Universities as Partners in Measuring e-Business and ICT for Development

1. Universities as Partners in Measuringe-Business and ICT for Development UNCTAD Expert Meeting on e-commerce Geneva, 8-10 September 2003 Stéphane Gagnon, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Director, NJIT e-Business Laboratory New Jersey Institute of Technology Email: gagnon@njit.edu Web Site: http://elab.njit.edu

2. Outline • Evolving Role of Universities • Using Metrics for ICT Policy • End-User Perspective • Data Producer Perspective • Areas of Possible Contribution • Providing New Processes • Providing New Metrics/Tools • Providing New Forums • Providing New MS Degree • Next Steps - Multilateral Effort

3. Evolving Role of Universities • Moving beyond traditional roles of data producers and users • New research issues: measurement process, tools, and methodologies • New role focuses on leveraging and blending skills/assets such as: • Hands-on knowledge of e-business • Collaborative research with industry • Understand the needs of data users • Data mining tools for policy analysis • Capacity to train data producers/users

4. Policy Makers Must... Pinpoint the actual digital divide Carefully allocate large ICT budgets Resolve debates about privatizations Ensure returns to all parties involved Control and hold actors accountable Metrics Used to… Identify the right people to help Size projects to the actual needs Clearly delineate national interests Secure investors with neutral data Report to donors or field auditors Using Metrics for ICT Policy

5. End-User Perspective Needs of Policy Makers • Reset Priorities: e-business and ICT policies must be refocused on citizens with most pressing needs and on local entrepreneurship • Build Vision:Policy analysis and decision making processes must be reengineered to exploit databases • Coordinate Policies: Process to leverage policy interdependencies (e.g., linking ICT entrepreneurship, providing local training, and building e-government tools, etc.)

6. Data Producer Perspective Concerns of Statistical Agencies • Measurable Goals: The e-business technologies and practicies targeted must have clear inputs and outputs • Value of Data: Benefit/cost ratios of the data must be shared by many and correlated to strategic initiatives • Analytical Tools: Analysts need a data warehouse to produce real-time reports at varying levels/units of disaggregation, time, geography, etc.

7. Areas of Possible Contribution • New Processes:Improve and help deploy new policy processes built to exploit guidelines and metrics databases • New Metrics/Tools:Leverage industry links to customize and adapt metrics for complex e-business technologies • New Forums:Stimulate international cooperation to transfer capabilities to countries ready to join a multilateral effort • New MS Degree:Build a new graduate program to train policy and statistical analysts, and ensure international comparability through common standards

8. Providing New Processes • Identify best practicies from experienced NSO’s, governments, agencies, etc. • Document their processes into standards, build some readily deployable guidelines with clear staffing/tasking, models, etc. • Build an international database of local experts and potential employees/partners • Help senior officials implement the WSIS consensus on the data-driven approach • Help policy units in key ICT areas to identify capabilities and coordination • Carry out some reengineering exercises to demonstrate validity of new approach

9. Providing New Metrics/Tools • Survey instruments must be integrated and repackaged for various contexts/constraints • Create a global network of ICT suppliers to build a common template to assess technology capabilities of ICT industries (e.g., surveying IBM partner firms, their trade or FDI elasticities of ICT, etc.) • Use students as field agents to find new metrics, validate tools, etc.

10. Providing New Forums • Invite NSO’s and ICT analysts to international academic meetings • Maintain a constant flow of cases, news, etc., especially in specialized ICT and e-commerce policy areas • Build an international, virtual, online support network, with discussion and chat servers, moderated by NSO’s • Identify private consultants ready to pass a certification with experienced NSO’s, and willing to join networks and deliver practices internationally

11. Providing New MS Degree • Graduate (MS or PhD) degree should serve as incentive for policy and statistical analysts to innovate • Must be focused on hands-on use of DB tools and analysis methods • Hybrid model - accredited institution as the hub, allied with local institutes: • The theory half is remote or e-learning • The methods half is face-to-face experts • Experienced NSO’s deliver hands-on

12. NSO’s… Identify users Build consensus Set priorities Create NSO unit Adopt standards Invest in tools Invest in training Share outputs Improve DB tools Universities… Assess needs Identify experts Set deliverables Find incentives Optimize process Create DB tools Launch degree Publish findings Improve standards Next Steps - Multilateral Effort