Khalid S' Rabayah, PhD

1
ICT as an enabling tool to ease tension,  relief
hardship, and resolve conflict Palestinian
Context

• Khalid S. Rabayah, PhD
• ICT4D research and Study Center
• Arab American University- Jenin
• West Bank

2
Outline

• Background
• Palestinian IT environment
• Categories of IT projects
• Government IT projects
• Non-Government initiatives
• Lessons learned

3
Background
4
Palestinian IT environment
5
The Theme

• Questions to deal with
• How successful are the IT projects of the PNA
• How successful the IT projects of the NGO sector
• Can the NGOs replace the National Authority to
  lead the sector
• Isn't it risky to rely fully on the NGOs (with
  100 foreign funding)?
• Can a sector succeed without a champion
• Can the ICT make it without a leading body

6
NGO in Palestine

• There are more than 2000 functioning NGOs
• NGOs provided most services before the
  establishment of PNA
• 60 of the primary health services,
• 30 of the hospital care services,
• 100 of daycare,
• 100 of disability services,
• nearly 100 of all agricultural training and
  services
• 30 of educational services
• PNA has no financial stability while the NGOs are
  backed by the donors
• Continuous struggle between NGOs and PNA hinders
  socio-economic development
• Large spectrum of activities and motivations for
  NGOs
• Totally dependent on foreign aids (mostly with
  political agendas)
• NGOs revised their strategies and redefine their
  role after the establishment of the PNA

7
Palestinian IT environment
8
The Palestinian Development Stageoutcome of
recent survey

• Occupation of Land, water, air, and spectrum
• Stability is missing (ups and downs)?
• No (physical) Access to outside world
• Restrictions on movement within territories
• Public sector plays either minor or negative role
• Brain drain more Palestinian IT experts in the
  Gulf than in Palestine
• Intellectual properties concern
• Wide gap between market needs and graduates
  capabilities lack of appropriate training
  programs
• The negative role of DONERS donations are
  politically provoked
• Lack of Championship government overwhelmed by
  political agenda
• Monopolistic policies waiting for the government
  move
• Very strong NGO community (states within a state)
  

9
ICT initiatives in the last 10 years

• Government Sponsored
• NGO Sponsored

10
The ICT national strategy regulatory body

• ICT strategy
• Launched in 2003, involved all stakeholders
  (Government, private sector, NGOs, universities,
  ..)?
• Drafted and approved in 2005, with a strategic
  goals, action plan, and indicators to measure
  progress
• Public institutions governing the sector are weak
  to take over and to achieve goals
• New Telecom Law regulatory body
• ground rules for an open, competitive
  environment.
• legislation to establish an effective and
  accountable regulatory body that ensures the rule
  of law is respected
• The new telecom law was passed in the transition
  between the Hamas Government and the preceded one
  
• The modern telecom law was brought to square one
  when the new government took over.

11
E-government Initiative

• Stage one required government bodies to improve
  their presence on the web
• Championed by the ministry of telecom and IT
• Stage two requires ministries and government
  bodies to launch online services
• In 2002 Israeli military invasion destroyed the
  communication infrastructure of the PNA,
• Ministries differ in their penetration of IT
  depending on whether a foreign donor is backing
  its IT initiative
• This has resulted in loss of confidence among
  many officials of the ICT solution in management
  of government affairs
• Lack of legal infrastructure to authorize
  electronic services

12
Government Computer center - GCC

• Launched to be the main IT service provider to
  the government bodies within the PNA
• Manage the government network and maintain their
  web pages
• Many ministries disconnect from the GCC, connect
  directly to the Internet and build their own IT
  infrastructure
• Has transformed into a training center
• 65 of voters believe that GCC has failed to
  offer good quality service

13
Palestine Educational Initiative PEI, www.pei.ps

• Launched in May 2005, by the PNA (MTIT MoE)?
• Meant to assist the MoEHE to ICT into the
  educational system
• Encourage innovative teaching models and
  effective use of
• ICT in teaching
• Emphasize student-centered learning
• Strengthen ties between education and Business
  communities
• Encourage public/private partnership

• Started in huge momentum and end in nowhere
• change of government resulted in halting funds
• Major challenge is build leadership and
  management capacity at the ministerial and
  district levels and provide them with ownership
  of the initiative at the early stages
• Another challenge will be how to change teachers'
  and administrators' attitudes and understanding
  to enable them to facilitate learning to students
  beyond the traditional approach through the
  introduction and management of e-learning

14
National Institute of Information Technology

• Established in 2001, by PECDAR, as semi
  government institution
• Launched to fill the gap for the increased need
  for IT professionals
• Adopt professional certification of leading IT
  firms Microsoft, CISCO, Oracle, Sun Microsystems,
  
• criticized by the private sector as a competitor
  in the IT training business
• Job creation and rehabilitate the uprising
  injured (more than 1000) in IT certification

15
Training statistics
16
Palestinian Information and Communication
Technology Incubator www.picti.ps

• Launched in end of 2004, as an independent
  organization
• Sponsored by Palestine Information Technology
  Association PITA
• Offer professional business services to
  Palestinian entrepreneurs who have mature
  concepts for unique and innovative ICT products
  with strong market potential
• Up till now received 117 applications, 12 of them
  were passed the pre incubation stage, 4 are
  running successful businesses.
• Very tough start, entrepreneurship culture is
  lacking in educational system
• most of the ICT are software and services
  (intangibles vs. tangibles), which makes it
  harder for people to value and appreciate. It
  makes it harder for companies to market their
  products
• Suffers from shift in aids towards humanitarian
  urgent needs on expense of long tern development
  plans.

17
EUMEDConnect Palestinian Association for the
Development of Internet2 www.padi2.ps

• The EUMEDCONNECT network serves the research and
  education communities of the Mediterranean
  region, and is linked to the pan-European GÉANT
  network
• PA universities started to be connected on 2005
• 5 universities are connected out of 12
• Initial capacity will be 45 Mbps
• The future of the project is not clear due to
  dispute between the consortium and Paltel the
  sole incumbent in Palestine

18
ICT centers of Excellencies Sponsored by ANERA

• Launched in 1999
• Promoting growth in the Palestinian ICT industry
  Providing high-quality new jobs
• Training in software programming such as Java,
  Oracle, Cisco and MCSD, as well as web
  development and networking solutions.
• Support for local businesses with IT services
  and continuing education classes.
• New local and regional business opportunities for
  students finishing their degrees or certificates.
• Structured professional training necessary to
  develop and expand the capabilities and talents
  needed to become highly-trained IT professionals.
• Bridging the gender gap in the IT sector by
  providing training and skills for women.

19
ICT centers of Excellencies Sponsored by ANERA

• 3,000 men and women have graduated or been
  certified in the program.
• 200 students completed international exams.
• 500 students are in their senior year of the BSc
  Studies in Computer Science and/or Information
  Technology.
• Of those graduating and/or certified, 80
  percentage are employed.
• Training will be oriented towards business needs
  two semester course in basic business
  fundamentals for IT, engineering and other
  students will be launched with hosting univ.

20
Lesson learned

• Despite of ups and Downs and minor government
  role, progress has continued, (ICT indicators
  continue rising)?
• Government failed to lead the sector, but in some
  areas others filled the gap
• NGOs played major role is increasing capacity,
  and awareness
• Private sector lobbies to open market, defended
  the sector interest
• Importance of people centered development
• politically motivated initiatives strongly
  affected the ICT environment
• ICT in some scenarios provided the only solutions
• the demand driven are the most successful