During this last decade, ICTs have increasingly become viewed as having national strategic and tactical importance.  Globally this was brought into focus through two World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) events—one held in Geneva in 2003 and the other in Tunis in 2005.  At the conclusion of the 2005 Summit, there was worldwide agreement on ten ICT-related WSIS targets for 2015.  Collectively these Targets for 2015 link directly to supporting each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  In 2010, an interim report was issued that tracks the progress of these targets Further, both the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) issue annual reports that relate directly to the progress being made in the overall ICT arena.

Virtually every country had high-level Ministry-level participation at these Summits, and agreed to these ten Targets for 2015.  Further, this WSIS focus served as a trigger to where the vast majority of the participating countries have subsequently undertaken ICT-related strategic planning initiatives for their respective countries.  Often these countries have folded these Targets for 2015 into their national level ICT strategic plans.

While this is extremely encouraging, USAID’s experience in this arena has demonstrated that often it takes more than high-level strategy documents.  Often there are three missing components to ensure these national-level planning initiatives are fruitful; 1) there is the need for extensive public-private sector dialog throughout the planning process–and beyond the planning itself, 2) there is the need to drop down into a more tactical level–with public and private sector commitments and implementation targets captured and documented, and 3) there is the need for on-going support through an executive level forum that focuses attention on priority issues, periodically assesses progress being made, and makes needed adjustments.

The focus in developing the National ICT Strategic and Tactical Plan is to heighten the countries’ attention, and to mobilizing ICT-related resources.  Having these Plans developed through broad participation of both the public and private sectors, along with international development and donor organizations, ensures there is synergy, prioritization, and integration of the wide-array of ICT-related initiatives being undertaken.

The ICT Team, through the GBI Program, provides support in this arena.  The following two examples reflect earlier engagements:

Armenia—in 2001 USAID/Armenia, in partnership with the World Bank, supported the development of a National ICT Strategic and Tactical Plan.  This initiative was supported by the then President of Armenia and led by the Minister of Economic Development.   A critical component in this planning was the establishment of a ICT-related Council chaired by the Prime Minister, with both public and private sector members on the Council.  The Council was supported by a Secretariat.  After a year and a half, a local review as to progress was undertaken, again with support from USAID/Armenia.  This led to refreshing the National ICT Plan to address priority areas where insufficient progress was being made.

Georgia—in 2008 USAID/Georgia requested ICT consultation with one of the findings being that even though Georgia was focusing on ICT, there was no unifying National Plan in place.  This led to discussions at the Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development level, along with a key private sector advisory group, and other donors with active ICT engagements.  The team mapped out an initial construct for a National ICT Strategic and Tactical Plan that was subsequently pursued by the local public and private sector entities.

These National ICT Planning efforts are at times the result of an initial ICT Assessment, where the need is identified and local support for such an initiative surfaces.  Most often these initiatives are undertaken through a cost-sharing arrangement between the GBI Program and the Mission.