related applications in the areas of E-Governance and open Access to Information for development.

Sommaire / Contents

Editorial
Country Focus :
Ghana: Government develops ICT Development Policy
ICT and Promotion of Good Governance in Ghana
News and Events
Veille technologique


EDITORIAL

The E-governance agenda in Africa for the last two months can be seen through a variety of lenses : there were a series of DGTTF related projects, mainly from Ghana, Lesotho and Zambia; there was the launch of the e-Parliament study, a joint initiative by UNDP and the European Union which seeks to further  strengthen capacities in national parliaments through harnessing  ICT; a consolidated report should be available in the second semester of 2005; we then have the new regional programme of the RBA, which extends UNDP's  current assistance to the NEPAD, namely its APR mechanism and could form part of an all Africa e-governance platform.

The Zambian new DGTTF is about “Supporting  Enhanced Public Participation, Accountability and Transparency through E-Governance”, with a stress on providing an improved delivery of public service to citizens, namely their requests for public documents, legal documents and certificates and the issuing of permits and licenses. In Lesotho, a DGTTF will provide support to the Parliament through e-governance with a considerable increase in the use of ICT facilities, more transparency of parliamentarian processes and citizens' participation. UNDP Ghana chose to help improve lack of access and coordination of the nations' information resources by developing a data gathering, managing and sharing system that would facilitate the process of information flow among all stakeholders, such as Ministries, Departments and Agencies .

While this second issue of the ICTD UPDATE focuses on Ghana, it also provides   information on current ICTD related activities in the West and Central African region as well as coming gatherings. Finally, we are announcing the e-governance global sub practice workshop, scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal, on 28-30 June 2005. This gathering is poised to be a grand moment  for knowledge sharing as relates to e-governance developments across the continent and the world and we do expect our country offices to contribute with facilitating participation of both their governance and ICTD focal points.

Pierre Dandjinou,

E-Governance Advisor

 


Focus Pays : Ghana : ICT and Promotion of Good Governance (By Fredrick Hans Ampiah, E-governance focal point, UNDP Ghana )

Like many other nations, the Government of Ghana has identified availability of information as critical for development. Currently the lack of access to and co-ordination of the nation's information and databases is an obstruction to good governance, and can result in the formulation of ineffective policies and their inefficient implementation. Crucially, it also impedes the transparency of decision-making, which creates a situation of distrust between the government and other stakeholders such as private business, NGOs and the general public.

Recognising this, the government, through the Ministry of Communication, requested UNDP's intervention, and an initiative has subsequently been launched to improve, co-ordinate and integrate access to information. The project aims to develop a data gathering, managing and sharing system to facilitate information flow among all stakeholders, such as Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The overall objective of the project is to develop a Messaging and Collaboration service that will:

•  improve and coordinate information and public access to information

•  Improve electronic access of the public to National Information sources at MDAs

•  Develop an e-governance system at MDAs, and standardize the Infrastructure and ICT network system of 4 selected MDAs.

This Messaging and Collaboration service aims to further the development of Ghana by promoting better communication that will:

•  improve the government's relationship with private institutions

•  improve the quality and increase the exchange of information between institutions and access to that information

This Project is expected to commence in June 2005 with the following outputs:

•  Messaging and collaboration services extended to 4 MDA's within the ministerial enclave in Accra notably, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Trade, and Head of the Civil Service.

•  Electronic services delivery through e-government mechanism instituted by MDAs and a fully trained project staff at MoC to offer technical support services to all beneficiary institutions

•  MDAs ICT Infrastructure and network system standardised and Knowledge on application of ICT skills imparted at MDAs

•  Website and database developed, and Intranet services offered by all MDAs.

Ultimately, this project will UNDP provide to the Government of Ghana to much need support in its drive towards using ICT as a vehicle for national development.

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Ghana :  Government develops ICT Development Policy and World Bank pledges to bolster ICT growth

The Government has developed a Ghana Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Accelerated Development Policy to serve as a roadmap for the development of the country's information society and economy.   The World Bank has expressed its commitment to support Ghana 's efforts to integrate ICT into all sectors of the Ghanaian life to create jobs, increase foreign exchange earnings and promote sustainable development.

A visiting World Bank Delegation, led by Country Director Mats Karlsson, made the pledge in response to an appeal by Vice President Aliu Mahama, who accompanied it to inspect ICT activities at the Multi-Media Centre, located in Ghana House, Accra .

Vice President Mahama said Ghana was committed to its vision to use ICT as a catalyst for economic growth and needed the assistance of the Bank to fully achieve its goal.

The Government, through the Ministry of Communications and Technology, has resourced the centre with ICT infrastructure and training facilities to attract businesses in the ICT sector, particularly those in business outsourcing and call centres to locate there. About 30 companies are expected to operate there.

Businesses inspected included Supra Telecom, which runs a Call Centre for the United States-based company; Money Systems, which provides software to facilitate money transfer by banks in five African countries; and the offices for Ghana Telecom's new Call Centre. Vice President Mahama urged the companies, particularly Ghana Telecom, to provide excellent customer services across the country. The members of the World Bank delegation, who said they were impressed with activities at the Centre, included Ms Yukiko Omura, Executive Vice President of Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Mr Michel Wormser, Director, Finance, Private Sector and Infrastructure, Africa Region and Nils O. Tcheyan, Director Operations and Strategy, Office of the Vice President, Africa .

Ghana is seeking financial assistance from the Bank and other development partners to establish Industrial and Technology Parks in the Free Zones Enclave at Tema and at a site near Madina to facilitate the growth of ICT related businesses.

Ms Omura, whose agency provides insurance guarantee for foreign direct investments, said she was fascinated by activities at the Multi Media Centre and promised to help to promote private sector development in Ghana . (Source: APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor )

 


Evènements et Informations / News and Events

UN CALLS FOR CREATION OF TRULY GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL New York, May 17 2005 4:00PM Bridging the "digital divide" – among peoples and between nations alike – is the surest way to create a truly global information society for all, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in a message marking World Telecommunications Day.

"We live in an age in which communication between people is essential to achieving our shared goals of development and peaceful coexistence," the Secretary-General said in a <" http://www.itu.int/newsroom/wtd/2005/unsg_message.html">message issued in New York . "New innovations in information and communication technologies have increased exponentially our capacity to connect with each other. "It is up to us to harness the potential of these technologies in our work to extend the benefits of education, health care, trade and environmental protection to all," Mr. Annan said.

The theme of this year's Day, "Creating an Equitable Information Society: Time for Action," calls on the international community to give shape to the vision adopted at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (<" http://www.itu.int/wsis/">WSIS ) in 2003.

Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society - GenARDIS

Winners announced for second round of GenARDIS Small Grants Fund ­with more than 310 nominations received .The GenARDIS small grants fund was initiated in 2002 by CTA, IICD and IDRC, to support work on gender-related issues in ICTs for ACP agricultural and rural development. In 2004, Hivos joined the team of sponsoring organisations in time for the second round of the programme. The programme was developed in recognition of the constraints and challenges encountered by rural women in ACP countries with respect to ICTs. The challenges include cultural factors that hinder women?s access to ICTs, limited time availability to participate in training and use of ICTs, minimal access to technology such as radios, mobile telephones or computers, and inadequate availability of information in local languages that is relevant to local contexts.
Genre et Agriculture dans la société de l?information - GenARDIS
Les gagnants de la deuxième série du Programme de petites subventions GenARDIS sont annoncés ­; plus de 310 nominations ont été reçues.

Gagnants / WINNERS of Euros  5000  one-time grants :

1.      Mabela Khabele, Lesotho. Widening the Wellhead - creating and using a dedicated cellular phone network to add information, value and dignity to the work of women in Lesotho 's agricultural sector

2.      Gabriela Demergasso and Bettina Koelle , South Africa . Developing rural expertise in spatial dynamics - participatory GIS in the rooibos tea lands of the Suid Bokkeveld (Northern Cape Province, South Africa)

3.      David Dolly, Trinidad & Tobago. Proposal to test the use of mobile cell phones among a select group of female and male farmers in Trinidad and Tobago

4.      Eric Ilboudou, Burkina Faso. Projet de renforcement des compétences de 30 femmes paysannes en NTIC

5.      James Onyango, Kenya . Engendering equality: a health and agricultural community-based information & communication system project

6.      Anil Naidoo , South Africa . Mobile learning for change

7.      Brigitte Kasongo Mawazo, Democratic Republic of Congo . Campagne d'accompagnement et de sensibilisation des femmes rurales d'Uvira sur la promotion des TIC à des fins de plaidoyer pour le genre

8.      Ofa Guttenbeil , Tonga . Production of a training video aimed at covering 8 main segments to be used as a training methodology at Gender and CEDAW Advocacy.

9.      Collins K. Osei , Ghana . Promoting the Cultivation of Healthy Vegetables by Farmers: A Gender Approach to Using ICTs

10.     Guy Raoul Gbaguidi. Benin. Projet de sensibilisation, de formation et de mise en place d'un système d'information agricole basé sur les TIC au profit de dix groupements féminins de la commune de Dassa-Zoumé au Bénin
*****

WSIS : PREPCOM 2, Geneva .- Financial mechanisms outlined to meet the challenges of the Digital Divide
The work of PrepCom-2 focused mainly on the issue of financial mechanisms to bridge the digital divide and meet the development challenges for ICT. PrepCom-2 had before it the Report of the Task Force on Financial Mechanisms  presented by UNDP and the draft text prepared by the  Group of Friends of the Chair. Following intense negotiations, PrepCom-2 succeeded in reaching consensus on most sections of the text on financial mechanisms, including: 
· Identification of areas where more attention to funding is needed; 
· Prerequisites for equitable and universal accessibility to and better utilization of financial mechanisms; 
· Providing affordable access to ICTs by reducing international Internet costs charged by backbone providers and broadening network access by supporting the creation and development of regional ICT backbones and Internet Exchange Points; 
· Establishment of a voluntary Digital Solidarity Fund.

WSIS : PREPCOM 2 .- Working Group on Internet Governance
PrepCom-2 considered the interim report tabled by the Working Group on Internet Governance at the plenary meeting on 24 February 2005. The working group had been set up by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the request of the Geneva Summit to investigate and make proposals for appropriate action. The delegates recognized that the issue of Internet Governance involved a host of issues that went beyond assigning IP addresses and domain names and consensus emerged on the need to improve current international coordination arrangements for the Internet. At the same time, they agreed that the process should not undermine the stability and reliability of the Internet. 

The final report of WGIG will be made available on 18 July 2005 , following which Governments and other stakeholders will be invited to send their written comments by mid-August to the WSIS Executive Secretariat. These comments and drafting proposals will then be compiled in a document that will be presented to PrepCom-3 together with the final report of the WGIG.

Format of the Tunis Summit
PrepCom-2 accepted a proposal for the Format of the Tunis Summit that combines the Geneva round tables with additional panel discussions. The objective of the panel discussions is to create a high profile, media-friendly platform for dynamic debate and discussion, while respecting UN Summit protocol. Based on the proposed format, the Summit will start with an organizational meeting, followed by the Opening Ceremony. The General debate will begin on the morning of Wednesday 16 November and will continue in six Plenary meetings until Friday afternoon. The Summit will hear Reports from multistakeholder events on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 November afternoon. Round tables will be organized in parallel to the General Debate to provide Heads of State or Government the opportunity to engage in an interactive discussion on the future of the Information Society with leaders from business and civil society organizations. The panels will feature leading experts in the ICT field and will encourage audience participation.

Parallel events at the Tunis Summit: deadline for applications, 30 April 2005
The Tunis Summit will provide an opportunity for accredited entities to organize events related to WSIS themes in parallel with the core political process. As in Geneva , the parallel events at Tunis will be a highlight of the Summit intended to brainstorm on relevant issues and showcase best practices. Reports from these multi-stakeholder events will be presented to the Summit plenary. Further information and the application form can be found in the " Guidelines for Organizers of Parallel events during the second phase of WSIS " published on the website of the Tunisian host country. 
Please note that applications should be submitted not later than 30 April 200 5.

11-13 May 2005, Paris, France
In preparation for the Tunis phase of WSIS, UNESCO and the Club of Rome are organizing a World Conference on "ICT for Capacity Building: Critical Success Factors" at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The purpose of the Conference is to discuss the use of ICT, including satellites, for capacity building, and its key strategic role for achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals and building knowledge societies. It gives particular attention to the special needs of marginalized groups in areas that are out of the reach of traditional education systems but could be given access to new forms of education delivery through satellite technologies.

Botswana to develop a Cyberlaw .- The Director of Information Technology (IT) has described the move by Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to harmonise Internet laws as an indirect call for Botswana to develop its own cyberspace legislation to deal with the increasing use of technology. Since Botswana trading partners are within the SADC region, it has become necessary that Botswana develops its own cyberspace laws that are non-existent at present. More on (SOURCE: http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20050420&i=Botswana_to_develop_cyber_la w)

* Conférence sur le multilinguisme dans le cyberespace (6-7 mai 2005 Bamako,
Mali ) .- L'UNESCO, en partenariat avec l'Académie Africaine des Langues (ACALAN), l'Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (AIF), le gouvernement du Mali, ainsi que d'autres organisations internationales, organise une conférence sur le Multilinguisme pour la diversité culturelle et la participation de tous dans le cyberespace qui se tiendra à Bamako, Mali, les 6 et 7 mai 2005. Cet événement constitue l'une des réunions thématiques de l'UNESCO dans le cadre de la préparation de la deuxième phase du Sommet mondial sur la société de l'information (Tunis, Tunisie, 16-18 novembre 2005).

* AfriNIC a reçu son accréditation finale par l'ICANN .- Le 8 avril 2005,  lors de la réunion du comité directeur d'ICANN tenue à Ce jour Mar del Plata (Argentine), une résolution accréditant AfriNIC comme étant le nouveau et cinquième Registre Internet Régional pour l'Afrique et l'Océan Indien a été adoptée. Le projet AfriNIC a été lancé en 1995 par des opérateurs de réseau africains et a été soutenu fortement par l'Afrique du sud qui subventionne les opérations techniques en Afrique du Sud, l'Ile Maurice qui abrite le siège d'AfriNIC et de l'Egypte qui subventionne le centre de réplication et de sauvegarde.
Afrinic : http://www.afrinic.net/

*  Sénégal .- Prochain lancement de l'appel d'offres pour la troisième licence de
télécommunications .- Dans une interview donnée au journal Wal Fadjri le 9 avril 2005, Thierno Ousmane Sy, Conseiller spécial du Président de la République chargé des nouvelles technologies de l?information et de la communication a annoncé que l'appel d'offres pour l'attribution de la troisième licence de télécommunications serait lancé à la fin du premier semestre 2005 .  http://www.gouv.sn/

* Lancement du Forum NTIC junior (19 mai 2005, Dakar)

Le 19 mai 2005, sur le site de Magicland, se déroulera le lancement du « Forum NTIC junior » initié par l'agence Dynamis. Le programme d?activité qui se déroulera en mai et décembre 2005, vise notamment à promouvoir la création de clubs informatiques à travers toutes les régions du Sénégal. Constitués de
groupes de jeunes âgés de 15 à 27 ans, ces clubs informatiques qui entreront en émulation, seront parrainés par des entreprises ou des organisations de toutes natures installées au Sénégal.
Forum NTIC junior : fourmnticjunior@hotmail.com

- IBM SA has launched SA's second Linux Competency Centre at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The centres, launched in partnership with Novell, Obsidian and SAP, provide open source software and open standards. University students can use the hardware in the centres for non-commercial purposes and to work on research projects. Mark Harris, IBM country GM for South and Central Africa , says the decision to launch the centres was based on IBM SA's commitment to Linux and open source. Joe Ruthven, IBM SA's business development manager for Linux and open source, says many customers are serious about Linux, but don't always have the resources to get going with Linux-related projects. Professor Ken MacGregor, head of the UCT's computer science department, says the centre will give students access to advanced Linux servers so that they can become competent before entering the industry .

Nigeria .- An Internet-based land and property information site launched in November 2004 to assist the Nigerian public access genuine ownership claims on land and properties, has received over 120,000 hits in just five months. Tunji Oladele, the Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Land and Property Information, managers of the site, who insisted that accessing the website remains free of charge to the general public, disclosed that between November, 2004, and February, 2005, the site posted about 1,000 caveats and other public notices touching on high profile land and landed properties, from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Rivers, and Abuja, F.C.T. The site, according to him, serves as a notice board for legal notices on pending litigations in respect of land and landed properties, missing title documents, notices of unsettled mortgages, notices of pending appeals in respect of land and landed properties, and notices proclaiming "not for sale or lease" on such properties.

Nigerian Engineer Invents Multilingual computer Keyboard.- A Nigerian Mechanical Engineer based in the United States of America, Mr.Olukayode Oluwole, has invented a multi-lingual computer keyboard, capable of typing "diacritical marks and characters" of over 400 Nigerian languages . http://www.balancingact-africa.com

Cote d'Ivoire .-Deux nouveaux produits Internet pour les écoles . Côte d'Ivoire Télécom lance les Offres d'accès à l'internet, destinées à la formation des élèves et étudiants. Ces offres spécifiques destinées à la cible école, selon le chef produit Jérôme Zano, se présente sous deux formes. L'une, connexion à l'Internet haut débit, est adaptée aux établissements de grande taille. Elle assure la connexion rapide et permet d'utiliser l'internet de façon permanente et élargie avec une possibilié de développer des services web personnels. L'autre, connexion bas débit, est surtout pour les établissements de petite taille. Cette offre, toujours selon M. Zano, permet l'accès à l'internet par ligne téléphonique pour une facturation de 15 F/Ht la minute. Aussi, une réduction de 50 % est faite sur les frais de raccordement pour une nouvelle ligne. Ces produits permettent aux élèves et étudiants d'apprendre et de connaître les mécanismes du système internet", a fait remarquer M. Apeté. Avant d'indiquer que Côte d'Ivoire Telecom envisage étendre ses offres dans le domaine sanitaire. Source : Le Patriote (Abidjan) ACTUALITÉS 10 Mai 2005

Réunion du programme CATIA .- Le 28 avril 2005, une réunion du programme CATIA (Catylising Acces to ICTs in Africa), un programme d'une durée de trois ans, fruit notamment d'une
collaboration entre le DFID (Royaume Uni), l'USAID (Etats-Unis) et le CRDI (Canada), s'est tenue à Dakar (Sénégal) en présence des responsables des neuf composantes venus de différents pays africains. Ouverte par Abdoul Aziz Sow, Ministre du NEPAD, de l'intégration économique africaine et de la politique de bonne gouvernance, en présence de l'Ambassadeur du Royaume Uni au Sénégal, cette réunion a regroupé des acteurs des TIC issus du secteur public, du secteur privé, de la société civile et du secteur des médias, cette réunion a permis de faire un tour d'horizon de la situation des TIC au Sénégal et de réfléchir aux voies et moyens de lever les obstacles qui en limitent l'accès . http://www.caria.ws/

CATIA Updates - Policy Debates across Africa
National consultative fora were held in Senegal , DRC, Ethiopia and Mozambique . ...
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#6

African operators identify broadband connectivity as key to ICT expansion
Participants attending a high-level conference on broadband access and connectivity have concluded a three-day conference with a call on infrastructure suppliers,. ...
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#7

  FORTHCOMING EVENTS ........FORTHCOMING EVENTS 
=================================================

4 – 5 May 2005, International Forum on Advancing ICT Solutions for Development through Cross-Sector Partnerships With a Special Focus on the Middle East and North Africa, Cairo, Egypt
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#9

7 – 10 May 2005, The Pan Arab Conference on WSIS- Phase II; An Arab Dialogue, Cairo, Egypt.
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#10

11 – 12 May 2005, The 3rd International Workshop on Open Access, Maputo , Mozambique .
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#11

11 - 13 May 2005, World Conference on Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Capacity Building , Paris , France .
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#12

16 - 18 May 2005, Symposium on ICTs for development, Brazzaville , Republic of Congo .
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#13

23 - 24 June 2005, WSIS Thematic Meeting on Multi-stakeholder Partnerships for Bridging the Digital Divide, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#14

30 June - 1 July 2005 , International Symposium on Intellectual Property (IP) Education and Research, Geneva , Switzerland .
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/picta/pictabulletin/pb40.htm#15

if you want to read more about the latest trends in broadband development, which will probably hugely affect the way digital content is generated and delivered, hopefully, in e-governance and e-democracy as well, pls visit http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003379

Quote of the Month J From  the ICTD Discussion List  :

While responding to a posting on  Richard Heeks' paper  (ICTs and the MDGs: On the Wrong Track? http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/news/articles.pl?do=gpage&id=7702&action=view ),  Stephen Browne, former Team leader (ICTD and current deputy manager, regional service centre, Bangkok ) had this to say “ I think it deserves a wider debate. It also complements the parallel discussion on the Poverty network regarding the MDG-izing of the PRSPs. (Perhaps it might be cross-posted?) So, MDGs and ICTs? MDGs are just about development results. Where meeting those goals can be facilitated by the use of these new technologies, then they should be utilised. But like everything good in the aid field, let demand prevail. ICTs shouldn't be free, but they should be affordable. They shouldn't be over-marketed by development agencies like ourselves, but they should be accessible.” End of quote

 

Veille technologique

This time we will focus on Plone, a free open-source content management system widely used by institutions and businesses, suitable for collaborative work and intranet building. With this tool a powerful private portal server can be set up, allowing organizations to structure and capitalize information resources and to share them internally as well as with selected external partners.

What is Plone?
Plone is an out-of-the-box ready content management system that is built on the powerful and free Zope Application server. It requires minimal effort to set up, is deeply flexible, and provides you with a system for managing web content that is ideal for project groups, communities and intranets.

  • Plone is easy to install. You can install Plone with a a click and run installer, and have a content management system running on your computer in just a few minutes.
  • Plone is easy to use. The Plone Team includes usability experts who have made Plone easy and attractive for content managers to add, update, and mantain content.
  • Plone is international. The Plone interface has been translated into over 20 languages, and tools exist for managing multilingual content.
  • Plone is standard. Plone carefully follows standards for usability and accessibility. Plone pages are compliant with US Section 508, and the W3C's AAA rating for accessibility.
  • Plone is Open Source. Plone is licensed under the GNU General Public License, the same license used by Linux. This gives you the right to use Plone without a license fee, and to improve upon the product.
  • Plone is supported. There is close to a hundred developers in the Plone Development Team around the world, and a multitude of companies that specialize in Plone development and support.
  • Plone is extensible. There is a multitude of add-on products for Plone to add new features and content types. In addition, Plone can be scripted using web standard solutions and Open Source languages.
  • Plone is technology neutral. Plone can interoperate with most relational database systems, open source and commercial, and runs on a vast array of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris and BSD .

 

Announcement

UNDP Country Office in Senegal

UNDP Sub-Regional Resource Facility for West and Central Africa

UNDP Bureau for Development Policy

invites you to a

A Global Sub-practice Workshop

on e-Governance:

Building the e-Governance analytical framework and highlighting best practices (28-30 June, 2005)

This UNDP workshop will be dedicated in building on UNDP's experience in e-governance projects, thus knowledge sharing on what works and what doesn't, reflecting on future activities for 2005-2006, and strengthening the e-Governance broader vision


Objective

The aims of the sub-practice global workshop are several. One of the primary aims will be to discuss the analytical framework of the e-governance (and access to information) service line. In particular, to debate on a wide-range of issues from differentiating between e-government and e-governance, also, what are the various components which make up e-governance, and what is UNDP's niche?

Another goal of the workshop will be the embark on lively discussions on best practices and lessons learned of selected e-governance projects, more so for the drafting of the lessons learned section of the Practice Note on e-governance.

UNDP experts have extensive knowledge on how to ameliorate UNDP project management, along with analysis, and also of the impact of the project itself. Participants will be able to knowledge share in an informal marketplace context. 

The workshop will lastly, aim to strategize on e-governance activities for the year 2005-2006, focusing on using ICT for cross-practice initiatives.

Approach

The workshop has been structured in such a way that participants will be exposed to both theory and practice, absorbing and interacting, learning and sharing knowledge. Keynote speakers from academia and a centre for e-governance will present their views on the conceptual framework of e-governance, definition and current trends. Issues, such as government efficiency versus government's role in policy-making in the digital era will be discussed. Thus, the emerging concept of networked government and a citizen-centric model, along with networking applications for CSOs will be presented.

Participants will then be able to interact and apply these concepts to the projects they are currently implementing. The marketplace session aimed towards sharing e-governance knowledge for the selling of potential replicable initiatives will be the context for this.

The Marketplace or KM fair is an innovative mechanism aimed at triggering lively and fulfilling debates on the impact and analysis of projects undertaken by CO participants. These fairs are increasingly becoming important mediums for practitioners to present their experiences in terms of strengths and lessons learned, and ‘market' them as potential initiatives to be replicated in other countries/regions.

Date

28-30 June, 2005

Venue

Dakar , Senegal

Expected Outcomes

- Concept of e-governance substantiated with regional characteristics

- E-governance & AI priorities for 2005 – 2006 in the region defined

- Compile snap-shots of CO best examples of e-governance compiled and lessons-learned shared among the COs (through ARN or equivalent template and market place).

- Draft Practice note on e-governance discussed and substantiated.

- A set of knowledge tools and products assessed with emphasis on e-parliaments, e-elections, ICT and Public Administration and e-governance and community networks

- Deepened knowledge of applying open source solutions to e-governance related projects and programmes;

- A finalized workplan for completing additional knowledge tools and products

- A roadmap for finalizing 4 primers (ICT and parliaments, Elections, public administration reform and community informatics) developed.

Participants

Participants for the workshop are ideally ICTD and/or Governance focal points/project staff in COs working on e-governance related projects. The funding that is available for the workshop is limited only to CO staff, and three CO participants per region. Additional CO participants and representatives of regional programmes are encouraged to participate, of course costs should then be borne by the CO or regional programme. Also, partners, several resident representatives and two keynote speakers will also be participating.

KM Products – Sharing Knowledge via Action Reflection Notes (ARNs)

Participants of the workshop will be requested to finalize a ‘best practice' case study using the Action Reflection Note template as a guideline by the deadline established, ie 13 June, 2005 .  The Action Reflection Notes will be used to share knowledge amongst the various participants, and will feed into the Practice Note on e-Governance. 

Deadlines

Names of participants: 20 May, 2005

Action Reflection Notes for ‘best practice' sharing: 15 June, 2005

Contacts

Pierre Dandjinou (WCA-SURF e-governance Policy Advisor): dandjinou.pierre@undp.org

Raul Zambrano (BDP/e-governance /ICTD Policy Advisor): raul@sdnhq.undp.org

Equipe éditoriale / Editorial team :
Tahir Basse, Pierre Dandjinou et Abdou Salam Sy.

Contacter nous / Contact us :

SURF West and Central Africa,
P.O Box 154, Dakar, Senegal
Phone : +221-849-17-95
Fax : +221-849-17-94
E-mail : surf-wca@groups.undp.org
website : http://www.undp.org/surf-wa