1. ICT Policy & Civil Society
“ICT Policy for Civil society”

2. Objectives of the Pilot Course
To present the course in ICT Policies and Civil Society;
To discuss amendments and additions to make it more relevant to civil society needs, especially in Africa;
To develop future trainers of this course;
To evaluate the materials, and pilot the course.

3. Objective of the course
To build
Understanding of ICT Policy; and
capacity to engage in ICT policy processes;
In Civil Society Organisations.

4. Outline of training programme 1
1. Introduction
what is ICT?
what is policy?
2. Civil Society in the Information Age
Why ICTs matter to civil society
Social exclusion, digital divide
3. An ICT policy framework
Universality
Gender

5. Outline 2 4. What is the Internet?
History, technology, economics, governance
5.Key policy issues related to the Internet
The right to communicate
Intellectual property
Content, media, language
Security & privacy

6. Outline 3 6. ICT policy 7. Advocacy 8. Conclusions
International, regional & national players & issues
7. Advocacy
What is advocacy
Advocacy campaigns
How laws and policies are made
Tactics and lobbying
8. Conclusions
Integration of the issues
WSIS

7. By the end of the course you will:
1 & 2. Understand ICTs and related policies & explain why they matter to civil society
3. understand drivers of ICT policy & identify the elements of a development-oriented framework for ICT policy
4. understand the technical, economic, political & governance aspects of the Internet

8. 5. be able to explain key ICT policy issues and how they relate to the Internet
6.Understand ICT policy processes
7. Develop an advocacy strategy appropriate to the needs of your own organisation

9. Curriculum
5 days, 20 session, 1.5 hours each (6 hours per day)

10. Information & Communication Technology
ICT = the means of storing, processing, transporting and presenting information
New ICTs – digital / electronic
Electrical ICTs – radio, TV, cassette
Print – papers, magazines, letters
Oral / traditional – speech, drama, song …

11. ICTs - New Information & communication Technology
Information Technology
Computers
Data processing / number crunching
Telecommunications
Telephones, fax, satellite,Radio, TV
Plain Old Telephone System (POTS)
Networks
Internet, data, satellite, cell …
Pretty Amazing New Services (PANS)

12. C4 convergence Convergence of: Works at the level of: Communications
Computers
Consumer electronics
Content
Works at the level of:
Technology – all is in bits (binary digits)
Industry
Policy & regulation
Advocacy and Civil Society participation

13. ICTs are everywhere ICTs affect almost all parts of modern life:
Telephones, banks, shopping, driving a car, many jobs, education, health, organising …
ICTs can make things more efficient
ICTs can waste time & money
ICTs can be damaging - e.g. replace jobs
ICTs are new form of power
Key point: SKILLS & UNDERSTANDING
For a person, an organisation or a country

14. What is policy?
Policy = “A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, organisation or individual” OED
Policies exist at all levels of society not only in government
Policies embody the vision, goals, principles, and plans that
guide activities
establish accountability & responsibility
ALL AROUND US – SPOKEN DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED – MORE THAN GOVERNMENT
FOUND AT NATIONAL PROVINCAL, LOCALM, HOSPITAL, FACILITY, HOUSEHOLD
– PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
PUBLIC AND NGO
HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES
EFFECTIVE POLICY NEEDS COORDINATION

15. Different uses of the term policy
label for a field of activity
expression of general purpose or desired state of affairs
specific proposals
decision of government
formal authorisation
a programme
output
outcome
a theory or model
process
QUESTION: WHAT IS POLICY/ HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND POLICY
AFFECTS GOVT, BUT ALSO FAMILY – HOW YOU EAT, NOT ALWAYS WRITTEN DOWN OR KNOWN
Field of activity e.g. economic policy vs social policy vs. foreign policy; includes past, present and potential future policies; does not clarify lack of policy action as action; difficult draw boundaries between health and social policy; more useful to think of policy space – tends to get crowded over time with interventions!
Expression of general purpose – more rhetoric than reality often? Intent not same as content! But purposiveness needed in policy!(PUNCTUALITY, GRACE)
Specific proposals e.g. particular actions (USER FEES)
Decisions of government – emphasises central role of government but ignores the fact that need action after such a decision to bring policy to life (WHERE DOSE GOVT BEGIN OR END…OUT THERE..CIVIL SERVANTS
Formal authorisation e.g. legislative authorisation; but not end point because after legislation still need e.g. money, skills to bring policy to life (SMOKING)
Programme e.g. particular package of legislation, organization and resources; malnutrition programme (MTCT)
ASK WHAT IS AN OUTPUT AND WHAT IS AN OUTCOME
Output e.g. what is delivered rather than than what is promised; clear focus on practice and not just intent - but what output use to judge on final delivery in health sector? Tend to focus on inputs (staff) not outputs (bed days, coverage) FULLY IMMUNIZED CHILD, NO OF VISITS, UTILIZATION DATA
Outcome e.g. what is achieved beyond delivery? Useful to remind of need to go beyond intent, and always interesting to see what happened when get unanticipated outcomes. But again what use to judge health policy as health a function of many things! A DECENT HEALTH SYSTEM FOR ALL
A theory or model e.g. assumptions about what government can do and what consequences of their actions will be
Process NB emphasis on a continuing process, not once off anything, but something more iterative and complex!

16. Policies are … written in: reflected in: documents, regulations, laws
expectations/principles/understandings (unwritten rules)
deliberate decisions
what happens in practice
In action and inaction
Sa WELL KNOWN FOR DOCS….BOOKSHLEVES – OFTEN COMPARED WITH ZIMBABWE
POLICIES MOVE OFF PAPER
Note importance of unwritten rules; involves behaviour as well as intentions e.g. understandings of implementors in any setting about policy, what is expected to do, what is expected of them
DRESS CODE
– e.g. exemptions and interpretation of poor etc -
Also note that policy can be failure to act e.g. internet censorship…;
FAILURE TO ACT – EVOKES AND INACTION = POLICY
non decisions that create barriers to taking action or that prompt action e.g. ?? ;
may have policy but no resources etc to allow implementation e.g. smoking laws in SA
POLICY OFTEN MORE THAN A DOCUMENT – NOT SITUATED OUTSIDE THIS ROOM – YOU ARE ALL POLICY MAKERS IN SOME WAY

17. ICT Policy Main areas: Policy levels: Telecommunication Broadcasting
Internet / E-commerce
Policy levels:
National, Regional, Global
Organisational

18. Defining ICT Policy Whose interests are served by ICT Policy?
Will ICT policy serve to promote universal use, or will there be social exclusion?
Is Gender considered in the policy?
Is Civil Society involved in forming and implementing the policy?

19. Summary Questions Can we: Identify a selection of ICTs
Define convergence
Define policy
Identify some ICT policy issues?