[kictanet] KICTANET contributed to the success of Kibaki regime

[Ali Hussein]

Kivuva

Thanks for sharing. The article is an interesting piece on how government works and how we sometimes make too many assumptions as ‘armchair’ strategists. :-)

This is a Political Will thingi that Political Leaders MUST address which to some extent goes back to us as Citizens since we usually deserve the leaders we get. 

Change must start with us as Citizens to ensure that the leadership we bring to the fore is accountable to the People.

As an addition to this it is instructive that Dr. Ndemo mentions how KictaNet shaped government thinking during his tenure in the Information Ministry.  His suggestion that this is one way of inculcating change - A culture of inclusiveness, participation and having the thick skin to role with the punches. It is as it should be.  In this age where my son can ask me WHY I have made such & such a decision without consulting him the writing is on the wall for the leader who thinks she/he is the Alfa & Omega of thinking and decision making..

Is it possible that the declining government officials participation in such forums as KictaNet has gone hand in hand with more litigation against government in our sector?

Food for thought..

Thanks & Regards

Ali Hussein
ali at hussein.me.ke

+254 770 906375
Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: Abu-Jomo
LinkedIn: http//ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
Blog: www.alyhussein.com

> On Aug 12, 2015, at 10:56 AM, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
> 
> http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/ndemo/-/2274486/2826064/-/b1g8vz/-/index.html <http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/ndemo/-/2274486/2826064/-/b1g8vz/-/index.html>
> The Japanese have what they call Monozukuri with Hitozukuri, which means "production or manufacturing excellence achieved through people excellence".
> 
> In a similar manner we want service excellence achieved through people excellence in the civil service. Without happy people, we shall forever be complaining why things aren’t working, even with the best ideas floating around.
> 
> FRUSTRATING BUT VITAL
> 
> I have sat in meetings where a Minister walked in with a 12-item agenda and talked through it, without any input from senior civil servants.
> 
> Some, if not most, bureaucrats are completely inaccessible, even to their senior staff.
> 
> The little that we achieved at the Communication Ministry was due to the fact that there was constant interaction between industry, the general public and the Ministry.
> 
> We leveraged technology to gather information from platforms such as KictaNet <http://www.kictanet.or.ke/> (where the public vented their anger towards government and we responded to each and every question).
> 
> Some of the issues raised on the platform led to policy statements. We need such a window in every Ministry. It gave me a chance to regularly write and explain our actions, and how much we had incorporated ideas from the public.
> 
> Granted, it is a frustrating thing for a leader to do, but it is the best way to gather ideas that will change our current status. This is the age of collaboration. Every idea has its place in creating change.
> 
> Humility does not cost anything but, in my view, it is the missing link between what the public expects and the goals that the government wants to achieve. Leaders need time to listen and actively learn from others since no one has the monopoly of ideas.
> 
> But even as this sounds simple, it rarely happens. When we crafted the Vision 2030 with the help of McKinsey, a team of consultants led by a young Kenyan, Dr Gachao Kiuna, encouraged the free flow of ideas. It is because of that kind of openness that the document remains relevant today.
> 
> Even though the firm had a global network, it relied on local input to come up with a comprehensive vision. It is a lesson most of our leaders need, because sustainable solutions will only come from within and we cannot afford to ignore input from those we work with
> 
> ______________________
> Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
> 
> "There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson
> 
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
> 
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