[Kictanet] Fw: [Catia_team] Engaging policy makers and regulators in Africa - theCATIA experience

[alice at apc.org]

FYI
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Claire Sibthorpe" <csibthorpe at usa.net>
To: "Lists: Catia_team" <Catia_team at catia.ws>
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:27 PM
Subject: [Catia_team] Engaging policy makers and regulators in Africa - 
theCATIA experience


>
> Engaging policy-makers and regulators in Africa
> - the CATIA experience
>
> October, 2006
>
> Media release
>
> For the past three years the Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa programme
> (CATIA) has worked towards strengthening the context for the vibrant
> adoption and use of ICTs in Africa. The programme has been set up with 
> nine
> components, each with its particular advocacy aim, in countries as diverse
> as Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal.
>
> CATIA has shown that one of the most effective ways to have an  impact on
> the ICT policy landscape in Africa is by collaborating in 
> multi-stakeholder
> processes, where experiences, perspectives and resources can be shared, 
> and
> a common agenda shaped.
>
> Equally important, however, is how advocates engage policy-makers and
> regulators. These experiences have been documented in an article entitled
> 'checks and balances', which can be downloaded off the CATIA website
> (www.catia.ws).
>
> Some of the key findings of the article are:
>
> * The distinction between policy-makers and regulators is not clearly
> felt in some countries in Africa. Reasons include a lack of 'checks and
> balances' or political instability, amongst them. Even in liberalised
> environments, such as Kenya or South Africa, the independence of a 
> regulator
> can be challenged by the state;
> * Policy-makers and regulators are key to any ICT policy advocacy
> process. However, having a policy influence may mean targeting influential
> officials in government who may not be policy-makers or regulators
> themselves;
> * The direct involvement of policy-makers and regulators in activities
> is an important way of ensuring the sustainability of advocacy 
> initiatives.
> Advocates need to provide policy and regulatory officials with a sense of
> buy-in and confidence in their work. Advocates need to demonstrate that 
> they
> are serious;
> * Developing informal relationships are often more effective than
> formal engagements;
> * Advocates need to nurture a culture of 'honest brokerage' so that
> their work can be trusted in a policy development environment where there
> are many competing interests.
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________
> Claire Sibthorpe
> Public Sector Consulting
> Atos Consulting
> 4 Triton Square, Regent's Place, London NW1 3HG, UK
> Tel: +44 (0) 77 33312667
>
>
>
>


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