[kictanet] Need for BPO sector re-alignment?

Thu Oct 7 14:47:31 EAT 2010

Edwin, thanks for triggering this discussion.

I'm also keen to know if the CCK has shared the results of the Universal  
Access Gaps Study which it advertised last year - some of this information  
could either have been collected through the Census (use of ICT - Internet,  
Mobile, PC, etc) - and indeed if they did undertake this study to identify  
the access gaps, this information would also be very useful to the ICT  
Board in terms of identifying (the gaps) the areas for investment (in  
digital villages, bandwidth subsidies, awareness, etc etc).
I understand part of the thrust of that study was also to determine how  
best to administer the USF by subsidising both operators and consumers as  
well - this is also what the ICT Board is doing to a certain extent through  
the digital villages and making access more pervasive. Further the MOIC is  
developing enabling infrastructure (NOFBI, Datacentres, etc) - it too could  
use some of this information.

There are also huge opportunities for PPPs with players like Google to help  
map this out and therefore map out the opportunities, unserved areas - with  
layers of other data (wikipeadia - , blogs, etc) such that investors,  
policy makers, etc can have an online resource that shows the state of play  
and where actions will have the most impact. Assuming of course whoever  
underook the study provided a GIS with modelled data to play around with  
different scenarios.

My two pesos.

On , Edwin Onchari <eonchari at lynxbits.com> wrote:

> Hi Sean,

> You are right on the money! It
> is indeed my hope that we can have a stronger industry body that has 100%
> government (all agencies) and Industry backing. In the past, this has  
> been done
> on an ad-hoc basis, rendering the industry body chronically ineffective.

> It is my hope that we can move in
> unison (one country with a common goal) from here on, with sincere  
> collaborative
> efforts, without trying to earn personal credit (while at the society –  
> sadly,
> this was very evident in the government agencies that I had the privilege  
> to interact
> with).

> Edwin

> Being on par in terms of
> price and quality only gets you into the game.Service wins the game.

> TONY ALESSANDRA

> From: Sean Moroney
> [mailto:seanm at aitecafrica.com]

> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 2:07 PM

> To: 'Edwin Onchari'

> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'; 'Bobby Varanasi'; 'Raychelle
> Injete'

> Subject: RE: [kictanet] Need for BPO sector re-alignment?

> Hi Edwin,

> You are pushing the
> discussion in the right direction, but it needs to go much further than a
> communiqué or strategy. What Kenya needs is a Public-Private Outsourcing
> Pinnacle Organisation (Outsource Kenya?) on which all the bodies you  
> mention
> below are represented and through which all national BPO development  
> efforts
> are co-ordinated on an on-going basis. I believe the BPO Society is  
> currently
> in the process of reconstituting itself so while it is doing that why not  
> make
> it the PP body everyone works through? Then capacity can be developed to
> facilitate and co-ordinate all national outsourcing strategy,  
> capacity-building,
> marketing etc. (What do you think, Raychelle?)

> This is my
> “outsider's” view, based to some extent on the Malaysian
> experience Bobby Varanasi, as well as the South African BePESA initiative  
> that
> Pumela Salela shared with us at the Outsourcing and Contact centre  
> Conference
> back in November. (I'm copying Bobby in on this in case he has any other
> advice to add.)

> Regards,

> Sean

> Sean Moroney

> Chairman

> AITEC Africa

> seanm at aitecafrica.com

> UK Tel: +44(0)1480-880774

> UK Fax: +44(0)1480-880765

> UK Mobile: +44(0)7973-499224

> Kenya Mobile: +254(0)721-845674

> Mozambique Mobile: +258-82-820880583

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> Skype: seanmoroney

> www.aitecafrica.com

> From:
> kictanet-bounces+seanm=aitecafrica.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+seanm=aitecafrica.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
> Behalf Of Edwin Onchari

> Sent: 07 October 2010 10:41

> To: seanm at aitecafrica.com

> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions

> Subject: [kictanet] Need for BPO sector re-alignment?

> Dear Listers and passionate BPO industry practitioners,

> In recent constructive discussions on the state of the BPO
> sector in Kenya, and how this will impact the contribution to realizing  
> our
> Vision 2030 goals, one thing clearly emerged. As a country, we have a  
> fragmented
> strategy of creating a sustainable industry.

> I strongly feel that we need to a have a joint communiqué
> (re-aligning of strategies) from the following and any other agency that
> has/should have BPO as part of its TORs:

> 1.
> Kenya ICT Board (The line ministry and supporting
> agencies such as CCK)

> 2.
> KenInvest

> 3.
> OPM- BPO/ITES working group

> 4.
> Brand Kenya

> 5.
> Vision 2030 secretariat

> 6.
> The Kenya BPO Society – and by membership
> extension; KEPSA

> 7.
> Any other auxiliary industry/government agencies

> It is imperative that we have a unified, well thought
> through, strategy for the sector if we were to achieve much.

> This call is in the back-drop of many industry start-ups and
> auxiliary service providers, either shutting shop altogether, or  
> suspending BPO
> departments in their operations (over 40 start-ups have shut down in the  
> last 4
> years with a potential loss of 5000 direct jobs).

> What are your thoughts?

> Kind
> regards,

> Edwin

> Being on par in terms of
> price and quality only gets you into the game.Service wins the game.

> TONY ALESSANDRA

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