ICT POLICY DEVELOPMENT and DIALOGUE

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ICT POLICY DEVELOPMENT and DIALOGUE
Gopi PRADHAN ICT Policy Specialist
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Agenda

• Background
• Key Issues
• Policy Framework
• Elements of policy framework
• Information and Knowledge Economy
• Critical tools in IKE
• Principles of policies
• Levels of policy address
• Identification of key sectors
• Developing a framework
• UNDP DOI Framework
• APDIP Framework
• Policy Logframe
• Approach and methodology
• Lessons learned
• Conclusion

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Background

• National development objectives
• National Vision ? National Goals ? National
  Strategies
• Controlling tools of development
• The level of social development (Social sector)
• The national economy (Economic sector)
• The national market
• Demand vs Supply (resource management policy)
• Earning power vs Inflation (monetary policy)
• External vs Internal workforce (labor policy)
• Creating vs Enhancing jobs (entrepreneurship
  policy)
• so and so forth.

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Background

• 4. Technology and its impact on national
  development
• Rate of growth of technology and impact on
  macro-economic variables
• Industrial productivity as a result of
  technological progress
• Correlation between technology and disposable
  wealth indicated by
• Growth in internal investments
• Growth in personal and institutional savings
• Growth in secondary domestic and industrial
  consumption
• A significant but controlled inflation (caution
  !!)
• Growth of investment in technology
• The Goods Market and ICT
• Are ICTs goods or services? (Services tools ?
  Goods and products !!)
• Difference between ICT as tool for development
  and ICT as an Industry.
• How can ICTs maintain economic equilibrium
  through trading?

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Key issues in ICT

• Telecommunication liberalization and competition
• BOT, IPO etc.
• Competition in the ICT industry
• Control hidden monopolies (disguises)
• Establish independent ICT regulatory bodies
  (independent as in dictionary!)
• Effects
• Drives down prices
• Spurs innovations
• Improves quality
• Attracts investments
• Moots entrepreneurs

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Policy framework
Source APDIP
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Elements of Policy Frameworks

• Analysis of current socio-economic situation
  (fishery, health, tourism, agriculture etc)
• Identification and review of key socio-economic
  development challenges
• Review of past efforts and their incorporation to
  maintain consistency
• Establishment of national vision (or at least how
  do you influence this?)
• Making a case for steps to be taken
  (globalization, competition)
• Study of sectoral development goals
• Institutional studies are they adequately
  placed
• Information and Knowledge economy

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Information and Knowledge Economy (IKE)

• High Income Economy with significant contribution
  from the ICT industry
• Large Commercial service center and a vibrant ICT
  sub-sector
• Economy that is mainly technology-based and
  knowledge-driven
• Majority of workforce directly or indirectly
  engaged in ICT activities
• An economy where a large proportion of population
  have access to ICT products and services
• Where provision and delivery of goods and
  services of key sectors are facilitated by ICTs
• Where government activities and services make
  extensive use of ICTs
• There is reliable, efficient and modern ICT
  infrastructures
• High level of knowledge and education in ICT and
  a literate society
• The critical tools for a IKE ?

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The critical tools of an IKE

• National ICT Champion at the level of President,
  Vice President or PM
• Top level organizational support
• Clear national vision statement on ICT
• Government support through endorsements and
  debates
• Government Ministry or Agency on ICT to spearhead
  progress
• Dedicated policy makers and team of highly
  skilled professionals in private and public
  sectors
• Adoption of step-by-step approach
• Identification and setting up objectives and
  targets
• Continuous dialogue, debates and reviews
• Adequate logistics, administrative and financial
  support
• Continuous monitoring from top

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Principles of policies

• Recognition of the need for development and
  growth of knowledge lead to better quality of
  life
• Promise of established and integrated
  organizational structures for the management of
  ICT
• Cooperation, and coordination among different
  agencies
• ICT may build upon traditional practices of
  knowledge dissemination
• ICT as a tool for knowledge sharing across
  boundaries and hierarchies
• Promote inter-agency cooperation development and
  disseminate information
• Provide advice, medium and long-term strategies.

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Levels of Policy address

• Community-focused policies
• Allows more people living across the country to
  have an input to the information society building
  process
• Strengthening of local governance, sharing and
  spreading the responsibilities of policy-making
  across the political ladder
• Provides and incubates the opportunities for
  champions at the regional/local levels in ICTs
  
• Enables effective faster implementation through
  engagement of regional and local governments
• Democratization of the policy process spreads
  further knowledge of the role of ICTs in
  development throughout the country
• Offers opportunities of scaling up and
  implementation of universal access goals

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Levels of Policy address

• Country-focused policies

Without participatory process of development it
is doomed to be ineffective
It is a part and parcel of national development
goals and objectives
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Levels of Policy address

• Region-focused policies
•  - The creation of similar ICT policies and
  e-strategies enables economy of scale enhancing
  power of negotiation
• - Regulatory integration at the regional level
  would create and strengthen cross-boarder
  interaction, market enlargement and harmonization
  of policies at sub-regional and regional levels
• - Strengthen regional institutions effectively
  enhances decision-making bodies in such places as
  ICANN, WTO, WIPO etc.
• - In Infrastructure Development, regional
  approaches supports setting up of sub-regional
  backbones, exchange and interconnection.
• - Sub-regional and Regional bandwidth sharing
  will be cost-effective to clients and beneficial
  for providers.
• - Common tariff policies for ICT services across
  borders can be key component of the economic
  harmonization process at sub-regional and
  regional levels

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Identification of key sectors

• Characterizing key sectors
• Service sector
• Livelihood sector
• Industrial sector
• Policy options
• Exploitation of ICT for social services
• Use of ICT for enhancing living standards
• ICT-based industry for quality and
  cost-effectiveness

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Developing a framework

• That
• takes note of broad national objectives and goals
• takes into consideration infrastructure and
  accessibility
• takes note of in-house skills and capacities
• takes care of available policies and makes room
  for its enhancement and further development
• take special note of the role of enterprises in
  fostering the development of ICT industries
• takes into concern the need for appropriate
  application and content development for wider
  reach and use
• views the national strategy as the guiding force

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The UNDP DOI Framework

• Infrastructure
• Human capacity
• Policy
• Enterprise
• Content/Application

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The UNDP DOI Framework

• Infrastructure
• Strategic focus
• Coordination and dialogue
• Integration and resource pooling
• Human Capacity
• Knowledge Workers
• Technology Users
• Entrepreneurs
• Policy
• Transparency and inclusion
• Regulatory framework
• Institutional capacity

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The UNDP DOI Framework

• Enterprise
• Finance and credit
• Property rights and commercial law
• Fair tax regime
• Access to markets
• Efficiency and reach of local business
• Demand stimulus
• Content and Application
• Relevance and usability
• Language compatibility
• Affordability
• Development applications

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DOI Framework Coverage

• Facilitates environment for eSociety and eEconomy
• Addresses national incentive instruments for ICT
  promotion
• Supports for human resource development and
  deployment
• Policy on special sectors such as eEducation,
  eHealth, eCommerce, eGov etc
• Support of ICT to provision of public services
• Facilitating investment and mobilization of
  resources
• Addresses national security as regard to
  eSociety/eEconomy
• Puts Infrastructure as of paramount importance
• Policy on standards, best practices and
  guidelines on ICT
• Endorses establishment of regulatory environment
• Encourages policies on cyber laws and legislative
  provisions
• Promotion of private sector ICT enterprises
  through engagement
• Universal accessibility policies
• ICT R D policies
• Engagement of NGO/CS/Academia/Expert groups in
  policy process
• National collective dialogue

Based on this APDIP approach ?
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APDIP Framework
Sustainable HD And Poverty Reduction
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Policy Logframe

• Problem analysis - What problems is the policy
  addressing?
• Intervention Why should there be intervention?
• Strategies - What are the intended strategies?
• Outcomes - What are the desire outcomes?
• Impact What have been the impact?

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Approach and Method

• Networking and Partnership
• Advisory Services
• Awareness and Advocacy
• Seminars and Workshops
• Information, Referrals and Outreach
• Studies and Support
• Affiliation and Institutional network

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Post Policy - E-Strategies

• ICT Policies ? E-Strategies
• Basic considerations
• Infrastructures availability
• Resources allocation
• Capacity building
• Stakeholder participation
• Services and industries
• Other strategies
• Education, Health, Agriculture, Fishery, Tourism,
  etc. etc.
• Relation to national development strategies
• Regional and international integration

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Post Policy - E-Readiness Assessment

• ICT Policies ? E-Strategies ? E-Readiness
• Why do we need e-readiness study?
• To assess capabilities
• To measure capacities
• To reduce costs of duplication
• To guide e-strategies
• To set benchmarks
• A transition to Action plans and Implementation
• How is it done?
• Standard methods (MOSAIC, CID, Cisco etc)
• Ultimate they need adaptation to suit you
• Are measurements really important?
• Do you want to see a mesh diagram?
• What do you want to see after assessments?
  (fundamental ??)

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Post Policy - Action Plans

• ICT Policies ? E-Strategies ? E-Readiness ?
  Action Plan
• What are Action Plans?
• How to prepare Action plans
• Discussions and collaboration
• Rigorous Stakeholder participation
• Resources and commitments
• Time frame and work plans
• Task management and reporting
• Feedback
• Who coordinates Action Plans?

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Post Policy - Implementation

• ICT Policies ? E-Strategies ? E-Readiness ?
  Action Plans ? Implementation
• Taking Action Plans to Action
• Job distribution
• Constant coordination
• Resource management
• Work Plan adherence
• Risk management

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Policy Implementation
ICT Policy eStrategies Action Plans
E-Assessment
feedback
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Post Policy - Feedback Mechanism

• Maintaining dynamism in policy but to what
  extent
• The process
• Implementation bottlenecks feed Action Plans
• Action plans are reviewed to assess readiness
  again on particular problem areas
• Such readiness review alters strategies
• Altered e-Strategies should influence
  modification of policies
• Policies will create review of legislations as
  By-Laws
• Complicated and rigorous process
• Important for careful processes from now

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Lessons Learned

• ICT Policies tend to be standalone
• Need for national legislations and laws to
  support policies
• Lack of e-Awareness among policy makers
• Access still a concern in Asia-Pacific
• Increased interest and jest among leaders
• Collective approach good strategy to impart
  knowledge

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THANK YOU