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Tag Archive for: infrastructure

Agriculture, Agriculture Markets, Extension Service, Food Security, Forestry, Irrigation and Water, Livestock, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

South Sudan: In search of a food policy?

Credit: Farm Africa

After two decades of civil war and amid a tense truce, the world recently welcomed its newest nation, The Republic of South Sudan. But like many of its Sub-Saharan neighbors did 50 years ago, South Sudan joins the rank of nationhood with a raft of intractable developmental challenges– and the high expectations of 8 million people adds importance to each.

While the slate of challenges at hand are all important for sustained socio-economic development, achieving national food security will be key to the success of the nation. It is a vital part of national security and nationhood. But achieving self-sufficiency in food production and food security will require full transformation of the embryonic nation’s agricultural sector.

Although the sector accounts for the majority of economic activity—33% of the rural population lives on agriculture, whereas 45 % and 12 % are agro-pastoralists and fishermen respectively—the industry is stuck in a pre-industrial form. This is particularly bothersome as new nations must effectively manage their citizens’ expectations–for basic services, jobs and food–to thrive.

However, the country has been unable to provide enough food for the people of South Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. More than a fifth of the population depends on food aid, and the majority of the country’s food is imported from neighbouring countries, many of which are unstable. This doesn’t bode well for the country, and begs the question: where is the national food policy that would foster sustained food production and security? What should a national food policy for South Sudan entail?

A map showing the 10 states of South Sudan in various colours

Credit: South Sudan Forum For Public Policy

As I noted earlier, at the heart of any food policy must be the repositioning of the agricultural sector. South Sudan’s agriculture is characterized by subsistence farmers and disproportionate involvement in agriculture and forestry, compared to livestock and fisheries. There ought to be a concerted campaign to educate farmers about the importance of diversifying their crops and exploring opportunities in the livestock and fisheries sector.

This will require the bridging of the information divide. In other words, South Sudanese farmers ought to have improved access to better extension services and information that will sensitize and inform them about markets. ICTs will be useful tools for enabling this and should therefore form a central part of the overall food security strategy for South Sudan. However, the full incorporation of ICTs will depend on improvements in connectivity and access– mobile subscription, broadband access and total internet users are all less than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nonetheless, traditional ICTs such as radio, which is relatively ubiquitous in South Sudan, may be used as a key first step to offer extension services that tackle issues, including irrigation cycles, pest control, access to seeds, fertilizer, transportation and prices. These services may be provided via a series of regularly aired radio programs and features that capture the voices and interests of the farmers. The use of traditional ICTs and other less advanced but newer technologies are likely to be more contextually relevant and appropriate, compared to high end ICTs. The latest technology is not always suitable. In the long-term, many opportunities to use the latest ICTs will mature. That is to say, they exist now, but the infrastructure in not in place to facilitate their effective implementation for the benefit of the majority.

Here are a few of the ICT opportunities:

The provision of access to financial services via mobile money
Improve irrigation and water management services using remote sensing technologies and GIS
Establishment of legible rural and agricultural markets through market information systems
Reduction of waste through proper storage and transportation facilities enabled by logistics technology
Text and other mobile-based extension services to create access to better agriculture and livestock inputs

Despite the immense scope for growth in South Sudan’s agriculture sector, much depends on the development of indigenous agricultural and livestock research, animal health services, infrastructure (including roads and bridges), and the stability of the regulatory and political environment.

July 8, 2011/by actualize

Business Enabling Environment, Economic Growth & Trade, Enterprise Development, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Workforce Development

Planting CEEDs of Growth in Moldova with ICTs

The ICT sector is one of the most dynamic in Moldova’s economy. Recording a vibrant growth over the past years, today it represents nearly 10% of the national GDP, on par with agriculture production.

There are about 40,000 people employed directly and indirectly in ICT, making the ICT sector one of the major employers in Moldova. It is also one of the highest paying industries, as jobs in ICT pay on par with those in the financial sector, historically the best paying jobs in the country. Most importantly, the ICT industry employs the young generation, offering an exciting, fast-growing and rewarding career for the next generation.

Moldova has already chosen the pathway of ICT. All players – the Government, the business community, the citizens and the ICT industry itself – have acknowledged the importance of information technology as a catalyst for growth, and as a tool of growth enhancement in all other economic sectors.

Technical assistance from USAID Moldova through the Competitiveness Enhancement and Enterprise Development (CEED) project over the past five and a half years has enhanced the competitiveness of the ICT sector through initiatives meant to consolidate the quality of companies, to strengthen ICT education so that it meets the needs of business, and to align the industry towards common goals.

Just last month, USAID Moldova sponsored the Moldova ICT Summit 2011, featuring the Association of Private ICT Companies in Moldova, as well as the recently launched national E- Government Center. The event focused on the e-transformation of the Moldovan economy, and the importance of e-transparency, among other topics.

Since the initiation of the first phase of the CEED project, USAID Moldova has been involved in numerous efforts. They facilitated the formation of the Association of Private ICT Companies in Moldova, established relationships between the national government and the private companies in the ICT sector, helped private firms to become IT-Mark certified ICT companies under CMMI methodology (encouraging foreign investment and trade), and set up talks respecting the formation of a “Cloud-Moldova” e-government system.

Additionally, a need for more trained and educated IT professionals in Moldova has arisen. To meet this need, USAID Moldova connected the Moldovan Minister of Education with large ICT firms. The ministry signed memorandums with Microsoft, Cisco, and i-Carnegie (Carnegie Mellon University). New IT focused courses and degrees are being offered in the Moldovan education system, providing the ICT industry with the professional staff it requires.

A man and a woman watch as a man repairs a computer.

Photo: Sergiu Botezatu

Despite these advancements, a few large boulders block continued development of the ICT sector in Moldova. The national government’s telecommunications company, Moldtelecom, still controls the majority of the market. Additionally, Moldova is unknown in the region as a destination of IT, this holding back investment. Thankfully, however, steps are in place to remove these barriers. The national government is beginning to investigate selling Moldtelecom and a strategy for ICT sector positioning and promotion is underway, which is intended to put Moldova on the regional and global ICT map.

June 29, 2011/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

What if your Internet bill was more than your mortgage?

Photo: ITU

A recent report by the ITU states that the price of high-speed Internet connections dropped by over 50% globally last year, with entry-level ICTs dropping 18%. The drop was less extreme in developed countries at 35%, but very pronounced in developing nations at 52%, and particularly in Africa at 55%.

The positive headlines of the ITU’s report quickly fade away, however, as the reality of Broadband prices in developing countries sinks in. “In 32 countries, the monthly price of an entry-level fixed broadband subscription corresponds to more than half average monthly income. …And in a handful of developing countries the monthly price of a fast Internet connection is still more than ten times monthly average income.”

Though this report from the ITU demonstrates that the digital divide is narrowing, the stark differences in Broadband prices between the developed and less developed world appear still widely extreme. The ITU’s report on the price drop ultimately highlights the expansive measure of the digital divide.

If governments are lining up to invest millions in constructing fiber optic cables, should they also set aside some money to subsidize bandwidth usage? Are governments’ efforts to make broadband accessible futile without subsidies to reduce prices? Arguably, a small investment in bandwidth subsidies is necessary in order to make the investments in Broadband infrastructure ultimately meaningful.

Kenya is the first African nation to provide bandwidth subsidies to business processing operators (BPO), allowing a 20 cent saving on all operational costs. ICT board leader, Paul Kukubo, explained, “Increasing Kenya’s competitiveness in the global BPO sphere is vital for our country’s economic growth…and to put Kenya on the global outsourcing map.” Though the effectiveness of the subsidies have been called into question, this is a step in the right direction. Maximizing the benefits of Broadband connectivity may often require bandwidth subsidies as African nations struggle to breech the digital divide.

June 21, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Cross Cutting, Humanitarian Assistance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Providing Connectivity During Humanitarian Crises: An Approach from Luxembourg

Photo Credit: UN WFP

Following actual natural disasters, humanitarian crises often escalate in gravity due to a lack of communication and connectivity between stakeholders that are on the ground. In an effort to eliminate these problems, the government of Luxembourg, in collaboration with the ICT Humanitarian Emergency Platform at the UN World Food Program (WFP), recently designed and created EPIC: Emergency Preparation Integration Centre.

The purpose of EPIC is to provide voice and data communications, via rugged mobile phones and digital radios with Internet-based phone service and GPS capabilities, to disaster zones within 14-20 hours of occurrence. The communication platform allows international agencies to communicate with each other, consolidating efforts and increasing response efficiency. Additionally, EPIC allows on-the-ground response teams to maintain communications with their agencies’ home bases, allowing for the transfer of swift and accurate news feeds in order to stimulate donor response as well.

Photo Credit: emergency.lu

The EPIC system is all contained in a single toolkit, stored at the UN’s five response posts, located around the globe in strategic locations. When a disaster hits, the toolkits are quickly flown to the scene, reestablishing communications as quickly as possible to help coordinate an organized response effort. The entire toolkit has yet to be used, but will be pilot tested in a mock trial in Cape Verde this July, according to WFP ICT regional director of Latin America Alf Ellefsen. If the trial run goes smoothly, the toolkits will be fully operational by September or October of this year.

I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Ellefsen at the WFP about the program following his presentation at the Aid & International Development Forum 2011 last week. He explained that this effort “fulfills our mandate from the UN as the lead of the Emergency Telecommunications Sector to provide telecommunications services during humanitarian crises.” As seen in Haiti and Pakistan, recently, the lack of collaboration between responders created new problems and slowed some efforts. The EPIC system would allow responders, such as the WFP, to collectively work with other public, private, and non-governmental organizations to efficiently distribute food to victims, locate resources, and communicate crucial messages.

Though initially a project by the government of Luxembourg, EPIC now includes deployment and funding partners at the UN WFP and Ericsson. The potential of EPIC is large; if functional, it could drastically reduce the systemic problems that result in the months following natural disasters, and save thousands of dollars in relief efforts that end up being duplicated.

June 14, 2011/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Fiber Optic Cables To Extend to 3 More East African Nations

In today’s headlines, African Telecoms giant Seacom announced that it will be laying fiber optic broadband cables in the coming year in three African nations: Burundi, Somalia, and Southern Sudan. Fiber cables will first be laid in Burundi with the assistance of a $10.1 million dollar grant from the World Bank, and later in Southern Sudan and Somalia.

Attempting to connect all of East Africa together, Seacom has successfully completed fiber construction in Uganda, Djibouti, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Kenya, which is the headquarters of the region. East African governments have been key partners with Seacom and other private telecommunications companies, including Korea Telecom in Rwanda. In fact, the East African Community (EAC), a group of five nations, will invest a combined total of $400 million in laying broadband cables in the coming years. With the undersea and terrestrial fiber cables laid, the groundwork will be in place for all of East Africa to be connected directly.

African Undersea Cables — A History

View more presentations from Steve Song

In Burundi, the reported plans include laying 1,300 kilometers of fiber optic cable, partially funded by the World Bank. The funding for Southern Sudan and Somalia, however, is less concrete at this point, as governments and private sector players are only at the formation stage, with Seacom leading the way.

Seacom’s announcement came despite the spread of land fighting on the border of North and South Sudan this past week, where reportedly more than 53,000 Southern Sudanese citizens fled their homes. Despite the fighting, Seacom spokesman Julius Opio remained optimistic.

However, Mr. Opio has expressed other concerns, including the low portion of the Internet community that is owned and produced by Africans. Establishing broadband infrastructure in Africa, Mr. Opio argues, will increase African ownership and power in the Internet sphere.

“Today, the majority of internet content consumed in Africa is non-African, flowing from Europe and North America into Africa. …We believe that the growth of the African ICT market, including mobile penetration and the eager adoption of social networking, coupled with the development of cloud services will result in a rapid increase in content on African soil.”

Slideshow from Steve Song, and video from Seacom and CreamerMedia.

June 14, 2011/by actualize

Connectivity, Legal & Regulatory, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

The Broadband Commission’s New Report and an Interview with Mr. Charles Kenny

The ITU’s newly formed Broadband Commission released its first full report Monday, June 6, 2011, entitled A Platform for Progress. The report highlights the need for governments to adopt national Internet strategies in order to compete in the global market. Broadband Internet access, the report states, should be universally available through the public sphere. Others such as Charles Kenny, researcher at the Center for Global Development, argue that Internet access should be leveraged through the private sector, dictated by market needs.

The report reads, “To optimize the benefits to society, broadband should be coordinated on a countrywide basis, promoting facilities-based competition and with policies encouraging service providers to offer access on fair market terms… Developing isolated projects or piecemeal, duplicated networks is not only inefficient, it delays provision of infrastructure that is becoming as crucial in the modern world as roads or electricity supplies.”

Photo Credit: ITU, Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General, Vice-Chair, speaks at the Broadband Commission for digital development meeting, Geneva

Some ICT4D experts, however, are not so quick to believe the report’s broad-reaching claims. Charles Kenny, from the Center for Global Development, explains in Foreign Policy that the evidence showing Broadband access increases growth is weak. Looking at data from 1980 to 2006, one unpublished World Bank study estimates that for every 10% increase in Broadband penetration a 1.3% increase in national GDP can be expected. This is a sandy foundation, argues Kenny, for the Broadband Commission’s recommendation that countries develop, invest in and subsidize national Broadband plans. Other studies, not cited by the Broadband Commission, show limited if any growth as a result of increased Broadband access.

I personally corresponded with Mr. Kenny via email last week regarding the role of governments and private companies in National Broadband Networks. His responses are listed here:

1. In your opinion, what is the role of the Internet in fulfilling the MDGs?

The Internet is definitely a factor in speeding progress towards poverty reduction, lower mortality and more widespread educational opportunities. At the same time, the Internet is neither necessary nor sufficient for such progress. Take health: the interventions necessary to dramatically reduce child mortality are things like widespread vaccination, the use of bed nets, breast feeding, and sugar-salt solutions to counter diarrhea. The Internet may be able to help in rolling out these approaches, but that role is decidedly secondary.

2. Where can Broadband have its greatest impact – health, education, governance, economy, or agriculture?

To date, the biggest impact of broadband in developing and developed countries alike has been in entertainment—allowing widespread access to interactive gaming and streaming video. Looking forward, there are surely applications across all of the areas you list, but it is far too early to suggest where the biggest impact will be.

3. Should Broadband services be provided by governments, private companies, or a combination?

Private companies. It is too early to say that there is a big justification for public financing of Broadband networks; we just don’t know if there is a considerable public good impact. Regardless, if the telecoms industry has taught us anything it is that private competitive provision of information infrastructure has lowered prices and extended access far more rapidly than government provision. So even if the government wants to finance broadband network rollout, it should work through the private sector.

4. Should countries pursue a National Broadband Network or leave the market to organically construct networks?

Leave it to the market. Command and control has sometimes, but rarely, worked as a development strategy. But the fast-moving area of ICTs isn’t a good place to try it. Given how little we know about Broadband’s economic and social impact, this isn’t an area where governments should be throwing money regardless.

Despite Mr. Kenny and others’ doubts, the Broadband Commission recommends governments develop their own National Broadband Networks. Their report can be downloaded here.

Photo Credit: CGDev.org

Charles Kenny is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. His current work covers topics including the demand side of development, the role of technology in quality of life improvements, and governance and anticorruption in aid. He has published articles, chapters and books on issues including progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, what we know about the causes of economic growth, the link between economic growth and broader development, the causes of improvements in global health, the link between economic growth and happiness, the end of the Malthusian trap, the role of communications technologies in development, the ‘digital divide,’ and corruption.

June 9, 2011/by actualize

Asia, Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Where we work

Indonesia Aims to Have 30% Broadband Penetration by 2014

The Indonesian Ministry of Economy recently publicly announced its goal to increase “meaningful” broadband penetration by 30% by 2014. The goal is optimistic; Internet penetration was 12.3% in 2010, only 18% of which was broadband, making broadband penetration around 2.2% of the population.

In the Jakarta Declaration for Meaningful Broadband released on April 14, 2011, a collection of government and private industry ICT leaders in the Indonesia agreed on the goal to bring “meaningful” broadband access – affordable, usable, and empowering – from under 3% to a ten-fold increase of 30% within three years. This “big push” for broadband penetration is founded on a US$9.2 billion plan. The plan includes $4.3 billion public-private partnership (PPP) funding allocation, linking PT Telecom’s fibre optic cable to “last mile” initiatives to connect rural, more isolated areas. According to estimates, Elizabeth Aris, expert on National Broadband Networks, states that such a PPP would leave costs at “$3 a month per consumer.”

Photo Credit: Digitaldivide.org

Critics of the fund claim that Indonesia has more pressing needs, that broadband should be left entirely to the private sector, and that Indonesia’s goal is implausible. The Meaningful Broadband Working Group is not deterred, however. Craig Smith, former Harvard Professor and current director of the Investment Group Against the Digital Divide, explains that the Indonesian government has set specific goals to minimize the gap in income inequality, but additional goals to increase GDP.

“The problem with GDP growth is that it only benefits the wealthy. So, the government says let’s use broadband that could create equitable growth… The problem is that they did not understand the critical mass of broadband… is important to require the equitable growth,” Smith said. In other words, broadband penetration is an economic equalizer as well as accelerator, but only when large investments into IT infrastructure are made.

June 7, 2011/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

A Shift In Rhetoric At The WSIS Forum 2011: Incorporating ICTs Into All Aspects of Development

On May 16-20^th, world leaders gathered in Geneva for the annual World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum. Speakers emphasized the role of incorporating ICTs into all aspects of the MDGs as opposed to the previous goal of providing ICT access.

This type of rhetoric respecting the role of ICTs is different than previous global summits and conferences. In 2000, when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were first released, the eightieth goal – Global Partnership – included a specific target to “make available new technologies, especially information and communications.” Subsequently, the 2010 MDGs Report included measurements of ICT availability and number of users. In this report, ICT usage was the primary goal.

However, more recently, the ITU and UNESCO announced the establishment of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, which embraces ICTs as “uniquely powerful tools for achieving the MDGs.” One of the commissioners, Bruno Lanvin, boldly explains: “Broadband is not just about infrastructure…it presents the opportunity for a quantum leap. …We may soon discover that Broadband has been the biggest absolute accelerator in our efforts to realize the MDGs.”

The shift in rhetoric surrounding ICTs is now beginning to affect international measurements. For example, last month the World Economic Forum released The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011, and announced new changes to the Network Readiness Index. The WEF acknowledged that the original index “falls short in looking at the impacts of ICT usage,” and in their revised index elements such as business innovation, governance, citizens’ political participation, and social cohesion are incorporated, demonstrating the acceptance of ICTs as important development tools in all sectors.

A keynote speaker at the WSIS Forum, Mr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in the UAE, explained that ICTs are crucial for “every sector of the economy and contribute to areas so diverse as health, education, and public safety.”

Other forum sessions at the conference further emphasized the importance of ICT utility in achieving all of the MDGs, including “Better Life in Rural Communities with ICTs,” and “ICTs as an enabler for Development of LDCs.”

The second day of the conference, May 17^th, was the annual World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. In a public video celebrating the event, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré states: “It is time for global action to connect rural communities to the opportunities offered by ICTs.”

The WSIS Forum 2011 verified the need to utilize ICTs to accelerate the completion of all the MDGs. This change in rhetoric and measurements regarding ICTs will likely affect public policy in the short future. The WSIS Forum 2011 was an important marker in the history of ICT4D. ICT access and connectivity is the means to making sustained impacts in all the MDGs, but is not the end goal in itself.

June 1, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Health, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

At PATH, Delivering Information Technology in Challenging Locations

I’ve just returned from PATH’s offices in Hanoi and Phnom Penh, where a group from our information services team reviewed the state of our global health nonprofit’s technical infrastructure there. We also talked with our Vietnam and Cambodia Country Program staff about partnering on projects that include a software development component. I came home to Seattle knowing that this is truly an exciting time to be applying technology solutions in the developing world

May 6, 2011/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Gaining Commitment and Synergy: National ICT Planning

During this last decade, ICTs have increasingly become viewed as having national strategic and tactical importance. Globally this was brought into focus through two World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) events—one held in Geneva in 2003 and the other in Tunis in 2005. At the conclusion of the 2005 Summit, there was worldwide agreement on ten ICT-related WSIS targets for 2015. Collectively these Targets for 2015 link directly to supporting each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In 2010, an interim report was issued that tracks the progress of these targets Further, both the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) issue annual reports that relate directly to the progress being made in the overall ICT arena.

Virtually every country had high-level Ministry-level participation at these Summits, and agreed to these ten Targets for 2015. Further, this WSIS focus served as a trigger to where the vast majority of the participating countries have subsequently undertaken ICT-related strategic planning initiatives for their respective countries. Often these countries have folded these Targets for 2015 into their national level ICT strategic plans.

While this is extremely encouraging, USAID’s experience in this arena has demonstrated that often it takes more than high-level strategy documents. Often there are three missing components to ensure these national-level planning initiatives are fruitful; 1) there is the need for extensive public-private sector dialog throughout the planning process–and beyond the planning itself, 2) there is the need to drop down into a more tactical level–with public and private sector commitments and implementation targets captured and documented, and 3) there is the need for on-going support through an executive level forum that focuses attention on priority issues, periodically assesses progress being made, and makes needed adjustments.

The focus in developing the National ICT Strategic and Tactical Plan is to heighten the countries’ attention, and to mobilizing ICT-related resources. Having these Plans developed through broad participation of both the public and private sectors, along with international development and donor organizations, ensures there is synergy, prioritization, and integration of the wide-array of ICT-related initiatives being undertaken.

The ICT Team, through the GBI Program, provides support in this arena. The following two examples reflect earlier engagements:

Armenia—in 2001 USAID/Armenia, in partnership with the World Bank, supported the development of a National ICT Strategic and Tactical Plan. This initiative was supported by the then President of Armenia and led by the Minister of Economic Development. A critical component in this planning was the establishment of a ICT-related Council chaired by the Prime Minister, with both public and private sector members on the Council. The Council was supported by a Secretariat. After a year and a half, a local review as to progress was undertaken, again with support from USAID/Armenia. This led to refreshing the National ICT Plan to address priority areas where insufficient progress was being made.

Georgia—in 2008 USAID/Georgia requested ICT consultation with one of the findings being that even though Georgia was focusing on ICT, there was no unifying National Plan in place. This led to discussions at the Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development level, along with a key private sector advisory group, and other donors with active ICT engagements. The team mapped out an initial construct for a National ICT Strategic and Tactical Plan that was subsequently pursued by the local public and private sector entities.

These National ICT Planning efforts are at times the result of an initial ICT Assessment, where the need is identified and local support for such an initiative surfaces. Most often these initiatives are undertaken through a cost-sharing arrangement between the GBI Program and the Mission.

May 3, 2011/by actualize

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