The National Information Technology Authority (NITC) is being set up as a high powered ICT Policy Think-Tank with the mission to lead the process of creating the Rwandan information society and economy in line with the aspirations of the Vision for Rwanda. It will be responsible for advising the Government on all matters relating to how best Rwanda can formulate, develop and implement its ICT policies, strategies and plans to accelerate the process of transforming Rwanda into an information-rich, knowledge-based society and economy.

Membership of the NITC

The NITC will be chaired by the President, ----- the National ICT Champion. Its membership will be made up of the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and a number of other senior Cabinet Ministers from key Ministries and distinguished representatives from the Private Sector, Academia, Civil Society, and Labour Organizations.

Objectives of the NITC

• To formulate and advise the GOR on all matters relating to policies, strategies, and plans for the deployment, exploitation and the development of ICTs to support the socio-economic development of Rwanda.
  
• To promote and facilitate the establishment of appropriate National ICT Structures, Bodies and Working Groups, to facilitate the formulation and implementation of National ICT policies, strategies and plans to transform Rwanda into an information-rich, knowledge-based society and economy.
  
• To encourage and promote the deployment and utilization of ICTs within the society and economy to: improve organizational efficiency and performance, as well as support and facilitate the development of Rwandan’s human resources to serve as a key resource to initiate, sustain and consolidate, the country’s effort towards the development of the Rwanda information society and economy
  
• To supervise, and co-ordinate through appropriate National ICT Structures, Bodies, Working Groups and Private Sector organizations and institutions; all national initiatives relating to the deployment, exploitation and the development of ICTs in the society and economy
  
• To monitor and evaluate through appropriate National Implementation Agencies the implementation of National programmes, projects and initiatives relating to the deployment, exploitation and development of ICTs within the society and economy
  
• To promote and facilitate the mobilization of the necessary human, financial and technological resources to support the process of developing the Rwandan information society and economy
  
• To promote and support national efforts and initiatives aimed at accelerating the development of the local ICT production and service sector of the economy into a globally competitive sector.
  
• To promote and facilitate the development and implementation of National ICT Standards, Procedures and Guidelines to facilitate the deployment, utilization and the development of ICTs products and services within the society and economy and
  
• To promote and facilitate National Awareness Campaigns and Educational Programmes on the role of ICTs for socio-economic development and on the activities, initiatives, policies, and programmes of Government towards the realization of the Vision for Rwanda – to transform Rwanda into an information-rich, knowledge-based society and economy.

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The Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA)

The Rwandan Information Technology Authority (RITA) is to be set up as a statutory and autonomous National Agency to act as the National ICT Implementation and Coordination Body under the direct supervision of the National Information Technology Commission (NITC). RITA will also act as the Secretariat of the NITC and have an administrative link and working relation with to the Office of the President, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications --- as its sponsoring Ministry.

Functions of RITA

RITA, reporting to the NITC through its Executive Management Committee, will have the following functions:

1. Coordinate on behalf of the NITC, activities and initiatives aimed at the formulation and development of National ICT Policies, Strategies and National Information and Communications Infrastructure (NICI) Plans
   
2. Coordinate on behalf of the NITC and the GOR the implementation of components of Government’s ICT Policy, Strategies as well as the Programs, Projects and Initiatives identified under various NICI Plans designed for transforming Rwanda into an information-rich, knowledge-based society and economy
   
3. Undertake and coordinate on behalf of the NITC the strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation and impact of National programmes, projects and initiatives relating to the deployment, exploitation and development of ICTs within the society and economy.
   
4. Promote and coordinate on behalf of the NITC the development and implementation of National ICT Standards, Procedures and Guidelines, Certification and Procurement Procedures and Guidelines to facilitate the deployment, utilization and the development of ICTs products and services in economy and society.
   
5. Undertake, with the support of the NITC; National ICT policy formulation advisory functions, to facilitate the development and the periodic review of the National ICT Policies, Strategies and corresponding Plans, in consultation with other appropriate Bodies and Agencies of Government and the Private Sector, to ensure that the policy recommendations, strategies, programs and projects are constantly updated and are consistent with the aspirations and the missions of the Vision for Rwanda.
   
6. Coordinate on behalf of the NITC the implementation of a comprehensive human resource development programme in ICTs and other skill areas to initiate, support, sustain and consolidate, the country’s effort towards the development of the Rwanda information society and economy.
   
7. Assist and advise Government institutions, agencies and other public and private sector organizations and establishments on the development and implementation of their organizational ICT policies, strategies and plans to support their operations and activities
   
8. Provide, ICT consultancy and other related services through the National Computer Center (NCC) to Government institutions, agencies and other public and private sector organizations.
   
9. Provide through the NCC, technical advisory and support services to the NITC, the NITC- Working Groups (NITC-WGs) and to various Government Ministries and other public and private sector organizations and establishments.
   
10. Facilitate the work of the NITC (serving as the NITC Secretariat), and the NITC-WGs,
    
11. Facilitate the work ICT Consultants engaged by the GOR, the NITC, the NITC-WGs, as well as the work of Donor and International Organizations and Agencies in the execution of Donor-funded ICT programmes, projects and initiatives
    
12. Coordinate and implement in cooperation with other Government agencies, the Universities, Research Institutes and other Private Sector Organizations; policy and technological reviews, national ICT studies and periodic surveys to facilitate the ICT Policy formulation, implementation, monitory and evaluation exercises of the NITC and to provide a national pool of information on the status and the impact of the GOR’s ICT Policies, Strategies and Plans.
    
13. Develop and administrate the National Computer Center (NCC) as a key division of RITA with links to the Universities, Research Institutes and to Private Sector R & D and Training Organizations. The NCC will be the key income generator for RITA and will serve as the:

• National Center for Advanced level ICT Education and Training in areas like: Computer Hardware Troubleshooting, Repair and Assembly; Computer Systems Analysis, Design and Development
  
• National Software Repository and Development Center,
  
• National ICT Consultancy Unit
  
• Computer Bureau Service Provision Unit for Government Ministries and public sector organizations without their own computer systems
  
• National Center to provide a pool of technical personnel in the area of computer systems repair and maintenance; network systems development, installation and maintenance
  
• National Center with the responsibility to develop and maintain the GOR Web-site with links the Web-sites (Home Pages) of various Government Ministries and public service organizations and other key private sector organizations.
  
• National Center with the responsibility to set-up and administrator GOV-NET --- the proposed communications network to inter-network all the Government Ministries and other public service organizations into a wide area network which will also serve as the Government Intranet and provide an international gateway to the Internet.

The Organizational Structure of RITA

It is recommended that RITA should have the following four Directorates:

Each of these Directorates will have a number of Divisions, which in turn will be divided into functional Departments. This flexible organizational structure will enable coordinated expansion of the organization: starting with some core Directorates, Divisions and Departments. RITA, therefore do not need to set up all the components of its organizational structure at the very beginning. Starting with one or two Directorates and a number of constituent Divisions and Departments, this structure could be expanded on as the organization grows.

Personnel

RITA will be headed by an Executive Director with each of the Directorates headed by a Director. Each of the Divisions will be headed by a Divisional Head (Chief of Division) and the respective Departments by a Head of Department.

The Executive Director will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RITA. He/she will be appointed by the NITC. The Directors will also be appointed by the NITC. All other members of staff will be appointed by the RITA Executive Management Committee.

The RITA Executive Management Committee

The RITA Executive Management Committee will assist the Executive Director in the proper management of the affairs of RITA. It will, under the direction of the NITC formulate and decide on organizational policies, strategies and procedures as well as play an advisory role in matters relating to: the general administration of the organization, and on financial, budgetary, personnel and recruitment matters. The Committee in addition will from time to time be assigned special roles and responsibilities by the NITC. This Committee will in effect provide the link between RITA and the NITC. Its membership will be made up of:

• Executive Director
• The Four Directors
• A Representative from the NITC
• A Representative from the President’s Office
• A Representative from the Prime Minister’s Office
• A Representative from MINITRACO

The organizational structure and the corresponding organizational chart of RITA are presented as follows.

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The details of the linkages between the National ICT Structures and Bodies and their linkages with other relevant Government Agencies, Bodies and other Organizations and Establishments are presented below.

In line with its objectives, it is envisaged that the NITC will report to the Cabinet and the National Assembly. It will as part of its role, advise the Government (the Cabinet) as well as the National Assembly (as the need arises) on all matters relating to how best Rwanda can formulate, develop and implement its ICT policies, strategies and plans to accelerate the process of transforming Rwanda into an information-rich, knowledge-based society and economy.

The NITC will also be responsible for supervising the work of its Working Groups and RITA. It will also from time to time identify and assign roles to other Government Agencies, Institutions, and relevant Private Sector Organizations and Establishments in respect to the formulation and implementation of components of National ICT Policies, Strategies and Plans.

RITA, apart from reporting to the NITC through its Executive Management Committee, will also have an administrative link and a working relation with: the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office and MINITRACO. It is envisaged that RITA as part of its role as a national ICT Coordinating Body under the direction and supervision of the NITC will also have some level linkages with the IT Directorates/Divisions of the Ministries as well as with other ICT-related organizations, relevant NGOs and International Agencies.

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