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MEETINGS
Capacity-building Workshop on Information Society ýMeasurements:
Core Indicators, Statistics, and Data ýCollection - Beirut, 7-10
June 2005ý
The availability of
reliable statistical data and indicators regarding societal
e-readiness and use ýand impact of information and communication
technologies [ICTs] is essential for policy makers to ýformulate
strategies for ICT-driven economic growth and social development,
and help place countries ýon the road towards the Information
Society [IS]. To this end, the heads of states and governments ýhave
approved a Plan of Action [PoA] during the first phase of the World
Summit on the Information ýSociety [WSIS], held in Geneva in
December 2003. The PoA called for all countries and regions to
ýdevelop the tools that provide statistical information on the
progress made towards the realization of ýthe IS. It also required
that priority be given in setting up coherent and internationally
comparable ýindicator systems, taking into account different levels
of development.ý
Following the first phase of WSIS, a number of key international
stakeholders involved in the ýstatistical measurement of ICTs joined
forces to create a global “Partnership on Measuring ICT for
ýDevelopment.” The Partnership was formally launched during the
eleventh United Nations Conference ýon Trade and Development [UNCTAD
XI], held in Sao Paulo, in June 2004. The Partnership aims at
ýbringing the stakeholders, who are interested in the statistical
measurement of ICT, to work together to ýclose the data gap at the
international level, in particular in developing countries.
Specifically, the ýPartnership has three interlinked objectives,
namely:ý
ý•ý Develop sets of core ICT indicators relevant to various
stakeholders. These sets will be ýharmonized and agreed upon
internationally, and will constitute the basis for a database on
ýICT statistics;ý
ý•ý Enhance the capacities of national statistical offices [NSOs] in
developing countries and ýbuild competence to develop statistical
compilation programmes on the IS;ý
ý•ý Develop a global database on ICT indicators and make it
available on the Internet.ý
The objectives aim at devising the appropriate variables, enhanced
measuring mechanisms, and ýsupporting instruments needed to evaluate
and monitor the evolution of the IS regionally, and in ýcomparison
with other countries and regions globally.ý
The work of the Partnership has so far focused on fulfilling its
first objective: namely, the ýharmonization of the lists of core ICT
indicators that are developed regionally, and by specialized
ýinternational organizations in their respective fields of
expertise, and in accord with their mandates. ýThe International
Telecommunication Union [ITU] has long been at the forefront for
collecting ýtelecommunication indicators worldwide. The Economic and
Social Commission for Western Asia ýý[ESCWA] held a Roundtable on
“Information Society Indicators and Profiles for Western Asia,” in
ýBeirut, during 4-5 October 2004, in which the NSOs of its member
countries adopted a list of core ICT ýindicators. The list is
comprised of a global core that preserves compatibility with
international efforts ýand a regional supplement that addresses
regional specificities. The Economic Commission for Africa ýý[ECA]
also adopted a list of core ICT indicators of its own. All lists,
including those of ESCWA and ýECA, were considered in the WSIS
thematic meeting on “Measuring the Information Society,” held in
ýGeneva, during 7-9 February 2005. The outcome of the meeting was a
list of forty-two [42] core ICT ýindicators under four [4]
categories: infrastructure and access, households and individuals,
businesses, ýand ICT sector, that all countries might consider
collecting. The agreed-upon list was recognized in ýthe 36Th session
of the United Nations Statistical Commission, held in New York,
during 1-4 March ýý2005.ý
Objectives
The workshop is the first to be held on capacity building for the
statistical measurement of the ýIS in Western Asia and the Arab
region. Generally speaking, the objective of the workshop is “to
help ýcountries acquire the expertise to determine their own data
needs and priorities; to collect these data; ýto interpret and use
them effectively; to undertake research, problem solving and problem
formulation; ýand to sustain these capacities.”ý ý Specifically, the
purpose of the workshop is to introduce the ýparticipants to the
process of developing indicators with relevance to policy making and
decision ýsupport, with regards to monitoring progress, measuring
output, and assessing impact; to familiarize ýthem with available
indicators and basic definitions, data collection methods, and data
management ýand information dissemination devices; and to help with
the formulation of national and regional ýcapacity building plans.ý
Topics
Capacity building for IS measurements is as evolving as the field
itself. The make up of ýfuture capacity building workshops could
possibly be different as a result of updating or appending ýexisting
lists of core indicators; of developing definitions, computing
methods, and data collection ýmethodologies; and/or of countries
gaining experience with measuring the IS. The main topics to be
ýcovered in the present workshop are as follows:ý
ý•ý Policy making and monitoring: from policies to indicators
ý•ý Monitoring implementation;ý
ý•ý Measuring output;ý
ý•ý Assessing impact.ý
ý•ý Indicator definitions and methodologies:ý
ý•ý Basic infrastructure and access indicators;ý
ý•ý Household and individual indicators;ý
ý•ý Business indicators;ý
ý•ý Future indicators: Education, government.ý
ý•ý Measurement of indicators:ý
ý•ý Data collection, management, and dissemination;ý
ý•ý Statistical and indicator databases.ý
ý•ý Capacity building:ý
ý•ý Basic objectives;ý
ý•ý Capacity building plans;ý
ý•ý Technical assistance;ý
ý•ý Regional ICT indicator database;ý
ý•ý Country experiences and best practices.ý
Outcome
The expected outcome from this workshop is the increased ability of
participants to determine ýtheir own data needs and priorities; to
collect, interpret, and use these data effectively; to undertake
ýresearch, problem solving and problem formulation; and to sustain
these capacities. Specifically, ýparticipants would:ý
ý•ý Acquire understanding of the process of developing IS indicators
for policy making and ýdecision support with regards to the
policies’ implementation, output, and impact;ý
ý•ý Expand their knowledge of the existing ICT indicators and their
basic definitions;ý
ý•ý Acquire the know-how of developing and ability of utilizing data
collection devices, ýincluding model surveys for measuring ICT
indicators;ý
ý•ý Become familiar with the scope and operation of ESCWA
Statistical Information System ýý[ESIS] and the proposed regional
ICT indicator database;ý
ý•ý Acquire understanding of the elements of, and ability to
develop, capacity building plans.ý
Organization
The workshop is organized by ESCWA, ITU Arab Regional Office, and
the Arab Institute for ýTraining and Research in Statistics. The
workshop will be held at the United Nations House, Beirut, ýduring
7-10 June, 2005.ý
Participants
Participation in the workshop is limited to fifty [50] participants,
divided into two groups:ý
ý1.ý Participants from Arab NSOs;ý
ý2.ý Participants from Arab ICT ministries, regulatory agencies, and
telecommunications ýoperators.ý
In addition, the workshop will be attended by experts from a number
of international and ýregional organizations, including members of
the Partnership. Participants are expected to be ýmiddle/top tier
managers and researchers with expert level knowledge in statistics
and/or ýtelecommunications disciplines. All participants are
required to register online at the workshop’s page ýon the Internet:
http://www.escwa.un.org/wsis/meetings/main.html.ý
Language
The workshop will be carried out in English, but with some, or
parts, of the material, ýconversations, and interventions in Arabic.
Simultaneous translation from English to Arabic and vice-ýversa will
not be provided. ý
Additional Information
Any inquiries and requests for additional information regarding
participation and substantive ýmatters should be addressed to:ý
Mr. Hesham Auda
Information Technology Officer & Team Leader
ICT Division
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
PO Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanoný
Email: auda@un.org
Tel: +961-1-978554ý
Fax: +961-1-981510ý
Mr. Khalil Aburiziký
Regional Officer
Arab Regional Office
International Telecommunication Union
PO Box 8092, Nasr City, 11371 Cairo, Egypt
Email: aburizik@itu.int
Tel: +202-262-6620ý
Fax: +202-262-2274ý
Mr. Khalid Khawaja
Director General
Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics
PO Box 851104 Amman 11185 Jordan
Email: diwan@aitrs.org
Tel: +962-6-5562169ý
Fax: +962-6-5562169ý
Inquiries regarding logistics, including travel and accommodation,
should be directed to:ý
Ms. Zahr Bou-Ghanem
Research Assistant
ICT Division
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
PO Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanoný
Email: bou-ghanem@un.org
Tel: +961-1-978544ý
Fax: +961-1-981510ý
[1] UNESCO Institute
for Statistics Annual Report 2003-2004 (UIS/INS/04-01). |
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