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1. Background
The stakeholders for building the Information Society in the ESCWA
region have not yet harnessed the numerous challenges and
opportunities associated with cooperating and partnering together.
Development and investment patterns in the region tend to
favor
secure sectors, such as real estate and commercial trade over
more innovative and technically complex sectors, such as the ICT
sector. While countries of the region share a common language and
culture and complementary resources; nonetheless, not many
projects have sprung up that took advantage of these
commonalities in order to build the information society.
Partnership is highlighted as the most important mechanism for
building the information society. The partnership model
suggested for the region involves the following stakeholders:
high-impact entrepreneurs, mature national, regional and
international firms, governments, universities, investors, donors,
and international/regional organizations.
There are several practices for cooperation within any newly
founded partnership; different stakeholders will address similar
issues differently within the scope of their mandate and strategic
development goals. The size of some projects may require
multi-stakeholder partnerships that involve the public sector, the
private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and other
international agencies combining their strengths in various areas
to achieve the desired objectives. Specific partnership models
like the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model can be adopted to
build on the individual strengths of the two sectors.
PPP is heavily influenced by cultural, behavioural and historical
values of the region and its countries. This region has very few
success stories in PPP. In recent years, there have been attempts
amongst some ESCWA member countries for ICT partnerships.
Examples of these PPPs span different dimensions, from joint
investments in Egypt, to BOT models in Lebanon, to recent revenue
sharing schemes in Syria. Some of these attempts represent
success stories, while other attempts have not contributed enough
to the national and regional goals. It is essential to study and
analyze best modalities for PPP, and to benefit from lessons
learnt in order to maximize the odds of success for current and
potential PPPs in the region.
2. Objectives
The objective of the workshop is to increase the capacity of
public and private institutions in ESCWA member countries in
establishing PPPs focused on building the information society at
the national and regional levels.
3. Relationship to MDGs and Strategic Framework
The workshop is in line with MDG Goal 8 “Developing a global
partnership for development” as well as ESCWA’s Strategic
Framework 2006-2007 Expected Accomplishment (b): Activated
partnership for implementing ICT projects to achieve
socio-economic development, with particular emphasis on the
Millennium Development Goals; in addition to the “Regional Plan
of Action for building the information society” (RPoA), developed
by ESCWA.
4. Output
The main output of the workshop will be a set of practical
guidelines on public-private partnership relating to ICT
initiatives, with illustrative examples and best practices. It
will be published in the form of an e-booklet, which will be made
available online.
5. Topics to be discussed
PPP strategic and operational aspects will be discussed, and case
studies in selected countries will be reviewed; solutions will be
provided in an interactive form and follow-up on the workshop will
be carried out through virtual means of communication. Following
is a list of potential topics:
5.1 Strategic aspects
a) PPP in the ICT sector and in relation to ICT applications in
other sectors:
The traditional roles of the public and private sectors are
changing in the knowledge society. Governments are increasingly
playing the role of facilitator, rather than ICT service provider;
and companies within the private sector are not just striving for
profits, but acquiring responsibilities of a social nature.
b) Benefits:
The PPP modality provides governments with private capital, and
allows them to utilize ICT private management expertise and
specific ICT sector know-how. It provides the private sector with
a number of advantages, including commercial interest and
business growth with a high investment security, and also
prestige, image and diversification, in terms of geography,
market and products. The result is a win-win-win situation
whereby governments, the private sector and citizens can all
benefit from partnership.
c) Scope of the partnership:
The scope of PPPs often varies depending on its relation to, for
example, building telecommunications infrastructure or developing
social ICT services. In the latter case, NGOs, including women
groups and youth organizations, can also play a role in the
design and development of ICT projects, reaching out and
involving communities, delivering services, screening for
eligibility for government support ICT programmes and services,
providing training and raising funds.
d) Success factors and obstacles:
Key success factors of PPP modalities in the ICT field include
transparency, visibility, accountability and external auditing.
The partnership must involve all components from the beginning
with a clear structure of responsibility and commitment on the
part of all partners. Obstacles for PPP include the need for
additional efforts on the part of management and staff,
dispersion of responsibilities, the notion of privatisation,
political and cultural constraints and bureaucracy.
5.2 Organizational and operational aspects
a) Establishing and operationalizing partnerships:
This modality is based on the signing of a ‘partnership
agreement’, whereby public and private partners collaborate for a
defined period of time in relation to one or more specific phases
of a planned ICT project, with varying degree of involvement
(software, hardware, financing, implementation, change management
and others). The decision-making process can either be mainly
based on the public or the private side, and in the latter case,
the public sector monitors progress and sets frameworks.
b) Financing:
PPP is of utmost importance for implementing ICT projects. This is
based on the fact that while projects and firms that include
innovation can be constrained by lack of liquidity, PPP
establishes a model that enables governments and private sector
partners to work together in terms of managing ICT projects and
mechanisms of financing, thereby easing the issue of constraints.
c) Target projects to be financed:
Knowledge economy and information society initiatives, such as,
those targeting education reform and ICT infrastructure, require
extensive capital availability and can therefore benefit from PPP
modalities. While public expectations of the knowledge society
are increasing, national budgets are dwindling. Moreover, many
governments are obliged to seek more innovative ways of attracting
private investment to meet public objectives. This means that in
the present ICT environment, occasional cooperation is
insufficient. There is a need to institutionalise and systematize
PPPs in such a way that both sectors work towards common targets,
with all partners deploying their specific ICT experience and
abilities for the common good.
d) Sustainability:
The building of knowledge societies is a long process that
requires the establishment of long-term partnerships. Hence,
there is a danger that partnership, with its relative complexity,
will not last long enough to respond to demands. Ways and means
to reduce the chances of failure will be discussed.
6. Organization
ESCWA and the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) are jointly
organizing the workshop during 26 February – 1 March 2007 in
Amman; and it will be hosted by the Jordanian Ministry of
Information and Communication Technology. Training will be
provided by international experts from the Institute for
Public-Private Partnerships (IP3), as well as GKP and ESCWA.
Participants in the workshop may also present case studies related
to PPPs in their own country, stressing best practices, successes
and failures. Case studies may vary in nature and size, depending
on the nature of the partnership. Examples include: ICT start-ups
and ICT ventures in the ICT sector, universal ICT access through
telecenters, e-government projects, e-learning initiatives,
e-employment activities, ICT capacity building, and local
Internet awareness creation. This participative format will drive
to a collective learning experience and further cooperation among
ESCWA member countries in the near future. Full substantive
contributions by participants are needed by Thursday 15 February
2007.
7. Participants
The workshop will be attended by: officials of the member
countries responsible for ICT policy making; ICT project leaders;
ICT entrepreneurs/start-up professionals; banking/financing
entities; and civil society organizations with PPP experience in
the ICT field.
Priority countries are least developing and post conflict
countries, as well as ESCWA member countries with little
experience in developing PPPs. ESCWA will cover the travel and/or
subsistence expenses for a limited number of participants with
potential to become active in promoting PPPs in their countries.
8. Language
Training by international experts as well as discussions will be
carried out in English. Contributions from participants can be in
either Arabic or English with an adequate summary in the other
language. Simultaneous translation from Arabic to English and
vice-versa will not be provided during the sessions.
9. Additional Information
Any inquiries and
requests for additional information should be addressed to:
Mr. Mansour Farah
Team Leader on ICT Policies
ICT Division, ESCWA
P.O. Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanon
Email: farah14@un.org
Tel: 961-1-978538
Fax: 961-1-981510
Mr. Ayman El-Sherbiny
First Officer, ICT Policies
ICT Division, ESCWA
P.O. Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanon
Email: el-sherbiny@un.org
Tel: +961-1-978555
Fax: +961-1-981510
Logistics will be handled by the Ministry of ICT in Jordan, and
inquiries should be addressed to:
Mr. Mohammad Qara’een,
Industry Support Officer
Ministry of ICT
Amman, Jordan
Email:
mohammad.q@moict.gov.jo
Tel: +962-6-5805629
Fax: + 962-6-5819283
Ms. Racha Mourtada
Research Assistant
ICT Division, ESCWA
P.O. Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanon
Email: mourtada@un.org
Tel: +961-1-978548
Fax: +961-1-981510
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