Question 1:

What is ICT policy?

(http://rights.apc.org/handbook/ICT_01_b.shtml . )

The Oxford English Dictionary defines policy as “A course of action, adopted and
pursued by a government, party, ruler, statesman, etc.; any course of action adopted as
advantageous or expedient.” While this definition suggests that policy is the realm of
those in power – governments or official institutions – a wider sense could include the
vision, goals, principles and plans that guide the activities of many different actors.
ICT policy generally covers three main areas: telecommunications (especially telephone
communications), broadcasting (radio and TV) and the internet. It may be national,
regional or international. Each level may have its own decision-making bodies,
sometimes making different and even contradictory policies.

Although policies are formally put in place by governments, different stakeholders and in
particular the private sector make inputs into the policy process and affect its out-comes.
Thus, for example, in the International Telecommunications Union, an intergovernmental
body for governments to coordinate rules and regulations in the field of
telecommunications, the influence of multinationals has grown enormously. Privatisation
of state-owned companies has meant that governments can rarely control
telecommunications directly. The privatised telecom companies, often partly controlled
by foreign shareholders, look after their own interests. In the context of globalised
markets, large and rich corporations are often more powerful than developing countries’
governments, allowing them to shape the policy-making process.

Some examples of recent government ICT policy legislation

Millennium Act (USA)

RIP Act 2000 (UK)
EU Copyright and Patenting Directives
The Internet Content Filtering Ordinance (South Korea)
The Council of Ministers Resolution of February 12, 2001, rules for internet use (Saudi
Arabia)
Two sets of issues in ICT policy are critical to civil society at the moment: access and
civil liberties. Access has to do with making it possible for everyone to use the internet
and other media. In countries where only a minority have telephones, ensuring affordable
access to the internet is a huge challenge. Much of the response would lie in social
solutions such as community or public access centres. In richer countries, basic access to
internet is available almost to all, and faster broadband connections are fairly widespread.
Access to traditional media is now a key concern, as new technologies make community
video, radio and television more feasible than before.

The other set of issues, civil liberties, includes human rights such as freedom of
expression, the right to privacy, the right to communicate, intellectual property rights, etc.
These rights as applied to broadcast media have been threatened in many countries, and
now the internet, which began as a space of freedom, is also threatened by government
legislation and emerging restrictions. Some of the most blatant attacks on freedom of
expression come from developing countries such as China and Vietnam, but even in
countries which have a long tradition of freedom of expression, such as the USA, there
are new attempts to restrict internet users’ privacy and to limit their right to choose. At the
same time, restrictions that are intended to limit media monopolies are being weakened
and pushed aside.

Question 2:
Why is it important for an Organization to have an ICT policy?
(A search from http://www.jidaw.com/nigeria/ictpolicy1.html. )

ICT Policy for Development

It is already widely accepted that Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)
are an important enabler of growth through the wealth creation, increased productivity
and the creation of opportunities.
In the information society where progress and power depends on information and
knowledge, the role of ICT becomes even more critical.
Indeed by tackling the barriers of cost, time and distance, ICTs contribute immensely by
providing efficiency gains and increased productivity.

ICT is certainly not an end in itself.

But after sinking massive resources into ICT many countries are still not benefiting. To
many ICT is a “paper tiger” – it is not having the desired effect on poverty reduction and
wealth creation.

Globally the contradictions are even deeper. The great paradox is that with the amazing
growth in computing and telecommunications – wireless technologies, mobile telephony,
web services - the digital divide is still widening between the digital “haves” and the
digital “have-nots”. “The digital are getting more digital, while the analogue are getting
more analogue”. What a paradox. What an irony. There is so much evidence of poverty
globally in the midst of such technology development and innovation. Poverty, lack of
leadership and commitment and the weird global structure result in unevenness in the
exploitation and deployment of technologies.

Closing these gaps – locally, nationally and globally - requires creative pro-people
policies that focus on national priorities – on areas that will have the greatest positive
impact on development.

Most countries therefore develop national ICT policies in recognition of the enormous
potential of ICT. To avoid being left behind, several nations develop such ICT policies
addressing several core issues for keying into the benefits of an ICT–driven world. The
aim is to be a creator, a producer and not a consumer or mere passenger. It is usually a
proactive indication of the seriousness government attaches to the role of ICT in society.
A national ICT policy can be seen as an attempt to develop a pro-people ICT road map of
the country. Lack of a coherent and comprehensive policy often leads to redundancy,
waste of resources, ineffective ICT diffusion and development and an inability to tap into
global opportunities.
But an ICT policy is no guarantee

However, as many nations have found out, having an ICT policy is no guarantee that ICT
will actually be an effective enabler. According to Ernest Hemingway "Never mistake
motion for action." Practice is often different from theory.

How realistic are the goals of the ICT policy? What are the priorities? Is deployment
effective? Is content relevant? Is leadership committed? How effectively are resources
being mobilized and deployed? Is the policy a government “show” or were other
stakeholders involved? How well integrated and prioritized is the ICT policy within
national development programs? (Click Here to take part in a survey on Nigeria's ICT
policy).

Policy Objectives

Let’s look at what typical ICT policies and strategies should address:

- Development of ICT infrastructure

Public-Private-Partnership, telecom infrastructure, Internet connectivity, pro-poor

Internet access, ICT networks, Computers and related equipment, etc.

It’s not just about provision of infrastructure but also quality, quantity and access issues.
Access to infrastructure should lead to access to relevant content and services.
Availability and reliability are important, but price is often the most critical factor that
affects access.

- Enabling environment

An enabling environment is critical for the Information Society. Such an environment

provides support for ICT empowerment while eliminating constraints.

Legal, institutional and regulatory framework is required to ensure fair competition; to

attract investment; to develop ICT infrastructure, solutions and applications; to provide
tax and other incentives for ICT industry and investors; to support transfer of technology;
to meet the needs, priorities, aspirations of various stakeholders; to provide legal
infrastructure for intellectual property protection, digital contracting, privacy and data
protection, cybercrime, etc.

- e-government

How will government provide leadership and direction? E-governance is for transparency
in government operations, improving the quality of government’s service delivery,
improving efficiency, accountability, financial management, information management,
reducing bureaucracy, and delivery of public services in healthcare, education and
environment. It also affects the enhancement of government ICT infrastructure,
supporting an enabling environment as mentioned earlier and providing leadership by
making ICT a national priority.

Often leadership can make the difference between failure and success. A government that
does not appreciate the strategic opportunity provided by ICT cannot provide the required
leadership.

- Development and growth of the ICT industry

How will the policy facilitate the development of a local ICT industry that will reduce
import dependence and enhance export opportunities? How will the ICT industry enable
employment generation and wealth creation through the production, manufacturing,
development, delivery, and distribution of ICT products and services?

Policies may encourage application development providing innovative technological

solutions with relevant local content. How will the ICT industry (Hardware, Software,
Services) contribute to growth of all sectors? Such applications can significant impact
when implemented in national development priority sectors.

- ICT diffusion and increased ICT literacy

Ignorance is a monster retarding the growth and use of ICT. Policies will deal with ICT
diffusion, and ICT literacy, and awareness of the benefits of ICT, the creation of new
economic and social opportunities for poverty eradication, job creation and
empowerment.

- Human resource development

Knowledge is power. Knowledge creation and the ability to translate ICT skills and
knowledge to the benefit of society are critical. A country’s future is determined by the
size and quality of its human capital. ICT skills are required for empowerment to enhance
value and create opportunity through new technologies. Human capital must be
developed through training, research and capacity building. Organizations such as
universities and institutions of higher learning, research centers, polytechnics and training
centers are affected in this area.
The creative ability needed cannot be developed with a mindset of “too much
downloading and no uploading”. Fundamental ICT skills are needed especially for
creative problem solving and innovative solutions. Through research and development
innovations in technology are encouraged.

- E-business and E-commerce

This deals with policies that should facilitate various aspects of e-business such as e-
payments, e-banking, e-commerce, secure transactions and the appropriate legislation.
How will the rapid development of business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business
(B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) e-business be promoted? The need for
promoting an e-business culture and development of human resources for e-business are
critical. E-business is particularly important for using ICTs for the promotion and
development of Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs).

- Role of the private sector

The private sector plays a vital role in the establishment of the knowledge economy.
Policies should address how public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives can be effective.
It is particularly important for PPP initiatives to provide, support and use the information
infrastructure, to encourage the deployment and use of ICTs within the economy and
society. The right environment for the private sector should promote fair competition,
opening up new markets, global opportunities and the delivery of high quality products
and services.

- Gender issues

There is a need for policies to address the issue of equal access of women to ICT. How
can the specific developmental needs of women be met? How gender sensitive are the
policies?

- Impact analysis

Based on statistics, what is ICT doing for us? Is it making an impact? Where? (Click
Here to take part in a survey on Nigeria's ICT policy). What are the important indicators
for assessment, decision-making, benchmarks or reviews? Monitoring the use of ICT and
measuring the impact of ICT is necessary to evaluate the developmental impact of ICT
programmes and projects.

Success?
ICT policies don’t exist in a vacuum. It’s really a question of identifying policies that
state how ICT will facilitate growth and the achievement of development objectives. Are
policies effectively promoting the deployment and use of ICT to meet national goals and
aspirations?

Since ICT development is multidimensional, a multi-stakeholder approach is required for

the development of ICT policies and strategies - public institutions, private sector, civil
society, academia, ICT industry, consumers, the public, SMEs must be involved. A mufti-
stakeholder approach ensures such strategies must grounded in reality.

Furthermore a holistic approach that recognizes and resolves conflicts, overlaps, gaps is
needed. This meets the obvious need for close coordination and coherence among ICT-
related activities and initiatives

And finally, it is absolutely critical that ICT and the ICT policy is regarded as a priority
and mainstreamed into national development programs (strategies, policies and
implementation) – it should be based on precise goals and objectives that focus on
priority needs and aspirations.