1. A Nation’s Plan to Empower its People through ICT

2. Why e-Sri Lanka? Grow the ICT Sector AND use ICT as an enabler for socio- economic development Specific mechanisms to take the growth in Colombo/ South-West to other areas of the country e- Government E-Society Rural Access (VGKs) ICT as an enabler for Socio Economic Development ICT as a growth Sector Entrepreneurship Connectivity (RTNs) TASS What are the problems facing the country today? Can ICT make a difference? Current Concentration of Growth

3. Vision & Macro Strategies Take the dividends of ICT to every village, to every citizen, to every business and also transform the way government works Improve public services and governance using ICT Improve ICT infrastructure and enhance quality of life through providing affordable access and opportunities Build a strong ICT industry & enhance competitiveness thro ICT Enhance the quality of education, learning and research through use of ICT Proliferate access to ICT in rural areas and use of ICT applications for rural socio-economic development

4. A REALITY CHECK FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS Unique issues & dependencies for success e.g. physical infrastructure, public awareness, political will Acute disparities across geographical zones Physical deliverables are not the key… “soft issues” are the key Govt must lead a national programme undertaking the min. critical mass of projects – points of failure Basic capacity issues.. Often non ICT - The need to “ build the road AND the car to drive it!!!

5. EMERGING MODEL FOR E~DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING NATIONS The need for a pan-country, holistic approach Integrating a programme of projects In-built flexibility to make “in-flight” changes Provision for “bottom up” flow of ideas

6. An Integrated e~Development Model & Programme Interdependencies

7. THE NEED FOR AN NATIONAL ICT AGENCY Policy setting Build implementation roadmaps & frameworks Make it happen Put together partnerships Build project management & institutional capacity Funding mechanisms Monitor, evaluate & adjust direction Strategic Communication

8. Lessons Learned thus far… ICTA birth linked to CINTEC demise Overplayed corporate image Formal authority essential Treading on others territory Leadership from the top Out of the box solutions Manage expectations

9. Lessons Learned from Pilots Clarity on objectives & ownership Survey of similar projects Assess scalability & replication issues upfront Focus on outcomes not outputs Integrate an effective communication strategy

10. Critical Success Factors: e-SL Integrated approach Commitment from WB Seed capital & critical institutional capacity integral to the project Apolitical positioning

11. Critical Success Factors: e-SL Stakeholder led Not a “big bang” approach – pilot & scale up Partnership strategies in entire programme lifecycle Flexible design

12. Critical Success Factors: ICTA Vision driven team culture Leadership from the top Operational freedom & building a true meritocracy Results oriented

13. Critical Success Factors: ICTA Give credit to our partners Staying Small, dynamic with a “can do” attitude Integrity & transparency in our work Flexible & adaptable but focused on priorities Mix of experience & ability to multi task

14. CHALLENGES AHEAD Evolving role Independence of ICTA Managing increasing demands Continuity of leadership Retaining our talent & keeping them inspired! Effective project management Timely availability of funds Effective M&E and communications

15. “The Empires of the Future are Empires of the Mind” Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Churchill Transforming the way we think and work THANK YOU