Information Policy

Measuring the WSIS Targets. A statistical framework

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Geneva Plan of Action identified ten targets to be achieved by 2015, along with numerous recommendations based on different action lines. In 2008, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) recommended that the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development track progress towards achievement of the WSIS goals and targets (Resolution 2008/3).

The Partnership has developed a set of core ICT indicators designed to monitor ICT developments (Partnership, 2010). They cover ICT infrastructure, household ICT access and individual use of ICT, business ICT use, the ICT sector, trade in ICT goods, and ICT in education. Work on defining core indicators on ICT in government is in its final stage.

A number of the core ICT indicators can be applied to measuring the ten WSIS targets. Other WSIS targets go beyond the areas covered so far by the Partnership’s core indicators and include targets on connecting health centres, libraries, post offices and scientific and research centres, and encouraging linguistic diversity and local content on the Internet. The WSIS outcome documents do not specify quantifiable indicators that could be applied to monitor progress. As a result, to date, no international framework has existed for measuring the WSIS targets.

ITU, in close collaboration with UIS, UNDESA and WHO started to work on a quantitative review of the WSIS targets in 2009 and identified a preliminary set of measurable indicators that could be applied by national and international stakeholders. The outcomes of this effort were presented in the publication World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report 2010: Monitoring the WSIS Targets (WTDR) (ITU, 2010a) launched in May 2010 at the WSIS Forum in Geneva. Following release of the WTDR 2010, the work on measuring the WSIS targets was brought under the umbrella of the Partnership, in particular through the creation of the Task Group on Measuring the WSIS Targets (TG WSIS).

The indicators to measure the WSIS targets were also presented in a dedicated session at the ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators meeting (WTIM), which took place from 24‐26 November 2010, in Geneva, Switzerland.They were further discussed through the TG WSIS online discussion forum, which included 90 experts in the area of ICT measurement. This publication finalizes the work of the Task Group and other members of the online forum, by presenting a statistical framework and a set of indicators for measuring the WSIS targets. It elaborates on each indicator and presents relevant statistical standards, such as classifications, definitions and data sources.

The publication was prepared by Sheridan Roberts, a consultant to the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development. Substantive contributions were received from members of the TG WSIS, in particular, Vanessa Gray and Susan Teltscher from ITU, Misha Kay from WHO, Scarlett Fondeur Gil and Remi Lang from UNCTAD, Seema Hafeez from UNDESA and Elettra Ronchi from the OECD. Other major contributors were Claude Akpabie, Martin Schaaper and José Pessoa from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Daniel Pimienta from FUNREDES, Erick Iriarte Ahon from LACTLD, Joie Springer from UNESCO, Georgios Goumas from the UPU and Michael Minges, Lead Consultant, ictDATA.org. Useful comments were also received from other members of the discussion forum.

The production of the publication was coordinated and funded by ITU.

http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/ind/D-IND-MEAS_WSIS-2011-PDF-E.pdf

Musa Wants More Efforts Made To Develop ICT Infrastructrure Projects In Sabah

SANDAKAN, July 31 (Bernama) -- Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman wants the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to double its efforts in implementing infrastructure projects for the development of information and communication technology in the Sabah.

He said this was to ensure wider coverage and access of telecommunication and broadband services, especially in the rural areas.

"We are aware that with globalisation and ICT development, we need to further improve the quality of human capital.

"To produce a ICT literate community, the government is committed to spur development of infrastructure and communication facilities for the people, whether they are in the towns or rural areas," he said at the presentation of the 1Malaysia Notebooks for the Libaran parliament here today.

The notebooks were given to 1,116 students from three secondary schools here -- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Fajar, SMK Merpati and SMK Perempuan Sandakan.

Musa said the household rate of the broadband Internet penetration in the state was more than 31.9 per cent and this exceeded the target set by MCMC last year.

He attributed this to the various initiatives taken by the Information Communication and Culture Ministry though MCMC.

He said efforts were also being made by MCMC to set up the Community Broadband Centre and Libraries, "Wireless Villages" and to expand the coverage for cellular telephones through the Time 3 programme in the state.

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=605206

Orange, Google launch sms service in Africa

Telecommunications provider Orange and global search giant Google have signed a partnership that aims to facilitate access to Google’s services across Africa, by leveraging Orange’s network.

This will enable Orange’s mobile customers to stay in touch with their Google services

Bahamas: Prime Minister launches new E-Government Web Portal and e-Services

By Llonella Gilbert, BIS

Nassau, Bahamas -- With the launch of the new E-Government Web Portal and e-services, the public has a new way to do business with the Government, Prime Minister the Rt Hon Hubert Ingraham said during the Portal’s official launch at the Sheraton Cable Beach Resort, Thursday, July 28.

ICT can help SMEs to reach out to large markets: Govt

NEW DELHI: Easy and affordable access of Information and Communication technology (ICT) to SMEs would help them in exploring new markets globally, a senior government official said said.

Zambia: Computer Aid holds sessions on used computers

By Charles Mgbolu

Computer Aid International, the world’s largest and most experienced not-for-profit (NFP) provider of professionally refurbished PCs will be holding series of information sessions in Kaduna, Abuja, and Ile-Ife as part of the bid to increase awareness on PC usage and improve IT capacity of Nigerians through affordable PCs.

Government adopts cloud computing for e-government service delivery

Hong Kong (HKSAR) - The Government will incrementally adopt the cloud computing model to deliver its e-services and information, the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Stephen Mak, said today (July 29).

Speaking at an industry forum organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), Mr Mak said, "Cloud computing is a global trend.It is important for the Government to capitalise on this technology to meet rising public demand and expectations.

"We are going to establish a Government Cloud environment progressively over the next few years for supporting a range of business applications with government-wide utility. The aim is to bring about overall improvement opportunities for operation efficiency, customer services, as well as reducing effort, time and risks in the implementation of IT systems," Mr Mak said.

The proposed Government Cloud environment includes an "in-house private cloud" owned and operated by the Government, "outsourced private clouds" comprising facilities dedicated to the Government in secure data centres operated by contractors, and "public clouds" for generic services for which the Government has less control over how the services are provided.

The Government Cloud will be made available for shared use by all bureaux and departments so that they can execute their own IT-enabled business change initiatives in a more agile, cost-effective and joined-up manner. This enables flexible deployment of IT resources and workload, and helps reduce the overall carbon footprint and environmental impact.

"The OGCIO will continue to work closely with different stakeholders including the IT industry to develop a cloud regime most fitting for Hong Kong as a regional hub for information and communications technology," Mr Mak added.

Today's forum was organised to give the industry an overview of the Government's upcoming strategic IT initiatives and to help them better prepare for the provision of related products and services.Apart from the Government Cloud strategy, other initiatives covered in the forum included public sector information access and re-use, promotion of data centre development and government electronic information management strategy.Representatives from about 100 companies and organisations attended the forum that included interactive discussions.

http://7thspace.com/headlines/390503/government_adopts_cloud_computing_for_e_government_service_delivery.html

Education to work e-government portal

Potential users of the electronic government will be learning how to use the e-gov.kz web portal. There are special schools, which organizers and people, who heard about the electronic government but were unable to learn how to use it, may attend. The young lawyer Nurlan Yeskendir believes that such seminars are very important.

Nurlan Iskendir, Astana resident
«People often need different certificates and to receive them, it is not necessary to ask for permission to leave work but just connect to the internet and receive all necessary information at home.»

After three seminar hours a person will master all necessary skills for working with the portal of the electronic government. From the beginning of June 10 thousands of people found out how to register at the website, what the electronic digital signature is and how people could pay certain taxes and fines.

Ruslan Yensebayev, CEO, National Information Technologies
«Currently, the electronic government portal has 70 interactive, transactional services, and over 2 thousand information services. The portal gave over 6 thousand certificates and it proves that the electronic government is a very useful site. We would like to say that such seminars are very useful.»

Teaching Kazakhstan residents to work with the portal is implemented under the support of the ministry of information and communication. Usually companies, enterprises, and branches of joint stock companies are inviting training managers.

Yermek Mukhanov, Branch Director, KazTransCom JSC
«I am a head of the branch and I am interested in training our employees to work with the electronic government to avoid standing in queues and spending their time. With the help of this site we can do everything from payment for utility services to finishing different certificates in population service centres.»

The education is free in all regions and districts of the country. By the end this year it is planned to conduct seminars in 80 residential areas and teach 70 thousand Kazakhstan residents.

http://caspionet.kz/eng/general/Education_to_work_egovernment_portal_1312002489.html

Spain: Governments sends civil society previously secret transparency law

Madrid, Friday 29 July 2011: On the same day that it announced early elections, the Spanish government released to Access Info Europe a proposed access to information law, finally taking a step towards fulfilling an electoral promise first made in 2004.

 

Belarus plans clampdown on 'silent' protests

Minsk, July 29 (Interfax) - The Belarusian government has responded to weekly "silent" public protests by drafting a law that would make such actions punishable if they have no permission from the authorities.

Under the planned law, the text of which is posted on the national legislation website, forms of picketing that need permission from urban authorities would include the "joint mass presence of citizens in a public place that has been chosen beforehand, including an outdoor space, and at a scheduled time for the purpose of a form of action or inaction that has been planned beforehand and is a form of public expression of the public or political sentiments or protest."

This would apply to events of this kind "organized via the global Internet or other information networks."

"Persons who have committed offenses against the regulations on the organization or conduct of a mass event cannot act as organizers of a mass event within one year of an administrative penalty ordered for such an offense," the proposed law would say.

The planned law would authorize police to "fence off sites of mass events with engineering or technical facilities, photograph and make audio and video recordings of mass events, and impose pass control." Police would also be authorized to body-search people and look through their belongings.

The bill is a response to weekly "silent" actions in which people would gather on the central square of a city, walk around in silence and clap their hands as an expression of protest.

The "silent" protests, organized through social network websites by a group called Revolution through Social Networks, have been held on Wednesdays since June, but an action that was due to take place on the Komarovsky Market in the capital Minsk on July 27 was canceled.

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/109714/