Information and Communications Technologies

To maximize a client's potential, it must make appropriate capital decisions. For a country this traditionally has meant investments in physical capital such as roads, sewers, water, schools, hospitals, and power. For the private sector this has also included buildings and equipment. Recently it has been recognized that there are two additional categories: knowledge/human capital and natural capital. All three must be considered in a balanced approach. The accumulation, technological progress, and productivity of these assets have a long-term impact on wealth creation and the reduction of poverty.

ICT is an integral part of the technological progress in all three categories of assets, and affects all aspects of a country: its government, industry, and society. ICTs include the basic hardware (computers, printers, routers) the communication paths (networks, telephone wires, wireless spectrum), technology architecture, systems design, the myriad of applications, and enterprise reform. In today's digitally led economy, investments in ICT's cannot be ignored. A country must have the capacity to develop effective options for ICT use and reduce the risks of inappropriate and/or badly implemented investments. There must also be a comprehensive strategy that can be used to ensure inter-agency coordination and measure efficacy.

ICT is also an integral part of productivity improvements and effectiveness for the private sector.

Good governance is required to make effective decisions about investments in all three categories of assets. Good governance will positively impact growth and development, the two factors needed for wealth creation and poverty alleviation.

Three elements of good governance that can be directly and positively identified as being impacted by the effective use of ICTs are; government effectiveness (quality policy making and service delivery), regulatory burden (reduction of burden and appropriate regulatory oversight), and control of corruption.

ICT Policy Can Be a Focus for Improvement

Good governance and the development of sound ICT policy are inter-related and mutually supportive. Good governance creates a nurturing environment for the development of effective ICT policy and its efficient use. Effective ICT investment provides the tools for building improved and adaptable governance structures.

These tools include:

• civil involvement in the development of policy,
• transparency of public service actions (including inter-agency co-ordination),
• reduction of duplicate regulation,
• publication of consistent rules, regulations, and fees, and
• equal dissemination of information that can assist individuals make self serving economic decisions.

A government can best achieve capacity development by using ICT policy as a focus. This activity often provides sufficient experience for the government to develop continuing processes for civil involvement. In the creation of policy capacity, there is usually a need to build pilot applications. These applications demonstrate methods to increase the transparency of public service actions, and how to disseminate relevant information to key decision-makers, from the end-user (i.e. the farmer) to the political official. Increased availability of information creates a demand for more, leading to the publication of all rules, regulations and fees. This should lead to an environment that will minimize regulatory red tape and minimize opportunities for inappropriate rent seeking. It should also highlight those areas of duplicate regulation.

ICT Policy Needs a Comprehensive Approach

To sustain policy capacity, a knowledgeable group must have the education and skills to interpret new IT directions and define suitable local actions. To impart IT knowledge requires that people first acquire experience in the application of theory through the design, implementation, and monitoring of applications. To understand what else could be applicable requires observations of other applications and discussion on what it implies to the local environment. To ensure that this knowledge is passed on requires a solid education system.

To ensure that the lessons learned in the design and implementation of applications can be sustained and improved upon, it is necessary to build a solid IT industry. To ensure that the policy makers consider all aspects of IT, it is important that the industry be given a voice on its formulation and that any policy actions be gender neutral.

In response to these needs, an approach could include:
· the education field, to improve on the delivery of all aspects of IT teaching and to define resources for all to use;
· interaction with the policy advisors in all departments/ministries(because IT is cross-cutting);
· the design and implementation of small pilot projects;
· support (for a country) to the IT industry;
· advise on the approach and monitoring of the computerization of management, and;
· identification and suggestions of ways to remove any gender biases.

GAIA's Approach

ICT policy does not necessarily mean that the latest in technology must be adopted now. It means looking at the information and knowledge needs of the client and developing an approach to meet those needs. This requires a consultant that is technologically informed, but not driven. The consultant must be totally independent of any technology solution provider. The consultants must be aware that their own approach and use of technology on a project can also help to build capacity.

GAIA has the expertise to independently assist clients define the need and an approach. The first step is to clearly define the expected outputs and desired outcomes. The second is to outline activities that will achieve the outputs. The third is to define measurements for each output and to identify any risks that may impair its ability to influence the desired outcome. The fourth is to manage and monitor the implementation of the activities and develop mitigation strategies to ensure effective influence on outcomes.

Usually the depth and need for certain activities will change as the capacity is strengthened. The reverse can also be true. In some cases it maybe caused by an overestimation of capability, some a more rapid assimilation of the concepts, in others a greater resistance to change than anticipated. Accordingly the approach has to be flexible enough to adapt to this beneficial change. Regardless, any changes must be made such that they enhance the likelihood of achieving the outcomes.

The approach can be done in phases, such that a preliminary phase, to reduce the risks of no change, is advisable. Hence the final step of such a preliminary phase is to define the overall effectiveness of the intervention, and design the next phase or, if needed, additional remedial activities before proceeding.

GAIA has the expertise and independence of mind and approach.