Introduction to the discussion from July 12-30

Introduction to the discussion from July 12-30

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) for improved governance

Dear subscribers,

Our discussion shifts today (July 12) to the topic of Information and communications technologies (ICTs) for improved governance - for the period until 30 July. ICTs have great potential for improved governance, particularly for the participation of civil society in political debate. For the first time there is clear opportunity for individuals and populations living outside the centre to make their views heard. ICTs also bring the possibilities for governments to be able to reach their citizens in remote locations and serve them in the same way as those living in capital cities. The role of the media using new technologies for improved governance will be stressed. For the ADF Conference in October, ECA is working with Bhavya Lal (Bhavya_Lal@abtassoc.com) and Salamao Manhica (infopol@zebra.uem.mz) of the Mozambique Information Policy Commission to prepare the policy paper on this issue.

These are their comments to open the discussion on this topic:

In theory, ICTs help governments improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their operations as well as enable them to communicate better with their constituents. In practice, however, ICT applications in government have met with mixed success. What critical lessons can governments interested in exploring ICT as a tool for improving governance learn from history to date? More specifically:

	What might be the reasons why some applications of ICT in governance fail and others succeed? Are there any illustrations of African successes and failures that we can share in this forum?
	In the African context, which areas of governance will especially benefit from using ICTs?
	What might be "low hanging fruit" applications, i.e. applications that, for a small investment, reap large benefits? In India for instance, low cost computerization of land records has allowed farmers better and speedier access to information about land ownership and reduced bribery and corruption involved in the inquiry process.
	How have governments in Africa and elsewhere used this technology to engage with geographically and economically marginalized populations?
	How can we ensure that political debate enabled by ICTs isn't dominated by special interest groups and those with better access to computers?

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