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

WORKSHOPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Working Groups

Two Working Group sessions were organised under the direction of Ms.Wilma Primus, Chief, Caribbean Documentation Centre, Trinidad and Tobago. At the first of these sessions, the major issues to be addressed by Commonwealth countries in the area of IT policy were identified and described. Participants then proposed recommendations for dealing with these issues. These proposed recommendations were discussed and a consensus reached on the following set of recommendations.

Recommendations

Concerning The Need for Sustainable Information Technology (IT) Policies and Strategies in Commonwealth Countries the Workshop recommended that:

• Governments focus on the development, formulation and adoption of public sector IT policies;
• Commonwealth governments progressively move to liberalise the IT sector with a view to bringing about greater efficiency and competition;
• Public access to information on government services should be made available to all members of society through the appropriate use of low cost technologies and services (such as community based information centres);

Concerning National IT Policies and Strategies in Commonwealth countries the Workshop recommended that:

• Commonwealth governments develop a national IT policy, keeping in mind the needs of the country concerned and the needs of other sectors in the economy;
• A central co-ordinating body be established at the national level comprising representatives from economic and civic groupings. The actual definition and implementation of policy should be on a sector by sector basis;
• Member governments develop or strengthen existing infrastructures, including laws, for increasing awareness of intellectual property rights and protecting innovations both as an economic asset and as an essential component of a country's cultural heritage.

Concerning Strategies for Planning IT in the Public Service the Workshop recommended that:

• The public sector IT agency should not be seen to compete with the private sector. Service delivery should normally be done by the private sector where competitive alternatives exist. The limited resources available to the government IT function should concentrate on those needs which properly fit the role of government: ensuring universal access, balancing competition, developing critical mass, etc. The public service IT competency should therefore be transformed from a focus on delivery and operations to management and supervision.

Concerning Strategies for Human Resources Development in the new Information Technologies the Workshop recommended that:

• Curricula be constantly reviewed to reflect new developments in technology and applications.
• The educational resources of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth of Learning be exploited to meet critical IT educational requirements in member countries.
• Education and raining policies and plans recognise the differential focus in training for a variety of stake holders and identify appropriate delivery institutions and programmes;
• Greater emphasis should be placed on spreading IT literacy at all levels, but especially through the school system;
• Governments should encourage private sector participation in computer education.
• Member governments establish accreditation standards, through appropriate mechanisms (e.g. professional societies). Regional co- operation in this is encouraged.
• Focus be put on the acquisition of IT skills and the use of information in the work of public service managers and administrators. This training can be integrated with general training in management and public administration.
• Computer education become broad based and interdisciplinary, combining technology, management and social sciences. In addition to technical knowledge and skills, behavioural aspects need to be covered.
• Member countries accord a high priority to the acculturation of the general public to the world of information (computer literacy).
• Member countries develop material suited to their own needs, but also take advantage of materials which might be available from regional and international Organisations and from "public" sources such as the Internet.

Concerning Innovations in Computer Networks and Communications for Education and Training the Workshop recommended that:

• Teachers and educational planners become the focal point of bringing change in the education system. Exposure to emerging IT based pedagogy, constant updating awareness of technology should be done through teacher training programmes, summer schools etc. Some re orientation of computer science teachers towards application may be required.

Concerning Developments in Information Technologies and Global Networks the Workshop recommended that

• Commonwealth Governments consider the implications for their countries of developments in communication technologies and global networks. Issues to be considered include connectivity and infrastructure development and the need to deal with the rapid obsolescence of technology. The need to develop mechanisms to avoid obsolescence were stressed. These might include using technologies appropriate and relevant to the IT government functions in developing world. In this way the government IT function can be more responsive to technological change.
• Commonwealth countries put in place the physical and human infrastructure for the following functionalities:
  1. capacity building for technology assessment,with focus on information technology
  2. capacity building for technology forecasting, with focus on information technology
  3. capacity building for technology upgrading, including capacity for adaptation, maintenance, repair, reusability and reverse engineering
  4. capacity building for negotiated technology transfer.
• COMNET IT sponsor a conference for Commonwealth countries on advances in communication and information technologies and their current and projected applications. This Conference would address the broad scope of technological change including the economic impact of advances in communication technology on the economies of Commonwealth countries. Topical issues, such as utilising Internet in Public Administration, might also be addressed.

Concerning Contributions by COMNET-IT the Workshop recommended that:

• COMNET-IT develop mechanisms for documenting and accessing information for the benefit of interested parties in member countries
• The Secretariat should consolidate the relationships developed at this Workshop, extend the group to include counterparts from countries not represented at this meeting and generally facilitate dialogue, informing partners on upcoming event and opportunities.
• COMNET-IT should consider the merits of compiling a directory of significant applications or projects being developed or already implemented in Commonwealth Countries, particularly those operating in open systems environments.
• COMNET-IT may consider whether the maintenance of information (or sources of information) on public tenders underway or completed in Commonwealth Countries is worth pursuing as an on going service. Specifications do not have to be re invented and consultation on selection criteria or selections made public are likely to be beneficial.
• Given an expressed interest on the part of Commonwealth countries COMNET IT will formalise the mechanisms for access to databases comprising IT pricing information and advise members accordingly.

A report of the workshop will shortly be published jointly by COMNET-IT and COMSEC.

Copies may be ordered by e-mail frommailto:comnet@comnet.mt

For further information please contact:

Edwin Ebejer, COMNET IT Manager
c/o Management Systems Unit Limited
Gattard House,
Blata l-Bajda HMR 02,
Malta.

Tel: +356 25992193, +356 234720
Fax: +356 234701
Email: edwin.ebejer@gov.mt

or

Gerry G Grant,
Consultant Co-ordinator
COMNET-IT
Management and Training Services Division (MTSD)
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London
SW1Y 5HX

Tel: +44 171 747 6342
Fax: +44 171 747 6335
Email: comsec@noc.ulcc.ac.uk