Small Pilot Projects offer Governments Short-term Technical Assistance
[Issue I: Fall 02]
Since October 2001, Internews Network, through dot-GOV, has responded to five requests for pilot technical assistance activities funded by the core dot-GOV cooperative agreement. These pilot projects have been short in duration but provide the host government with key information that helps move telecommunications restructuring forward, with the ultimate goal of providing universal access and service.
E-Transaction Law Manual
dot-GOV has given a small grant to ARD, Inc. to provide a manual on "e-transaction law". This manual offers an expanded vision of e-commerce, e-entrepreneurship, and e-government. In a format useable for workshops, ARD is providing the legal and regulatory framework needed to support all forms of "e-transaction" that take place through the Internet but are based in telecommunications law.
Telecommunications Reform
Another small grant is supporting work by Computer Frontiers, Inc. to help USAID Missions in Botswana, Kenya, and Ethiopia develop long-term telecommunications reform. These activities are grounded in the USAID Leland Initiative goals.
Providing Technical Expertise
Technical consultants from the Frank F. Hawkins Kenan Institute have been funded by dot-GOV to attend a variety of conferences and workshops, such as:
- RSS Board of Telecommunication Operators 10th annual meeting
- Organization of the Commonwealth of Independent States of the former Soviet Union
- A workshop with the Lebanese government on the impact of new telecommunications law
Each of these "one-off" technical assistance consultancies is leading to additional long-term activities developed with a host government and USAID Mission.
dot-GOV also provided the Government of Rwanda with an independent consultant to develop a program description on how to build the capacity of an independent telecommunications regulator. This program description was expanded by the USAID/Rwanda Mission into a project currently implemented by Internews - See Rwanda article.
Capacity Building
With help from dot-GOV, two Afghan officials were able to attend a USAID-funded telecommunications reform workshop in Rabat, Morocco for North Africa and the Middle East government and private sector individuals. As a result, Internews received a request from the Ministry of Communications to provide short-term technical assistance on the development of a telecommunications strategic plan over a four-month period, based in Kabul.
Internews is currently reviewing other proposals from its partners regarding various aspects of telecommunications reform. Internews was awarded the dot-GOV Leader Award No. GDG-A-00-01-00009-00 on 21 September, 2001.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Tisch, Program Director, dot-GOV
Email:
Tel: +1 202 833-5740 x 203
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