January's resolutions and goals for the
New Year generally create a flurry of activity in businesses and governments.
This year is no different. Despite the environment created by September 11, the
dot.com fall out, and the global economic slowdown, countries and businesses
around the world are charging forward with initiatives to improve their
capacity to compete in the globalized economy, what many, including McConnell
International, have called "E-Readiness" .¹
| From Dakar to Dhaka, governments are asking
themselves - are we e-competitive? |
The term now represents the multiple levels of ICT
development as few countries remain on the brink of getting 'ready' to enter
the digital economy; many have already entered. Some small and micro
enterprises have taken substantial steps with support from the government. With
this flurry of activity, assessing E-Readiness is more relevant today than it
was two years ago. Conducting an E-Readiness assessment shines a beacon on
programs that should be emulated, supported, and expanded, and on who has led
them. It is those best practices that substantiate the benefits that the wise
use of ICTs can bring.
Key Points of an
E-Readiness Assessment
A good E-Readiness assessment should
introduce clear indicators to measure capacity and benchmark progress on the
Connectivity, E-Leadership, Information Security, Human Capital, and E-Business
Climate necessary for any program to succeed.
| Attribute |
Example of Indicator |
Measurement |
Value |
| Connectivity |
Availability of Network connections |
Percentage and department concentration of civil
servants connected to the Net |
Know if the "right" people have access to the tools
they need |
| E-Leadership |
Quality of partnerships among stakeholders |
Level of private sector and community involvement
and sponsorship of e-programs |
Analyze gaps to prioritize programs that need
greater stakeholder support |
| Information Security |
Level of trust in processing and storage of
information |
Ability to accept official documents
electronically |
Validate whether "paperless government" is a
realist goal |
| Human Capital |
Availability of a skilled and efficient
workforce |
Ability to retain skilled managers and IT
professionals |
Develop capacity building and retention
programs |
| E- Business Climate |
Regulatory openness |
Transparency of regulatory implementation |
Apply lessons learned within and across
countries |
Too often, failure to conduct a thorough
diagnosis results in misspent funding, unset or un-reached targets, and loss of
competitiveness. Governments are still being sold a bag of false promises when
it comes to ICTs. Some systems do not need to be automated, especially if the
solutions do not meet the needs, skill level, and culture of employees,
citizens, or end-users. Failure to conduct a thorough diagnosis results all too
often in misspent funding, unset or un-reached targets, and the widening of the
digital divide. And, most e-strategies to transform Agrarian Republic into the
next India or Ireland will fail to bear fruit if they are ever implemented
because they are not based on the realities that a good E-Readiness assessment
can reveal.
| Just as setting a realistic fitness goal that
considers busy work days and varying body types can avoid disappointing
failures and time wasted going from one fad diet to another, a realistic
e-business plan or national e-strategy that is based on a sound E-Readiness
assessment will help ensure that goals are met. |
In this new year, many global organizations that work with
governments to improve E-Readiness are more actively supporting assessments for
the social and economic benefits they can produce when conducted with
stakeholders in the context of development ². Regardless of your
government's stage in ICT development, a good assessment will:
Catalyze
action toward tangible goals
Benchmarking current E-Readiness and measuring progress
can quiet skeptics who are still questioning "food" versus "wire". Applied over
time, progress can be measured to respond to the debate on priorities, return
on investment, and distant time horizons of e-programs. A well-designed and
implemented E-Readiness assessment can also remove the analysis paralysis vs.
misdirected action conundrum. It helps a country understand and set realistic
goals based on its strengths and weaknesses. Coming together to conduct this
assessment enables stakeholders to prioritize action and take the necessary
steps to secure low hanging fruit and potential future harvests.
Competitively position your country in the global economy
In addition to providing key insights on actions necessary
within your government, a well-conceived assessment will map your regional and
global position. Improving competitive strengths and promoting those areas
where your country by its history, culture or nature, has an advantage over
others, will cultivate your country's niche in the digital economy. Involving
outside experts in the process enables countries to understand their perceived
E-Readiness and global competitiveness. At the same time, understanding other
countries' E-Readiness strengths and weaknesses and which e-programs achieved
results (e.g., knowing how and why India grew its telecenter market in
relationship to its existing capacity) can help your country leapfrog
technologies and policy decisions to position itself ahead of its
neighbors.
Save
money
E-Readiness assessments can help stakeholders make
difficult decisions on how to use scarce resources and how to turn existing
strengths into new revenues. Assessments can also reveal which bottlenecks are
worth the investment of time and money to be removed, and which can be worked
around. Using a globally recognized assessment methodology can be helpful to
secure the necessary funding to develop an e-strategy and implement e-programs.
Involving stakeholders from within and across government, as well as
businesses, civil society, and academia, to tailor the tool, conduct the
assessment, and evaluate the results is critical to ensure creative
cost-sharing solutions and economic benefits for all citizens and
taxpayers.
Conclusion
The world is moving quickly in this New
Year to respond to political, social, and economic dynamics on waves of
technological change. The convergence of policy, technology, and governance
brings many opportunities for countries to participate more fully in the
globalized economy. Now marks just the beginning of integrated transformation
that information, communication, and bio-technologies will bring to every
aspect of daily life. No one today can imagine what life will be like in the
future. What can be imagined, however, is a world in which the benefits of
technology belong to many more people than today. To get there, action is
needed now. Conducting an E-Readiness assessment enables countries to see the
global picture, use resources wisely, and catalyze action to reap the benefits
that the wise use of information and communications technologies can bring for
all of its citizens.
¹MI began using the term in early
2000 in preparation for its first E-Readiness report published in August 2000.
It published a second report in May 2001, which evaluated over 50 emerging
market economies' position in the digital economy. A third report is under
development with a target release in mid 2002. Please visit
http://www.mcconnellinternational.com/ereadiness/default.cfm
for more information.
²A number of initiatives and funding
sources exist such as the World Bank's infoDev E-Readiness program (http://www.infodev.org/ereadiness/index.htm),
the UNDP's ICT Trust Fund (http://sdnhq.undp.org/it4dev/trustfund.htm),
and the Digital Opportunity Initiative (http://www.opt-init.org).
