Past Events

  2007
  2006
  2005
  2004
  2003
  2002
  2001
  1999
  1998
  1997
  1995

2007

Legal Frameworks for Information and Communication Technologies Valletta, Malta,
21^st May - 1^st June 2007

The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT), on behalf of the Government of Malta and in association with the Commonwealth Secretariat organised a two-week pan-Commonwealth workshop treating the subject of Legal Frameworks for ICTs. The training course attended by senior and middle-management delegates was facilitated and presented by expert resource-persons from Malta, the Commonwealth Secretariat and internationally. At the end of the workshop delegates received certificates of attendance.

Combating Cybercrime in the SADC Region
Cape Town Convention Centre,
Cape Town, South Africa,
23^rd April - 26^th April 2007

The Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management’s (CESPAM) organized a four-day seminar that dealt with issues and good practices necessitated by the rise of cybercrime including the legal infrastructure to regulate the safe flow of information and secure transacting, specific provisions to deter cybercrime, computer forensics, issues of security, best practice in systems management and standards, governance of the Internet amongst others. The event was sponsored by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through its aid agency (GTZ).

Workshop "eCommerce Policy and Practice"
Gaborone International Conference Centre, Gaborone, Botswana
7^th - 9^th February 2007

The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Government of Botswana organised this Pan-SADC e-Government workshop as part of the on-going EU assisted initiative IST-Africa (www.ist-africa.org). Expert tuition, focused delegate group work and presentation of case studies from the Region and Europe made this three-day workshop a valuable resource for public-service managers and policy formers concerned with informatics in Government whether at a national, provincial or local level.

2006

Commonwealth Connects Media Launch,
3rd August 2006

The Commonwealth Connects Programme offers a new network of services, a centre of expertise and resources for finding solutions to bridge the Digital Divide within the Commonwealth. Our programme will be developing ways to share the common Commonwealth's vast ICT wealth and expertise to assist those who need it most. For more information on the Commonwealth Connects Programme visit http://www.commonwealthconnects.net/.

Workshop "Information Management in Public Sector Organisations"
Gaborone International Conference Centre, Gaborone, Botswana
6th - 8th September

The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Government of Botswana organised this Pan-SADC e-Government workshop which was delivered as part of the on-going EU assisted initiative IST-Africa (www.ist-africa.org). The workshop was also supported by the Governance and Institutional Development Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat and was attended by 44 delegates from Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, The Gambia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Seminar "Capacity Building for ICT Strategies and Planning", Maputo, Mozambique,
28th - 31st  August 2006

Organised in collaboration with The Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM), this pan-SADC seminar provided an intensive management-development programme to engage SADC policy and senior public-service functionaries in benchmarking their current state of maturity concerning ICT strategy and planning processes, provide methodologies and templates to assist them in refining this process, provide the contextual linkages at programming and funding levels, to initiatives sponsored by the SADC Secretariat, UNECA, Commonwealth Secretariat and others, address key issues and trends debated at WSIS and other for a, develop the role of government as a catalyst and enabler for the development of knowledge-based societies and develop the relationship between national, sectoral and provincial ICT strategies and planning.

IST-Africa 2006 Conference and Exhibition
3 - 5 May 2006 Pretoria, South Africa

IST-Africa 2006 Conference and Exhibition, 3-5 May 2006, Pretoria, South Africa. The first in a series of Annual Conferences supported by the European Commission, IST-Africa 2006 brought together delegates from commercial, government & research organisations across Africa and from Europe, to bridge the Digital Divide by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice. Visit http://www.ist-africa.org for more information on the IST-Africa project.

Workshop “National and Sectoral Strategies for e-Government”
Gaborone International Conference Centre, Gaborone, Botswana 10-12 May 2006

The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Government of Botswana is organised a Pan-SADC e-Government workshop as part of the on-going EU assisted initiative IST-Africa (www.ist-africa.org). This three-day workshop, which was also supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat, was attended by over 40 participants from five Southern African countries. The next workshop in the series “Information Management in Public Sector Organisations” will be held in Gaborone, Botswana, 6^th - 8^th September 2006.

 Applying Geographic Information Systems to SADC Development

• identfying and understanding the sectoral applications of GIS and its potential benefits to the SADC region,
• positioning GIS in the development process and the provision of e-Government services,
• reviewing international case studies as well as regional developments and SADC targets in this area,
• proposing national and SADC actions in support of models of good practice and - intra-regional information-exchange
• exploring the use of GIS in the water resources and environmental sectors, and;
• understanding the potential role for private-sector partnerships in this area.

Click here for [seminar programme and application form (pdf 9KB)] [seminar background and information (pdf 109KB)]

2005

Workshop "Policy and Legal Frameworks for e-Government"

The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications Science and Technology, Government of Botswana organised this first workshop from a series of four Pan-SADC e-Government workshops being delivered as part of the on-going EU assisted initiative IST-Africa (www.ist-africa.org). Topics covered included ICT Strategy and implementation, e-Government and Cyberlaw.

Commonwealth Action Programme for the Digital Divide (CAPDD): Invitation to a Consultation Meeting

Malta, 16-17th June, 2005

The Commonwealth Secretariat, in association with the Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT) has convened a number of consultation meetings in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in November 2005 in Malta. An Africa and Asia-Pacific Consultation meeting was convened on the 16-17th June in Malta under the auspices of the Malta Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting discussed and officially proposed to a High-Level Forum held in London between the 23rd and 25th June initiatives in the following programming areas:

• Building e-Policy Capacity
• ICTs for Education and Skills Development
• Entrepreneurship for Poverty Reduction
• Local Access and Connectivity
• Regional Networking

Seminar "Cyberlaw Development and Harmonisation within SADC"

The Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM), a SADC institution set up in 2000, is organising this activity within its ongoing Executive Training Programme for the Region's Permanent Secretaries, Public Service Directors and other senior persons involved in the policy and oversight of IT in Government. The programme is primarily a training activity designed to:

• Introduce and place into context, the requirement and prerequisites of Cyber legislation and harmonisation;
• Illustrate, discuss and facilitate an understanding of the component parts of Cyberlaw;
• Learn from experiences of other countries' and regions' efforts for Cyberlaw harmonisation;
• Take an objective look at the current situation of Cyberlaw harmonisation in the SADC region and opportunities and difficulties faced by stakeholders;
• Identify national support actions for supporting a harmonized Cyberlaw in the SADC region;
• Provide materials for re-use in national training programmes on the same subject.

This is an interactive seminar, which will provide participants with opportunities to freely exchange ideas, knowledge and experience with each other and the resource persons facilitating this seminar. This will be achieved through the use of discussion groups and case studies. The seminar will be practical and will maintain a balance of lectures, discussions and case studies.

A description of this activity and its proposed structure are attached. Up to date information is also available on the CESPAM website (www.cespam.net) and that of the Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (www.comnet-it.org) with whom CESPAM is collaborating in the organisation of this seminar. The event is sponsored by the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland together with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through its aid agency (GTZ).

Click here for Seminar Background (PDF: 461KB / 4 pages), Programme and application form (PDF: 10KB / 2 pages).

2004

e-Government for Leadership in Change Management

The Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) is organising an executive seminar with the theme "e-Government for Leadership in Change Management" in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania. This event is being be hosted by the Government of Tanzania and is the latest in a series of informative seminars and workshops in CESPAM's Executive Programme, a CESPAM/COMNET initiative to develop materials and training for e-Government.

The seminar will illustrate how e-Government initiatives can become instrumental for spear-heading the relentless changes occuring both within the public administration as well as within civil society and the business community. It will also explore how a strategic approach to e-Government offers new critical success factors for managing change, and provides an opportunity to review the change-management challenges associated with implementing e-Government in the Southern African Development Community and is intended primarily for senior public-service managers and policy makers engaged in public service reform. It will also be attractive to private sector management with an interest in the development of this new market, as well as to delegates from international development agencies.

Click here for Seminar Background (PDF: 107KB / 4 pages), Programme and application form (PDF: 13KB / 2 pages), Workshop Final Report (PDF: 458KB / 59 pages)

SADC REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON NATIONAL e-GOVERNMENT READINESS

This executive training programme represents a collaborative effort between the Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) and the Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT), who together are engaged in a partnership for the development of materials and training for e-Government. The event is being sponsored by the Government of Germany through GTZ, by the Commonwealth Secretariat and by the Government of Botswana and is intended primarily for senior public-service managers and policy makers engaged in public service reform, whether in a technical area or otherwise. It will also be attractive to private sector management with an interest in the development of this new market, as well as to delegates from international development agencies.

Click here for Workshop background (PDF: 110KB / 4 pages), Programme and application form (PDF: 10KB / 2 pages), Report on Proceedings (PDF: 1014KB / 37 pages)

Commonwealth Regional Workshop on "e-Government and Sectoral Development"

A Governance and Institutional Development Division (Commonwealth Secretariat) organised a workshop in conjunction with the Government of St Lucia for the region's policy makers, senior public service management and private sector and as well as other institutional stakeholders. The workshop focused on issues pertaining to the impact of deployment of e-Government programmes throughout the region. The initiative was co-ordinated by St Lucia's National Council for Science and Technology for Development on behalf of the Government of St Lucia in association with the Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT).

Click here for Programme Background (PDF: 77KB / 4 pages), Workshop Programme (PDF: 9KB / 2 pages), Workshop Final Report (PDF: 352KB / 34 pages)

Presentations

• Partnering With Private Sector Organizations in E-government & Service Delivery
  Alex McDonald, VP Strategic Market Development & Planning, Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Caribbean
• ICT, Good Governance and Local Policy in Latin America
  Carlos Batista, Universidade de Brasília
• PARTNERSHIPS IN E-GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT: The Role of International and Regional Development Organisations
  Kathleen R. Gordon, Deputy Director, Caribbean Development Bank
• E-Government Readiness in the Caribbean
  Cecil Barth
• Government Business Process Transformation: From Automation to Paradigm Shift; From Localized Exploitation to Business Scope Redefinition
  Dr. Cletus K. Bertin
• Organisational & Cultural Transformation: The Malta Experience
  Jesmond Mizzi, Malta Information Technology & Training Services, Malta
• "Charting an Agenda for Change": E-Government Transformation A Case Study
  Mike McKendy, Service New Brunswick, Canada
• Human Capital Infrastructure
  Dr. Cletus K. Bertin
• Legal Framework for ICT
  David Spiteri-Gingell, CEO, Malta Information Technology & Training Services, Malta
• Paying the e-Government Bill
  David Spiteri-Gingell, CEO, Malta Information Technology & Training Services, Malta
• E-Government Strategic Options
  Dr Gerald Grant, Eric Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

2003

Workshop on "Planning for e-Government in SADC Countries"
Maputo, Mozambique, 19-21st November, 2003

Held at the Cardoso Hotel, Maputo, the workshop addressed the relevance of e-Government to SADC member states as well as the associated planning processes and issues and was attended by the region's Permanent Secretaries and Public Service Directors. Organised by The Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) within its ongoing Executive Training Programme in collaboration with COMNET-IT the event was sponsored by The ICT Policy Commission of Mozambique, The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through its aid agency, GTZ and The Commonwealth Secretariat, through its Governance and Institutional Development Division.

Enquiries may be addressed to Mr Henry Alamango, Executive Director, COMNET-IT.

Click here for Workshop Background (PDF: 141KB / 4 pages), Workshop Programme (PDF: 13KB / 2 pages), Workshop Report (PDF: 264KB / 30 pages)

Implementing E-Governance in Public Service Organisations
Cape Town, South Africa, 26-28 February, 2003

The Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM), a SADC institution launched in late 2000, organised this activity within its Executive Training Programme for the region's permanent secretaries and Pubic Service directors. The workshop addressed key policy and management issues in implementing e-government programmes, with an emphasis on practical steps towards effective implementations.

Workshop Background Description (PDF: 148 KB / 4 pages)
Programme (PDF: 180 KB / 4 pages)

2002

From Digital Divide to E-Economy:  Issues and Strategies for Public Policy - The workshop was held in Malta from the 24th - 27th June 2002. It provided delegates with an understanding, in both breadth and depth, of the opportunities, issues and strategies associated with the topical subject of the E-Economy. Workshop sessions included the identification of ICT opportunities for E-Government in a number of mainstream sectors and an analysis of cross sectoral issues.
Workshop Report  (PDF: 362KB / 67 pages)

CESPAM Executive Training Programme: "Effective Government through Information Management" was held in Port Louis, Mauritius between the 6th to 8th February 2002 and was attended by policy makers and senior management concerned with public service improvement. More on this event soon.

2001

Workshop on Sectoral Planning for Information Technology, Jamaica was the first in a series of three regional workshops forming part of the Commonwealth Regional Initiative for Informatics Strategies (CRIIS) was held between the 3rd and 5th April 2001 in Kingston, Jamaica. See ICT Strategies for details of the CRIIS events.

Workshop on Sectoral Planning for Information Technology, South Africa, the second in a series of three regional workshops forming part of the Commonwealth Regional Initiative for Informatics Strategies (CRIIS) was held between the 12th and 14th June 2001 in Johannesburg, South Africa. See ICT Strategies for details of the CRIIS events.

Workshop on Sectoral Planning for Information Technology, Malaysia, the final event in a series of three regional workshops forming part of the Commonwealth Regional Initiative for Informatics Strategies (CRIIS) was held between the 24th and 26th July 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. See ICT Strategies for details of the CRIIS events.

COMNET-IT Tel : +356 2599 2186 Fax 356 234746
E-mail: comnetadm@gov.mt

1999

ICT Strategies for Islands and Small States an international workshop (Malta, 17-19 March 1999; co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat and UNESCO; organised by COMNET-IT with the Malta National Commission for IT and the Institute for Islands and Small States, Malta University)

1998

Best Practice in Electronic Government (8-10th December 1998, in Malaysia); jointly with the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU)

Commonwealth Year 2000 Initiative

The Commonwealth Secretariat launched the Commonwealth Initiative on the Year 2000 Millennium Bug. The initiative has the objective to identify the scope of the problem, assess its potential impact on government and other sections of the economy, and draw up strategies for preparedness, mitigating or beating the bug, including contingency planning for the utilities. The initiative will be executed byCOMNET-IT andthe Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) under the sponsorship of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

As part of the initiative a workshop on the "Containing the Millennium Bug" was organised on the 15-17 September 1998 in Malta with the objective to:

• Understand the Issues
• Formulate Recommendations for the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting in Ottawa (29-30 September 1998)

1st June -10th June 1998, in Malta:"IT in International Relations" jointly with the Meditteranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies.

30th March - 3rd April 1998 in Malta: "Distance-Learning Development in Women's Health and Gender-issues: Jointly with the Health Unit, Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Commonwealth Of Learning"

8th - 19th March 1998 in Bombay, India: "Workshop on Managing Internet Information Services organised with the National Centre for Software Technology". 

This was an 8-day training programme on Managing Internet Information Services, in a workshop format. This workshop is sponsored by the Management And Training Services Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, and organised by the Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development.

18th - 24th January 1998 in Nairobi, Kenya: "Regional Training Workshop on Strengthening Electronic Communication Capacities of women's organisations."

The workshop was organised by ABANTU for Development and was sponsored by the Management and Training Services Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development.

1997

Workshop on Enhancing Public Service Delivery through Information Technology

The workshop was organised by COMNET-IT and was sponsored by the Office of the Prime Minister Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and The Management and Training Services Division, Commonwealth Secretariat. The event was held on 2nd to 5th December, 1997 in Malta.

Working group meeting between COMNET-IT, Commonwealth of Learning, the International Records Management Trust, and Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers concerning the development of Distance Learning modules in records Management 20 th to 21st November, 1997 in Malta

International Workshop on Information Technology for Building Competitive Enterprises

The workshop was organised by COMNET-IT and The Computer Society of India was sponsored by The Management and Training Services Division, Commonwealth Secretariat. The event was held on the 10th to 16th November, 1997 in Ahmedabad India.

Workshop on Information and Communication Technologies for Education and Development.

Organised by the Human Resource Development Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with COMNET-IT. Held in Malta on the 22nd to the 24th May, 1997.

Workshop on Information and Communication Technologies in International Trade, Investment and Sustainable Development.

The workshop was organised by COMNET-IT and the Malta External Trade Corporation and was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and The Management and Training Services Division, Commonwealth Secretariat. The event was held on May19th to May 21st, 1997, in Malta.

Use of IT in International Relations

Conference and Workshop Organised by theMediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT). It was sponsored by the Multilateral Affairs Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and The Management and Training Services Division, Commonwealth Secretariat. These events took place between May 30 th to June 11th,1997, in Malta.

Implementing and Supporting Internetworking Services

COMNET-IT organised a Training Workshop for Network Systems from February 17th to February 27th 1997, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. This was held in conjunction with the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology.

1995

COMNET-IT '95 Workshop

Use of IT in International Relations

Organised by: Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, and the Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT) in collaboration with Multilateral Affairs Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and The Management and Training Services Division, Commonwealth Secretariat. October 30th to November 1st 1995, in Malta.