African Development Forum '99: the challenge to Africa of Globalisation and the Information Age Tuesday, 26 October Breakout groups on issues and cases arising from the four theme presentations In order to allow for in-depth discussion of the four conference themes (information economy, governance, infrastructure and democratisation of access), the Forum split into breakout groups corresponding to each of the theme areas. There were four sessions on each of the themes, for a total of 16 breakout sessions. The reports are presented here by theme. Breakout sessions on Theme 1: Globalisation and the Information Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Africa
Presentation and moderated discussion on global collaborative initiatives and their application to measuring development impact in Africa Chairs: Heather Hudson, Acacia, International Development Research Centre, Canada Peter Benjamin, University of Witswatersrand, South Africa
Presentations and moderated discussion on the global framework with examples of concrete national approaches Chair: Ernest Wilson, Director, Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland (USA) Presenters:
Presentation, panel and moderated discussion Chair: Rui Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer, Mozambique Telecom Presenter: Mavis Ampah Sintim-Misa, Chief Executive Officer, Spectrum International, Ghana Panel:
Presentation, panel and moderated discussion Chair: Paulos Nyirenda, National Coordinator, National Research Council of Malawi Presenter: Clement Dzidonu, Chief Executive Officer, INIIT, Ghana Panel:
In the session on indicators, various indicators and benchmarks for setting goals and measuring progress in Africa were presented. The number of lines had to be supplemented with indications on where these lines were located, how they were being used and by whom. Affordability, reliability, sustainability, quality of services, urban/rural access and availability through public institutions were more relevant to Africa. Progress measures should move from the internationally proposed benchmarks toward the country's own benchmarks. Many indicators such as teledensity, which stressed individual access and which worked well in Western economies, did not apply well in Africa because access in Africa was not as individually-based as in the West but institutional and community access through public institutions, telecentres, community centres, schools, libraries, post offices, clinics and NGOs. Development indicators relevant to Africa included degree of public policy development and degree of liberalisation or regulation. Design and evaluation indicators measured success and failure in terms of technical performance, number of users, types of users and socio-economic benefits. Level of privatisation, involvement of the private sector and the existence of public/private partnerships for ICT development were also relevant indicators in Africa. The usefulness of census data and Geo-Information Systems (GIS) in planning telecentre projects as part of integrated rural development was detailed. Major national mapping and household surveys were tools to plan and select locations, to pinpoint areas where the service was in demand and where people could afford to use it. Sustainability was seriously affected if telecentres were located in areas that did not use them or could not afford them. High tariffs charged by tax-hungry governments discouraged rather than promoted access, and pricing of installation and usage was an indicator that ranked high in the African context, as was the regulatory environment and the degree of liberalisation. Among the observations at this session were:
The session on stimulating the growth of the African information economy noted the importance of analysing policies and approaches with regard to globalisation and the information economy. The example of the South African Electronic Commerce Debate was presented, stressing the importance of the consultative process and describing progress towards a Green Paper. The experience was described of presenting e-commerce to a group of largely illiterate farmers 500 km from Dakar who showed surprising insight into the potential for e-commerce to provide pricing information. It was pointed out that for Africa to join the information economy, it needed to:
The following issues were noted:
Among the issues emerging from creating information industries in Africa the session noted:
Breakout sessions on Theme 2: Information and communication technologies for improved governance
Alternative approaches to resolving the gap in ICT knowledge and providing decision support; panel and moderated discussion Chair: Bhavya Lal, Abt Associates, USA Panel:
Chair: Lalla Ben Barka, Deputy Executive Secretary, ECA Presentations:
Panel to discuss lessons learned on design and implementation of ICTs in the environment, agriculture, trade and public administration sectors Chair: Dominique Hounkonnou, Benin Presentations:
Health information and communication, new technologies for health education, medical informatics, telemedecine, impact on costs Chair: Lishan Adam, ECA Presentations:
The main objective of the sessions on this theme was to examine current issues facing African countries in adapting ICTs to enhance the process through which institutions, businesses and citizen groups articulate their interests, exercise their rights and obligations and mediate their differences. Discussions noted that ICTs could be used:
Successes and failures around the world and Africa with respect to using ICTs in a variety of governance related areas were taken into account. Ghana was pointed out as a success story in its efforts toward applying ICTs toward reducing poverty and improving governance. An urban information system allows free Internet access to people in a Dakar neighborhood, with special services that make it easier for residents to communicate with local government agencies. It also generates local content. Another programme using ICTs to improve governance also originated in Dakar. Designed to improve the quality of parliamentary debate on ICT policy, it educated members of the Senegalese Parliament about the implications of ICT for development and opened possibilities for members of Parliament to access information on other subjects. The importance of creating awareness about ICT policies among the elected representatives of the people was underscored. Additionally, members of parliaments in different African countries communicating with each other electronically provided a major opportunity to further regional cooperation and promote African unity. Mozambique's process to develop a national information strategy was described. Throughout the emphasis was on the strategy belonging not simply to the Government but to all citizens of the country. Discussions centered on the need to:
It was pointed out that ICTs are not an end, but means and tools that offer opportunities to improve governance. Breakout sessions on Theme 3: Strengthening Africa's Information Infrastructure
Workshop for in-depth discussion of key elements in theme paper Co-chairs:
Workshop for in-depth discussion of key elements in theme paper Chair: Muriuki Mureithi, Summit Strategies, Kenya
Chair: Gerald Mpiysi, Director, Information Systems, Office of the Vice President, Rwanda Presenter: Nii Quaynor, Managing Director, Network Computer Systems, Ltd., Ghana Panel:
Chair: Tarik Kamel, Internet Society of Egypt Presenter: Pierre Dandjinou, United Nations Development Programme, Benin The infrastructure breakout sessions discussed policy and regulation, financing infrastructure development, capacity building and human resource development, Internet governance and new mechanisms for managing African’s information infrastructure. They noted that strategic choices were needed on privatisation and liberalisation: how and when they should take place, not whether. On policy and regulation, the following was noted:
It was proposed that:
On financing infrastructure development, governments were urged to establish investment funds at the national regional and subregional levels as follows:
On capacity building and human resource development, the main issue highlighted was the lack of human resources in ICT. To remedy this participants focused on the need to raise awareness of this at all levels of decision-makers and users, to increase literacy and general awareness and to mobilize existing institutions that already have skilled individuals. On Internet governance and new mechanisms for managing African’s information infrastructure, the key strategic issue was for Africans to participate in all levels of Internet governance. It was suggested that Africans in the Diaspora could play a key role in this. The following issues were raised:
Breakout sessions on Theme 4: Democratising Access to the information society
Panel and moderated discussion: African cases of application of ICTs to education; exploration of conditions for successful partnerships Chair: Wawa Ngenge, Sustainable Development Network Programme Coordinator, Cameroon Panel:
Chair: Aida Opoku-Mensah, Ford Foundation, Lagos Panel:
Chair: Venancio Massingue, University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique Panel:
Panel presentations and discussion on different telecentre models Chair: Gaston Zongo, Director, Acacia, International Development Research Centre, Canada Presenters:
Discussions on this theme noted that the Information Age required a fundamental shift in thinking about the methodology of education and especially its delivery systems, with emphasis on lifelong learning and distance education that could bring high quality education anywhere. Particular emphasis was placed on the growing school networking movement in Africa which promoted Internet related activities in classrooms and school libraries as a way to build knowledge societies based on new ways of learning and for African children to become both consumers and producers of information content. One breakout session focused on SchoolNets developing in several countries and on the World Bank WorldLinks programme. The involvement of the private sector in these efforts was noted. In extending access, participants heard examples of electronic information networks with content targeted at francophone women in Africa, at United Nations efforts to "focus on the forgotten" by bringing humanitarian and relief information to those who were most affected by it and on efforts to develop Web sites for African children and encourage contacts and collaboration among youth worldwide. Several innovative examples were presented of linking old technologies with the new to maximize information dissemination and exchange and to reach people in their cultural and linguistic contexts. Various models of community-based multipurpose centers (telecentres) were analysed with a view to showcase sustainable management models. Discussions focused on a number of difficulties in actualising partnership frameworks to run telecentres. Infrastructural challenges in rural centres were pointed out, with emphasis placed on innovative intermediate and or appropriate technologies to circumvent the lack of electricity and telephone lines. The need to ensure community ownership was underscored, as was the importance of developing applications to meet community needs. Throughout the necessity of affordable public access to information services was noted, as well as competent technological support for users and an enabling environment for the creation of local content. Strategies for Policy Research and Action: A Role for African Think Tanks (Convened by the World Bank Institute) Chair : Joseph Abbey, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Analysis, GhanaPanel :
The panel of participants from leading African policy research and analysis institutions aimed to discuss the emergence of ICTs as they have affected their role in the development process. It also sought to explore key areas for future programme activity. The panel focused attention on specific needs for policy analysis and advice and on the potential for partnerships with government, NGOs and the private sector. Convened by the World Bank Institute, the panel highlighted a number of initiatives that brought together African Think Tanks through e-mail discussions and web dissemination of courses, programmes, tools and models for use by the public and by policy makers. The group addressed research and educational collaboration across Africa. They dealt with topics such as need for identification of think tanks, capacity building (especially using the Internet), a priority research agenda, networking and distance learning. They emphasised the need to develop the institutional capacity to train policy-makers, analysts and researchers on the role and use of ICTs in development. The overwhelming challenge of sifting through the numerous types of technologies and information available on the Internet was noted as well as the need to increase the capacity of researchers and those involved in Think Tanks to use ICTs effectively. Among the key areas participants proposed for action by Think Tanks were to:
Workshop on introducing electronic commerce to small business Facilitator: Jacques Rostenne, Perwit, Canada Jacques Rostenne of Perwit, Canada facilitated this workshop, stimulating participants with the challenge of finding practical ways to use the web from Africa to make money. E-commerce was defined as electronic trading of services and products on the web. He offered concrete suggestions on what African entrepreneurs could do immediately despite inadequate infrastructure and lack of electronic banking and credit card facilities. Mr. Rostenne suggested that African startups market products and services especially to the African diaspora market and develop teleservices. He pointed out that the diaspora market might be easier to attract, more trusting and appreciative, as its members knew the situation prevailing in Africa. The example of www.ethiogift.com was noted, which had built a viable business e-trading in traditional products to the Ethiopian diaspora. Among possibilities for teleservice development he noted the preparation of architectural plans and support services, transcription of manuscripts, editing, translation and accounting and the establishment of call centres. He urged participants to start immediately before someone else implemented their ideas. Poster sessions: Poster sessions allowed a fixed time and space for individual exhibitors to interact with participants on their products and services. Among the poster sessions were: African content on the Internet
Applications
National policy presentations Youth presentations Bellanet International
Panel on ICTs and the media Chair: Peter daCosta, Senior Communication Adviser, ECA, Ethiopia Panelists :
The panel of experts examined how media integration with ICTs could promote a more diverse and pluralist media environment and how conventional media could operate as a gateway to the Internet for people who do not have access. The session focused on sharing experiences on the use of ICTs by the media. It was noted that the media finds itself within the context of a global media industry that is shaping media all over the world. African media struggles to survive in the face of media conglomerates that shape the content that is further rebroadcast or repackaged for national audiences. The result of this domination is decreased local content and analysis. Presentations focused on the threat of the global media context, the advantages of using a combination of technologies (Internet, e-mail and broadcasting among others), the dilemma faced by traditional forms of media in the face of the convergence of new technologies and the use of low-cost technologies for wide dissemination of daily development analysis. Examples were drawn from Ecuador (Radio Pulsar), Nigerian Print Media and Sabanews, a radio news product in Zimbabwe. Discussions noted that:
Planning resources for the success of ICT investments Workshop Moderator: Bhavya Lal, Abt Associates Inc. Presenter: Elizabeth Arriaza, Abt Associates Inc. Panel:
The objectives of the workshop were to discuss how decisions on selecting and funding ICT projects are made and how they could be made better, as well as to present tools that could help policymakers make more rational decisions. The participants agreed that most decisions were generally made in an ad hoc manner. The value of having information to justify decisions was underscored. The case of the use of decision support tools in Egypt was presented. Some of the constraints in decision making in government were described:
The moderator suggested that an analytical, evidence-based framework could help to align ICT decisions with strategic priorities, make decision making more transparent and accountable, justify decisions to constituents, make decisions fair and equitable and monitor ongoing projects. Participants concluded that there is great need for more or better organised information for policymakers on which to base decisions and that there is value to using computer-based decision support tools. Participants felt that Africans must try to look elsewhere to see what has been done and adapt it to the African context. Models must be kept as simple as possible, while it is important to consider capacity building and financing issues. They also emphasised that it is important to keep the greater context of decision-making processes in mind. Decision Support Systems could be a part of the picture but were not the entire solution. Lack of information alone should not prevent informed decisions from being made, but rather encourage policymakers to begin collecting useful information.
Information Technology Centre for Africa: vision and mission Sue Rhee, Coordinator, ITCA, ECA During the Forum in Addis Ababa ECA launched the Information Technology Centre for Africa, with three objectives. First, the ITCA will promote awareness of ICTs as a competitive necessity for Africa's well being through an exhibition centre which will run as a partnership between ECA and the private sector, to display a variety of information and communication technologies that could accelerate African development. The ITCA will also be on on-site learning facility for training managers and others in ICT-related applications. The Training Centre will provide a series of workshops and seminars to increase awareness of the importance of ICT and to teach technical skills. The third component of the ITCA is a Service Centre that will be a facilitator of virtual distance education programs offered in partnership with other institutions for targeted critical beneficiary groups. The ITCA is a contribution to supporting African countries to meet the challenges of the Information Age through exploitation of ICTs to accelerate economic and social development. More information on the ITCA is available from its Web site http://www.un.org/Depts/eca/tca.
Opening Session - Sunday, 24 October 1999 Setting the Scene - Monday, 25 October 1999 Closing Session - Thursday, 28 October 1999 Annex I - The Way Forward to a people-centred African Information Society Annex III - ADF '99 Documentation Annex IV - PARTNERS in adf ’99 Annex V - List of Participants |
