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Harmonizing ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa - HIPSSA Project Overview

Learn about the ITU-EC project aiming to harmonize ICT policies in the ACP states, focusing on HIPSSA's activities, objectives, and discussions. Discover the methodology, completed and ongoing activities, and the impact on the digital landscape.

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Harmonizing ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa - HIPSSA Project Overview

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  1. Support for Harmonizationof the ICT Policies in Sub-Sahara Africa(HIPSSA) 4th SADC Forum on Digital Broadcasting Migration 27-30 August 2012 Maputo, Mozambique Ms. Ida Jallow HIPSSA Senior Project Coordinator International Telecommunication Union

  2. Outline • Introduction • Project methodology • Implementation • Discussion • Completed Activities • On-Going Activities

  3. ITU-EC Project for Harmonization of ICT Policies in ACP ITU and the European Commission launched a global project to provide “Support for the establishment of harmonized policies for the ICT market in the ACP states” in December 2008 It is a component of the “ACP-Information and Communication Technologies” programme (@CP-ICT) within the framework of the 9th European Development Fund 1

  4. ITU-EC Project for Harmonization of ICT Policies in ACP This global project entails three regional sub-projects addressing specific needs of each region 1 HIPCAR Enhancing competitiveness in the Caribbean through the harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures HIPSSA Support for harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa ICB4PIS Capacity Building and ICT Policy, Regulatory and Legislative Frameworks Support for Pacific Island States

  5. Objectives and Principles 1 • Global objective • Support towards creating harmonised policies for ICT and an efficient regulatory environment, conductive to massive investments required by ICT infrastructures and applications in the ACP countries • Detailed objectives: • Supporting regional integration organizations to develop and promote the use of harmonized ICT policies and regulations in their region • Assisting individual beneficiary countries to adopt and implement ICT policies and regulatory guidelines • Building human and institutional capacity in the field of ICT through a range of targeted training and knowledge sharing measures at regional and national level • ITU-EC Project for Harmonization of ICT Policies in ACP countries • Builds on experience gained from previous project in West Africa • Uses a demand-driven bottom-up approach • Pays specific attention to link substance of policy/regulation to capacity building • Incorporates all past and current projects of international and regional organizations

  6. Co-chairmanship Pan-African organizations (AU body and UN agency) Regional Economic Organizations (REC) Regional Integration Organizations (RIO) Regional Regulators’ Associations (RRA) HIPSSA Governance and Steering Committee 1

  7. Regulatory Harmonization Cycle 2

  8. Common list of priorities articulated around eight (8) main subjects. Harmonized Content 2

  9. Modular implementation of priorities based on four (4) AU geographical sub regions (WA, CA, EA & SA) to reflect the heterogeneity between them. Global, Regional and National Activities 3 Global • Comparison of regional initiatives for regulatory harmonization • Cross-border frequency coordination (HCMC4A) • Monitoring and evaluation / Regulatory benchmarking • Analog to Digital Broadcasting Migration Regional National

  10. Pairing of national or regional expert with international expert for bilateral knowledge transfer and human capacity building Methodology for activity implementation 3

  11. Study of regional initiatives for regulatory harmonization 3 • Context • Diversity of regional organizations as to their means and harmonization methods • Similarity of telecoms/ICT regulatory harmonization challenges • Regional harmonization “volume effect" vs. national implementation efficiency • Some main findings • Three levels of governance make the process intricate and complex • Regional organizations are not progressing at the same rhythm (same for MS) • Most initiatives do not have a binding nature and enforcement mechanisms • Collaboration between regional regulators' associations and their respective regional organizations is heterogeneous • Some recommendations • Set common streamlined processes for all regional organizations • Reduce the level of regulatory discretion at national and regional level • Create a pan-African independent regulatory agency • Adopt pan-African common principles such as: objectivity, transparency, proportionality, non-discrimination, technological neutrality, etc.

  12. Discussion 1 4 • Further to its primary objective of policy implementation,… • …the report has been designed to offer other possibilities as a training material… • Few specialized publications on ICT regulation in Africa • First comprehensive study on regulatory harmonization • Collection of regional acts in electronic version • …but could also stimulate research in a potential new priority area • It could serve as a base survey for untapped research questions • Academic research would complement one of the project’s objectives: institutional and human capacity building

  13. Discussion 2 4 • HIPSSA, an example of governance in development cooperation • Multilateralism: EC mandates ITU, a UN specialized agency • EU-AU Partnership: AUC is co-chairing with ITU the HIPSSA Steering Committee • Regional integration: REC are project’s beneficiaries and members of Steering Committee • This EU-funded global project is a platform for additional bilateral assistance actions • This EC project has a global geographic scope and an inclusive approach • EU Member States support some modules in this global scheme Regional National

  14. Completed activities 5 • Comparative analysis for regional integration • HIPSSA Model laws in the regions • Supplementary acts in Ecowas • Cemac and Eccas directives on telecommunications and Cyber security in central Africa • Telecommunications and Cyber security in the SADC region. • Developed Guidelines under Hipssa • Crasa Guidelines on Universal service and Access and toolkit • (sub-Saharan workshop in Kigali 7-8 May 2012.) • Ecowas Guidelines on access to Submarine cables • (sub-Saharan workshop in Libreville Gabon 22-23 2012. • Statistical reporting using a selected number of Indicators

  15. Ongoing activities 6 • HCM4A • Regulatory accounting and cost modelling • Analogue to digital transition • Monitoring and Evaluation in the Ecowas region • Publication of all assessment studies and reports under the project • In-Country transposition and technical assistance • Liberia, Guinea Conakry, (completed ) • Niger, The Gambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Kingdom of Swaziland, Namibia, Lesotho (on-going)

  16. Contacts Thank you for your attention http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/projects/ITU_EC_ACP/index.html Ida JallowHIPSSA Senior Project Coordinator Ida.jallow@itu.int ia

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