11th Annual Meeting of the Arab Network for Human Resources

1
ITU CoE/ARB Initiative and Activities

• Abdelfattah ABUQAYYAS
• Coordinator
• Arab Centre of Excellence
• Abdelfattah.abuqayyas_at_ties.itu.int
• ITU BDT

2
Background

• Changing environment
• Main interactive forces underlying change in the
  Telecom Industry sector restructuring
  (liberalization/competition), globalization,
  technology,convergence of telecom with IT
  multimedia, growing customer demands.
• The presence of highly qualified staff at key
  levels in telecom organizations becomes a
  critical factor for a smooth transition to the
  current telecom environment.
• The regional Center of Excellence initiative
• A mechanism aimed at offering a greater and
  better range of training products for high-level
  staff in all telecom-related organizations.
• Also, to serve as a regional focal point for
  training, professional development, research and
  information.

3
Role and Objectives

• Target population
• Policy makers, regulators and managers, in charge
  of the development of national policies and
  regulations for the telecommunication sector.
• Senior corporate executives and managers,
  responsible for aspects related to management of
  telecommunication networks and services.
• Purpose of the Center of Excellence
• To establish a regional mechanism aimed at
  strengthening the capacity, within the region, to
  develop high-level know-how and expertise in
  telecommunication policy, regulatory matters,
  corporate management and advanced
  telecommunication technology.
• The ultimate objective is to better meet some of
  the priority training and human resource
  development needs of the telecommunication sector
  in the concerned region.

4
Organization and Financing

• Organization
• Training activities (face-to-face/distance-learnin
  g) are conducted from the institutions that
  constitute the CoE network.
• A coordination office to plan, organize and
  follow-up the activities to be carried out in the
  region.
• A Steering Committee, which is responsible for
  setting policies, strategies and approving the
  CoEs action plan and budget.
• Financing
• Achieve self-financing through cost recovery
  mechanisms.
• Seed fund granted by the ITU through the Telecom
  Surplus program.
• Programs supported by different players.

5
Structure and Partnerships

• Structure
• A network of existing telecommunication training,
  educational and/or research centers in the
  Region, together with public and private sector
  players.
• Foster greater synergy by pooling available
  resources and expertise, develop new areas of
  expertise, facilitate interaction and exchange of
  information/experiences.
• Potential Partners
• Partnerships Objectives
• To establish collaborative and exchange
  relationships with other Centres and other
  bodies, within the Region and abroad, which are
  engaged in similar or related endeavors.
• The purpose is to increase the capabilities of
  the CoEs and to keep them up-to-date with modern
  technology and best practices.
• The relationship with Partners providing in-kind
  or in-cash contributions will be governed by
  appropriate Memoranda of Understanding and
  relevant project documents.
• The partners can include Existing
  telecommunication training centers educational
  and/or research centers universities
  governments and regulatory organs operators and
  service providers regional organizations and
  industry players.

6
A win A win-win proposal

• Governments, regulators, operators and all other
  stakeholders in the telecom sector who would gain
  access to a range of training and professional
  development products which have so far not
  existed or have been limited and expensive.
• Content providers who would reach the widest
  possible audience at regional level and
  worldwide, providing valid training alternatives
  to meet the increasingly demanding needs of the
  telecom sector.
• Industry sponsors who would be supporting telecom
  development in the region and stimulating the
  emergence of an even more attractive regional
  telecommunication market.

7
The ITU CoE Network

• Center of Excellence for Western and Central
  Africa
• Major Node Dakar
• Center of Excellence for Eastern and Southern
  Africa
• Major Node Nairobi
• Center of Excellence for Asia Pacific
• Major Node Bangkok
• Center of Excellence for the Americas
• Major Node Cordoba
• Center of Excellence for the Arab Region
• Major Nodes Damascus, Cairo , Amman, Tunis,
  Khartoum, Manama
• Center of Excellence for EUR and CIS Countries
• Major Node Moscow

8
CoE/ARB Project Strategy

• The introduction to new technologies, the move
  towards corporatisation and competition and the
  separation of regulation from operations of
  telecommunications cannot be easily achieved
  without the necessary technological, managerial,
  policy and regulatory expertise
• All countries need highly trained human resources
  to facilitate the transition to the new
  telecommunications environment.
• ITU Arab Centre of Excellence project aims to
  facilitate the sharing of expertise and provide
  assistance with the planning, organization and
  implementation of high quality training and
  development programs to improve human capacity
  building in telecommunications, especially for
  senior government officials, and executive
  managers from the private and public sectors and
  regulatory organs.
• This high-level human capacity building project
  aims to implement innovative and relevant
  training programs (face to face and distance
  learning) developed in close collaboration with
  the users, their organizations and other key
  stakeholders.

9
CoE/ARB Main functions

• To assess priority training and HRD needs for
  policy makers, regulators and operators
• To establish cooperation agreements between
  governments, regulators, operators, service
  providers, financing and development bodies and
  regional and international organizations aimed at
  mobilizing resources
• To promote the use of IT and telecommunications
  for distance learning and tele-working
• To plan, organize and implement the activities to
  be carried out in the region
• To maintain an inventory of existing facilities
  and expertise in the participating institutions

10
ARB CoE Programs

• Telecom Policies Program, In Cooperation with the
  National Telecommunications Institute (NTI)
• Regulatory Issues Program, In Cooperation with
  Jordan Telecommunications Regulatory Commission
  (TRC)
• Business Management Program, In Cooperation with
  Bahrain Telecommunications Company (BATELCO)
• New Technologies Program, In Cooperation with
  the National Telecommunications Institute (NTI)
• IP Awareness Program, In Cooperation with the
  Centre dEtudes et de Recherches des
  Télécommuunications (CERT).
• Rural Connectivity Program, In Cooperation with
  the Sudan Telecom (SUDATEL).

11
Why to develop Arab CoE Networking Process ?

• To maximize the synergy between the concerned
  Training Providers and neighboring Subject Matter
  Experts of the Administrations/Operators for the
  design and implementation of the selected
  programs.
• To match diversified training needs of the Sector
  Members, while developing new training materials
  and optimizing the use of existing training
  resources Lets be prepared for Replication and
  Adaptation
• To develop the use of electronic resources in the
  implementation of the Capacity Building Process
• To promote Train-the-Trainers actions in virtual
  mode as well as in face-to-face mode when using
  Partnerships Opportunities

12
Achievements in 2001

• The steering committee conducted two meetings in
  2001 in Tunis and Damascus for launching the
  CoE/ARB project and approving the its action plan
  for 2002.
• The CoE started its functionality in the 4th
  Quarter 2001in Damascus.
• During the 2001 the ARB CoE organized two
  regional activities
• Regional Workshop on Marketing Revenue
  Forecasts for Telecom Operators in a Competitive
  environment, held in Manama.
• Regional Seminar on Telecommunication Policies",
  held in Cairo.

13
Training Activities 2002
14
CoE/ARB Output
15
Building Capacity
700
558
600
472
500
400
300
200
125
100
0
1999
2001
2003
2000
2002
16
CoE/ARBParticipation per Country
17
Action Plan 2003
18
Suggested CoE/ARB Action Plan 2004
19
Distance Learning Approach

• The Distance Learning approach will be available
  to train managers in various issues
• Two activities will be organized
• Frequency Spectrum Management Virtual Forum
• Business management Virtual Forum
• In cooperation with CoE for Americas a set of
  distance learning sessions will be available for
  the Arab Region through CoE ARB
• Available On-line modules
• Introduction to Regulation
• Interconnection
• Licensing
• Spectrum Management
• Regulation of new services and IP applications
• Internet and e-commerce
• Human Recourses are required to act as
  facilitators/instructors for the distance
  learning activities.

20
Future Steps

• A set of CoEs network will be established.
• New more proactive role of the Leading party.
• Workshop and distance learning approaches will be
  emphasized.
• Limited number of lecturers and more specialized
  topics will be approached.
• Increased role of the Instructors from the
  Region.
• Data base of Regional Experts and trainers is
  required.
• Support to be provided by existing Subject Matter
  Experts.
• Availability of data, case-studies, tools, etc,.
  for Working Group activities within the workshop

21
We are Looking for

• A team of Experts for E-Learning content
  development and on line delivery
• Nomination of a focal point from each Regulatory
  Office
• A list of experts and trainers in the various
  fields of interest
• More active role on hosting the CoE activities
• More contributions Presentations, case studies..
• Financial support to insure the sustainability
  and self standing of the CoE
• Potential partners from the Region
• Sponsors for LDCs fellowships compensation

22
For more Information !

• For more information and free access to workshops
  materials and case-studies
• please visit
• www.ituarabic.org/coe
• Contact the CoE/ARB Coordinator
• abuqayyas_at_itu.int