[kictanet] Who is ICT Board? - Capacity Building

Wed Apr 7 13:16:09 EAT 2010

Bw Kamotho - perhaps you cross-check your two mails from
yesterday and today as there are some apparent contradictions.
Yesterday you wrote that some time back together with some
friends you decided to form an association. Today you are writing
that "There is a peculiar propensity amongst the ICT folk to
create multiple versions (splinter lobby groups) at the slightest
excuse.eg ". Yesterday you also wrote "There are many ongoing
efforts within the ICT sector but they are too fragmentary to
realize any substantial gains. " - which is not consistent with
forming yet another association.

The issue of an umbrella organization is another one that is
being regurgitated on this list. KIF comprehensively dealt with
this issue some years back. The other associations you mention
such as LINUX, BPO, etc are to me also doing a good job except
maybe ITSA which I think was formed by Prof and his buddies but
appears non-operational.

Finally are there some achievements or activities of your
association that you could share and is your association willing
to work WITH others e.g. under KEPSA?

Waudo

On Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:23 +0300, "Kamotho Njenga"
<kamothonjenga at gmail.com> wrote:

Vitalis,

Your view on the need to form an umbrella body "from a bird's eye
view perspective " to guide the formulation and coordination of
strategies in ICT sector is quite valid and realizable. There is
absolutely no excuse for not having an authoritative reference
point for such an enormous industry/pofession. But as you observe
the process of getting every eligible person to see the
need to board the common vehicle that you envision marks the
point where the rubber meets the road. Its bound to be complex
but as you say worth trying. For any solid progress to be
registered the following realities attributable to the existing
state of affairs warrant consideration.

1. ICT is a multifaceted discipline. It has seperate elements to
do with Software design, Database issues, AI, Web Design,
E-Learning, Mobiles, Hardware....Consequently there are those who
argue that the specifics of ICT can not be accomodated in the
wider ICT umbrella. The thrust of this opinion is not fully
conceivable.

2. There is a peculiar propensity amongst the ICT folk to create
multiple versions (splinter lobby groups) at the slightest
[1]excuse.eg we currently have some like ICT Association,
Computer Association, Linux Association, BPO Association, ICT
Consumers Society, IT Standards Association. In fact if the trend
continues you will expect some associations to come in the
following further versions: Mobile phone society of Kenya, Laptop
Association of Kenya, Flashdisk consumers Association of Kenya,
M-Pesa customers federation, Windows XP alliance. Word 2007 Self
Help group, Blackberry movement of Kenya... name them. It's
tantamount to having more preachers than the target congregation.

3. A large section of ICT people are indifferent. They love to
mind their own business not the profession nor the industry. They
dont see the quagmire

Advancement is possible if all stakeholders decide to abandon
mediocrity.

Kamotho Njenga

On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 7:33 AM, <[2]bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:

  Vitalis,
  Brother Siganga and Kamotho are best placed to comment on your
  post.
  Ndemo.
  > For effective and long term strategicÂ development, the
  system needs to be
  > looked at as aÂ whole, from "helicopter view, or bird's eye
  view
  > perspective.Â  The right hand needs to know what the left is
  doing.Â
  > Duplication of roles and many centres of powers can only
  deter
  > development. Starting from the global perspective, it was a
  big debate to
  > arrive at the jus the name "Information, Commuinications and
  > Techonologies." ItÂ took the world nations a number of
  forums and
  > numerousÂ dicussions and dialogue sessions, before a
  concensus could be
  > reachedÂ to coin the name, ICT.Â  TheÂ main reason was the
  the complexity
  > dueÂ rapidly changing technologcal innovations, the changing
  needs of the
  > people, the needs for governments to developÂ policicies,
  etc., Some
  > polcies wereÂ were based on comand-and-control sytems
  approach, in
  > theÂ indutries or sub-sectors, in what is now commonly known
  as the ICT
  > sector.Â  At the beginning the indutry boundaries were
  distinct,
  >  mainly revolving aroundÂ telecommunications and
  broadcasting.Â The life
  > was easy because the enviroment was stable and the future
  wasÂ easily
  > predicable. WithÂ theÂ techlological innovations in
  computing and
  > communications,Â and the converegence of variuous
  technologies,Â industry
  > boundaries have become more maleable. ThisÂ this is a
  challenge as well
  > as an oppotunity that we are facing and need to be
  addressed, at all
  > times. There is needÂ for an umbrella body "from a bird's
  eye view
  > perspective " to guide inÂ formulation and coordination of
  strategies in
  > ICT sectorÂ to achieve the long-term national objectives.
  Otherwise we
  > will end-up with fragmented development plans, with very
  little impact on
  > the sytem as whole at the national level. Â Â
  >
  > Controbutions have been made includingÂ mentioning about
  professional
  > bodies/assocaiations in othe fields, e.g. ICPAK, KMA, etc.
  Also there are
  > variuos governmental authorities in this country. Apart from
  the ICT
  > Board, there are the Roads Boad,Â Coffee Board, etc. which
  may or may not
  > be professionally based. However, it is important to note
  that ICT is wide
  %
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References

1. http://excuse.eg/
2. mailto:bitange at jambo.co.ke
3. mailto:kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
4. http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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