ISSUE 6

Commonwealth Assistance to Developing Nations in Formulating Information Technology Strategies

The Commonwealth Initiative on the Delivery of Comprehensive Information Technology Strategies forms part of The Commonwealth Public Sector Informatics Programme.

The primary objectives and/or goals of this programme are to increase the indigenous human resource skills and local institutional capacity for member countries as well as the adoption/adaptation of appropriate policies to emphasise information technology issues in national development strategies.

The strategic vision of The Commonwealth Public Sector Informatics Programme is to achieve complete transition to a sustainable information and digital society, to help developing member countries formulate effective informatics policies and plans, to apply emerging information and communication technologies to the realisation of a knowledge economy (k-economy).

The programme builds on a pan-Commonwealth Workshop on Information Technology Policies, held in Malta in 1997; an international workshop on National Informatics Strategies for Islands and Small States (sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat, UNESCO and the Government of Malta), held in Malta in March, 1999; and on the work carried out by the Government of Jamaica, in conjunction with the US Government's General Services Administration (Office of Government wide Policy), in the formulation of a high-level plan and action programme for Jamaica and related activities in Africa.

The objectives of the Programme are, broadly, to realize the following:

• To pool together and review information on the status of National Information Technology Strategies of developing member countries at the start of the millennium;
• To draw together and review the lessons of experience, and to facilitate the sharing of ideas, with the objective of deriving best practice on the formulation or enhancement of National Information Technology Strategies in member countries;
• To apply new information, ideas, and knowledge resource for the purpose of revisiting existing, or formulating new, Information Technology Strategies, taking cognisance of new and emerging trends in information and communication technologies as member countries strive in their efforts to making the transition to the digital society and the k-economy;
• To derive an all-inclusive National Information Technology Framework, which is broadly designed to meet the aspirations of member countries be they at Initial, Basic or Advanced status. This Framework is envisaged to incorporate the emerging notions of e-government, e-business and e-democracy as an integral part of distributed government.

The programme will seek to foster partnerships, not only between states in the region, but also amongst development and funding agencies. For example, World Bank (Infodev) participated in the Malta programme and the Commonwealth Development Bank (CDB) has expressed an interest in supporting regional ICT programmes. It is proposed that Infodev, CDB and UNESCO be invited to the launch-event with a view to active support for subsequent stages. Other interested agencies are invited to collaborate with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The programme is aimed at senior level government policy making and strategy planning personnel. A series of regional activities is planned to span the following areas: Caribbean Region, Africa Region and Asia and the South Pacific Region.

The Commonwealth Initiative on the Delivery of Comprehensive National Information Technology Strategies:

• A Caribbean Regional Programme will take place during mid-June 2000 in Kingston, Jamaica, The West Indies.
• An African Regional Programme will take place during end-June 2000 or mid-July 2000 in Dar es Salaam Tanzania or in September/October 2000 in Cape Town, South Africa.
• An Asian and South Pacific Regional Programme will take place at a date to be determined in 2001.

A limited number of Awards will be available from the Commonwealth Secretariat's Management & Training Services Division (MTSD). Administration of the funds will be carried out on behalf of the Management & Training Services by COMNET-IT, which has been designated as the Executing Agency for this initiative. Enquires to henry.d.alamango@gov.mt.