ICTs FOR EFFECTIVE DECENTRALISATION: A PILOT STUDY FROM SELECTED WOREDAS (DISTRICTS) IN ETHIOPIA

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ICTs FOR EFFECTIVE DECENTRALISATION A PILOT
STUDY FROM SELECTED WOREDAS (DISTRICTS) IN
ETHIOPIA

• By
• Assefa Admassie
• Mulat Demeke
• June, 2004

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Introduction

• The motivation for this study originated from the
  Governments recently adopted decentralized
  system of administration.
• According to the decentralized system regions and
  local administrations (Woredas) are now assuming
  more responsibilities for providing basic
  economic and social infrastructure and services.
• It is, therefore, important to improve the
  efficacy of the system of administration and the
  service delivery at the woreda level.
• The introduction and use of ICTs is a critical
  input to improve the efficiency of service
  delivery and facilitate the flow of information.

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Introduction

• Consequently, the expansion of ICTs has now
  become one of the national strategic programs.
• A draft national information and communication
  technology policy has already been developed.
• The draft policy stresses the computerization of
  public services at Federal and Regional levels.
• There are plans to implement LAN and WAN linking
  Woredas with each other and with the central
  government.
• The recently launched school net program for
  schools across the different regions is an
  example of the recognition of the importance of
  ICTs.

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Potential Inter-linkages between ICTs and
Broad-based Development
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Objectives of the Pilot Study

• To determine the information and communication
  needs of government offices and the general
  public at Woreda level
• Examine information needs of Woreda health,
  agricultural development, education office, etc.
• To investigate information and communication flow
  between communities and public institutions
• Analyze the horizontal and vertical exchange of
  information between government offices
• To identify and recommend appropriate ICT
  technologies.

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Methodology

• Four Woredas having different level of economic
  development were purposively selected
• Urban - Addis Ababa (Woreda 13 and Woreda 26 )
• Semi-urban - Adaa Liben Woreda - Debrezeit,
  Oromiya
• Remote - Bambasi Woreda - Benshangul - Gumuz.

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Data collection

• Four different types of instruments were
  developed and used.
• Two of the instruments were somewhat structured
  and were addressed to Woreda administration and
  sector offices
• The other two instruments were in the form of
  checklists - for communities/ local organizations
  and for gathering secondary data
• The instruments were revised and amended through
  a pilot testing
• A half-day workshop was also held in each Woreda
  to explain and discuss the purpose of the study

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Data collection .

• Information was assembled from different sources.
  
• The Woreda Administration offices
• The Finance offices
• The Health offices
• The Education offices
• The Woreda Police offices
• The Cooperatives Organization and Promotion
  offices
• The Works and Urban Development offices
• The Agricultural Development office.

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Data collection ...

• NGOs and several community-based institutions
  were also contacted
• Youth Associations
• Kebele administrations
• Farmers service cooperative, etc.

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Main Findings

• 1) Organizational structure
• Woreda Council makes policy decisions and ensures
  the smooth administration
• Regular meetings are usually held every three
  months on the average
• But,minutes of the meetings are not distributed
  b/c of shortage of stationary items
• This means, there is limited opportunity for
  acting and making decisions based on what was
  discussed and agreed.

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Main Findings..

• The Woreda Administration calls five to six
  public gatherings a year to interact with the
  community
• But, not all people show up for such meetings,
  and
• No minutes are compiled and distributed
• Conclusion No effective means of information
  dissemination or popular participation exist.

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Main Findings.

• 2) Information Flow
• The Woreda Administrations report to the Zonal
  administration.
• Different sector offices report to the Woreda
  Administrations and to the respective sector
  bureaus at Zonal levels.
• The Woreda Administration oversees the day-to-day
  activities of the different sector offices.
• Sector offices are further organized into three
  or four working teams (pools).

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Main Findings.

• The Kebele Administrations report to the Woreda
  finance offices and to the Woreda Administration.
  
• Schools in the respective Woredas report to the
  Woreda education offices
• Public health centers report to the Woreda health
  offices.

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Main Findings.

• 3) Human Resource
• All public offices are very much understaffed.
• E.g. health office in Woreda 13 unable to
  undertake any disease prevention activity because
  of lack of manpower.
• It needs more than 20 permanent employees, but
  has only five employees.

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Main Findings ..

• Only very few employees have diploma level
  training.
• No one was reported to have a university degree
  in all the Woredas.
• Very few employees have some computer ability (in
  Addis only 21 workers -6.6 -have some computer
  ability).

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Main Findings..

• 4) Main Activities
• The sector offices prepare Work plans, progress
  reports and budget plans from time to time.
• The preparation of these documents takes
• several days
• a lot of labor time of several people
• several pages - often handwritten
• At times, these activities become the major
  (sole) activities for most staff

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Main Findings.

• 5) ICT related information compiled
• ICT Needs, Storage and Processing mechanisms
• The available ICTs in each woreda office
• Number and qualification of ICT Professionals
• The degree of Telephone Connectivity
• ICT Expenditure and Planning
• Priority Sectors that Need ICT Support
• Major Problems in ICT Expansion
• ICT Needs of the community

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Major implications

• Rapid growth and development cannot be achieved
  without ensuring accountability and without
  improving efficiency of service delivery.
• ICTs are useful to promote transparency in
  governance and for an efficient flow of
  information.

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Major implications ..

• ICT-related and other infrastructures are better
  in urban and semi-urban areas (Addis Ababa and
  Adaa-Liben).
• But, the provision of infrastructure is very poor
  in the remote Woreda e.g. Bambassi Woreda.
• In all cases, ETC must improve its services to
  make use of ICTs more effective.

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Major implications ...

• There is inadequate capacity and inappropriate
  use of human resources
• Employees with only high school level education
  will have limited capacity.
• No on-job or in-service training for staff.
• Employees are not motivated because of low pay
  and poor working conditions
• Too much time is wasted in the preparation of
  reports and annual plans
• Shortage high turnover of staff is observed
  particularly in Bambasi Woreda

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Major implications ..

• Lack of accountability and effective management
  system within the sector offices is also
  observed.
• Limited participation in the formulation and
  implementation of development projects.
• For example, plans are often drawn without
  information about the budget ceilings.
• Annual plans are more of a wishful list than a
  calculated and well-debated documents based on
  realistic resource availability
• Progress reports are submitted to Woreda
  administration but there is a lack of monitoring
  and evaluation capacity.

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Major implications

• Inadequate data collection, storage, processing,
  transmission or communication system observed.
• Gathering of information is random and very weak.
  
• Documents and files are not properly kept.
• Poor communication systems lead to outdated and
  unreliable information.
• Offices do not have the know-how or the
  technology to process the available information.
• Progress reports and plans prepared only in two
  or three copies So the community has no access
  to such documents.

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The way Forward

• 1) Develop human capacity
• Provide extensive and targeted training in ICT
  skill.
• In addition to ICT skills, training on
  preparation of plans and progress reports,
  participatory democracy, decentralization and
  governance, etc.
• Training program should be complemented by
  recruitment of new and qualified staff and
  improvement in pay and working conditions.

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The way forward ...

• 2) Develop a new system of administration and
  management and introduce ICT based services.
• Existing system is tradition bound, unresponsive
  to public needs and demands, bureaucratic and
  non-participatory.
• No specific guidelines, and duties and
  responsibilities are not properly defined.
• Plans and activity reports are poorly prepared
  and communicated to supervising bodies and
  stakeholders.
• There is inadequate system of monitoring and
  evaluation.

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The way forward....

• 3) Identify apply appropriate ICT technologies
  in stages in government offices.
• During the first stage a full-scale computerized,
  Internet connected and networked system may not
  be feasible.
• Start with computers for word processing and
  spreadsheet applications
• And, develop relevant and locally specific
  content before a transition to networked system
  and Internet connection.

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The way forward ...

• 4) At community level, start with community-based
  information service centers as emphasized in the
  draft ICT policy document.
• Internet connections for centers in the second
  stage
• service could include regularly updated market,
  health, agricultural, weather, etc., information.
• And finally, E-mail and browsing services in
  third stage.
• Encourage the private sector to provide similar
  services.

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The way forward....

• 5) Modern community radio stations using new
  technologies and having access to the Internet
  service are also very important.
• These create the convergence of the media,
  computing and telecommunications.
• It also provides a voice to civil society, and
• Creates improved access to information for the
  poor.

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The way forward.

• 6) Plan and implement ICT applications in the key
  sectors (Prioritization)
• Education
• Health
• Agriculture
• Hence, the education, health and agriculture
  sector offices need to come up with plans to
  facilitate ICT applications.

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The way forward..

• 7) Improve and develop ICT- related
  infrastructure
• 8) Encourage and promote the development of the
  hardware and software industry
• 9) Encourage public private partnership, and
  finally
• 10) Encourage more research in the area.

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Annex Pilot Project Proposal

• Project title Center for Agricultural
  Information and Networking (CAMIN)
• Objective To establish a market information
  center that would provide information and foster
  networking for them to make informed decisions.
• Target Group producers (farmers), traders,
  transporters, store owners, processors,
  distributors and consumers.
• Location Oromia NRS, Arssi Zone, Lemu and
  Bilbillo Woreda.
• Estimated Cost US 27,000.

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• Thank You !!