International and Comparative Communication Policy Denise C ampbell Prof. S. Venturelli

1. International and Comparative Communication PolicyDenise CampbellProf. S. Venturelli The Progress and Feasibility of Implementing Ghana’s ICT-led Socio-Economic Development Policy and Strategies for Ghana (The Policy Document also known as the ICT4AD. as a Means of Transformation into a Knowledge based Economy and with ICT based solutions for Socio-Economic Improvement and Development

2. Analyses and Areas of Investigation This paper will examine the development of an Integrated ICT-infused Socio-Economic Development Framework for Ghana based on the Framework Document and ICT-led Socio-Economic Development Policy and Strategies for Ghana (The Policy Document also known as the (ICT4AD). This policy document purportedly aims to provide the framework and analytical structure for ICT-driven socio-economic development policy and plan that will aid in the progression of Ghana’s ICT led transformation and assist in its achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This is in recognition that one key to Ghana’s progress and continued stability of the economy is movement of the society towards a knowledge based information society The paper will investigate and examine policy provisions attached to the following key drivers: ICT as Social Enabler for Education, Health, Poverty-reduction and Income Distribution; Accelerated socio-economic development and an Enabler of Government Administration and Service Delivery.

3. Policy Provisions Key Policy Objectives with which the paper is concerned are: • To engineer an ICT-led socio-economic development process with the potential to transform Ghana into a middle income, information rich, knowledge based and technology driven economy and society • To create a more enabling environment to facilitate these efforts • Provision 2.3.1 stipulates the Goal of Developing Ghana’s Information Sector to be dominated by a technology based, knowledge driven industrial sector • -with high income economy defined by trading in ICT product and services Provision 2.3.1 stipulates achieving multiple sector ICT led socio-economic development Provision 2.3.3 Develop Ghana’s ICT sector and Use if ICT as a Broad-based enabler of development goals. • To transform of Ghana into an information and knowledge driven, ICT literate nation

4. Goals and Policy Objectives • To capitalize on this newfound economic opportunity, the national governments in collaboration with the private sector and the citizens have prioritized employment growth in the ITESBPO sector. • If the policies are successful, Ghana will have an opportunity to become step forward in the Information Technology sector enabled by services-business process outsourcing (ITES-BPO) sector through the use of information technology and telecommunications. This will greatly benefit the country, economically, socially and positively impact a number of outcomes. The government recognizes that this will necessitate several points: • The modernization of Ghana’s educational system using ICT to improve and expand access to education, training and research, resources and facilities…to improve the quality of education and training to make the education system responsive to the needs and requirements of the economy and society with specific reference to the development of the information and knowledge based economy and society.

5. Assessment • Ghana’s high unemployment rate, poverty, the lack of education of the youth and adults and poor infrastructure presents an uphill battle. The issue is more than just supplying computers and advocating policies that promote an Information Revolution. Success requires long-term investment in teaching, training and capacity and infrastructure building as well fostering engagement, comfort and understanding that allows individuals to take advantage of the technology. • There are many factors at work including culture, mindset, access to computers, knowledge of how to use the Internet and just how far reaching it is that prevent individuals from taking full advantage. • After decades under a military regime and a nation grown accustomed to reliance on government subsidies, citizens must now come to understand the ways they can take care of themselves through various jobs, entrepreneurial activities all of which can be powered and facilitated through effective use of ICTs. They must now come to understand themselves as being a part of galvanizing and driving the economy. will require increased external finance. Given the extent of and the length of time it necessary to • generate a financial return on investments in the MDGs, additional resources will need to be provided in the form of grants, loans, donations, partnerships and alliances. The country should also consider/seek out debt- forgiveness possibilities. • In joint collaboration with the Ministry of Communication, ICT decentralization should be vigorously being pursued to bridge the digital divide at the local levels. • The above is supported by a the Millennium Development Goals Report: “Setting the human resources development policy framework and enhancing employment opportunities especially for youth e.g. maritime industry and the youth skills training initiative at local level UN Development programs .”

6. ASSESSMENT • Infrastructure development is a significant problem. “The most difficult challenges are halving hunger, achieving gender parity in primary schools, reducing under-five mortality, and increasing primary school enrolment. The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) also states that HIV/AIDS prevalence has been rising, incidence of malaria continues to be extremely high across the country (UNDP 2003b). Only 64.5 percent of the population is literate. There is growing evidence of deepening poverty among some groups and geographic regions. 1 • As such, ICT Diffusion may reinforce and with more pressing issues such as providing food, water, basic necessities may override incorporation of ICT as an important factor, many don’t know how to use because of education and illiteracy • In 2007, Telephone lines (per 100 people) 1.6; Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) 32.4; Internet subscribers (per 100 people .1; Internet users (per 100 people) 3.8; • Much progress has been made in establishing this industry in Ghana, but much work still needs to be done. Working conditions within call centers, for instance need to be improved in terms of employee salary and benefits. With an increase of funding in the ICT sector, these and other improvements can be made. Education initiatives can be created to expose future information and technologies to prospective workers still in training or in internship programs. Current infrastructure in cities such as Accra can be improved to attract potential clients and increase productivity and act as an example of how business can/should be organized or run. With funding from the government and private organizations, roads can be improved, efficient transportation systems can be emplaced, and buildings can be constructed to be more operation-ready.

7. Assessment (Cont”d) • Throughout all these changes, however, the call center industry needs to continue to cater to the needs of the general population at the individual level.1 • After access to high-bandwidth telecommunications infrastructure, the availability of employable talent is the single most important determinant for the growth of the IT services and ITES industries in the long term. promote promoting the IT services and ITES industries in schools improve the quality of education in order to develop generic skills that are relevant to a broad spectrum of industries 2 • The literature discusses the benefits of empowering and enabling minds through knowledge transfer thereby creating intellectual capital. Indeed this is a necessary component to empowering the next generation of Ghanaians to attempt to resolve for themselves these crippling challenges they’re currently current. Rice stresses that ICTs not only allow access to information and knowledge they are also enabling and facilitating technologies and can be used to save time and money and improve quality of work and home life...in developed countries and LDCs. (McPhail, Pg. 137). Given the saturation of Western markets, Ghana and similar developing countries are fertile ground for the expansion of commercial expansion and present an opportunity to develop and service new markets. Mitchell Rice argues that digital division in lesser developed countries such as Ghana can be attributed to "lack of opportunities for business, the low level of economic progress that characterize these countries and "that governments of poor countries have more pressing concerns (McPhail, Pg. 125).3

8. Barriers and Challenges There are a number of daunting challenges • High illiteracy rate and education attainment and achievement criteria. • Ghana (37 per cent, 29 per cent Ghana (37 per cent, 29 per cent lack electricity in primary and secondary schools • Low job creation • Severely underdeveloped infrastructure • Another important issue is to ensure that once villages are connected with ICTs, they deliver relevant applications and content for people in rural areas. The availability of relevant applications and content is addressed in Action Lines C7 (ICT applications) and C8 (Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content), as well as C9 (Media), which makes reference to the need to reduce regional imbalances in infrastructure and to use “traditional media to bridge the knowledge divide and to facilitate the flow of cultural content, particularly in rural areas.”1

9. Research Questions • Can policy and implementation of ICTs be un-bundled and rolled out according to the specific needs of rural communities – particularly among rural women who are potentially the drivers in changing socio-economic outcomes and who have become major choice-makers in their households? Or “are countries perpetually tied to the implementation of “one-size-fit-all” ICT policies to empower? • How will the government streamline and ratchet up education policy, programs and initiatives within rural and lower income communities to avoid increasing the digital divide and reinforce existing socio-economic inequities? • How does the developing nations strike a balance between taking advantage of new technologies and pathways that has the potential to create individual, community and national wealth and battle many of the country’s development problems while retaining freedom and avoiding the pitfalls of a new form of global imperialism and globalization?

10. Recommendations • Improve physical and telecommunication infrastructure as expeditiously as possible • Expand Information Technology Enabled Services-Business Process Outsourcing (ITES-BPO) to become a priority sector that will help drive the economic growth in Ghana. • Engage local and community leaders in forming alliances and partnerships to help spread and inculcate ICT usage as seamlessly as possible. • Recognition that education is key in eradicating poverty. This requires a renewed implementation and reinvestment in education on primary ad secondary school level to combat illiteracy and high drop out rate. • Reconnected all of its primary and secondary schools to the Internet, via a broadband connection. Also, integrate ICTs in schools in tandem with the environment outside schoolto increase computer literacy and illustrate the world beyond "chatting and texting. • Governments need to be proactive if not aggressive in attracting strategic foreign and national investors and alliances in order to gain long-term investment that will improve infrastructure and development goals • Deregulation, government policies and foreign expertise should not just mean opening the market for foreign ownership to step into and exploit, it must also mean ownership and empowerment for Ghanaians within telecommunication industry.

11. Recommendations • Education exchange programs that will provide Information Architects who will teach, train and prepare individuals and teachers on computer usage, hardware and software applications, thereby opening up the doors to a wealth of career opportunities in ICT. • Decrease bureaucracy for entrepreneurial ventures and small business creation. In fact the government should begin promoting initiatives like the Busy Bee Internet that facilitate these endeavors. • Teach business registration, how to manage a business and other small business related concerns. • Given greater interest in Ghana as an driver in ICT sector and telecommunication markets, tie capacity and infrastructure building and job creation and employment as a condition of buy-in to the Ghanaian telecommunication market. • Closer inspection, monitoring and regulation of Ewaste dumping and inspection of containers and shipments purportedly from “Donors.”

12. Conclusion • Educator Paolo Freire brings forth an additional dimension to the journey to achieving economic development. He argues that development is a process of emancipatory dialogue with the goal of expanded individual and communal consciousness and empowerment. (McPhail, Pg. 151). In that, individuals take ownership for their experiences and for galvanizing change using the available technology. Freire states "Once people were able to name their sources of oppression as well as sources of power, they would be capable of identifying appropriate solutions. (McPhail, Pg. 151). This argument seeks to place autonomy and power into the hands of the indigenous population as a means of avoiding potential entrapment or accusation of the innovation being perceived as modern day imperialism • Ultimately, ICTs provide tremendous opportunities for facilitating development goals. But this must be carefully introduced and balanced with the more immediate need of solving challenges of basic needs. Successful and widespread adaptation will require passage of time to achieve diffusion, to say nothing of “take off” period . Adoption of innovations by members of a social system such as a market segment of developing country requires time for behavioral and attitudinal shifts to occur (Dholakia, Sharif and Bhandari; 1988). Indeed, according to the United Nations Development Program 2000, “access to telecommunications is critical to a country’s commerce, public safety, governance and overall human development.” But change requires the participation of multiple actors, not the least of which are long-tern governmental policies and inclination and vision of Ghana’s president, Minister of Communication and policymakers to exercise their power and commitment for continues implementation and expansion “It is the dominate structure, the target state, the nature of its political, institutions, state-society relations and values and norms embedded in its political culture that influences acceptance of new ideas. (RISSE-KAPPEN IO, 48, 2, SPRING 1994, 185-214)."