[kictanet] On ICT Board & the New ICTA

[Matunda Nyanchama]

Friends
 
Some of us were privy to the formation of the board, right at the start. My involvement was from a Diaspora engagement perspective. With the board slated to market the country as a technology destination and attract investment, it was felt (at least in the beginning) that involving the Kenyan Diaspora was a good thing. Indeed, 2 slots in the board were slated for the Diaspora.
 
With a colleague, we offered input including on what we thought would be the strategy for tackling certain markets, given our experience out there. Personally, I was interested in seeing us compete for business that was heading to India, the Philipines, Costa Rica, among others. And having worked in financial services (some that were outsorcing IT services - design, development, testing, operations) and services company like IBM, I felt that I could contribute. I felt that, we could offer insights into the thinking of some of these outsourcers and how we can win their business, let alone offering linkanges in our reach.
 
Well ... long story short ... when the Board was gazetted, the said Diaspora slots disappeared. Inquiries we made hardly got any responses.
 
As for its achievements, I am not here to say. I reserve my opinion.
 
Going forward, ICTA needs to do things more transparently. Searching for a board and CEO should be a competitive process (btw: I haven't seen the ads for the available positions: selection panel, the board, management, etc); and as much as we have some "famous" names in ICT, it doesn't mean there are no others that can bring freshness to the table: in the manner of leadership, strategy, vision, style. Old hands, as much as we can value them, can be culprits of tunnel vision, and hampered by their histories and relationships. 
 
Cheers.
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Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com
Agano Consulting Inc.;  http://www.aganoconsulting.com/; Twitter: nmatunda;  Skype: okiambe
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