UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Programme of the Governments of Arab States
Project Document
Project number: RAB/02/003/A/01/31
Project title: Information Communication Technologies
for Development in Arab States (ICTD-AS)
Estimated start date: 15 May 2002
Estimated end date: 14 May 2004
Management arrangement: Agency execution
United Nations implementing agency: UNOPS
Project site: Arab region
Beneficiary countries: Arab States
Classification information
ACC sector and subsector: 09 Communications and
Information ; 40 Development Support
Communication
Primary and secondary area of focus: Poverty
Eradication and Sustainable Livelihoods
Primary and secondary type of intervention: 01
Capacity-building; 02 Technology Adaptation
Primary target beneficiaries: Poor people
Secondary beneficiaries: Policy-makers; Managers,
Small/Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).
Summary of UNDP and cost-sharing inputs in
(US$)
INPUTS
UNDP
01-UNDP-IPF / TRAC – (Trac 1.1.1)
REV “A”
US$
2,500,000
Cost- sharing
Government
-
Third Party
US$
TOTAL
2,500,000
Government inputs: (local currency)
(in kind) (in cash) -
_______________________________________________________________________________
Brief description:
The programme will support participating Arab countries in the use of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) for human development. Activities aim to help reduce human
poverty by fostering a more capable information-enabled society. The programme will apply a
coordinated strategy leveraging education, knowledge exchanges and ICT applications, targeting poor
people to accelerate poverty reduction through equitable growth and employment generation as well as
information creation, distribution and usage. Partnerships with public and private institutions are
cornerstones of this programme.
Approved on behalf of:
Signature:
Date:
Name/Title:
On behalf of Government:
__________________ _________ _______________________________
Executing Agency (UNOPS)
__________________ _________ _______________________________
UNDP:
__________________ _________ _______________________________
Table of Contents
Part 1a. Situation Analysis................................................................................................. 1
Part 1b. Strategy.................................................................................................................. 3
Awareness raising, promotion and stakeholders campaigns........................................... 7
Capacity development and strategy implementation ...................................................... 8
Pro-poor growth and employment generation ................................................................ 8
Demand Driven and Dynamic Poverty Reduction Interventions ................................... 9
Part 2. Results Framework............................................................................................... 10
Part 3. Management Arrangements................................................................................... 15
Part 4. Legal Context ........................................................................................................ 18
Part 5. Budget ……………………………………………………………………………19
Part 6. Annex: Development areas to be addressed.......................................................... 27
A partial listing of individuals interviewed during the programme design phase ............ 28
Note: This document has been drafted using the new documentation format prepared by the
UNDP Bureau for Development Policies, as set forward by UNDP’s Associate Administrator
memo of 8/11/01.
Part 1a. Situation Analysis
1. Despite considerable progress in human development in the Arab States a backlog of
deprivation persists: about 65 million adults are illiterate, of which two thirds are
women; 54 million people lack access to safe water and 29 million lack access to
health services; and one out of every five people lives in poverty, on less than $2 per
day. Human poverty throughout the Arab States is much more prevalent than income
poverty. High population growth (2.8%) and unemployment (15%) challenge national
capacities to sustain past gains.
2. Arab States are similar in some dimensions and diverse in others. They are largely
homogenous in terms of language and culture. By contrast, development levels vary
considerably. On one hand there are the Gulf countries with high levels of human
development and income per capita. At the opposite extreme, there are the least
developed Arab countries. In between, there are the middle-income and medium
human development countries extending over most of North Africa and the Levant.
Use of ICT roughly parallels this general configuration.
3. Lack of human resources, disabling environments and lagging infra-structural
development impede the ability of Arab countries to capitalize on the revolution in
Information Communications Technology (ICT). Arab societies and economies are
challenged to adapt to a rapidly changing ICT milieu and to exploit the new tools for
competitive advantage while respecting cultural integrity.
4. Information and technology development, adoption and access are far from adequate.
Large scale illiteracy and disabling environments, including uncompetitive markets
restrict opportunities to harness ICTs. Only 0.6% of the population use the Internet
and the penetration rate of the personal computer is only 1.2%. The digital divide cuts
within rather than among countries. Information chasms follow socio-economic
divisions, particularly income and education disparities, to separate across each
country the well-connected elites from the less privileged who remain detached from
information access and use.
5. Under-developed telecommunications infrastructure remains an important
impediment to the expansion of ICT use in most countries. In most of the region,
infrastructure restricts access and keeps it expensive. While computer prices have
declined closer to international standards, telecommunications continue to be both
costly and of limited availability. Prevalence of telephone mainlines is less than onefifth the level in industrial countries and international phone calls cost twice as much.
Cellular telephony is probably the most deregulated telecom sector though in many
countries its markets are still uncompetitive.
6. As for Internet infrastructure, the situation is quite varied from countries with a solid
national backbone, multiple gateways and a deregulated environments, to countries
which still prohibit private ISPs and restrict access, to those which subject ISPs to use
1
one common gateway and even need to lease their own dedicated line to an overseas
access provider. A hub-and-spoke configuration pervades Internet infrastructure.
Most Arab countries do not interconnect directly with each other, but rather lease
connectivity to and from Europe or the US, and connect back to their neighbours
through that route. Pressures on telecommunications arise from rising domestic
demand, increasing prospects for de-monopolisation as well as the challenges of the
explosive expansion of communications earlier met with mass media and now
expected with household access to the Internet.
7. A number of initiatives are taking place to facilitate the use of ICTs in the Arabic
language. They have not yet, however, accrued a substantial critical mass in order to
mainstream Arabic language and culture through the Internet in a more pervasive
fashion. Lack of standardisation, limits the use of the Arabic language.
8. Human resources are lacking not only with respect to technical capacity to develop
and use ICTs but also in terms of the capacity to use information for the purpose of
socio-economic development. Several Arab countries have, in the past years, readjusted their education curricula to include learning programmes tailored directly, at
secondary level, to ICT knowledge and, at tertiary level, to the ICT market segment.
However, a vision that facilitates an education model responsive to the market
demands of ICT is mostly lacking. Plans and predictions are based more on past or
present requirements than on dynamic strategies.
9. In several countries the major obstacle to the diffusion of ICTs is often not
technology per se, but the culture surrounding the use of information in general. In
some countries, the benefits of an open information culture, including direct
exchanges among citizens, between citizens and government and internationally, has
not percolated yet to a critical mass capable of creating substantial upstream changes.
De-learning old habits is probably needed before embracing new ICTs.
10. In international development, Information and Communication Technologies have
been recognized as a cross-cutting means to promote sustainable human development
and solve real-life problems. ICT has the potential to help the Arab world accelerate
its economic and social development decrease poverty, and foster knowledge and
trade. Through the appropriate enabling environment, this can be achieved in a
matrixed fashion:
• Vertically, through the creation of services, products, applications and
employment gravitating around the Internet, data processing and telephony; and,
• Horizontally, as an enabler, through the use of ICTs in a range of areas including
public sector development, increase in private sector growth opportunities, market
reach and management efficiency, and creation and delivery of information
related to health, education and social services.
11. Vertical development of ICTs is lagging despite significant regional and external
market prospects. Last year about US $ 2.1 billion in information technology
hardware, software and support services was sold in the Arab States. Nearly two-
2
thirds of this demand comes from only three countries. Several Arab countries are
vying to become regional communications and IT hubs. Coordination, or at least
systematic exchange of information, of national plans and efforts can help
synchronise investments, avoid overlap and duplication as well as facilitate deeper
specialisation for each country.
12. Horizontally, e-government, e-commerce and decision support systems are either
non-existent or at their infancy. Government and business operations and information
delivery to citizens do not take advantage of modern technologies, including to access
rural areas.
13. The problems that the programme addresses are related to the low uptake and
efficient use of new ICTs, compounded by illiteracy, a weak enabling environment,
and the predominantly low awareness at many decision-making levels of the
opportunities that ICT offers for human development and its requirements. The
programme addresses these problems by creating an enabling environment and by
implementing, through partnerships, a coordinated series of replicable and scalable
projects and exchanges to support and increase the use of ICTs across the region for
poverty reduction.
14. The key areas of intervention highlighted below are the result of an extensive
dialogue with a large cross-section of stakeholder engaged in the region. More than
one hundred individuals from Government, private sector, donors, academia, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and civil society organisations (CSOs) were
consulted between the months of August and October 2001. A partial list is annexed.
Their priorities, requirements, aspirations and concerns were noted, summarised and
further validated and/or refined through dialogue with a group of expert advisors.
Furthermore existing projects in the same area were examined, alongside goals set
forward by international conferences and resolutions, including those from the
Millennium Summit, ECOSOC and the Development Summits and Conferences of
the 1990s.
Part 1b. Strategy
15. UNDP's experience in ICT and Development has now matured to a second generation
of tools and interventions honed to enhance ICT impact on human development.
Years of experience with programme implementation in the developing world
strategically positions UNDP in the development cooperation universe. Embracing
new information technologies, programme countries have made it clear that they
expect UNDP to assist them in harnessing IT to reduce poverty and improve both
public administration performance and private sector hold and expansion. This is
essential especially at a time when globalisation is stretching developing countries
capacities to the limit in the context of political and economic uncertainty. Many need
new means to survive this pace and to avoid the newly created divides.
16. Besides the widely recognised comparative advantages of UNDP as a trusted and
impartial partner of Governments with presence in 135 countries, UNDP also brings
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strengths and expertise particularly relevant to the ICT domain, including:
• A holistic conceptual framework for development and poverty that underscores
the links between economic, social and political dimensions and stresses the value
of multi-sectoral approaches to address deprivation, including deprivation in
information.
• Use of new and innovative tools for poverty reduction interventions, through the
delivery and usage of information and appropriate content creation, especially in
rural areas and in local language;
• Better flexibility facing increased globalisation, including choices of directions
and opportunities achieved through ICT-enabled education;
• Growth and employment opportunities, leveraged by information on market
niches, retraining of managers and by connecting local business to global markets.
Additional opportunities in vertical ICT markets, with requests for services,
engineering, infrastructure development, content creation, etc.;
• Improved public administration and social service delivery. Knowledge and
information management with special emphasis on the provision of information to
citizens;
• More efficient management of complex emergencies. UNDP’s experience has
proven ICTs to be a primary catalyst in speeding up rehabilitation and assisting in
the transition between emergency and development activities.
• Appropriate partnerships with a number of corporate and public entities,
committed to assist in the fight against poverty.
17. Synergy with UNDP's global approach will be a priority for this regional programme.
This should be facilitated by the fact that the Assistant Administrator and Director of
the Regional Bureau for Arab States is the UNDP Champion for the thematic area of
ICT for Development. Given the complementarity between the Global and Regional
Programme in Arab States an introduction to main aspects of UNDP's global ICTD
approach and efforts is warranted below.
18. Capitalising on ICT for poverty reduction has been central to UNDP's corporate
mandate. UNDP's approach recognises that a comprehensive policy and achievable
targets are critical for ensuring that ICT becomes an effective catalyst for socioeconomic development. Such a policy promises to utilise the full potential of ICT as
it provides a framework for planning, a template for evaluation, a context for
assessing the degree of achievement for a range of targets and a vehicle for advocacy.
A comprehensive policy also helps build investors' confidence by publicising
government intentions. Transparency helps provide equal opportunity. The process of
formulating and implementing such a policy is as much political as technical.
19. UNDP's global efforts support the formulation and implementation of comprehensive
ICT policies through five main areas of focus:
1. National ICT strategies based on a comprehensive ‘e-readiness’ assessment.
2. Policy and regulatory frameworks to promote ICT diffusion access and use.
4
3. Technical and end-user capacity to use and apply ICTs, including women’s
access, financial services, e-commerce and knowledge networks.
4. E-competitiveness through small and medium size enterprises and development of
ICT-based products services.
5. E-government and e-governance (e-democracy).
20. UNDP is also engaged at the global level in three separate but related initiatives: cohosting the G8 Digital Opportunity Task Force known as the (DOTforce); the Digital
Opportunity Initiative (DOI), a public-private partnership; and the United Nations
ICT Taskforce.
21 In the context of mutually reinforcing complementarity with global efforts, the
regional programme will adopt a strategy to address sustainable human development
issues from the following principal angles:
• Direct poverty reduction interventions, enhancing poor people's access and
use of relevant information especially in rural areas;
• Growth and employment generation activities, tackling the retooling of
entrepreneurs and the exposure to new markets and niches, which benefits the
poor indirectly, through the social texture;
• Public administration-level interventions, with the aim to provide urban and
rural citizen with a more responsive and efficient public sector.
22 The programme will actively promote regional partnerships with specific institutions
and corporations including those in the IT and retail sector, telecommunications,
media and NGOs. In line with UNDP's approach at the global and national levels, the
programme will promote multi-stakeholders dialogue on ICT for development. It will
provide seed funding and technical and development expertise while seeking financial
support and, if applicable, technical assistance in order to deliver quality and costeffective ICT related and result-oriented projects.
23 In applying the UNDP mandate at the regional level, the ICT programme will help to
provide regional public goods, secure positive inter-country externalities and
learning, harness common interests and capitalise on the economies of scale inherent
in concerted efforts to address shared problems. Synergy and linkages will be
strengthened with other dimensions of UNDP regional activities in the Arab States
dealing with globalisation, governance, knowledge as well as advocacy, monitoring
and coordination related to the Millennium Development Goals. Recognising that
ICT is cross-cutting, other UNDP regional projects and programmes in Arab States
also support horizontal ICT development and applications. This is evident in UNDP
support to governance (e.g. legislative bodies, judiciary), trade (e.g. access to export
markets, customs), education (assessment of computer programmes in universities),
etc. This regional programme will develop synergy with other UNDP-supported
interventions related to ICTs at both the upstream (policy) and downstream (direct
interventions) levels.
5
24 Rather than encompassing the gamut of regional ICT for development concerns, the
selection of programme areas, were identified through a consultative discussion of
priorities where UNDP can offer value added through a regional approach. Strategic
selectivity aims to secure a critical mass of support to the identified foci rather than
scattering scarce resources thinly over a large spectrum of activities. Other important
priorities such as policy and regulatory frameworks will be addressed through other
UNDP resources such as national and global programmes and the Regional ICT
Policy Advisor.
25 Significant similarities and differences among the Arab States (see para. 2 above)
pose both opportunities and challenges for this regional programme. Similarities, such
as the shared Arabic language, invite activities that support coordination and exploit
economies of scale to address common challenges through a regional approach (e.g.
activities 3.3.1 and 2). Differences such as the varying stages of ICT development and
use, require a differentiated approach that targets clusters of countries facing similar
problems and challenges. Countries in each cluster may well be in different subregions. Varying stages of ICT development and use also offer opportunities for
countries that are more advanced in certain aspects to offer best practices and act as
champions. The programme will explore these opportunities for countries to act as
regional technology anchors or knowledge centres to promote attidunal change and
human resource development.
26 In general, not all the regional programme's activities will apply to all countries.
Programme activities are devised to be flexibly combined together as needed in order
to increase service delivery efficiency and impact.
27 To summarise, UNDP's support through the regional programme will be geared
towards exploiting ICT for sustainable reduction of poverty, directly and indirectly.
Attention to poverty is elaborated in specific interventions as well as in emphasising
poverty reduction indicators as critical outcome indicators for the programme as a
whole (see Part 2). UNDP’s concern with human poverty rather than just income
poverty is particularly critical in the Arab region, because poverty and inequalities of
capabilities (e.g. in terms of illiteracy) are much more pronounced than deprivation or
maldistribution of income. Emphasis will hence be given to the use of information to
bridge human capacity differences which, as said before, follow income, education
and linguistic divides.
28 The following programme lines were identified both through the analysis of the
information provided by stakeholders and through the examination of work conducted
by other actors, available niches, and experiences in this and other regions. The
regional programme is aligned with UNDP's corporate policy. A dynamic element to
accommodate for future changes in the regional development agenda must be factored
in across all lines. The overall strategy encourages catalytic activities that have the
highest chances to create a ripple and multiplier effects; that are replicable/scalable or
that can create high impact while operating within the capacity and budget of the
6
programme. These activities will address national priorities and will support and
complement UNDP Global, Regional and National Cooperation Frameworks.
Main programme service lines
Awareness raising, promotion and stakeholders campaigns
29 In some Arab countries, there is little awareness about the opportunities and risks
associated with ICT development and use. In other countries, political commitment to
exploiting ICT exists at the highest policy-making levels. Yet it has not trickled-down
to the middle policy-implementing cadres. The latter might rightly or wrongly
perceive the ICT-related transformations as detrimental to their interests or standing.
Highly publicised national objectives often contrast with ambiguity about strategies
and means to meet these objectives. The programme will apply a differentiated
approach to respond to the differentiated needs of various groups of Arab countries.
30 The great majority of decisions relative to information are taken today by a
generation very often uneasy about the implication if ICTs. Vision and strategies are
often woven across traditional lines that, albeit important to respect, do not always
reflect the needs and aspiration of younger generations and do not often address
gender issues.
31 Unless substantial changes take place in the way information and its underlying
technologies are perceived and applied, the effectiveness of ICT interventions will
remain somewhat limited. Awareness raising, promotion and constituency building is
needed to address the institutional and political economy obstacles to the
development and use of ICT. The programme recognises that exposure to modern
tools and technologies are an essential precondition to ensure efficiency in public
sector management, extension of social services, etc. Activities under this heading
will emphasize building awareness, sharing best practices and changing people's
thinking on the potential and means for using information, not only for development
in general, but more particularly for human development and the empowerment of the
underprivileged.
32 Additionally, the programme will seek opportunities to move the human development
agenda forward in dynamic and responsive ways by offering tailored solutions to
specific information technology related problems including:
• Project packaging and brokering, to engage partners in programme activities
and extend the programme’s technical capacity, outreach and financial
capacity;
• Expert technical assistance, to provide fast solution to specific ICT problems;
• Information systems in support of peace-building initiatives, to make available
connectivity and the Internet wherever needed to ameliorate conditions in
crisis countries; and
7
•
Media outreach to further extend awareness of ICTs and poverty reduction
solutions amongst programme countries.
Capacity development and strategy implementation
33 Overall, human resources needed for the vertical and horizontal development and use
of ICT are lacking in the region. This applies to both the private and public sectors. It
also applies to countries that are both advanced and lagging in this field. The former
suffer a shortage of national skills needed to reap potential benefits. In these cases,
skill shortage is sometimes addressed by relying on foreign labour as in the Gulf.
Less endowed countries that have managed to develop substantial national capacity
see it falling far short of demand or being eroded by brain drain.
34 For these reasons, the programme will offer several activities to build capacity from
the bottom up, including the support of ICTs in school curricula, support of
development of core curricula of regional relevance, national school nets, teacher and
corporate training, the extension of ICT training to remote areas, gender inclusion,
etc. The programme will emphasize learning through exchange and cross-fertilization of
experiences within the Arab region and from other regions.
35 The Programme, wherever applicable, will encourage the formation of National
Information Technology Councils (NITC) to advise on strategies to expand the
national and regional use of ICTs.
36 The use of Arabic language and its incorporation in ICT tools and content will be an
important component under this output. Rather than only supporting the creation of
Arabic content, the programme will focus on fostering an enabling environment. This
will encourage the market itself to address the lack of Arabic information on the
Internet which today caters mostly to the more affluent markets of anglo and
francophone elites.
Pro-poor growth and employment generation
37. The shifting balance of international employment in the vertical ICT sector on the one
hand, and growing national needs and requirements on the other, create new
employment and market opportunities which should be encouraged. Horizontally,
ICT can be applied to new and existing private initiatives to enhance competitiveness
and extend their reach and efficiency.
38. Activities under this heading will focus on exploiting ICT for promoting equitable
growth that generates jobs. For this reason, SMEs will be a primary target for
interventions that aim at retooling of existing business practices with added ICT
emphasis for efficiency, markets outreach, the cross-fertilisation of information
related to market creation, innovation and technology adoption. Overall the
8
Programme will tend to promote, support and complement large scale and replicable
employment generation initiatives.
Digital initiatives: Demand driven and dynamic poverty reduction interventions
39. There are excellent examples already of ICTs benefits in connecting citizens to
information. New initiatives are regularly added. This includes information on: prices
relevant to low-income buyers and sellers (e.g. commodity prices), food security,
financial services, health and education, employment opportunities, poverty reduction
schemes and social funds activities among others. Technologies include the internet,
cellular telephony, satellite access digital packet radio and analogue radio and
television. Delivery mechanisms include citizen access centres, tele-centers, mobile
units, etc. The Programme will build on UNDP experiences, and will bring
innovation to the Region.
40. Other poverty reduction activities may be initiated as:
• specific demands arise;
• development environments change;
• delivery in previously unfeasible areas becomes more cost-effective; and
• opportunities emerge in crisis countries for quick information ICT
interventions that can create high impact.
41. Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks (SWOT) will be conducted
early on to identify specific areas of intervention under this pillar of the regional ICT
programme. These interventions will have to meet the following criteria:
have direct impact on poor people;
target poor communities;
demonstrate monitorable results in terms of poverty reduction; and
be replicable across the region.
42. Synergy among the various pillars of the regional programme will be nurtured. For
example: awareness raising will be pursued as a means to shift mind sets as a prerequisite for skill development; expanding Arabic content will be pursued, inter alia,
to pave the ground for generating jobs for poor people who are often unfamiliar with
other languages; etc.
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Part 2. Results Framework
Intended outcome: Contribute to the reduction of human poverty by fostering, through ICTs and targeted activities, a more capable
information-enabled society. A coordinated strategy will be implemented around four main themes:
1. ICT Awareness raising;
2. Growth and employment generation;
3. Human Capital Creation;
4. Dynamic Poverty Reduction Interventions.
General outcome indicators. Enabling environment: Use and uptake of ICTs, increase of Internet penetration in rural and urban
areas. Distribution of development information via ICTs. Quality, quantity and diversity of Arabic language sites. Growth and
employment: Number of SMEs engaged. Type and quality of information delivered. Education: Quality and quantity of Regional
and National Seminars and information sharing processes. Number of target constituencies reached.
Poverty reduction: Number of poor beneficiaries reached. Quality and quantity of information delivered.
Baseline indicators will be recorded at the outset of activities. Advisory Board members and independent evaluation will be consulted
for qualitative assessment whenever needed. The programme will carry out appropriate monitoring to examine results beyond the
immediate outputs highlighted below and to ensure that sustainable human development targets are achieved.
Partnership Strategy: Engagement of Governments; Private sector corporations and companies; Multinational and Regional enterprises
and organisations, Chambers of Commerce, Private Sector Associations, NGOs, CSOs and the donor community, through well
designed high-impact development activities, as highlighted below.
Project title and number: Arab States Programme on Information -ASPI RBAS x/2002
Sectio
Outputs
Inputs
Activities
Output Targets for 24 months
1) ICT Awareness
(see
1.1.1 Regional SWOT assessment of ICT for poverty inputWithin
the
intended
time
span
of
the
Intended Outputs:
output
reduction best practices;
programme participating countries*
table)
1.1. Horizontal
1.1.2 Regional exchanges through electronic and
needs in this area will be assessed.
exchanges at
physical means to cross-fertilise experiences;
Region will be offered at minimum:
regional and
1.2.1 National level SWOT assessments of ICT
1) One Seminar for High Level
international level
development state of public administration;
Decision Makers per country;
2) Electronic means to exchange ICT 1.2.2 National exchanges through electronic and
1.2. Exchanges at
physical means to cross-fertilise positive
for Development-related information
10
National level
1.3. Exchanges across
existing donordriven ICT projects
1.4. High-level
Seminars for
Decision Makers
1.5. Workshops for
public sector
Managers
1.6. Establishment of
National
Information
Technology
Advisory (NITA)
Bodies
1.7. Participate and
engage in regional
and international
conferences and
forums
on video-conferencing, online,
nationally and regionally;
3) A series, coordinated with other
donors, of national exchanges;
4) Two workshops for public sector
managers;
5) Assistance with the formation of
National Information Technology
Councils (NITC). South-South
exchanges across countries with
NITC experiences. At least three such
exchanges.
6) Programme's participation in three
conferences per year.
1.3.1
1.3.2
1.3.3
1.4.1
* Budget assumes 50% (eight)
countries will be benefiting from one
or more of these outputs, unless
otherwise specified.
1.5.1
1.6.1
1.8. Monitor progress
of participants post
event
1.7.1
11
national experiences and align ICT efforts
across public sector;
Synchronise with other donors initiatives,
provide assistance and expertise were needed;
Identification of ICT for development niches
not covered by others in an effort to design
“catalytic” activities to support and complement
high-impact projects already on the ground;
Internally within UNDP through mechanisms
such as the SURF, liaise, collaborate and
exchange best practices, and information with
UNDP global programmes, regional
programmes and nationally-driven projects;
Demand driven short, modular, full immersion
seminars to public-sector decision makers on
topics related to the application of ICTs in
government, administrative reform,
development issues, social services, education
(including informal education), etc.;
Through service providers, offer cost-effective
workshops, conducted through multi-purpose
mobile units, to train existing managers in basic
electronic management techniques;
Foster the process of ICT public-private sector
exchanges with the aim to establish advisory
bodies comprising a cross-section of
government, private sector, NGOs, and civil
society to further the development of ICTs at
national and regional level;
Bring the programme experiences and cross
fertilise initiatives at major regional and
2. Pro-poor growth and
employment
generation
2.1. Small and Medium
ICT-related
Enterprises (SMEs)
creation
2.2. Retooling of
managers
2.3 Impact and best
practices information
3. Capacity development
and strategy
implementation
3.1. Support in the
inclusion of ICTs
in the school
curricula.
1) Three sub-regional strategies
to foster the creation of ICTrelated, or ICT-supported
SMEs.
2) Three specific sub-regional
projects, in cooperation with
partners to provide incentives
to existing incubators to foster
ICT-related development
activities (portals,
applications, etc.)
3) One workshop per
participating country, or subregional, to foster the adoption
of ICT tools in the business
environment.
4) An Internet Portal to serve as
Gateway with substantive and
useful information and tools
(like a toolbox) on ICT for
development and specific
SME best practices.
1) One Min. of Education
Seminars on e-education per
country, providing strategic
advice and exposure to
common practices;
2) Implementation of Mobile
Internet units, in partnership
with Ministry of Education
12
international conferences & electronic for a.
Foster the creation of SMEs, the drafting and
execution of business plans and the
commencement of activities related to ICT for
development;
2.1.2 Encourage ICT-related SMEs development
incentives through appropriate partnerships;
2.1.3 Research and offer information on available
market niches and ways to establish new
activities;
2.2.1 Offer specific “Technology Exposure,
Innovation and Solution workshops” tailored to
entrepreneurs and private sector managers;
2.3.1 Provide information relative to the impact of
SMEs activities. The programme will keep a
tally of success stories and analyse failures;
2.1.1
3.1.1
Encourage and support efforts for the inclusion
of ICT in the school curricula in the following
areas: existing curricula, productivity
applications, Internet tools;
3.1.2 Teacher training;
3.2.1 Collaboration with Ministry of Education for
establishing school nets;
3.3.1 Seek and foster best practices and incentives to
Sectio
3.2. Support to
establishment of
national school
nets
3.3. Create demand for
Arabic language
3.4. Extension of ICT
training to remote
areas
and funded by private sector;
3) Three national school nets
established
4) Regional corporate training
support for training in four
countries. In partnership with
corporate sponsor.
5) Help double Arabic websites
in 24 months.
3.5. Organisation of
Corporate training
4. Demand Driven and
Dynamic Poverty
Reduction
Interventions
4.1. Information
Technology for
Poverty Reduction
4.2. Project Packaging
and Partnerships
4.3. Expert Technical
Assistance
4.4. Information for
peace and stability
1. Implementation of six high-impact
projects using ICTs for poverty
reduction, in partnership with donors
and government. These projects will
meet the following criteria: have
direct impact on poor people; target
poor
communities;
demonstrate
monitorable results in terms of
poverty reduction; and be replicable
across the region having a high
multiplier effect.
2. An increase of Internet penetration
of 100% in rural areas is expected.
2. Packaging of above for donor
support.
3. At least six instances of demand
13
facilitate the use and adoption and demand of
Arabic Language in Internet content;
3.3.2 As a convenor, support standardisation of
Arabic characters for software;
3.4.1 Assistance to the education system (including
informal education) in extending its reach to
rural areas, underprivileged urban areas and in
addressing gender issues. Initiatives in this field
may be conducted through the use of mobile
units or fixed installations;
3.5.1 Through the support of UNDP’s corporate
partners assist, wherever necessary, with the
establishment of ICT corporate training
programmes;
4.1.1
4.2.1
4.3.1
4.4.1
Support the development of specific
applications for the delivery of information
tending to the reduction of poverty through
sustainable initiatives;
Set up innovative and impact-driven publicprivate partnerships. The programme will
identify ICT-related projects that can be
packaged on behalf of counterparts and
submitted to the donor community for funding
and implementation;
Assistance with quick-fix and specific solutions
to technical and information-related problems;
Foster the use of Internet and other systems to
support exchange of information for
reconciliation, openness and transparency
wherever needed;
4.5. Media engagement
driven assistance to regional and
national counterpart on technical
issues.
4. Significant visibility in media for
efforts to tap ICT for development
including UNDP efforts.
14
4.5.1
4.5.2
Extend the reach of the programme’s concept
and goals through public media;
Make extensive use of digital technology to
ensure that each activity is properly documented
and knowledge from it
publicized/disemminated.
Part 3. Management Arrangements
Executing Arrangements
43. The Programme will be executed by the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) and implemented through a number
of mechanisms, including national counterparts, NGOs and CSOs. The program will promote private public partnership whenever
possible. It is envisioned that the Programme will be based in a suitable country within the Region. The Programme will
commence operations in June 2002 and it will initially last 24 months. An evaluation will be performed in late 2004. Initial
funding will be approximately USD 2.5 million. It is envisaged that a trust fund will be set-up at inception to receive extrabudgetary funds from partners and donors.
44. In order to receive the assistance described hereby, participating countries will be required, as it is customary for Regional
Programmes, to approve and sign this programme document.
Programme Staff
45. The programme will be staffed as follows:
Chief Technical Advisor/Regional Coordinator. S\he will be responsible for the overall conduction of the programme and for the
relation with counterparts, donors and partners. The Regional Programme Coordinator (RPC) will manage the programme and
provide strategic guidance, while establish an effective strategy for project implementation and resource mobilisation.
Additionally, the RPC will be responsible for reporting and accountability tasks, including ROAR and executing agency reports
and budgets, as appropriate. The RPC will represent the programme at International fora and conferences. The RPC will report to
the Chief, Regional Programme Division;
Deputy Coordinator. The DC will be responsible for the daily management of the Programme and for input to strategy and project
implementation. The DC will report to the Coordinator. The DC will additionally assist in the preparation of budgets and reports;
National Programme Officer. The NPO will work under the supervision of the DC and will be responsible for the management of
specific areas of activity;
Project Assistant. The PA will provide administrative support to the Programme and will perform a number of additional
secretarial duties. The PA will be responsible for ensuring that all documentation including financial reporting, travel
authorisations are properly prepared and logistics arranged; and,
15
Programme Advisor. The Advisor will provide strategic guidance and support as needed.
46. All staff will have technical expertise to contribute substantively to the achievement of the programme's outputs and to meeting its
objectives.
Monitoring
47. The Programme will collect and research baseline data and develop additional benchmarks against which to measure its progress and
the impact of its assistance delivery. The programme will monitor its activities and will make extensive use of computer applications
to do so. Each activity as highlighted above and expected targets entered in a database at the commencement of the Programme. The
programme will establish baseline data and benchmark criteria against which to evaluate its activities. The system will keep track of
the progress of the Programme and will make this information available on line. A complete package of on-line tools (a toolbox) will
further complement the activities and will be made available to stakeholders. This will facilitate the sharing of experiences and crossfertilisation of solutions provided to counterparts.
Reporting
48. As per UNDP guidelines, the programme will prepare the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Annual report;
Terminal report;
Biannual work plans, highlighting activities in progress, activities in pipeline and relative expenditure sheet;
Annual budget with a semi annual budget review; and,
Programme review at the end of the 24 months period.
44. The Programme will ensure that sufficient funds have been set aside for monitoring and reporting.
Partnerships and resource mobilisation
49. The Programme will make full use of the traditional avenues for partnerships and resource mobilisation, drawing from successful
experience with ICT partners. Parallel funding will be the modality of preference, but a special trust fund will be setup for direct
16
contributions as well. Although specific contributions are difficult to pinpoint before the commencement of the Programme,
resource mobilisation and partnerships could be possible through:
Type of
Partner/Don
or
Governments
Bi-lateral
Multilateral
Name
Gov. from participating countries
Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia, USAID,
France, Germany, Japan and Italy
World Bank, Africa Development Bank,
Islamic Development Bank,
UN System: UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNESCWA
UNDP ICT Global Trust Fund, Bureau
for Development Policy
EU
Arab Fund for Economic and Social
Development
Private Sector
Multinational Corp. (e.g. HP, Cisco,
Microsoft)
National and Regional Banks
IT Associations
Type of contribution
Link with policy making, in
kind, matching
contributions
Technical Cooperation,
Funds
Technical cooperation,
project partnerships,
funding
Technical cooperation, joint
funding
Technical and Policy
Advice, Funds
Project partnerships, joint
funding
Technical cooperation,
project partnerships,
financial resources
Technical, Equipment,
Support
Technical cooperation,
Funds
Advocacy, in kind
resources, constituency
building
17
CSOs
Academia
Accenture
Chambers of Commerce, Regional
Information Technology and Software
Engineering Centre (RITSEC), Regional
Education Software Centre (REDSOFT)
Regional Arab IT Network (RAINET),
National IT Council, think tanks
Universities
Professional support
Joint advocacy, technical
cooperation, implementers,
matching contributions, in
kind
Research Grants
50. Within UNDP the Programme will rely on close partnership with expertise available at the Bureau for Development Policy both at
headquarters and in the region. As mentioned above priorities such as policy and regulatory frameworks will be addressed through
other UNDP resources such as national and global programmes and the Regional ICT Policy Advisor. The network of UNDP's
Sub-regional Resource Facilities (SURF) will be used to tap into regional and inter-regional expertise.
Part 4. Legal Context
51. This programme document shall be the instrument referred to as such in Article I of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement
between the Governments and Territories participating and the United Nations Development Programme and refers to the
government co-operating agency described in that Agreement.
52. For each participating country that has not signed the SBAA, the following standard text and Standard Legal Text for non-SBAA
countries, attached as an annex to the programme document, both apply.
53. This programme document shall be the instrument envisaged in the Supplemental Provision to the Programme Document, attached
hereto. The host country implementing agency shall, for the purpose of the Supplementary Provisions to the Programme
Document refer to the Government co-operating agent described in the supplemental Provisions.
18
Regional Bureau for Arab States, Regional Programme
Division
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
a) Programme Activities
1.1.1
Regional SWOT assessment of ICT for poverty
reduction best practices
1.1.2
Regional exchanges through electronic and physical
means to cross-fertilise positive experiences
1.2.1
1.2.1 National level SWOT assessments of ICT
development state of public administration
Arab States
Programme on
Information InputOutput Budget (24
Months)
Legend: Staff=S •
International
Consultant = IC •
National Consultant
NC • Travel = T •
International
procurement = IP •
Local Procurement
LP
INPUTS
DESCRIPTION
Note: Administrative
and Staff cost
accounted separately in
section b): Programme
Staff and
Administration)
BUD
GET
LINE
BUDGET USD
S
S
IC 1151
T 1601
Training Material 3201
S
NC 1161
20,000.00
40,000.00
30,000.00
32,000.00
19
1.2.2
National exchanges through electronic and physical
means to cross-fertilise positive national experiences and align ICT
efforts across public sector
1.3.1
Synchronise with other donors initiatives, provide
assistance and expertise were needed.
1.3.2
Identification of ICT for development niches not covered
by others in an effort to design “catalytic” activities to support and
complement high-impact projects already on the ground.
1.3.3
Internally within UNDP through mechanisms such as
the SURF, liaise, collaborate and exchange best practices, and
information with UNDP global programmes, regional programmes
and nationally-driven projects
1.4.1
Demand driven short, modular, full immersion Seminars
to public-sector decision makers on topics related to the
application of ICTs in government, administrative reform,
development issues, social services, education, etc.
1.5.1
Through service providers offer cost-effective
workshops, conducted through multi-purpose mobile units, to train
existing managers in basic electronic management techniques.
S
NC 1161
S
IC 1151
S
NC 1161
16,000.00
20,000.00
10,000.00
-
S
S
IC
NC
T
Subcontract Technical
Training Material
Misc. Exp, Seminars
1151
1161
1601
2101
3201
3401
S
NC 1161
T 1601
Subcontract Technical 2101
40,000.00
20,000.00
40,000.00
16,000.00
20,000.00
10,000.00
24,000.00
8,000.00
30,000.00
20
Subcontract Training 2102
Training Material 3201
1.6.1
Foster the process of ICT public-private sector
exchanges with the aim to establish advisory bodies comprising a
cross-section of government, private sector, NGOs, and civil
society to further the development of ICTs at national and regional
level.
1.7.1 Bring the programme experiences and cross fertilise
initiatives at major regional and international conferences
Total for outputs 1-1 to 1-7
2.1.1
Foster the creation of SMEs, the drafting and execution
of business plans and employment-related initiatives activities
using ICT for development
2.1.2
Encourage ICT-related SMEs development incentives
through appropriate partnerships.
2.1.3
Research and offer information on available market
niches and ways to establish new activities
2.2.1
Offer specific “Technology Exposure, Innovation and
Solution workshops” tailored to entrepreneurs and private sector
managers.
S
IC 1151
NC 1161
T 1601
24,000.00
16,000.00
-
5,000.00
15,000.00
20,000.00
-
S
456,000.00
S
IC
NC
T
Miscellaneous
expenses
1151
1161
1601
2103
24,000.00
16,000.00
24,000.00
32,000.00
-
S
S
S
NC 1161
T 1601
Subcontract Training 2102
24,000.00
8,000.00
24,000.00
21
Training Material 3201
2.3.1
Provide information relative to the impact of SMEs
activities. The programme will keep a tally of success stories and
analyse failures.
Total for outputs 2.1 - 2.3
3.1.1
Encourage and support efforts for the inclusion of ICT in
the school curricula in the following areas: Support to
existing curricula, productivity application, Internet tools
3.1.2
Teacher training
3.1.3
3.1.4
3.2.1
3.2.2
Seek and foster best practices and incentives to facilitate
the use and adoption of Arabic Language in Internet
content;
As a convenor support the standardization of Arabic
characters in software
Assistance to the education system in extending its reach
to rural areas and underprivileged urban areas. Initiatives
in this field may be conducted through the use of mobile
units or fixed installations.
Collaboration with Ministries of Education to establish
school nets.
16,000.00
-
S
168,000.00
S
NC
T
Subcontract Training
Training Material
1151
1601
2102
3201
S
NC 1151
T 1601
S
T
NC
Subcontract Training
Subcontract Technical
Training Material
1601
1161
2102
2101
3201
16,000.00
8,000.00
24,000.00
16,000.00
-
22,000.00
10,000.00
-
8,000.00
24,000.00
24,000.00
30,000.00
16,000.00
22
3.3.1
Through the support of UNDP’s corporate partners
assist, wherever necessary, with the establishment of ICT
corporate training programmes.
Total for outputs 3.1 - 3.3
4.1.1
Support the research, development and
implementation of specific applications for the delivery of
information tending to the reduction of poverty through sustainable
initiatives.
4.2.1
Set up innovative and impact-driven public-private
partnerships for poverty reduction. The programme will identify
ICT-related projects that can be packaged on behalf of
counterparts and submitted to the donor community for funding
and implementation
4.3.1
Assistance with quick-fix and specific solutions to
technical and information-related problems
S
198,000.00
S
IC
NC
Subcontract Technical
Miscellaneous
expenses
T
LP
IP
1151
1161
2101
2103
40,000.00
60,000.00
60,000.00
30,000.00
1601
4502
4701
20,000.00
100,000.00
100,000.00
-
S
IC 1151
T 1601
S
NC 1161
Subcontract Technical 2101
LP 4502
40,000.00
30,000.00
24,000.00
24,000.00
50,000.00
23
4.4.1
Foster the use of Internet and other systems to support
exchange of information for reconciliation, openness and
transparency wherever needed
S
IC 1151
NC 1161
Subcontract Technical 2101
4.5.1
Extend the reach of the programme’s concept and
goals through public media.
4.5.2
Make extensive use of digital technology to ensure that
each activity is properly documented
30,000.00
30,000.00
30,000.00
-
S
S
Subcontract Technical 2101
-
Total for outputs 4.1 - 4.5
20,000.00
688,000.00
Total Programme Delivery, 24 Months
1,510,000.00
b) Programme Staff and Administration
Programme Staff
Regional Programme Coordinator (L6-ALD)
Deputy RPC (L3-ALD)
Admin. Support
Programme Assistant
NPPP
Programme Officer
Component Total per year
Mission Costs
Mission Costs
Comp. Total per year
Budget Line
Budget
1101
160,000.00
1103
80,000.00
1301
20,000.00
1702
25,000.00
295,000.00
1601
40,000.00
40,000.00
Subcontracts
24
Technical
Comp. Total per year
2101
15,000.00
15,000.00
Operation
Operation and Maintenance
Local Procurement
PR & Promotion
Media Production
International Procurement
Comp. Total per year
4501
4502
4503
4504
4701
60,000.00
30,000.00
5,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
115,000.00
Miscellaneous
Reporting Costs
Sundries
Comp. Total per year
5201
5301
20,000.00
10,000.00
30,000.00
Administrative costs, per year
495,000.00
c) Operation by budget lines
International Consultants
National Consultants
Travel and Mission costs
Subcontract technical
Subcontract training
Misc. Expenses
Training Material
Seminars, Misc.
Local Procurement
International Procurement
1151
1161
1601
2101
2102
2103
3201
3401
4502
4701
257000
295000
216000
210000
96000
62000
114000
10000
150000
100000
25
Total
1,510,000.00
Total administrative costs, 24 months
Total operation input, 24 months
Total UNDP input
990,000.00
1,510,000.00
2,500,000.00
d) Total input
26
Part 6. Annex
Development areas to be addressed
This cross-cutting programme may address a combination of the following SAS/SRF
development areas:
Enabling Environment
Sub-Goal 1: National, regional and global dialogue and cooperation that widens
development choices for sustainable and equitable growth.
Management of globalisation to support the poor.
Policy, legal and regulatory reform to support private sector development.
Regional and sub-regional cooperation, including ECDC/TCDC.
Sub-Goal 2: Strengthened capacity of key governance institutions.
Institutional capacity of parliamentary structures, systems and processes.
Administration of, and access to, justice.
Promotion of human rights.
Sub-Goal 3: Increased social cohesion based on participatory local governance and
stronger local communities and institutions.
Social cohesion through development planning and other decision-making
processes at the sub-national level.
Self-organisation and development of alliances by the poor.
Sub-Goal 4: An efficient and accountable public sector.
Efficiency and accountability in the civil service.
Efficiency of public sector financial management.
Aid coordination and management
Poverty reduction
Sub-Goal 2: The asset base of the poor expanded and protected (human, physical and
financial).
Access to productive resources and assets.
Access to basic social services and systems for risk management
Access to, and utilisation of, ICTs.
Special Development Situations
Sub-Goal 1: Reduced risk of disasters in programme countries
Policy development and advocacy on risk reduction
Additionally, the programme will meet the requirements of the Regional Cooperation
Framework (RCF) by: (a). learning from the results and lessons of past experiences; (b).
demonstrating a contribution to poverty reduction; (c). tackling shared development
priorities in the region as evident in several national development plans or Country
Cooperation Frameworks; (d). adding value to national efforts; and (e). bringing to bear a
27
critical mass of resources (knowledge, partnerships, financial, etc.) commensurate with a
critical mass of results.
A partial listing of individuals interviewed during the programme design phase
Countries visited during programme design phase: Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria,
Jordan and Yemen.
A. Majied Qasem
Abdellatif Meskine
Adel Maqboub
Adel Mokhtari
Adib Nehmeh
Adnane Benchakroun
Ahmed El Hattab, Ph. D
Ahmed M.El Sobky
Ahmed S. Abutaleb
Akram E. Farag
Ali El Moselhi Ph, D.
Amin El Sharkawi
Amine Mounir Alaoui
Ammar AI Atiat
Antonio Vigilante
Anwar M. Haddad
Arar Armanazi, D.E.Sc.
Aziz Rabbait
Barry Carin
Basil Qubain
Bassem Awadallah
Costante Muzio
Dana Khatib
Dawod Al_Hidabi
Effat EI-Shooky
Elie Khoury
Emile Najib Cubeisy
Eng. Ashraf M. Fathy
Eng. Mouhamed Al
Ewan McPhie
Florence Eid
Hassan AL-Nouri
Hassan Hamwi
Hassan Kabbani
Hassan Risheh
Heather E. Hudson, Ph.D
One World Software, Amman
Chef Division Exploitation des Services Post, Morocco
Manager, new products, Post, Morocco
Fusion Engineering, Morocco
United Nations
Centre National de Documentation, Morocco
Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Formation,
Morocco
Ritsec, Cairo
Ministry of Communications, Egypt
Lucent
Senior Advisor Min. Of Telecom, Egypt
UNDP, Egypt
Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunicati,
Rabat
Ritsec, Cairo
Resident Representative, UNDP, Cairo
Assistant Resident Representative Operation Manager Unit
Head, Scientific Studies & Research Centre, Damascus
ISM, Ministry of Industry. Trade, Energy and Mining
UNIVERSITY of Victoria
One World Software, Amman
The Royal Hashemite Court, Amman, (now Min. of
Planning)
UNDP, Amman
Arab Advisors, Amman
President , University of Science and Technology
Ritsec, Cairo
Parliament Development Project, Beirut Lebanon
Ministry of Post and Communications, Morocco
Affordable PC Project, Cairo
Syrian Telecommunication Establishment
Spanning the international digital divide
Professor, School of Business American University of Beirut
Syrian Government
Arab Quality Makers, Amman
CEO, Sabafon
Minister, Syrian Government
Professor and Director Telecommunications Management,
28
Hisham Sharaf Abdalla
Hisham A. Fahmy
Hisham El-Sherif
Hussein M.El Gammal
Ibrahim Al-Haifi
I. Raffat Radwan
Issam EL-Zaim
Jacques J. Sarraf
Jalal Fawaz
James Rawley
Jamal Eddine EL Jamali
Kamil Benjelloun
Karim Kawar
Khaldoon Tabaza
Khaled Toukan
Khalid EL HARIRY
Khalid Laraichi
Laila Darwish
M. Abdel Fattah Elazab,
Ph.D.
M. Abdelghani AMINE
Radwan Said
Magdi Abdel Sayed
Mahmoud Abou Sedera
Maroun Asmar,
Mervat Tawfik
Michel Diab
Michèle Boisselier
Mohamed Abouhanifa
Mohamed Cherif Sadeh
Mohamed H. Al Gaifi
Mohamed Hesham
Mohamed Mamdouh Awny
Mohamed Moukhlis
Mohammad Halaiqa
Mohammad Thneibat
Mohammed H. Magued,
Ph.D.
Monica Carco
Mouslime Kabbaj
Mustafa A. Nasereddin
Mustafa A. Nasereddin
Mustapha Amri
Georgetown
Deputy Minister for International Co-operation, Yemen
American Chamber Of Commerce In Egypt
Head, IT Ventures/Ritsec, Cairo
Managing Director ICT, Government of Egypt
MIS Manager, Social Fund for Development, Yemen
Chairman - IDSC, Cairo
Minister of Planning, Syrian Arab Republic
Association of Lebanese Industrialists
Automation & Computer Technologies
Resident Representative, UNDP, Sana'a
Ministry of Industry, Trade Energy and Mining
Federation of Industries, Casablanca
Int@j, Amman
Entrepreneur, Cairo, founder Arabia Online
Minister of Education, Amman . Jordan
Apebi - Association of IT professionals
Director ICT, e-government - Ministere de la Justice, Rabat
UNDP Cairo
Chairman, Higher Tech. Institute, Cairo
Charge de Mission, Maison de Jeune, Morocco
Support Center (IDSC) Cairo
General Manager, NCR, Giza Egypt
Ritsec, Cairo
Beritech, Beirut
Usaid, Cairo
Partner, araChnea Technology, Beirut
Head Data systems, Maroc Telecom
Batid AI Maghrib
Ambassador, Cairo
Information System Project , Presidential Office, Yemen
TACC, Egypt
Government of Egypt
Informatique - Orbit S.A.
Deputy Prime Minister Ministry of State for Economic
Affair, Jordan
Minister of state for Administrative Development, Jordan
Egptyan Banks Co, For Technological Fund
UNIDO - Investment Promotion Unit, Amman
MITC
Audit (consultaucy Intellectual property Project
Development
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh 8 Co. International
Societe Central de Reassurance
29
Mustapha El-Zaatari
Nabil Sukkar
Najat Rochdi
Nasser Saidi
Nazem Bahsa
Nazih Borghol
Nesreen Barakat
Nida' M. Maani
O. F. Bizri
Omar M. Shdeifat
Ove Bjerregaard
Paul Charbel
Paul Gasparini
Pr. Taïeb Bennani
Prof. Dr. Dureid Azzouz
Ra'ed A. Bi!bessi
Ramzi AbduI-Fattah
Rateb Shallah
Raymond Khoury
Redouane Merrouch
Robert Debbas
Robert E. Hindle
Said Belcadi
Salah A. Rustum
Salah E. Khetfaoui
Salem M. Al-Ashwali
Stefano Gatti
Stephen P. Wade
Susan Sawhill Riley
Tania Zaroubi
Tanna S. Price
Tannous Kordhaki
Taoufik Ben Amara
Tarek G. Shawki
Tarek Kamel
Tarek Nabhan
Wassim Chahine
Wadha Mohd
Yasser Helmi
Yousef A. Nusseir
Yves de San
Jawad Abbassi
Hariri Foundation, Beirut
The Syrian Consulting Bureau for Development &
Investmen
Director, Ministry of Post and IT, Rabat
Vice Chairman, Banque du Liban
Syrian Telecommunication Establishment
Ernst & Young. Amman
Director competitiveness unit, Ministry of Planning, Amman
Economic Advisor Prime Ministry, Jordan
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
(ESCWA)
Secretary General Council of Higher Education, Jordan
Deputy Resident Representative UNDP, Amman
President, Equipbureau, Lebanon
CTA, Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria – Roma
Secrétariat d'Elat chargé de la Poste el des Teclmologie
Moroc
Director, Higher Institute of Scitech HIAST Damascus
CEO Int@j, Amman
ICC
Syrian chambers of commerce
OMSAR
Centre National de Coordination et de Planification Scientifi
La Federation des Chambres de Commerce, D'Industrie et
The World Bank, Cairo
Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, Morocco
ITIA IT and Internet Association, Lebanon
Zayed University, Dubai
Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Yemen
Expert – UNIDO Amman
AMIR, USAID Amman
U.S. Agency for International Development, Cairo
OMSAR, Beirut
AMIR, Amman
Ministère des Télécommunications Republique Libanaise
Resident Representative, UNDP, Damascus
UNESCO
Senior Advisor to the Minister of Telecom, Cairo
CBS
Ernst & Young
Solution Manager, YTEL Yemen Telecomm. and
Information Technology
MIS Manager
President, National Information Center, Amman
Resident Representative, UNDP, Beirut
Arab Advisors, Amman
30
31