East African eGovernment Consultative Workshop

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East African e-Government Consultative Workshop

• Summary of Proceedings and Workshop Communique
• June 29th ,2005

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Background Workshop Objectives

• To review progress made since the First
  e-Government Consultative Workshop held in
  November 2005 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• To consider the Draft Report on Regional
  e-Government Framework for East African Community
• Identify and debate the key challenges facing the
  EAC Partner States Governments in the
  implementation of e-Government programs

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Objectives Cont

• To explore e-Government opportunities, strategies
  including applications and technologies, and
  chart out a way forward and
• To provide a platform for high level officials,
  private sector, academia, media, and civil
  society from EAC Partner States to network and
  exchange views on e-Government principles and
  elements and the best practices in the
  implementation of key e-Government applications

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Summary of Proceedings

• Opening Ceremony
• Plenary Session on Progress Report on the
  Regional e-Governance Programme
• Plenary Session on e-Governance Experiences
• Plenary Session on e-Governance Case Studies
• Plenary Session on Cyber laws Applications
• Parallel Sessions i) e-government Flagship
  Applications ii) Information Management

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Summary of Proceedings

• Opening Ceremony
• Chair Mrs Esther Mahinda, Deputy Secretary,
  responsible for the e-Government Directorate,
  Office of The President, Kenya

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Welcome Statement by Dr. Kipyego Cheluget (DSG)
EAC

• Noted that the Workshop is timely in the light of
  the coming into force of the EA Customs Union on
  Jan 1, 2005
• Underscored the importance the EAC Development
  Strategy 2001-2005 attaches to information as a
  resource and the commitment to build the EA
  region as an Information Society

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Dr. Cheluget Cont

• Noted that e-Government can make governments more
  relevant to citizens by increasing their
  participation and involvement in decision-making
• That the Internet and other ICTs can quickly
  bring useful government information to citizens
  to improve their livelihood and also inform
  potential investors

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Dr. Cheluget Cont

• Noted the critical importance of Political Will,
  and the need to put in place the necessary
  Infrastructure, laws, public policies and
  security and for a fundamental change in the way
  governments work
• Pointed out that EAC e-Government must be in
  consonance with the Long-term Vision and
  Strategic Direction of the Partner States

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Dr. Cheluget Cont

• Outlined the work of the Regional e-Government
  interim Working Group that culminated in the
  commissioning of a Regional e-Government
  Framework that was to be presented to the
  delegates for consideration and comment
• Called upon Delegates to debate the draft
  Framework and make contributions to ensure a
  focused and practical Regional e-Government
  Framework Document
• Commended the Canadian Government through CePRC,
  the ECA and AITEC for their financial and
  technical support to the regional programs

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H. E The Canadian High Commissioner

• Noted the great challenges facing the EA Region
  as its embarks in the promotion of ICT base
  learning and e-Government
• Underscored the valuable role of e-Government in
  linking government to the citizens and improving
  service delivery
• Cautioned about the importance of conducting a
  reality check to establish what is possible

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Mr Diouf (ECA)

• Shared on ECAs involvement and contribution to
  development of ICT and e-Government in Africa,
  noting that ECA has assisted over 30 countries to
  develop their ICT strategies within the framework
  of AISI
• Called for greater harmonization of policies to
  enhance opportunities for e-Government in EA and
  thanked Canada for her support to the region

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Eng Rego, Guest of Honor

• Welcomed Delegates to Kenya
• Noted that Kenya is currently implementing a
  participatory process of developing a national
  ICT Policy Document that aims at making Kenya an
  Information Society and that e-Government is,
  therefore, a fundamental element of the
  results-oriented philosophy adopted by GOK
• Called for ensuring that e-Government is
  people-centred
• Was confident that ICT will play a crucial role
  in the integration of EA

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Progress Report on e-Government Program
Chair-Amb. Peter Nkuraiyia (Kenya)

• Progress Reports on implementation of EAC and
  national e-Government programs were presented by
  Enock Yonazi (EAC) Vincent Okongo (Kenya)
  Constantine Bitwayiki (Uganda) and David Sawe
  (Tanzania).
• The experiences of Canada (Jacques Bourchard
  (Canada) and Mohamed Tomoualali (ECA) were also
  shared

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Issues raised in the Discussion

• Delegates underscored the critical importance of
  sustained Political Will as a key success factor
  in realizing the dream of e-Government at
  national and regional level
• Delegates highlighted the need for improving the
  National Backbone Infrastructure including Power
  Telecommunications
• The need to promote effective Public-Private
  Partnerships (PPP) for the development and
  funding of the e-Government Infrastructure was
  highlighted

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Issues Cont

• It was emphasized that e-Government must be
  Citizen-centred, to ensure that they get
  value-for-money
• It is necessary to be innovative in mapping
  e-Governance Strategy to Community Profiles
  including use of multi-media including Radio TV
  to reach the rural population that lack
  conventional ICTs was emphasized
• The need for establishing an effective Management
  Structure for the regional e-Government Programme
  was underscored

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Issues Cont

• Delegates called for ensuring appropriate ICT
  Security and Privacy and Confidentiality of
  citizens rights in tandem with the promotion of
  e-Government
• There should be effective Monitoring, Evaluation
  and Grievance Management Mechanisms

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Plenary Session on e-Govt experiences Chair Mr.
E. ole Kambainei (Tanzania)

• The Consultant presented the highlights of the
  draft Regional e-Government Framework that
  outlines the status of e-Government in the three
  Partner States identifies strengths and
  weaknesses discusses comparative global
  experiences and establishes priority areas of
  cooperation including Customs Immigration,
  e-Parliament, e-Health, e-banking
  e-Procurement, e-Commerce e-Tourism as well as
  Meteorological and Tidal information

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Draft e-Government Framework Cont

• The draft Framework calls for i) Harmonized
  Policies Strategies based on a Protocol
  (Directive) on Promotion of e-Government in the
  Partner States and ii) a Legal Regulatory
  Framework
• The Framework also discusses several
  cross-cutting issues including Education,
  Infrastructure, Poverty Reduction Gender and
  Coordination, Monitoring and Benchmarking

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Delegates Input into the Draft Framework

• Called for greater emphasis on a People-centred
  initiative, their effective participation, and
  harnessing of multi-media ICTs including Radio
  that reaches the remote rural villages as well as
  TV Mobile Phones
• Called for putting in place a Right to
  Information law
• Need to highlight e-Justice as well in the
  e-Government

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Draft Framework Cont

• EAC Secretariat should provide for further input
  into the Draft Framework by the citizens of EA e.
  g. on the website and other for a in order to
  enhance awareness and ownership
• Partner States should adopt useful lessons from
  the e-Government experiences of Canada and South
  Africa