[kictanet] Update from Kenya ICT Board Bellagio, Italy Summit 2011

[robert yawe]

Paul,

Sorry for having to pour cold water on this initiative but as a tourist 
destination and being that we are trying to sell the countries capabilities 
would it not have been more productive and cost effective to have had the 
session in country?

If this session was held here and we shipped in the 20 experts we would have 
been able to include 100 Kenyans in the discussion and therefore have a more 
balanced result from the activity.  In addition the experts would have been able 
to get an actual feel of the issues in the country for example by calling some 
of the local customers service departments and be able to give a more in-touch 
response.

Just being the devils advocate here but from the report synopsis there is 
nothing new in the results all this issues have been raised repeatedly over the 
past couple of years.

Regards
 Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya


Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696




________________________________
From: Paul Kukubo <pkukubo at ict.go.ke>
To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Tue, 29 March, 2011 19:17:22
Subject: [kictanet] Update from Kenya ICT Board Bellagio, Italy Summit 2011

Listers

As my team finalizes the report from the 1st Kenya ICT Board Summit in Bellagio, 
Italy.  We had invited a team of 20 odd people from all over the world to 
revalidation of our value proposition. The team comprised BPO analysts and 
marketers, silicon valley venture capitalists, Europe based Venture capitalist 
invested here, representative from World Bank, country strategist from Malaysia, 
International blue chip firm executives representatives. from Kenya we had 3 
firms (Seven Seas technologies, and Kencall) and a members of academia. The 
Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo was in attendance.

I would like to highlight some of the key conclusions. We are already planning 
for Bellagio 2, next year same time.

	1. The statement of our value proposition now reads as follows: Kenya is a 
globally competitive ICT partner gifted with entrepreneurial spirit and able to 
translate emerging market needs and connect them with demanding 
multinationals. Through much debate, the panel concluded that we need to balance 
our emphasis on export based BPO, and call centre with support for Kenyan based 
entrepreunerially based ICT growth.  Both are seen as complimentary in terms of 
job creation. Our value proposition is thus not just focussed on outsourcing but 
on overall ICT sector competitiveness.
	2. ICT is both a sector (firms that provide ICT) and an enabler of all sectors. 
We need to look at both in our strategy. Malaysia has done this quite nicely 
even quantifying the size and impact of both.
	3. Kenya has an opportunity to be perceived as a world leader in emerging 
market innovations: Safaricom MPESA and Mobile Money, USHAHIDI, Livestock 
Insurance (ILRI), Mastercard-Airtel Mobile Wallet product, to name a few. 
	4. There are companies in Kenya that are now attracting international venture 
capital financing. Both BPO and call centre companies and non BPO tech firms. 
Once capital starts trickling into a sector, this is most promising.
	5. The global BPO sector is quite big and cannot be ignored. many countries are 
chasing the sector. Kenya's English language talent and skilled professionals 
provide us with strong credentials that must be leveraged. The Indian IT 
outsourcing sector and the Philippines call centre sector took years to grow and 
was led by the private sector. Government support came in much later. Kenya can 
learn and fastrack, and government support is important.
	6. Government services can catalyse the sector. Government and public sector 
spending on ICT is substantial across infrastructure, applications and services, 
project management and capacity. Indeed many Kenyan and international firms have 
benefited and grown from this. what is needed is an improved framework for 
technology and capacity transfer for the very large projects which have 
international contractors. rule of thumb is 1/3 consultancy, 1/3 project 
management, 1/3 technical delivery. As our software and systems firms develop, 
they will find that the technical bits are only part of a total package, that 
includes project management, business analysis marketing etc. Indeed some have 
made the leap quite nicely.
	7. Kenya ICT Board needs to continue to implement on the basis of supporting 
both export based services and exciting and growing the local entrepreneurs.
More from us once the final report is concluded.

Paul Kukubo
Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board
PO Box 27150 - 00100
Nairobi, Kenya

12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street

Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 
Fax: +254 20 2211962
website: www.ict.go.ke
local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya
twitter:@tandaaKENYA
BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke
Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke


personal contacts
_______________

Cell: + 254 717 180001


skype: kukubopaul
googletalk: pkukubo
personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke
personal twitter: @pkukubo


____________________
Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub

Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through 
promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio 
economic enrichment 


      
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