A Blueprintfor Developing
National ICT
Policy in Africa

Clement

Dzidonu

ATPSSPECIALPAPERSERIESNo.5

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network, P.O. Box 10081, 00100
General Post Office, Nairobi, Kenya@ 2002 African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

Edited, typeset and formatted by Magayu K. Magayu

ISBN No. 9966-916-87-3

Preface
Publications under the Special Paper Series are commissioned by ATPS as concept papers
or keynote addresses. In keeping with the network’s knowledge brokerage function,
ATPS publishes papers from distinguished academics and researchers addressing policy
issues relevant to the work of ATPS in support of the Southern voice or an African
perspective. Theoretical papers advancing knowledge of technology policy issues arealso published under this series.

Contents
The Challenges of Globalization and the Information Age
The Digital Divide and its Socio-Economic Development Implications
A Review of ‘ICT for Development’ Efforts on the World Scene
Developing the African Information Society and Economy:
The AISI and the DOI
Making a Case for Developing National ICT Policies,
Strategies and Plans
Guidelines to Facilitate the Process of Developing Integrated
National Communication and Information Policies and Plans
Guidelines for Developing the Framework to Guide the
Policy and Plan Development Process
Guidelines for Developing the Policy Document
Guidelines for Developing the Plan
Facilitating Structures to Support the Policy and Plan
Development and Implementation Process
Identifying the Critical Success Factors

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1.0 The Challenges of Globalization and the Information Age
The world economy is experiencing the impact of rapid globalization and the emerging
information age, which is bringing about a new global economic order dominated byinformation and knowledge-based economies (IKEs). Developing countries, including
African nations, are facing new challenges in the socio-economic development process asa result of globalization and the impact of the emerging new information age.
Majority of these countries are already experiencing socio-economic challenges characterized
by low growth rates, balance of payment difficulties, weak industrial structures, poor
physical and communications infrastructural development, and problems associated withheavy debt burdens and huge public and social expenditure budgets. These problems arelikely to be compounded by the new challenges posed by globalization and the information
age if steps are not taken to embrace policies aimed at addressing them.
According to Dzidonu and Siochru1, the emerging information age characterized byinformation and communication technologies (ICTs) and the extraordinary increase in the
spread of knowledge has given rise to an era of knowledge and information. These technologies
are offering even less developed agricultural countries like those in Africa the opportunity
to transform their economies and accelerate their socio-economic development process as
part of addressing the challenges of globalization and the socio-economic implications of
the widening digital divide.

2.0 The Digital Divide and its Socio-Economic Development
Implications
The concept of the ‘digital divide’ and its implications is often defined in terms of the degree ofaccess to ICTs in general and in particular to the Internet and its related emerging advanced
communication technologies. According to Dzidonu2, statistics showing the number of Internet
hosts and subscribers, the level of computer penetration within a given society or economy,
among others, are often used as a rough indicator of the digital divide between two communities, nations or regions. Based on these estimates, most developing countries, including Africancountries, are generally classified as having comparatively less or inadequate access to thesetechnologies.
We argue that the problem of the digital divide is not a technological one; in fact it is not
merely an issue of a divide between ‘technological-haves’ and the ‘technological-have-nots’.
The threat posed by the digital divide is more of an economic development problem than atechnological one. For developing countries like those in Africa, the digital divide and its
implications has more to do with the inability of these countries to deploy, harness and exploit
the developmental opportunities of the emerging digital information and technological revolution
to advance the process of their socio-economic development.
There is, therefore, need to go beyond looking at the implications of the digital divide
purely in terms of access to technological resources and services and examine its wider

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implications in socio-economic development terms. In other words, the deployment, exploitationand development of ICTs in support of transforming the predominantly agricultural economies
of African countries and moving them towards an information and knowledge economy is thecentral question that needs to be addressed in the context of the digital divide.
There is no doubt that the information and knowledge-based economy is the economyof the future and the challenge facing African countries relates more to how they should
go about formulating and implementing appropriate ICT-led socio-economic development
policies and plans that could aid the process of moving their economies and society to theother side of the digital divide. It is however worth pointing out that there is no single
blueprint for developing the information and knowledge economy or society. This blueprint
offers guidelines for facilitating efforts aimed at developing ICT-led socio-economic
development policies, strategies and the corresponding plans in African countries. For
each of these countries, the development of the information economy and society will be
addressed in the context of the needs and priorities facing the country.

3.0 A Review of ‘ICT for Development’ Efforts on the World Scene
Governments world-wide recognize the crucial role ICTs play in facilitating and accelerating
socio-economic development. A number of countries in the developed and developingworld are putting in place policies and strategic plans that will enable them to transformtheir economies into information and knowledge-based economies. For example, the USA,
Canada and a number of European countries as well as Asian countries including India,
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam and SouthAmerican countries, among them, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, in additon to Australia andMauritius have already put in place these policies and plans or are at an advanced stage of
implementing the programmes.
In India, for example, the government sees ICTs and their deployment for socio-economic
development as an area in which the country can quickly establish global dominance andreap tremendous payoffs in creating wealth and generating quality employment. Finland
regards the development and use of ICTs in its economy as key to national efforts toimprove the quality of life, knowledge and international competitiveness.
Malaysia’s Vision 2020, which envisages the country as a fully developed nation by
year 2020 and Singapore’s vision of transforming the country into an ‘Intelligent Island’
see ICTs as the main engine for promoting accelerated development and growth, and forgaining global competitive advantage. Mauritius, learning from the Singaporean experiencehas developed a strategic ICT plan that forms an integral part of its overall vision of socialand economic development. Mexico also sees ICTs as key to achieving progress in socialand economic development. Finally, Rwanda, as is the case of Senegal, Mozambique andSouth Africa, has seriously taken on board the deployment and exploitation of ICTs tofacilitate their socio-economic development. From powerful countries like the USA tosmall countries like Andorra, Mauritius and Rwanda, the need to embrace the information

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revolution to transform economies and societies to improve the quality of life of theirpeople has been recognized.

It could be argued that because of the portable nature of the underlying technologies
driving the development of the information society and economy, developing countries,
especially in Africa, are equally placed to take advantage of the technologies to facilitatesocio-economic development. The information and knowledge economy facilitated bythese technologies is one that the mighty and the weak could take advantage of. But,
these technologies will be creating new winners and losers within the emerging new
global economic order. The new winners will include the developed and some developing
nations who seize the opportunity to embrace the technologies to support their socioeconomic development.
The prediction is that the gap between the new winners and losers in the new world
economic order dominated by IKEs will be much larger than the development gap thatnow exists between the advanced nations and the under-developed nations. African countries,
most of which are currently under-developed, are at risk of being further marginalized ifthey fail to embrace the technologies to transform their economies. The need for thecountries to put in place policies to address the challenges of globalization and the information
age in the context of devising ways and means to aid the process of developing theinformation economy and society cannot, therefore, be over-emphasized.

4.0 Developing the African Information Society and Economy:AISI and DOI
The African Information Society Initiative (AISI)3 initiated by the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa (UNECA) is a bold attempt aimed at developing the Africa informationsociety and economy. This initiative adopted by the 22nd Meeting of the UNECA Conferenceof Ministers in 1996 serves as a framework for a radical socio-economic transformation
through deployment and exploitation of ICTs in the context of globalization and theinformation age. It could be argued that the failure of African countries to recognize andexploit the developmental potentials and opportunities of the information and technologicalrevolution could seriously undermine the capacities of hese countries to embark on andsustain their socio-economic development efforts in the emerging information age.
The first Africa Development Forum, organized by UNECA in 1999 and based on thetheme ‘Challenges of Globalization and the Information Age’, used AISI as point ofreference to re-focus the attention of African governments on the socio-economic development
implications of the digital divide. The forum examined and proposed a number of actions
that need to be taken at the national and continental levels within the AISI framework toaccelerate Africa’s development efforts in the new information age.

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implications of the digital divide. The forum examined and proposed a number of actions
that need to be taken at the national and continental levels within the AISI framework toaccelerate Africa’s development efforts in the new information age.
This ‘What-to-do’ framework has, since adoption, been operationalized, field-tested
and refined. With support from UNECA and other development partners, including theInternational Development Research Center (IDRC), the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU), a number of African countries haveembarked on the process of developing their national information and communications
policies and plans based on it.
Countries like Rwanda, Senegal, Mozambique, Tunisia, among others, have operationalized,
adapted and refined the AISI framework to develop their respective national informationand communications policies and plans. On the basis of work done since the adoption of
AISI, there is now an extensive body of knowledge and accumulated experience in thearea of formulation and development of relevant policies and plans to facilitate accelerated
economic development in the emerging information and technological age in a number ofAfrican countries.
Details of the broad guidelines contained in this blueprint are drawn from experiences
and the lessons from the implementation of the AISI framework at the country level,
especially in such countries as Rwanda, whose ICT policy and plan development are
regarded as good models for African countries.
It is also worth pointing out that the proposed guidelines also address some of the key
requirements and provisions of the Digital Opportunity Initiative (DOI)4, an initiative ledby the UNDP. The DOI, like AISI, is aimed at guiding the ‘ICT for Development’ process
in developing countries, including African countries. Drawing from the varied experiencesof a number developing countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Brazil, India, Korea,
Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Gambia, Estonia and South Africa, the DOI report highlighted
some important lessons in relation to the role of ICT in development. Some of these are:
• An export focus approach can produce significant economic benefits, such as growthand foreign investment;• Building domestic ICT production capacity may address local needs and help strengthen
domestic economic linkages;• It is imperative to use ICT to improve the competitive position of a developing
country in the global economy;• An explicit focus on using ICT in pursuit of development goals allows countries toachieve a wide diffusion of benefits from ICT and contributes to both broad-based
economic growth and specific development goals.
• A number of interrelated factors should be addressed to maximize the benefits of
ICT for development. These include building human capacity, creating incentives
for enterprise, developing appropriate content and increasing competition, especiallyamong telecommunications and Internet-related businesses.

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ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5• Finally, the success of national ICT strategies is dependent upon the coordination
and alignment of efforts undertaken by all actors involved, at global, local andnational levels.
Based on these lessons, the DOI developed a strategic framework to help guide developing
countries in investing in, and implementing strategies which take advantage of the potential
of ICT to accelerate social and economic development. The framework consists of fivecritically interrelated areas for strategic intervention. These include:
Infrastructure – deploying a core ICT network infrastructure, achieving relative ubiquityof access, and investing in strategically focused capacity to support high development
priorities.
Human Capacity – building a critical mass of knowledge workers, increasing technicalskills among users and strengthening local entrepreneurial and managerial capabilities.
Policy – supporting a transparent and inclusive policy process, promoting fair andopen competition, and strengthening institutional capacity to implement and enforce policies.
Enterprise – improving access to financial capital, facilitating access to global andlocal markets, enforcing appropriate tax and property rights regimes, enabling efficientbusiness processes and stimulating domestic demand for ICT.
Content and Applications – providing demand-driven information which is relevant to
the needs and conditions experienced by local people.

5.0 Making a Case for Developing National ICT Policies,
Strategies and Plans
It can be argued that in the new emerging economic order, the fundamental basis forpoverty reduction, wealth creation and national prosperity is information and knowledge,
and African countries cannot afford to be without either of these. Information and communications
technologies are key to achieving progress in economic and social development in Africancountries. There is no doubt that the information and knowledge economy is generating
opportunities across all sectors in developed and developing countries. It is a new source
for the creation of quality jobs, wealth generation and redistribution, rapid economy
development and prosperity as well as a source for facilitating global competitiveness.
The argument being put forward is that if African countries are to achieve rapid andradical social and economic transformation in the new information age to be dominated byinformation and knowledge-based economies, they will need to implement comprehensive
ICT-led socio-economic development policies, strategies and plans. The premise is thatthe emerging information and communications technologies underlying the information
revolution are offering even under-developed agricultural countries, like those in Africa,
a window of opportunity to leap-frog the industrialization stage and transform their economies
into high value-added information economies that can compete with the advanced economies
on the global market.
In other words, the opportunities offered by the emerging information revolution could
enable African countries to circumvent the classical developmental path that stipulates

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6

that economies in the process of their development will need to move from agricultural toindustrial and then to what is now termed the information and knowledge economy (IKE).
The basic argument is that it will be possible for under-developed countries, including thevast majority of African countries, with predominantly subsistence agriculture-based economies,
to transform their economies into a predominantly information and knowledge economy
without first being fully industrialized. To explore this argument further as a step towards
making the case for the development of national information and communication policies
and plans in African countries, we examine below the broad question of what constitutes
an information and knowledge-based economy.
What is an Information and Knowledge Economy?
Although there is no standard accepted definition of what constitutes an information andknowledge-based economy, it could be argued that such an economy should first andforemost be a reasonably rich economy dominated by development, production and tradingin ICT products and services. Furthermore, an information and knowledge economy islikely to be an economy:• characterized by a large commercial service sector with a reasonably large andvibrant ICT service sub-sector and industry;• characterized by a technology-based knowledge-driven industrial sector;• in which the majority of the working population are either directly or indirectly
involved in information and communications-related activities;• with a modern, efficient and competitive agricultural sector;• in which a reasonably large proportion of the population has access to informationand communications technology products and services;• in which the provision and delivery of goods and services of the key sectors of theeconomy are, to a large extent, facilitated by information and communications
technologies• in which the provision and delivery of services by government and its administrative
machinery are, to a large, extent facilitated by information and communications
technologies;• based on an advanced and reliable national information and communications infrastructure;and• based on a literate society with a high proportion of computer literates.
It could be argued that given the above characteristics of what constitutes an informationand knowledge-based economy and society, there is no doubt that most of the industriallyadvanced countries will only need to put in place specific ICT deployment programmes
and national information infrastructure (NII) programmes to move their advanced andglobally competitive economies into information and knowledge-based economies. Africancountries will, however, need to do more to achieve the same goal.

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In other words, it will not be enough for these countries to implement a number ofisolated ICT projects and programmes or sectoral policies that are not tied to their overallsocio-economic development strategy, and hope to transform their economies into informationand knowledge economies that exhibit the characteristics outlined above. There is no
doubt that for African countries to be able to address the challenges of the emerging
globalization and the information age, they will need to put in place ICT policies andplans in the wider national socio-economic development plans.
Thus it will be possible for predominantly agricultural economies, including those in
Africa, to be transformed into predominantly information and knowledge economies without
first being fully industrialized, provided some developmental prerequisites are met andthe necessary policies, and plans are put in place. We illustrate this point below byconsidering each of the characteristics of an information and knowledge-based economy.

A high income economy dominated by trading in ICT products and services
It will be possible for predominantly agricultural and industrially weak countries inAfrica to transform their economies into one dominated by trading in ICT products andservices without the need for them to be first fully industrialized. This can be achieved
mainly by developing the service sector, especially the ICT services sub-sector and promoting
the development of an ICT industry by putting in place specific policies backed by sounddevelopment plans, packages and policy instruments and by mobilizing the necessaryfinancial and technological resources to support the development of these sectors.

An economy characterized by a large commercial service sector with areasonably large and vibrant ICT service sub-sector and industry
A number of under-developed African countries can develop their economies into economies
characterized by a large commercial service sector with a reasonably large and vibrant,
ICT service sub-sector and industry by putting in place sound sectoral development
policies and incentive packages. Full industrialization is, therefore, not a pre-requisite fordeveloping this aspect of the information economy in these countries.

An economy characterized by a technology-based knowledge-driven
industrial sector
It has been acknowledged that in the emerging technology and knowledge-driven new
economic order, the most efficient and competitive industrialized economies are thosethat are moving away from traditional industrial processes and methods of production to
the deployment of knowledge-driven or knowledge-programmed processes and methods
within their industrial, production and delivery set-ups and systems. Although subsistence
agricultural based and industrially weak economies like those in Africa lack the necessary
resources and know-how to develop and deploy cutting-edge knowledge-driven industrial

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processes and methods, it will be possible for these countries to mobilize and train thenecessary human resource to serve as the necessary pool of knowledge and know-how tofacilitate the process of developing a technology-based knowledge-driven industrial sector.
In other words, although not industrialized, it will still be possible for these countries toembark on the process of developing a technology-based knowledge-driven industrial
sector with the right policies and programmes, and the required financial and technologicalresources.

An economy in which the majority of the working population is either directly or
indirectly involved in information and communications related activities
The predominantly agricultural economies can be transformed into economies in which
the majority of the working population are either directly or indirectly involved in informationand communications-related activities without the need to be first fully industrialized.
The development of sectors like the service sector and ICT industry can, for example,
substantially contribute to increasing the number of the working population involved in
information and communications-related activities. Furthermore, the development ofthese ICT-based sectors can facilitate the deployment, exploitation and utilization of ICTs
in other sectors of the economy which will, in turn, impact on the number of the working
population that are directly or indirectly involved in information and communicationsrelated activities.

An economy with a modern, efficient and competitive agricultural sector
It will be possible for African countries to transform their subsistence agricultural economies
into a modern, efficient and competitive agricultural sector with the right policies backed
by the mobilization of the necessary financial and technological resources. Full industrializationof these countries is, therefore, not a prerequisite for the modernization of the agricultural
sector of these countries. The argument being put forward is that African countries, intheir pursuit for development of their information and knowledge-based economies cannot
abandon the agricultural sectors on which they currently depend. However, they must
make this sector modern, efficient and competitive. The point has to be made that evensuch an efficient, modern and competitive agricultural sector cannot be the engine foraccelerated economic growth and development in the emerging information and technologicalage.

An economy in which a reasonably large proportion of the population has access to
information and communications technology products and services
Under-developed economies like those in Africa can, with the right ICT policies, plans,
packages and financial and technological resources, be transformed into economies inwhich a reasonable proportion of the population has access to information and communications

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technology products and services without the need to be first industrialized. For example,
the necessary legal, regulatory and institutional framework necessary in facilitating thedevelopment and provision of ICT services can be put in place as part of government
effort towards this goal. Also, sectoral development policy packages and instruments
targeted at the development of rapid growth sectors could lead to the expansion of these
sectors, which would, in turn, contribute to the rapid development and growth of theeconomy to facilitate increased access to ICT products and services by a large section of
the population.

An economy in which the provision and delivery of goods and services of key sectorsof the economy are to a large extent facilitated by information and communications
technologies
It will be possible for predominantly agricultural economies of Africa to promote thedeployment and exploitation of ICTs in all sectors of their economies to facilitate theprovision of goods and services without first being fully industrialized. They can, forexample, achieve this through specific policies backed by special programmes, initiatives
and incentive packages in the areas of tax and investment promotion incentives to encourage
public and private sector organizations and business to invest in ICTs to support theiroperations. A booming economy led, for example, by the service sector including the ICT
service sub-sector as well as the broader ICT industry will also facilitate the spread of
ICTs in businesses and organizations as they take advantage of the favourable economic
climate to modernize their operations through deployment and exploitation of ICT products
and services.

An economy in which the provision and delivery of services by government and its
administrative machinery are to a large extent facilitated by information andcommunications
technologies
Developing economies, those in Africa included, could be transformed into economies inwhich the provision and delivery of services by government is to a large extent facilitatedby information and communications technologies without the need to first industrialize.
They could, for example, achieve this by mobilizing the required financial and technologicalresources to put in place a programme to modernize their civil and public service. A
component of this could be the computerization of all government ministries and publicorganizations.

An economy based on an advanced and reliable information and communications
infrastructure
Without the need to first industrialize, it will be possible for developing countries, including
the vast majority of African countries, to mobilize the necessary financial and technologicalA BLUEPRINT FOR DEVELOPING NATIONAL ICT POLICY IN AFRICA

10

resources to build, rehabilitate and expand their information and communications infrastructure
to support the development of their economies towards an IKE. Policies could, forexample, be put in place to promote private sector (domestic and foreign) investment inthis sector and put in place the necessary legal, regulatory and institutional framework to
encourage its development.
An economy based on a literate society with a high proportion of ICT (e.g. computer)literates
Developing African countries can achieve the goal of a literate society by putting in placeappropriate educational policies, human resource development policies and programmes
and by mobilizing the necessary financial and other resources for implementation. Businesses
and organizations in a growing economy will also be investing in skills development,
especially in ICT skills as they train the necessary manpower for their operations. Government
could also put in special incentive packages to promote this process, which in addition toits other efforts, could make their societies literate with a high proportion of ICT literates
without first being fully industrialized.
In a nutshell, without doubt, it will be possible for the predominantly agricultural
economies of Africa to be transformed into predominantly information and knowledgebased economies (PIKE) without the need to fully industrialize provided:• some crucial enabling conditions are met• sound ICT-led socio-economic development policies, plans and programmes, packages
and policy instruments are put in place• the necessary resources (human, financial and technological) are mobilized in supportof the programmes and initiatives put in place.
However, the extent to which African countries will benefit from the information
revolution and transform their economies will depend very much on their readiness andcapability to develop, deploy and exploit ICTs in their respective economy as part of acomprehensive policy. The role of African governments is crucial in this respect. They
have to develop, in consultation with key stakeholders, the necessary vision, missions andstrategies to provide direction as well as environment conducive to the promotion, deployment,
exploitation and development of ICTs. It is also their duty to put in place sound socioeconomic policies, plans as well as policy programmes and incentive packages and policy
instruments that will facilitate the process of accelerated development and economic
growth towards an IKE using ICTs.
In addition, it is the responsibility of governments to provide the necessary legal andregulatory framework that will facilitate the development of the economy towards an IKE.
The responsibility for providing good governance and a conducive socio-political environment
also lies with the governments.

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The diagram below illustrates key factors that need to be addressed to transform subsistence
agriculture-based and industrially weak African economies into information and knowledgebased economies through the development, deployment and exploitation of ICTs. These
key factors are grouped into three broad areas: Enabling environmental factors, which
need to be addressed to provide the necessary environment to aid the process; Facilitating
factors for facilitating the socio-economic process towards an information and knowledgebased economy and society and Policy actions, programmes and packages for aiding,influencing and supporting the development process towards a PIKE.
It is of interest to note that even if the Enabling environmental requirements identified
in the diagram were addressed, not very much can be achieved by way of moving subsistence
agricultural economies towards PIKE unless steps are taken to address the other key
requirements forming part of the facilitating factors including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Sound socio-economic development plans
Lead sector(s) development plans
Educated and informed society
Government commitment and sound leadership
Modernized and efficient civil and public service
Financial and technological resource availability and
Human resource availability

However, it is again worth pointing out that addressing the facilitating factors andrequirements will not necessarily guarantee that subsistence agriculture dominated economies
of Africa will be transformed into PIKEs unless governments put in place relevant policy
programmes, incentives and policies specially designed for aiding, influencing and supporting
the developmental process towards achieving PIKE. Some examples of these programmes
and policy instruments are listed in the diagram. But it could be argued that suitable
programmes and policy packages can only be identified and formulated as part of an
overall process of developing comprehensive integrated ICT-led development policies
and plans aimed at transforming the economies and societies of these countries. We
examine below specific guidelines for aiding this policy and plan development.

6.0 Guidelines to Facilitate the Process of Developing Integrated
National Communication and Information Policies and Plans
It is clear that African countries with the right policies and plans, set within the required
enabling and facilitating environment can transform their economies and societies as partof meeting the challenges of globalization and the emerging information age. Given thatthe necessary governance and socio-political enabling environment issues identified in
the diagram are addressed, it will be possible for these countries (following some specificguidelines) to put in place the required ICT-led socio-economic development policies,A BLUEPRINT FOR DEVELOPING NATIONAL ICT POLICY IN AFRICA

12

Factors to be addressed in trasforming subsistence agriculture based African economies
into information and knowledge-based economies

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ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5plans and the necessary legal, regulatory and institutional structures and provisions aswell as the required policy programmes and packages to aid their socio-economic development.
We present in this section, key elements in facilitating the process of developing national
ICT policies and plans set in the wider context of the socio-economic development objectives
and priorities of the respective countries.

6.1 The Key Outputs of the Process
It is proposed that for any given country, the national ICT policy and plan development
process should be aimed at four key outputs, namely: the Framework, Policy, Plan and
Structures. The idea is that the Framework document will set the agenda for guiding thedevelopment of other elements of the process. The Policy document based on the Framework
will aim at providing the details of key policy commitments and considerations of thegovernment. It is envisaged that the corresponding Plan will provide details of the programmes
and initiatives aimed at implementing the policy commitments of government as containedin the Policy document. Finally, the Structures, or institutional set-ups, will serve as therelevant national coordinating structures, bodies or institutional arrangements to support
the formulation, development and implementation of the policies and plans.
In a nutshell, the Policy document, based on the Framework document will provide
details of the policy commitments of government in relation to what needs to be done
towards the realization of the nation’s social and economic development aspirations throughthe deployment, exploitation and development of ICTs while the Plan, based on the detailsof the Policy document, will provide details of how these policy commitments can betranslated into concrete programmes and initiatives for implementation.

6.2 Phasing the Process
Assuming a phase-wise approach is adopted, the first phase of the process will be devoted
to the development of the Framework, the second phase to the development of the Policy
document based on the details of the framework and the third phase to the development of
the Plan based on the details of the policy.
On the Structures or the institutional arrangements for supporting the policy and plandevelopment and implementation process, it is recommended that these be identified
during the first phase of the process and documented in the framework document. In cases
where these structures do not exist, efforts could be made to put them in place during thesecond or third phases of the process. It is recommended that the key structures should bein place either as fully operational structures or institutions, or at least as temporal set-ups
or institutional arrangements before the completion of the plan development phase. The
details and the deliverables of each of the phases of the process are elaborated below.

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7.0 Guidelines for Developing the Framework to Guide the Policy
and Plan Development Process
It will be necessary in the majority of cases to start the national ICT policy and plandevelopment process with the development of an integrated framework document aimed
at guiding the development of the policy and the plan. This framework document should,
among other things:
1. Provide an analytical basis for the development of the relevant policies and plans.
Specifically, the framework should review and analyze the government’s socioeconomic development frameworks, policies, programmes and provisions as well as
examine the general ICT landscape and infrastructure; the degree and level of ICT
deployment, utilization and development in the country with a view to defining andspecifying the general problem and policy areas worth pursuing.
2. Serve as a conceptual framework for identifying and crystallizing specific developmental
challenges as well as the relevant socio-economic development, vision, missions
and strategies that need to be pursued to address these challenges as per the specificpolicy commitments and corresponding implementation plans.
On the whole, the framework document should be able to identify specific policy
issues and orientations that are required to guide the policy development process and thesubsequent strategic plans.

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Elements of the Framework Document
Acknowledging the fact that the details of the framework document will be determined by
the specific social and developmental parameters of each country and, as such, will differ
from one African country to another, we provide below, in broad terms, some of the key
subject areas and topics that could be addressed in varying degrees in the document:• An Analysis of the current socio-economic situation of the country• Identification of the key socio-economic developmental challenges facing the nation• A review of efforts being made (past and present) to address the identified developmental
challenges• A review and analysis of national socio-economic development policies, programmes
and long-term development frameworks, (e.g. Vision 2020s, Vision 2010s etc)
• Making the case for the need to take steps to address the emerging challenges ofglobalization and the information age• An analysis of the limitations and potentials for transforming the economy andsociety into an information and knowledge-based society and economy• A clear statement of the national vision for social and economic development andthe corresponding missions for the realization of the vision, as well as strategies
aimed at the attainment of the stated missions• Details of specific sectoral development goals directed at transforming the economy
and society as per the stated vision, missions and strategies• Identification of specific institutional arrangements and structures for facilitating
the policy and plan development and implementation process and• Details relating to the scheduling of the remaining phases of the national policy andplan development process
It is important to emphasize that the process of developing the framework document
should be a consultative one aimed at bringing on board all key stakeholders: government,
the private sector and civil society. The requirement is that the study underlying thedevelopment of the framework should, apart from yielding specific deliverables, be used
to build national consensus on key issues on which to base the development of the policy
and plan as well get a general agreement on the way forward in terms of direction andorientation of the national policy and plan development and implementation process.
In other words, the aim is not only to come out with specific outputs but also tomobilize the government machinery, the private sector and the entire society to play anactive role in the consultative process, leading to the development and the implementationof the relevant policies and plans for transforming the economy and society.

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8.0 Guidelines for Developing the Policy Document
Although no two African countries are the same, it is still possible to define in broad
terms key policy issues that need to be taken on board in formulating and broadening thescope of national information and communication policies and strategies in the context ofnational socio-economic realities, priorities and objectives. For example, according to
Dzidonu5, it is imperative that national information and communication policies and strategies
should, among other things, address in broad terms issues relating to the:• creation of the necessary enabling environment to facilitate the deployment, utilizationand exploitation of ICTs within the economy and society;• development of a local ICT industry to facilitate the production, manufacturing,development, delivery, and distribution of ICT products and services;• development of the national human resource capacity to meet the changing demandsof the economy;• development of the national information and communications infrastructure;• development of the legal, institutional and regulatory framework and structures
required to support the deployment, use and the development of ICTs
within the economy and society; and the• development and promotion of the necessary standards, practices and guidelines tosupport the deployment and exploitation of ICTs within the society and economy.
The above form the basis of the UNECA adopted SUNRISE model designed for guiding
the development of national ICT policies, strategies and plans in the context of nationalsocio-economic development objectives, priorities and realities. For the purpose of enhancing
this process in general and to specifically provide guidelines on how to broaden the scopeof national efforts in this area, we describe below, in broad terms, some of the key
requirements and considerations that need to be taken on board in addressing each of thepolicy areas identified above.

Policy on creating and facilitating an enabling environment for the development of thenational information society and economy:
There is a need for African governments to recognize in their broad policy framework forthe development of their national information society and economy, that they have a keyrole to play in creating a favourable enabling political and socio-economic environment tofacilite the process of establishing their country’s information society and economy. Governmentsin the region will, therefore, need to put in place mechanisms to provide and facilitate thenecessary enabling political, economic, regulatory, legal and institutional environment tosupport the process of moving their respective countries from a predominantly agricultural
economy to an information-rich knowledge-based society and economy.

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ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5

Policy on implementing special tax packages, instruments, and incentive
programmes to promote the development of the information economy:
African governments, apart from putting in place mechanisms for providing and facilitating
the necessary enabling environment, will also need to address policy issues directed at
implementing special tax packages, instruments, and incentive programmes to promote
the development of the information society and economy in their respective countries.
They will, therefore, as part of a comprehensive ICT policy and plan, have to take thenecessary policy and programmatic initiatives that will include implementing the necessary
budgetary packages and investment incentive programmes to promote the deployment,
exploitation and development of ICTs in the economy and society to facilitate and accelerate
the process of moving the economy towards an information and knowledge-base economy.

Policy on human resource development and deployment to support the developmentof the country’s information society and economy:
For the majority of African countries, the extent to which they will be able to benefit fromthe advances and the opportunities of the emerging information age will depend on how
they develop and harness their nation’s human resources to initiate, support and maintaintheir socio-economic development towards an information and knowledge economy. Therefore,
African governments need to facilitate implementation of a comprehensive human resource
development programme to meet the changing demands of the ICT sector and other key
sectors of the economy.

Policy to facilitate the deployment and exploitation of ICTs in the educational system::
The key role the educational system can play in socio-economic development process has
been recognized6. Also acknowledged is the key role ICTs can play in educational delivery
and training. The need for ICT training and education in schools, colleges and universities
should therefore be taken on board by African governments in the formulation and implementationof their national information and communication policies and strategies. A specific proposal
is that policies should be put in place to facilitate deployment, use and exploitation of
ICTs in the educational system from primary school upwards.

Policy on the deployment of ICTs to support the operations of the civil and public
services:
In the majority of African countries, civil and public services play a key role in socioeconomic development. But a number of concerns have been expressed with regard totheir efficiency in delivery of government services and on the effect of their size and theresultant huge costs of running them. The crucial role that ICTs can play in improving theA BLUEPRINT FOR DEVELOPING NATIONAL ICT POLICY IN AFRICA

18

efficiency of delivery of government services in reducing the operational costs of these
institutions and in bringing government closer to the people has been acknowledged. It is,therefore, proposed that the deployment and exploitation of ICTs in support of operations
and activities of the civil and public services in African countries should form a key
component of the comprehensive national information and communications policy andstrategies.

Policy on facilitating an investment climate for mobilization of financial andtechnological resources:
Apart from the development and mobilization of human resources, critical factors for ICT
deployment, exploitation and development in the society and economy, there is also theneed for governments in the region to develop polices and put in place mechanisms thatwill facilitate the mobilization of financial and technological resources through foreign
direct investment (FDI) and domestic investment to aid the socio-economic development
process in their countries.

Policy to encourage and facilitate physical infrastructure development:
Socio-economic development cannot take place without the necessary modern physicalinfrastructure: roads and general utilities, social infrastructure as well as telecommunications
and communication infrastructure. There is, therefore, the need to put in place policies
directed at facilitating the development, upgrading, improvement and deployment of thenecessary infrastructure in all key areas.

Policy on the development of standards, best practices and guidelines to guide thedeployment, exploitation and development of ICTs:
Deployment, exploitation and development of ICTs in African countries will need to be
guided by appropriate standards, practices and guidelines. There is therefore a need toincorporate within national ICT policies mechanisms on how these issues can be addressed.

Policy on creating the necessary enabling regulatory framework for facilitating the
deployment, exploitation and development of ICT products, services and systems:
There is a need for governments in the region to acknowledge that the development andexploitation of ICTs in the economy and society as well as the development of the informationand knowledge economy will need to be supported and facilitated by the necessary regulatory
framework and provisions. As part of broadening the scope of national information andcommunication polices, governments should consider the possibility of implementing
relevant sections of the recommendations of the African Telecommunication Policy andRegulatory Framework Development Programme (African Connection Group, 1998)7 —19ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5

prepared by the Africa Ministers of Communication. Key policy areas that need to betaken on board include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Separation of government regulatory and operator duties;
Establishment of independent regulatory institutions;
Universal service and access to basic and value added telecommunications services;
Creation of conditions for an investor friendly telecommunications environment;
Development of local communications industry towards competitiveness;
Liberalization and encouragement of private investment in the ICT sector;
Establishment of national regulatory institutions; andEstablishment of a mechanism for co-ordinated spectrum management and frequency
planning

Policy on the enactment of the necessary cyber laws and legislative provisions:
The development of the information economy and society will need to be facilitated by
the necessary legal and legislative provisions. There is, therefore, the need for African
governments to facilitate the enactment of the necessary cyber laws and legislative provisions
to govern and regulate cyber-related activities in their countries. For example, each country
in the region will need to put in place the necessary legislation to facilitate electroniccommerce and other Internet-related activities in the country. There will also be the needin most of these countries for governments to put in place the necessary policy guidelinesthat will facilitate the enactment of laws relating to intellectual property rights, dataprotection and security, freedom of access to information, computer and cyber crime andother cyber laws.

Policy on setting up of national ICT structures and bodies:As part of their comprehensive national information and communications policies andstrategies, there is need for African governments to consider putting in place the necessary
mechanisms for setting up appropriate national ICT coordinating structures and bodies tocoordinate, support and facilitate the implementation of the ICT policies, strategies andthe corresponding plans in the country. These structures or institutional arrangements willbe essential for supporting the policy and plan development and in facilitating theirimplementation.

Policy to facilitate and promote the implementation of national ICT applications:
For ICTs to assist in the development process and make their impact felt in the economy
and society, it will not be enough for governments in the region to put in place a number of
special ICT promotion packages, policy instruments, and incentive programmes. Equallyimportant is the need to implement a number of national ICT applications across all

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20

sectors. Some of these applications, which could be executed as projects or programmes,
may be targeted at the implementation of socially relevant national ICT initiatives in
sectors like health, education, youth and commerce. Specifically, national ICT programmes
and projects could, for example, be targeted at:••Using ICTs to meet the needs of the youth and the educational sector
The deployment and exploitation of ICTs to support the national health delivery
system and• Exploitation of the opportunities of electronic commerce and electronic trade.
Specific national ICT projects that could be considered for implementation on a nationwide basis include multipurpose community telecenter projects, tele-education and SchoolNet
projects, telemedicine projects and e-commerce projects, among others.

Policy to take into account gender sensitivity issues in the context of national
information and communication programmes:
It is imperative that gender sensitivity issues should be taken into account in all aspects
relating to the formulation and implementation of national information and communication
policies and strategies. In particular, mechanisms have to be put in place to (i) ensure theparticipation of women in the formulation of ICT policies at all levels and (ii) ensure that
information and communication policies at all levels are engendered and geared towardmeeting specific developmental needs of women.

Policy on promoting universal access to information and communication technologies
and systems:
Africa’s entry into the information age will demand rapid extension of access to ICTs. To
reach out to, and benefit, the majority of the population in, for instance, health, educationand e-commerce, special effort must be made as part of policy to extend services andaccess to rural areas where many of the most disadvantaged and remote communities are.
Policy initiatives can be put in place in this area to harness ICTs to extend access to ruraland disadvantaged sections of the population.

Policy on the development of a local ICT industry:
National information and communication policies should also address the developmentof local ICT industry to facilitate the production, development and delivery of ICT products
and services i.e. towards the development and promotion of an ICT industry. A number of
ICT production initiatives could be undertaken by each country in the region as part ofdeveloping their local ICT industry. An example would be assembling of computers forthe local market and possibly for export. The development of a local industry for the

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ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5

repair and maintenance of ICT equipment is one other possible initiative that could beundertaken to promote the development of the local ICT industry.
The development of software for the domestic and export market and the provision of
ICT services could also be other ways of quickly developing a vibrant ICT industry insupport of other sectors of the economy. Some of the ICT services that can be encouraged
and promoted as part of a policy for the development of the local ICT production andservice provision industry are telecommunication services, Internet services, ICT training
and education services, web-hosting and publishing services, content development services,
video production and recording services, computing services, professional ICT-based
secretarial and business services, video conferencing services, TV production services,
desktop publishing services, information provision services, market research services,
ICT-based and electronic banking and financial services, computer design services, ecommerce and e-trade services.

Policy initiatives to facilitate the role of the private sector in development andparticipation in the information economy:
The private sector in most African countries has a crucial role to play as a key partner togovernment in the process of moving the country into an information and knowledge
economy. Governments in the region, therefore, need to promote and facilitate the role ofthe private sector in the development and participation in the country’s information society
and economy. Apart from facilitating the private sector through creation of the necessary
enabling environment and putting in place the necessary policy programmes and incentive
packages, these governments should also create a stable economic and investment climatethat will facilitate the mobilization of necessary resources by both domestic and foreign
private sector organizations to aid the development and exploitation of the opportunitiesof the information economy.
On the whole, it is anticipated that the private sector operating in the right enabling
environment can be a key partner in the development of the information society andeconomy and, in this respect, assist in transforming the economy into an information andknowledge-based one. For example, the private sector operating in a facilitated and enabled
economic environment can play a key role in the development of the physical ICT infrastructure,human resource, and in the development of ICT services and a production sector. The
private sector can also play a key role in the mobilization of both domestic and externalfinancial resources and other technological resources to aid the process of developing andexploiting the opportunities of the information economy. The sector can also support
R&D initiatives and in the implementation of national ICT programmes, initiatives andprojects. Finally, it is envisaged that the private sector will also be involved in lobbying
government and its agencies to implement suitable policies, incentive programmes andpackages that will facilitate the active involvement of the sector in the development of,and participation in, the information economy.

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Policy on the promotion and support of R&D initiatives directed at the development
and exploitation of the opportunities of the information society and economy:
To enhance the capacity of African countries to produce and develop ICT products andservices as a step towards developing their local ICT industry, there is a need for governments
to put in place policies that promote and support R&D initiatives in local research institutions
and organizations and universities. Such an initiative will broaden the scope of the national
information and communication policies and strategies to address issues relating to ICT
production and the development of a local ICT industry.

Policy on involving key national stakeholders and civil society in the process:Beyond actions on policies and strategies for developing the national information society
and economy, there is a fundamental need to mobilize key national stakeholders and,
where necessary, the public to be part of the exercise formulating and implementing thenational information and communication policies, strategies and plans. The argument isthat governments cannot go it alone in carrying out this national exercise; other stakeholders
need to be part of the process to build consensus and encourage national mobilization andparticipation. Apart from the private sector, other key and stakeholders, including themedia, NGOs, labour unions, academics and other sections in the civil society need tocontribute to the process.

9.0 Guidelines for Developing the Plan
On the question of how the broad policy guidelines suggested above could be implemented
in a given country, it is recommended that for each policy area, specific programmes,
initiatives and projects should be developed and incorporated into appropriate plans for
implementation over a designated plan period in the context of a long-term socio-economic
development framework (e.g. Vision 2020) of the country. The idea is that, for a given
policy, a number of plans could be developed and implemented sequentially, with eachhaving a fixed time frame.
The premise is that ICT-led socio-economic development policy and strategies could
be designed to have an operational life equivalent to the time-frame of, say, a Vision 2020
socio-economic development framework while the plans developed to implement thepolicy are each of shorter time-frame as illustrated below. For example, it is possible thatduring the implementation of a given socio-economic development framework (e.g. 20
years as per a Vision 2020 time-frame) a number of plans (each with a time-frame of, say,four years) can be implemented sequentially, with each addressing (in varying degrees)
some, if not all, of the identified broad policy issues in the Policy document.

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It is also proposed that each of the plans should incorporate the necessary evaluationand monitoring mechanisms to monitor the impact of the various programmes and projects
against defined targets and evaluate their overall effectiveness in achieving the statedsocio-economic development objectives aimed at addressing the challenges of globalizationand the information age.

9.1 Some General Principles for Guiding the Development of the Plans
The development of a specific Plan could be guided by the following general principles:
1. The Plan should recognize and contribute to the realization of the stated socioeconomic development Vision (e.g. Vision 2020) of the nation as well as contributeto the achievement of the relevant missions and the strategies identified for theattainment of the vision.
2. The Plan should, as far as possible, address the cost, budgetary and resource requirements,
allocation and mobilization implications of the programmes, and the initiatives
identified for implementation under the Plan.
3. Efforts should be made to introduce a structure into the Plan by sub-dividing thePlan into sub-plans, each addressing a broad area of policy e.g. human resource
development or infrastructure development.

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4. The various programmes, initiatives and packages identified for implementation
under the sub-plans should be practical, realistic and implementable, with clearlystated time-bound measurable (TBM) targets.
5. Targets that are set for the various programmes and initiatives of the Plan should,
where appropriate, be based on a baseline study data on the status of relevant key
socio-economic and ICT-related indicators.
6. The Plan should take into account the fact that the government will continue toformulate and implement its short to medium term socio-economic development
and budgetary plans during the lifespan of the Plan. In this respect, the Plan should
not be aimed at substituting this exercise. Rather, it should serve as a policy-reference
point and a framework to complement and supplement the exercise in the context ofthe government’s long-term goal towards the development of an information andknowledge-based economy and society.
7. The Plan should incorporate elements of risk analysis that take into account thesocio-economic development risks involved in implementing or not implementing
the specific aspects of each of the sub-plans.
8. The Plan should incorporate a programme monitoring and evaluation mechanismthat allows for appropriate intervention procedures and actions with clear guidelines(where appropriate) on how and when these can be activated and by which agency
or authority.
9. The Plan should as far as possible be flexible enough to allow for modification,
revision and adaptation as the need arises during implementation.
10.In order to build flexibility into its implementation, the Plan should, as far as
possible, avoid going into specific implementation-details relating to its programmes
and initiatives. The premise is that, for each programme or initiative, details should
be developed and worked-out during the actual implementation of the Plan to take
into account specific circumstances, constraints and opportunities and developments.
This approach will also allow for the fine-tuning of the programme details as theneed arises during the implementation of the Plan.

9.2 The Need for Sub-Plans and for Structuring the Plan
As pointed out above, there will be a need to structure the Plan as a collection of sub-plans
with each of the sub-plans targeting a specific broad area of policy. In the case of Rwanda,
for example, the country’s ICT-led socio-economic development plan (NICI-2005 Plan)8
serving as the first of four five-year plans to be implemented in the 20 year time-frame of
Vision 2020, targeted eight broad areas, with each representing a sub-plan of the national
plan. These are:• Human Resource Development;• ICTs in Education;• Facilitating Government Administration and Service Delivery;

25

ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5• Developing and Facilitating the Private Sector;• Deployment and Spread of ICTs in the Community;• ICT Infrastructure Development, Legal Regulatory; Institutional Provisions andStandards; and• Foreign Direct Investment Drive in ICTs.
The national Plan, apart from being organized in terms of sub-plans, could further be
structured in terms of the details pertaining to each of the sub-plans. Briefly, the structureof the Rwandan NICI-2005 Plan as illustrated below is a collection of sub-plans — witheach constituting a collection of programmes to which a number of plan actions wereassociated with corresponding specific time-bound measurable (TBM) targets andimplementation agencies. Again, taking the case of Rwanda as an example, the details of
its Plan [the NICI-2005 Plan] is organized as follows:
Structure of the Rwandan Plan

9.3 The Need for a Baseline Study to Guide the Development of the Plan
To develop a realistic Plan whose programmes, initiatives, projects and targets take into
account the current status of key socio-economic and ICT-related indicators, there is aneed to carry out a baseline study prior to the development of the Plan. The objective of
the baseline study will be to compile relevant data on key ICT and socio-economic indicators

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26

in the economy and society to serve as a basis for the Plan projections and targets.
It is, however, worth pointing out that the aim of such a study is not to conduct acomprehensive national survey in the economy or society, but rather to carry out a focusedstudy concentrating on establishing the status of the number of key indicators that relate
more specifically to the Government’s ICT Policy commitments on which the Plan is to be
based.The baseline study should be designed to draw on both primary and secondary
sources of data. It should also conduct interviews where appropriate to obtain data andthe necessary details. There may, therefore, be a need to design appropriate questionnaires
in cases where primary data gathering or interviews will be required. Some of the key
indicators that could be targeted include:• The economy (focusing on key socio-economic indicators)• The level of ICT exploitation, deployment in key sectors of the economy includingthe:·Private sector·
Civil and public service·
Agricultural sector·
Industrial sector·
Service sector·
Education, health sectors etc• Human resource development capacity• Employment levels in key relevant sectors• Demand and supply of ICT-related skills in the country• The ICT Infrastructure with specific reference to the:·Physical infrastructure (transport, electricity etc)·
Telecommunications and Internet infrastructure·
Communications and the mass media infrastructure• Others.

10.0 Facilitating Structures to Support the Policy and Plan
Development and Implementation
As pointed out earlier, a key aspect of the national ICT policy and plan development andimplementation will be the setting up of facilitating structures or institutional arrangements.
Illustrated below is a classification of these institutional arrangements in terms of therelevant stage of the process (development versus implementation stage) and the level ofauthority or operation of the structure (leadership/championing versus facilitation/coordination).
The horizontal (stage of the process) classification relates to a distinction between
structures aimed at supporting the policy and plan development process as against thosethat are designed to facilitate the policy and plan implementation process. The verticalcategorization distinguishes between ‘process-champion/leadership’ type of structures as

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ATPS SPECIALPAPERSERIES NO. 5

against the ‘process-facilitation or coordination’ types of structures or institutional arrangements.
For example, in the case of Rwanda, the Ministry of Public Service, Transport andCommunications (MINITRACO) aided by a National Task Force set up by the President
served as the facilitation structures responsible for coordinating the policy and plan development
process while the President, facilitated by a small executive level team at the Office of the
President, served as the top level political leadership structure for championing the processduring the policy and plan development stage.
The National Information Technology Commission (NITC) and the Rwanda Information
Technology Authority (RITA) are two of the new structures specifically set-up to facilitate
the implementation of the policy and plan. Going by this categorization, the NITC relates
more to an institutional arrangement designed to provide leadership during the implementationof the plan, while RITA, reporting to the NITC, was set up to provide facilitation andcoordination of the plan implementation activities.
Countries like Malaysia, Mauritius, and Senegal, among others, also have NITC typeof structures to facilitate the implementation of their national ICT programmes at thehighest level. Singapore and Mauritius also have in place a RITA-type of organization
called the National Computer Board.

11.0 Identifying the Critical Success Factors
For a country, the success of its national ICT-led socio-economic development policy andplan development and implementation process depend on a number of critical successfactors. Some of the key ones are:
• Active high profile national ICT champion — the President/Vice President• Top level political leadership, support and commitment to the process

A BLUEPRINT FOR DEVELOPING NATIONAL ICT POLICY IN AFRICA28• A clear national vision, missions and strategies to guide the development of theprocess outputs• Government endorsement and commitment to the national vision, missions and thecorresponding strategies designed to contribute to the realization of the vision andthe corresponding missions• The goodwill and support of the people and their endorsement of the need for the
Vision and stated missions and their realization• Strategic government ministry or agency to facilitate and coordinate the policy andplan development process on behalf of the government.
• Dedicated policy decision makers, and professionals, cutting across the public andprivate sector committed to the process• Adoption of a well-scheduled step-by-step approach with specific milestones anddeliverables during the policy and plan development process• The identification and the setting of realistic objectives and targets that can beachieved within a given time frame• A well-researched policy formulation and plan development process that makes aneffort to learn from the experiences of other countries• Access to key ministers and stakeholders in the public and private sectors to facilitate
consultation and across the board contribution to the process• Rounds of dialogue sessions with key stakeholders — government, private sector
and civil society• Logistical support and facilitation for the process and• Continuous push from the top for action and results

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References
Dzidonu C.K, Ó Siochrú S., Faye M. (2000), Broadening National Information andCommunications Policies and Strategies: Proposals for the ADF’99 Post Forum
Summit, UNECA (2000)
2
Dzidonu C.K, (2001), “The Socio-Economic Development Implications of the Digital
Divide within the Context of African Countries”, Presented at the, Joint African
Finance and Economic Planning Ministers Meeting of the ECA, Algiers, Algeria, 810 May 2001
3
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa [UNECA] (1996), Africa Information
Society Initiative (AISI): An Action Framework to Build Africa’s Information andCommunication Infrastructure
4
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Digital Opportunity Initiative (DOI),
UNDP (2001)
5
Dzidonu C.K (1999(a)), An Integrated Framework for Socio-Economic and ICT Policy
and Plan Development and Implementation for Rwanda, UNECA (1999)
6
Dzidonu C.K (1999(b)), Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-MediatedEducation and Training within the Context of an Information and Knowledge Economy(IKE), ADF’99, Addis Ababa, 1999
7
The African Connection Group (1998), African Connection: Building Africa’s Communications
Infrastructure, Johannesburg, 1998
8
Dzidonu C.K. (2001); An Integrated ICT-led Socio Economic Development Policy andPlan for Rwanda (2001-2005), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(2001)
1

Professor Clement Dzidonu is the President of the International Institute for Information
Technology (INIIT) and Head, Department of Computer Science, Valley View University,
Accra, Ghana. Email: dzidonu@ghana.com

For more information on ATPS, contact
Dr. Osita Ogbu, Executive Director,
African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS),
3rd Floor, The Chancery,
P.O. Box 10081, 00100 General Post Office,Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: oogbu@atpsnet.org
Telephones: 254-2-723800/ 714498 Fax: 254-2-714028