Dear Gilda: Like the Committee of Experts (COE) which has now given us a Constitution for Kenya, I think one the Committees that can and should be formed as we move forward, is a Committee for Broadband Plan Development. It is time for us to boldly talk of ‘Connecting Kenya’. This Committee can be given a clear mandate and timeline for this momentous task. (Ofcourse it can be referred to as a working team) A best way would be a Committee set-up like KENIC or indeed the COE i.e. Institutional representation as well as key individual representatives of the Public/ People or Internet Community. Like the USA’s Broadband Plan: Government can influence the broadband ecosystem in four ways: 1. Design policies to ensure robust competition and, as a result maximize consumer welfare, innovation and investment. 2. Ensure efficient allocation and management of assets government controls or influences, such as spectrum, poles, and rights-of-way, to encourage network upgrades and competitive entry. 3. Reform current universal service mechanisms to support deployment of broadband and voice in high-cost areas; and ensure that low-income * ‘Kenyans’* can afford broadband; and in addition, support efforts to boost adoption and utilization. 4. Reform laws, policies, standards and incentives to maximize the benefits of broadband in sectors government influences significantly, such as public education, health care, *‘agriculture’* and government operations. John .K. Njoroge Directorate of e-Government On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 4:31 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi,
They are:
1. Gilda Odera (Chair) 2. Sammy Burachara 3. Nik Nesbitt 4. Victor Kyalo (Joint Secretary) 5. Peres Were (Joint Secretary) 6. Dickson Ogola (Secretariat) Headed by Sylvester Kasuku, Infrastructure Advisor at the OPM.
The team is mandated to form committees (I prefer to call them working teams), to come up with the required strategies/advise/recommendations for various issues in the sector. These committees will be formed by persons from both private and public sector. Those with strengths in various capacities will be called upon to drive the committees. The committees are as wide/narrow as required. The team is to ensure that the silo way of operation is set aside through mechanisms to be put in place by way of actionable recommendations.
Best,
Gilda
Quoting Harry Delano <[email protected]>:
Hey Gilda,
Thanks a lot for these positive comments,
Apparently, I suppose we need to be exposed to all these good teams,
put up out there, so that we can interact, and all these good suggestions and comments presented..
Maybe for a starter, can you please unveil/unmask this "six" man/women team - so that we can know them..?
Harry
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry <kictanet-bounces%2Bharry>= [email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 11:39 AM To: [email protected] Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' Subject: Re: [kictanet] Who is ICT Board? - Capacity Building
Listers,
I think this is a very healthy debate for the industry. Esther, whereas whatever body will face the same queries over their mandate, in my view, what is most important is that each respective body plays it part to the full and possibly even surpass the expectations of the industry. As long as they are all forging towards one goal (making Kenya the ICT Hub in Africa)in all their activities, the industry will have gained. What is important is that all these bodies do not fight each other, rather complement one another to grow this industry. We must all work together for good of this industry and nation.
Gilda Odera Chair, BPO/ITES Working Group at the Office of the Prime Minister
(For those not aware, a group of 6 persons from Private Sector and Government was recently put together for a two year term to advise on all these issues being raised in this list. Your views are being noted.)
Quoting Esther Muchiri <[email protected]>:
Good suggestions Harry, but while I am not a pessimist, I have a feeling that with time, whatever body will be formed will still face the same attacks/questions from the industry on the mandate etc
Perhaps the upcoming public forum will begin to shed some light in the direction ICT development in Kenya should follow?
From: [email protected] [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emuchiri <kictanet-bounces%2Bemuchiri>= [email protected] ] On Behalf Of Harry Delano Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 6:21 PM To: [email protected] Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' Subject: Re: [kictanet] Who is ICT Board? - Capacity Building
Lilian,
This is so comprehensive.. Hope, notes are being taken from these resourceful discussions coming in.
Mine, is just a proposal. Clearly, the different agencies existing, happen to work within some form of
mandate in their own areas of jurisdiction or so, whether the mandates are competing mandates or
a duplication, it may be quite difficult to just "merge" them..
Clearly, Listers - one thing that is now clear, is that ICT is a huge phenomenon, that cuts' out across
the entire spectrum of Govt and ministries - beyond INFOCOM. This means, stakeholders from other
Govt. sectors need to be brought into the fold to harmonize strategy..
I suppose therefore, this may call for an oversight body - to which, each of the Govt agencies can have a
representation. This oversight, could encompass reps, from all sectors, private , and govt. All interests
should be declared as a pre-requisite to serving on this panel for purposes of accountability and
transparency..
If in order, I could float some names for such a body, such as:-
* National ICT Task Force - (NICTAF) * National ICT Agency of Kenya - (NICTAK) * National ICT Oversight Board -(NICTOB)
Other names are welcome..
Harry
_____
From: [email protected] [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry <kictanet-bounces%2Bharry>= [email protected]] On Behalf Of Lilian Karanja Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 11:43 AM To: [email protected] Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Who is ICT Board? - Capacity Building
Yes, Robert.......I see.
Certainly, what GoK needs is ICT Governance. "Without governance you do not produce good decisions consistently. 'Governance' in the context of the management of ICT crafts a clear framework in which decisions are made, who makes the decisions about business and technology developments, who has input into the decision-making process and how the decisions are formed".
In my opinion, the ICT Board (under Min. Of Info Comm), the Directorate of e-Government (under OP), the GITS Department (under Min. Of Finance), and both the CCK and NCS (both under Min. Of Info Comm) seem to have related ICT goals and objectives. They (unfortunately) don't seem to oftenly collaborate in their decision-making. I personally like the idea of a KITA like SITA/RITA. Sometime ago, the Directorate of e-Government seemed to come-up into a KITA (in the way we think of SITA/RITA), but did not 'mature' into the institution envisioned.
GoK ICT Governance Decisions would ideally focus on:
. Determining the strategic approach to e-government and ICT within GoK
. How the e-government initiatives should be used in GoK, to improve services, reduce costs, develop the community, etc
. How fundamental e-government and ICT is to GoK and the country at large
. The way e-government and ICT is to be managed (e.g. by what mechanism and how resources are to be managed)
. The way investments are to be made and policies on realising and sharing benefits
. How the required skills are to be procured (through strategic partnerships, in-house, through consortium, etc)
. The principles that underlie the ICT architecture
. Setting priorities and determining e-government and ICT investment programmes
. Managing the foundations and regulations regarding the core elements of the infrastructure:
o Personnel - who will be responsible for their professional development and where certain skills should reside
o Methods and techniques - what project/programme management, development and operations management standards should be used
o Charging mechanisms and services standards (performance management)
o Information - standards to enable the effective sharing of information
o Core applications - intranet, finance systems, payroll, registries
and
personnel standards, etc
o Technical - network, consolidated service desk, data standards
o Security
o Legal
This has conspicuously missed within GoK, in the past years. We look to GoK greatly to spur 'mwananchi' by keenly committing to 'add value' to broadband so that their attitude, confidence and appreciation towards the use ICTs and the Internet increases (especially in the rural areas, as they access Government e-Services), thus creating an Internet Community and an IT culture. Am not sure we necessarily need support from outside to do this, even donor funds (we don't need). We can do it on our own, as we (Kenya) are, now, known to be an emerging knowledge economy. GoK can lead the way to create a Kenyan way 'working with'and using ICT. We have so many Youth (any way), who are jobless! Lets purposefully develop capacity of these young and use them sufficiently.
I rest my case, and I apologise for any misunderstandings.
LILIAN
--- On Tue, 4/6/10, robert yawe <[email protected]> wrote:
From: robert yawe <[email protected]> Subject: Who is ICT Board? - Capacity Building To: "Lilian Karanja" <[email protected]> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2010, 12:32 AM
Hi Lilian,
Just wanted to clarify an issue, government has some of the best trained ICT fellows and I know because I have regularly interacted with them for over 10 years. Do not be deceived by the fact that they are no fancy websites or iphone applications the men and women who keep the government systems running are basically miracle workers.
How they do it is beyond my comprehension and the last thin they need is a capacity building what they need like all with the other areas of government is a co-ordinator or a Deputy Prime Minister IS. Hon Raila has definitely moved government efficiency a notch higher and without a "dream team" or expatriate consultants all he did was dust off the diamonds within.
Government has a beautiful retention strategy which is we pay you for 2 hours a day and we expect you to only deliver the paid for work, if you are unable to find something profitable to do with the balance 6 hours then that is your problem.
What we need is a deputy prime minister information systems or ICT or BPO whatever the name of which KICTB has proven not to be to "desilo" (term coined by Dr. Ndemo during the PM Round table meeting) the government activities.
Can you government ICT gurus stick your heads out and defend your selves, I know many of you are on this listing, so be warned that next time I need to put the record strait on your behalf I will actually name names.
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
_____
From: Lilian Karanja <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, 5 April, 2010 16:58:41 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Who is ICT Board? Hijacked
Dear PS:
It is a little discouraging to hear you say that the issues discussed in this topic are 'kuchongoana tu'. We look up to you, and others in Government and also in the private sector who are so passionate about the use of ICTs and the Internet to create opportunities for all, in Kenya, and see that ICT remains a reliable vehicle for economic growth and development. So, please don't stop listening to us, patiently and we beseech you to continue in your wisdom in dealing with these matters.
This topic, 'Who is ICT Board?' as well as that of 'eGovernment is it a myth or reality?' have raised important questions that should be addressed with 'a big heart' and an open mind. As you have noted, a town hall meeting is good and always welcome. However, moving forward, it needs to be clear how ICT Board interacts with Government and how it promotes the existence of an Institutional Framework for ICT management in Government. Clearly, the ICT Board manages of a huge chunk of donor funds for ICT growth in Kenya, eGovernment and the likes (through the KTCIP), but still the Government lags behind in
being their
ICT technical know-how and skills.
While one of their mandate (the ICT Board) is Capacity Building (Providing GoK and other stakeholders with skills, capacity and funding for anchor implementation of ICT projects for development) over time we have only seen laxity in the management of ICT by Government i.e. poor websites, unsatisfactory performance of legacy systems, inconsistent DNS & IP address management, meagre IT Security (web, network, etc), little or no R&D and M&E of ICT & eGovt, etc. But may be it is not deliberate laxity, it is that the Government Officers who manage IT issues in Government are not continuously trained in all
pertinent areas to raise experts and skillful personnel.
I hope this is an area ICT Board can address, when they say that part of their mandate is Capacity Building, otherwise we have Government Officers who cannot do much to use broadband properly and strategically as well as make eGovernment a reality. The cabilities of these Officers should be close to, if not better than those in the private sector. And when GoK finally has real experts and engineers in ICT, a retention strategy MUST be adopted to keep them and recompense them accordingly. This is the future of Government IT, 'people who are
knowledgeable and focused on a bright future'.
LILIAN
--- On Sun, 4/4/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Who is ICT Board? Hijacked To: "Lilian" <[email protected]> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, April 4, 2010, 9:42 AM
Barrack, Several posts have come by on the role of ICT and I think it will be wise if we sorted this in a town hall meeting similar to one we had on
Malili.
Honestly it feels as though some Neanderthal decided to create these agencies without putting some thought to it. Criticisms are good only when you point out where there are gaps.
The other day I posted a policy proposal for comments but only one person did respond. What it means then is that this forum ni ya kuchongoana tu. Which really is unfortunate. I have four other policy proposals that I really think should push through then arouse sufficient interest from the membership here.
Ndemo.
This is truly "Jicho Pevu", i think some answers to this questions are very much in order as we celebrate Easter, can someone provide us with a list of all agencies involved in ICTs and ICT4D so that we can do some tooth comb analysis, i saw a post from Paul on what the board has achieved early this year, that was very much in order we need something from NCS as well plus any other agencies.
Regards
On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 12:50 PM, Vitalis Olunga <[email protected] <http://us.mc452.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > wrote:
There is also another body , National Communications Secretarait. What is the diffrence between NCS and ICT Baord and how do the two bodies relate with respect to advisory services to the governement on ICT matters?
Regards
Vitalis
________________________________ From: robert yawe <[email protected] <http://us.mc452.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <http://us.mc452.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <[email protected] <http://us.mc452.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]. or.ke>
Sent: Sat, April 3, 2010 12:03:22 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Who is ICT Board? Hijacked
Hi, I rest my case on this issue, the ICT Board is a monolith, Try reading this... (pdf file), as I feared it is mandated to do anything and everything under the sun that could be called ICT which includes your microwave oven and copier. Functions of Kenya ICT Board The core functions of Kenya ICT Board as documented in the Kenya Gazette Legal Notice No 26 of the May 2007: . To advice the government on all relevant matters pertaining to development, coordination (remember the PM post) and promotion of ICT industries in the country. . Promote both locally and internationally the opportunities for investments in ICT technology . Facilitate and manage ICT industrial incubation parks and technology parks together with associated facilities on sites, estates and land. . Partner with agents within and without the country to carry out such functions as it may consider necessary. . To transform and empower society through deployment and use of ICTs. . Carry out any other activity to promote and develop ICT products and services. Have a restful Easter as we await the limited range 4G, yes you guessed it I still have a 3G issue and I am in Nairobi. Regards
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