Assessment and Review of the National ICT Policies of the Pacific Island Countries (2)

1. Policy and Regulation Forum for the PacificHoniara, Solomon Islands, 27-30 April 2010 Assessment and Review of the National ICT Policies of the Pacific Island Countries (2) EricLie MACMILLAN KECK ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS

2. Country assessment • Status of national ICT policies in the region • Overview • ICT legal and regulatory framework • Status of national ICT policy • Substance and structure • Process (Development, Adoption, Implementation, Review) • Observations • Strengths and limitations • Recommendations for consideration

3. Assessment summaryStrengths • Recognition of importance of a national ICT policy • Substance and structure • Substantive issues in common • Most structural elements in place

4. Assessment summaryStrengths Key issues addressed in the goals and objectives of the national ICT policies of the region

5. Assessment summaryStrengths National ICT policy structure elements in the PICs

6. Assessment summaryStrengths • Process • Institutions responsible identified • Importance of resource mobilisation recognised • Assessments and consultations undertaken

7. Assessment summaryStrengths Overview of National ICT Policy adoption in the region

8. Assessment summaryLimitations and Risks • Substance and structure • Lack of clear links between national ICT policy and overall development policies • Challenge of emerging issues • Regional collaboration dimension absent • Absence of a strategic plan • Risks to policy implementation

9. Assessment summaryLimitations and Risks • Process • Limitations of external trigger for policy development • Lack of stakeholder and high-level political support (or ICT champion) • Risk of delays in policy development and adoption • Shortage of resources (human and financial) • Lack of human resources skilled in policy-making • Predominance of one-off, narrowly-focused assistance • Lack of funds for policy implementation • Absence of resource planning • Risks to policy development and implementation

10. Assessment summaryLimitations and Risks • Process (con’t) • Absence of timeframe for adoption of national ICT policy • Absence of communications strategy to increase public awareness of the importance of a national ICT policy • Limited use of reporting and feedback mechanisms during implementation • Difficult to measure progress and policy success

11. Assessment summaryRecommendations • Country level • Examine existing national vision statements and overall national development policies and establish links with them in the national ICT policy • Develop and adopt a national ICT strategic plan in tandem with the national ICT policy • Establish a timeframe for the development and adoption (or review) of a national ICT policy

12. Assessment summaryRecommendations • Country level (con’t) • Ensure institutional competence • Ensure that the responsible institution has the necessary political support to carry out its task • Ensure that the responsible institution has adequate resources for its task and the appropriate mandate to carry it out • Ensure policy-makers have the requisite policy-making skills and experience to analyse and transform inputs into an effective and successful national ICT policy

13. Assessment summaryRecommendations • Country level (con’t) • Embark on a resource planning exercise that identifies the resources necessary (i.e. in terms of funding and human resources) as well the potential sources of such resources and the implications associated with their use • Identify avenues for obtaining the necessary funding and training (e.g., policy-making, legal, technical, etc.) • Consider involving potential partners and donors in the national ICT policy development process

14. Assessment summaryRecommendations • Country level (con’t) • Initiate stakeholder consultations at an early stage in the development process • Build public awareness to promote government accountability and increase the level of political commitment • Develop and use independent procedures for project monitoring, reporting and feedback in order to arrive at objective results • Review and revise national ICT policies periodically in order to ensure they remain relevant

15. Assessment summaryRecommendations • Regional level • Continue regional support in the area of ICT policy and regulatory development • Common declarations, technical assistance, workshops, … • Promote coordination and information sharing in the development of ICT policies and strategic plans • Facilitate the development of collaborative policy responses to existing and new ICT related challenges

16. Assessment summaryRecommendations • Regional level (con’t) • Develop resources for sustained capacity building in the area of ICT policy-making • e.g. providing the ICT resource centre with resources to address ICT policy related needs, allowing it to act as a forum for information exchange and the coordination of twinning programmes or secondments … • Facilitate coordination between donors/partners and recipient countries to allow for effective resource planning • Promote a “holistic” approach to ICT policy development assistance

17. Thank you Eric Lie Email: ericlie@macmillankeck.pro MACMILLAN KECK ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS