COMNET-IT '95

WORKSHOP REPORT

 

1. Background

The rapid development and proliferation of Information Technology (IT) heralds new opportunities for growth and development in countries around the world. Governments world-wide are seeking to harness the potential offered by these new technologies to create new dimensions of economic and social progress. IT applications promise significant benefits such as improved health care, easier access to public services, improved and new access to training and work, new commercial, leisure and entertainment opportunities. Many applications in telemedicine, teleworking, teletraining, electronic commerce, entertainment, knowledge acquisition and dissemination are already in place around the world.

The application of IT can be risky and full of pitfalls. Wanton and misguided application of IT has the potential of exacerbating divisions in society between rich and poor. There is a danger of widening the gulf between have and have-not countries. The threat of further disadvantage, however, makes it impossible for countries to ignore the revolutionary impact of IT on the international community.

The opportunities and threats posed by the Information Society has ignited efforts by national governments to work toward the development of national information policies and strategies. Several Commonwealth Governments are among the world leaders in these initiatives. South Africa has recently embarked on a broad public consultative process (the telecommunications "Green Paper") which looks into how the telecommunications sector can work towards meeting four interrelated objectives: universal service, economic empowerment, a broader range of telecommunications services and the effective use of telecommunications for social and infrastructural development. Singapore's IT2000 programme maps out the island nation's blueprint for total transformation to an Information Society by the year 2000. Australia's Broadband Services Expert Group has examined the technical, economic and commercial preconditions for the widespread delivery of broadband services to homes, businesses and schools in Australia. Canada's Information Highway Advisory Committee has prepared a wide range of studies into all aspects of the new information economy.

Some nations have seized upon the opportunities offered by new IT applications to transform their societies both economically and socially, others have not even begun to appreciate the impact. They have continued to depend on the traditional ways of creating wealth and providing services. Many Commonwealth countries fall into this category.

Governments and the private sector share the responsibility for the evolution of the information economy. Despite the trend toward privatisation and a decreasing size of the public sector, governments continue to be the single most significant force to influence the future in this area. They do this through:

telecommunications laws, policies and regulations;

common services within government (and administrative reform);

the provision of services to the public;

policies and regulations affecting the IT industry and the public

tax regulations, customs, trade rules);

purchasing power of government operations (e.g. air traffic control

networks, police, emergency services);

programmes of government ministries(agriculture, health, education);

scientific expenditures (e.g. meteorological services, publicly funded science and research);

cultural and social programs.

Governments set and promulgate policies and are collectively the major spender (either directly or through contracts) on information and communications technologies and services. Moreover, they are a major producer of content and of innovation. Two of the most dramatic examples of advanced technological use are in the field of meteorology and culture. In the latter, national art galleries, museums and libraries are among the most enthusiastic adopters of IT.

The use of IT within government was a focus of the recently released Report of the Information Highway Advisory Committee in Canada. The Report suggests that major "re- engineering" within government departments is required if benefits are to be achieved. "Re-engineering will pose formidable technological, financial and, most importantly, human challenges. Increasing levels of automation and electronic service will create tension within established organisations, and government staff must be trained to exploit opportunity. The merits of the technology must be readily understandable, and electronic service delivery programs must be accessible and user friendly. What will work best is appropriately scaled, off-the-shelf, proven technology geared to users' needs". (IHAC, 1995)

Governments have responded to the challenges of the IT revolution as a matter of urgency, and at the February, 1995 G7 Ministerial Conference on the Information Society they were raised to the highest international level . A consensus was reached on the principle of a collaborative effort between the public and private sector to achieve a global Information Highway and to make the transition to a knowledge-based society. The actions of the G7 ministers highlights the fact that the impact of IT on society is a global phenomenon. Nations are free to adopt different approaches and policies, but ignore it at their peril.

Dr. Stephen Mncube, one of the speakers at the workshop, pointed out that the Danish strategy for Information Technology incorporates free access to and the exchange of information, support for democracy, personal development in the workplace and outside, a more transparent public sector and the need to use IT to promote international competitiveness.(Mncube and Wild, 1995). Progress in the developing world has been slower, and little is yet understood about the needs for information technology in the countries of the South, but two themes have begun to emerge. The first is that there is a causal link between the adoption of information and communication technologies and social, economic and political growth. Second, information and communication technologies are increasingly playing an important role in human resource development - a key element in the development of most countries. (IDRC January, 1995)

The workshop's Editorial Committee reviewed some of the major government initiatives of the past to gain some insight as to the type of policies or strategies might be appropriate for the future. Examples of such policies or initiatives identified were:

1. The role played by the Government of the United States in the development of the ARPA Net. This led to US dominance in the Internet and established world-wide de-facto standards for telematics;

2. The role played by the Government of Canada in spectrum policies (microwave) to develop telecommunications infrastructures;

3. Investments and tax incentives by the Government of Japan to create an industry in information technology. This included the adoption of technologies which other countries had failed to exploit;

4. The example of some countries, such as Malta, in developing niche areas of expertise, such as public sector reform. While these and other strategies may have been successful in the past, they are not necessarily indicative of the future. The book Computing for the Future (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994) was suggested as one source of ideas.

Now that countries have moved away from centrally planned economies, their role in creating a positive environment becomes even more crucial. One scenario is for government to encourage the building of infrastructure for IT capacity across the economy and across all sectors, while the private sector can provide software and services for end users to take advantage of the infrastructure.

workshop Report and Conclusions and Recommendations

This section provides a detailed overview of the workshop deliberations, conclusions and recommendations. These are supplemented by input drawn from the electronic discussion list and other documentation.

1. Opening Ceremony

In opening the workshop, Mr. Joseph V. Tabone, Chairman of Malta's Management Systems Unit Ltd (MSU) 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 into 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 and Head of Malta's Public Service described the Information Systems Strategic Plan for Malta. This Plan is an essential element for public service reform 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 will 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, United Kingdom highlighted the main thrusts of the Commonwealth 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, CAPAM and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum which deals with changes in government at the local level. COMNET-IT, which had its origins in a proposal of the President of Malta, 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 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.