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National ICT Stuff got fuzzy but clearing up
We're meeting this week at the Basilica to try and thrash out some concerted direction for ICT in Tonga.
Knowing in the back of my mind/back, that we went through something like this before, it was only a matter of time for Google to reveal our previous effort "Facilitating National Information and Communication Technology Development Strategies - Tonga National Workshop Report. (PDF report)" Back in 2002.
As with all things relegated to the organic membranes for storage, things got fuzzy over time so it was good to finally see the actual document and to reconcile some of the things we thought we remembered. No, we didn't specify a strategy, yes we specified a number of directions for the approach and YES the whole process bogged down on the one area of conflict highlighted in the report.
Nonetheless, looking back at that 2002 report (seems aeons ago though) some significant progress has been achieved independently of a directed national strategy. The private sector services for ICT has not only grown/expanded, but it has also shown resilience and significant viability. Likewise, the second carrier (data/voice) Tonfon, has also shown viability.
Six working groups came out of that 2002 workshop.
- Public Awareness Task Group did quite a lot of work but floundered after about 12 ~ 18 months.
- Legislation Task Group didn't seem to ever find themselves.
- Upgrade qualifications and skills Task Group followed the Legislation Task Group
- Public Infrastructure Group performed their reporting efforts admirably, but then splintered greatly with some of the other tasks.
- Government Infrastructure Task Group pursued most of their action items
- Telecentres Task Group (today's Community Centers?) didn't seem to do anything
- ICT Co-ordination Task Force don't seem to have recovered from that final heated break-up of the workshop.
Weird to look back and find that the most effective of the work-groups happened to be the most controversial (at the meeting) of the groups, but coincidentally also the only group that did not have communications costs with external entities.
One thing is clear, the high level bodies within a workshop is not indicative of that workshop being a success. One of the sectors with most senior attendance was education, and they were the worst performing of all the working groups (from my revisionist history.) The most one-sided was Government Infrastructure, and whether the results were successes, seemed to be most effective at pursuing tasks.
I believe the most difficult of the groups was Public Awareness as it required significant communications costs as well as a broader(?) skillset ?
Quickly lessons from the results of 2002 ?
- Senior leadership (not your average champions) required.
- Motivation factors need to be maintained
- We may do better with smaller or fewer working groups but they definitely need sponsorship
- Communications costs are high for outsourcing, and their high in disparate working groups too.
- National reviews (possibly tied to motivation?)
Weird things happen in the Pacific, consider that Tonga was appointed chair of the regional ICT Taskforce (and I don't think anyone from that leadership group is actually active during these deliberations.)
Tonga Leads Regional ICT Taskforce
Tonga was appointed Chair of a regional ICT Taskforce at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) ICT Policy and Ministerial Meeting held in Wellington NZ last week. The meeting was attended by Pacific Island Communication Ministers’, senior government officials and regional non-government organisations.
The taskforce consists of Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. It was established as part of the meeting to investigate and report on pertinent ICT matters within the region and implement the Digital Strategy formulated by PIFS.
What do you think ?
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