COMNET-IT '95
The Commonwealth and the Information Society
International Workshop on
National Information Technology Policies and Strategies
in Commonwealth Countries
Floriana, Malta.
October 30 - November 1, 1995
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
This posting is intended to briefly introduce COMNET-IT '95 and
to provide abstracts of the papers presented at theWorkshop. Copies of the
papers(several of which are in slide format), as well as a Report on the
Workshop, are available on request to COMNET-IT at the address listed at the end
of this posting.
COMNET-IT '95
The Workshop on National Information Technology Policies and
Strategies in Commonwealth Countries was held at the Hotel Phoenicia in
Floriana, Malta from October 30th to November 1st, 1995. The objective of the
workshop was to provide substantive input to the future work of COMNET-IT to
guide its direction and agenda.
The Workshop had three principal aims:
- To bring together people engaged in national policy
development to share experiences and expertise concerning the development and
implementation of national informatics policies and strategies;
- To propose "guidelines" for formulating national and
informatics strategies in Commonwealth Countries and
- To encourage member countries that have not already developed
national informatics policies and strategies to do so.
The Workshop provided the occasion for the launching of
COMNET-IT "The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development".
The Mission Statement of COMNET-IT is:
"To promote a networking of institutions and individuals with
the purpose of accelerating social and economic development through the use of
computer networks"
Opening Remarks
In opening the Workshop, Mr. Joseph V. Tabone, Chairman of the
Malta Government agent for Public Service Reform, the Management Systems Unit
Ltd (MSU, the operational centre for COMNET- IT) stressed the importance of the
three day Workshop in setting the framework within which COMNET-IT would begin
to operate. The implementation of information technology in government
operations is an important element in the process of administrative reform which
is currently being addressed throughout the Commonwealth.
Mr. Joseph R. Grima, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the
Prime Minister and Head of Malta's Public Service described the Information
Systems Strategic Plan for Malta. This Plan is an essential element for public
service improvement and the Management Systems Unit is one of the main vehicles
driving this reform. An awareness of "good practice" in Malta and elsewhere is
an important factor in the further evolution of the Strategic Plan. Mr. Grima
mentioned that the topic of public service reform would be covered at the
forthcoming Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management
(CAPAM) Conference to be held in Malta from April 21 24, 1996.
Dr. Mohan Kaul, Director Management and Training Services
Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, highlighted the main thrusts of the
Comnmonwealth Secretariat's interest in IT. These included policy development,
applications and capacity development. Following the Harare CHOGM, and its
declaration for the 90s, ComSec identified three network initiatives: COMNET-IT,
CAPAM and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum which deals with changes in
government at the local level. COMNET-IT was further defined at an IT Policy
Workshop in the United Kingdom in November,1990. The establishment of the
COMNET-IT Secretariat in Malta, with an expanded mandate to reflect the rapid
changes in Information Technology since 1990, will now allow the promise of the
Harare declaration to be realised.
Dr. S. Ramani, Director, National Centre for Software
Technology, India and Chairman of COMNET-IT noted the potential of COMNET-IT to
link between 300 to 3000 institutions across the Commonwealth. An immediate
challenge will be the need to identify a lead entity in each of the countries of
the Commonwealth. Dr. Ramani outlined a number of vehicles which might be used
to assist COMNET-IT is its communications functions. These included the Journal
of Information Technology and the newsletter "Information Technology in
Developing Countries" which is being developed and distributed jointly by IFIP
Working Group 9.4 and COMNET-IT. Other vehicles involve the use of the Internet
and would encompass mailing lists, e mail and the use of the World Wide Web. He
announced plans for the creation of a Web site which could be used by COMNET-IT
as a primary means for distributing timely information of interest to Members of
the Commonwealth.
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