In sub Saharan Africa, South Africa has been one of the first countries to embark on projects and programmes which tend to harness the potential the ICT offer to provide valuable information that enhances economic, health and educational activities, and also to give a voice to traditionally unheard peoples. With the decline of the apartheid regime in the 1990s, there was a clear need for engaging the citizens and improve the overall governance environment. A few key projects and initiatives sought to apply new mechanisms for promoting participation and democracy.
Indeed, South Africa provides some facility for public comment on its government portal (www.gov.za). Although the range of public services offered on the website is not very extensive, it nevertheless offers citizens the opportunity to comment on a number of public documents on issues that are under consideration by policy-makers. A particularly notable feature is the launching of a national accessibility portal in 2004 to make ICT available for four million people with disabilities, as part of their social inclusion strategy. Termed as the South African National Accessibility Portal (NAP), the site is a one-stop information, services and communications channel that supports persons with disabilities, caregivers, the medical profession, and those offering services in this domain.
As of 1999, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) relied on ICT to enable a more transparent election process, to reduce corruption and build more confidence. A third phase of the project involved the hosting of a Web site, which could be accessed by the public. The election results data stored at the Election Centre were replicated every 30 minutes to a database at The Internet Solution. To keep the public aware of the most up-to-date results through media feeds, data extracted from the servers was displayed on screens in the main counting area. The dedicated servers allowed the public to view the results at a national or provincial level, with the option of viewing the results in their own municipality and voting district)[1]
The Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) (www.psam.ru.ac.za) is an independent research and monitoring institute dedicated to strengthening democracy in South Africa. By providing information on the management of public resources, the delivery of public services and handling of misconduct and corruption , PSAM assists parliament and South African citizens to hold government officials accountable for their performance. Flagship projects of PSAM includes Cse Monitoring, Performance monitoring and Civic Empowerment. The latter in particular launched a website in 2002 advising citizens of their rights, the responsibilities of public officials and mechanisms for reporting their complaints. (.(www.myrights.org.za)
In its effort to apply participatory processes to the communities, the government has initiated Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs), which are one-stop, integrated community development centres, enhancing community participation and offering services relevant to people’s needs. They aim to empower the poor and disadvantaged by providing access to government information and services, as well as resources from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), parastatals and business.
MPCC has the following six-block operational model which defines services and activities that should be offered at an MPCC:
·Public services (national, provincial and local government services – e.g. sports complex, clinic, Home Affairs, municipal services, etc.)
·Economic development services (financial and non-financial services, tenders, how to start a business, etc.)
·Private sector and community activities (spaza shops, commercial activities, arts and crafts, food gardens, etc.)
·Information and communication activities (content creation, community print media, MPCC newsletter, community radio stations, distribution services, etc.)
·Office services (telecentre type services – fax, copiers, telephone, Internet, postal services, etc.)
·Education and skills development services (Adult Basic Education and Training, computer training, business development skills, etc.)
In May 2001 the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC) set out a ten-year strategy for dealing with the challenges facing the province, in particular, channeling the forces of globalization for the elimination of poverty and the empowerment of people to lead fulfilling lives. Hence, the PGWC identified a set of programme and projects. Cape Online is One of them is the cape Gateway portal that was designed to improve internal efficiencies in service delivery, enhance overall competitiveness of the region and improve the lives of the Western Cape's citizens.
In fact, the rationale behind the Cape Gateway portal was explicit in the PGWC's White paper " preparing the Western Cape for the Knowledge economy of the 21st Century'. The white paper itself echoed the one of the department of Arts, culture, Science and technology which stated that : 'The ability to maximize the use of knowledge is now consistent to be the single most important factor in deciding the
competitiveness of countries (regions) as well as their ability to empower their citizens through enhanced access to information''.
Cape Gateway started as an e-government portal where all citizens are able to access government information in all 11 official national languages from a single entry point. The vision of Cape online is to develop an innovative environment that facilitates a competitive knowledge based economy that promotes economic growth and enhances the quality of life for [our] people. Facets of the project include core projects that impact the core role of Government and those services that are intended to reach out to and potentially impact every citizen and business in the Province; online community projects which impact various communities of interest, involving specific groups of citizens and organizations; and external projects.
[Figure: Phases of the Cape Online Programme]
Lessons learnt and Conditions for replicability
The different examples from South Africa indicate that an e-government portal is beginning to evolve from e-information to e-consultation. It is not clear, however, how the government intends to publish theresults of its consultative process and assess the performance of its portal And while the range of public services is not fully developed, there is clearly an attempt to organize the information according to the perceived needs of the public, and in several different languages.In the MPCC case and as Limpopo Premier Ngoako Ramathlodi puts it ‘’,[The Centre] would provide a two-way communication channel - people receive information from government, but it also empowers them to talk back to government about their needs and aspirations".
The extent to which the Cape gateway project has been able to impact the overall economic and social life of the region is yet to be assessed. However, as per evaluations conducted by Bridges.org in 2003 the project is well on course to empower citizens for a greater interaction with their local government. The fact that the portal is accessible in all official languages and the possibilities of interaction with the KEEG (the implementing Body) seems to indicate that the poor had had a channel for voicing his concerns.
Call for the development of the universal access to the TIC
Written By - 13/01/2009
At the conclusion of with the workshop of sensitizing and dialogue organized by the Institute Panos West Africa (IPAO) on the topic “universal Access to the TIC and democratic governorship in Senegal” of the 16 at December 18, 2008 in Dakar, a call for the development of the universal access to the TIC for reinforcement of the communication citizen and the governorship in Senegal was launched in direction of the political decision makers, the members of Parliament, the town councilors and the leaders of opinion, the private sector and the organizations of the civil society, the media and the academics. The object of this call in particular aims at claiming the starting of the activities of the Development funds of the universal service of telecommunications (FDSUT) envisaged by article 9 of the law n° 2001-15 of bearing December 27, 2001 Code telecommunications and whose operation is organized by the decree n° 2007-593 of May 10, 2007.
The fourth edition of the Forum of the regulation, organized by the University Sheik Anta Diop (UCAD), in partnership with the Agency of regulation of telecommunications and stations (ARTP) was held on December 16, 2008 on the topic “the Community regulation in CEDEAO space: stakes and developmental perspectives”. Within this framework, Professor Abdoulaye Sakho, President of the Council of regulation of the ARTP, made a talk on problems of the regulation of telecommunications on the scale under regional in West Africa.
On December 5, 2008, Sonatel carried out launching of exclusiveness in the iPhone 3 G in the form of a range of three fixed prices respectively authorizing 2:35 of communication + 200 Mo of data, 4:30 of communication + 300 Mo of data and 6:50 of communication + 400 Mo of data). Within the framework of the “Box Private individuals”, the model 8 Go is sold 345.900 Francs CFA and the model 16 Go with 405.900 Francs CFA, the price of the fixed prices being respectively of 16.900 Francs CFA, 28.900 Francs CFA and 44.900 Francs CFA. There exists also a “Box Professionals” whose price of the fixed prices is overall of the same order but within the framework of which the price of the apparatus varies between 207.900 Francs CFA and 326.900 Francs CFA, according to the selected fixed price.
Third Regional High Level Forum on ICT for Enhanced Public Sector Performance
Tahir Djafar Basse
During 6 - 9 May 2007, close to 60 representatives from 15 countries in Southern, Eastern and West Africa gathered at the Rovuma Hotel in Maputo, Mozambique, for the Regional High Level Forum on ICT for Enhanced Public Sector Performance. The participants were high-level decision makers and practitioners from government.
The participants were composed of high level government leaders from Ministries and Directorates of Development and Planning, and Public Service as well as heads of partner development institutions. A number of UNDP Country Offices were also represented, including UNDP SURF West and Central Africa. See the annex for the full participants list.
The Forum started with a Pre-Conference on Sunday 6 May, on Transforming Public Service. It was then followed by two and a half day of presentations, sharing of country experiences and group dialogue on the application of ICT as a vehicle for enhancing Pubic Sector Performance.
This was the third Regional High Level Forum, and was the gathering of policy makers, practitioners and professionals in the Southern African countries. It enabled participants to develop mutual understanding of current and emerging development issues on ICT in the sub-region. Last year’s Forum focused on strategies, methodologies and tools for enhancing the capacity for effective delivery of public services, introducing the CODESURE Process of Engagement – Consensus Building, Design of Interventions, Support to Implementation and Review of Interventions. More than 50 participants attended.
The conference was held in English, and included plenary sessions with expertise from UNDP-SACI Team and invited guest presenters. It was a balanced blend of presentations, special focus sessions, practical demonstrations and debates on specific topics, as well as various informal networking opportunities where countries shared their experiences, ideas, new information and perspectives.
A number of parallel events took place alongside the conference, including special interest group getting-together, demonstration of specific aspects on innovation and best practice showcases.
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E-Parliament as a Tool for Fostering Parliamentarian Networks
Pierre Dandjinou
This concept paper is based on the belief that the new information and communication technology (ICT) creates unprecedented opportunities for the development of participatory democracy, an improved communication between the parliament, the government, the civil society on the one hand, and the organisation of communication and decision making through a parliamentary network on the other hand. The paper takes stock of on going initiatives that are fostering e -participation and seeks to highlight a few opportunities that could yield to the creation of a virtual Africa network of parliamentarians that will most specifically deal with issues that are at the heart of the continent’s socio economic development, including the newly enshrined New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
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Projects
Promoting Freedom of Information Advocacy in the African Continent.
Responsible for Project : Africa Freedom of Information Center /Africa FOI Trust AFIC.
Duration Of Project : 2008-2009 Country : Botswana Status : En cours Listed In :
eGovernance et Genre
As democracy takes root in a majority of African countries, the campaign for transparency and public accountability
DistrictNet’s general goal was to improve the transparency of local government and to support decentralisation through the implementation of ICT, thus meeting the Ugandan government’s broader goal of decentralising its operations. The programme emphasises the domains of eadministration and e-services; e-society is not within its scope.
DistrictNet aims to achieve five overall goals:
1. increased availability of management information;
2. increased coordination between headquarters and sub-counties;
3. reduced costs of coordination between headquarters and sub-counties;
4. improved IT skills among users; and,
5. increased availability of public information.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA Ramata Molo Thioune
ICT for Development
Volume 1 looks at the introduction, adoption, and utilization of ICTs at the community level. In various contexts – geographical, technological, socioeconomic, cultural, and institutional – the book explores the questions of community participation. It looks at how communities in sub-Saharan Africa have reacted to the changes brought about by the introduction of these new ICTs and, in detail, presents both the opportunities and the challenges that ICTs present for community development. The book will be useful for both researchers and development practitioners active, or just embarking upon, an “ICT for development†program. It will also be a very useful reference tool not only for academics but also for policymakers, decision-makers, and development professionals interested in the issue.
Volume 1 looks at the introduction, adoption, and utilization of ICTs at the community level. In various contexts – geographical, technological, socioeconomic, cultural, and institutional – the book explores the questions of community participation. It looks at how communities in sub-Saharan Africa have reacted to the changes brought about by the introduction of these new ICTs and, in detail, presents both the opportunities and the challenges that ICTs present for community development. The book will be useful for both researchers and development practitioners active, or just embarking upon, an “ICT for development†program. It will also be a very useful reference tool not only for academics but also for policymakers, decision-makers, and development professionals interested in the issue.
