UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Ministry of Communication and Transport STAKEHOLDERS’ WORKSHOP

1. UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Ministry of Communication and Transport STAKEHOLDERS’ WORKSHOP ON NATIONAL I C T POLICY OF TANZANIA Royal Palm Hotel, Dar es Salaam 25th May, 2002 ICT Activities and Development By Theophilus E. Mlaki Director of Information and Documentation Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology TMlaki@costech.or.tz

2. C O N T E N T 1.0 PHILOSOPHY AND PROLOGUE 2.0 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 3.0 ICT AND DEVELOPMENT 4.0 ICT IN SECTORS AND AREAS 4.1 EDUCATION 4.2 HEALTH 4.3 AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY 4.4 GOVERNANCE 4.5 RURAL VILLAGES & DISTRICTS 5.0 CONCLUSION

3. 1.0PHILOSOPHY AND PROLOGUE • Maendeleo ni ya Watu siyo ya vitu • Embrace Science and Technology as a vital tool for • accelerating socio-economic development • Technology is only useful if it is internalized and • accessible to all people

4. Technology cannot and will not exterminate the human society • Future human societies will be Knowledge Based. • Access to knowledge must be the right of every citizen.

5. Innovation is the key to the production and processing of knowledge. An individual organization or a nation’s ability to convert knowledge into wealth and social good through innovation determines its future. • Everyone has the right to communicate • ICT (earlier & newer) is not rocket science • Development is a comprehensive process. First and foremost it is social focusing on people

6. 2.0 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT • The concept of human development has become the leading alternative to the view of development equated exclusively with economic growth. Human development focuses on people (UNDP). • Beyond being an economic growth, which is considered an engine and not an end in itself, development is also linked to peace, human rights, governance and culture and life styles of the people (Unesco). • Human approach does not ignore the importance of economic growth and productivity but dwells on how economic performance relates to human empowerment and whether such growth is equitable and sustainable. • Human development implies that people’s capabilities are enhanced and their lives enriched. It is a process of enlarging people’s choices’, which is achieved by expanding human capabilities and functioning.

7. Essential capabilities for human development are: • people to lead long and healthy lives • to be knowledgeable • to have access to resources for decent living • participation • New focus on development has resulted on eradication of poverty becoming a multi-dimensional activity. • Poverty is more than lack of material well-being. It also reflects poor health and education, deprivation in knowledge and communication, inability to exercise human and political rights and the absence of dignity, confidence and self-respect.

8. 3.0 ICT AND DEVELOPMENT • ICTs are used to produce and manage information. As an intermediate good or product, the value of information in use varies dramatically depending upon the context. • It would seem logical to conclude that better access to a resource as basic as information and knowledge would greatly improve standards of living of the people. However it is very difficult to provide solid empirical evidence to support this conclusion. • ICTs play a prominent role in the broader conception of poverty. They provide important tools for improvement of health, education, governance, and enhance people’s capabilities. ICT offer new channels for the diffusion of knowledge and create physical and virtual spaces for social communication.

9. 4.0 ICT IN SECTORS AND AREAS 4.1 EDUCATION • ICT Processes – very heart of education • Education is facing challenge in preparing students and teachers for future knowledge based society. • Teachers lack ICT skills • Schools not equipped to integrate ICT • Educational access to digital ICT tools, applications, networks, and media worldwide has grown dramatically but earlier technologies still have role to play. Films, videotapes, telephones, television or radio. But even these are not accessible in many schools. Role of instructor-led teaching changing (Inflexible, expensive). • However, newer ICT can integrate multiple media into single educational applications; are interactive; flexible in use; non-rigid on time & location; and connectivity provide access to everybody

10. Merits of ICT in Education • ICT-Mediated instruction Instruction delivered through a technological channel such as TV, radio, computer networks-seen to be as effective as effective traditional face to face instruction (www2.ncsu.edu). • ICT - Enabled education (what ICT enable students and teachers to do that they would not otherwise be able to do) • Supporting new teaching methods; teachers as facilitators and not disseminators, students to construct own understanding. ICT can enable students learn by doing; self-paced, self-directed. (Computer Supported Learning – Ontario Canada) • Accessing remote resources – digital libraries electronically accessible on the Internet, websites containing texts. (Distance Learning and Education Services Project supported in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza by IICD –to deliver educational materials electronically – www.distancelearning.tz.org)

11. Enabling collaboration – connectivity enables participants to interact with others. Also ICT make possible participation of dispersed people in Virtual Learning Communities. • Distance Education – educational programme can be delivered anywhere in the world. In the past use was made of print, radio and TV but new technologies are linked (World Bank African Virtual University (AVU) • Lifelong learning – individual learning throughout their lifetime (Unesco’s Learning Without Frontiers) • Education Administration Curricula can be developed collaboratively; materials procured cost effectively; staff and students time scheduled efficiently; and individual student records and performance monitored more accurately and closely. (COSTECH/IICD Kinondoni Municipality Project) • Innovative ways to deliver, manage, promote and improve education now possible • An ICT- enabled learning environment must be created-building infrastructure, content, teacher training and offering technical support.

12. 4.2 H E A L T H • Challenges of Health • Control of infectious diseases and epidemics; the trafficking of harmful substances and drugs; research into new and re-emerging diseases; provision of affordable diagnostics and treatment; and training of human resources. • Function and Types of Data in the Health Sector • Management information – day to day data for planning and administrative needs of hospital, programme area or community; Patient records • Clinical – generated by clinical functions such as diagnosis and treatment and includes medical images • Epidemiological – surveillance information on the patterns and trends of diseases and related healthcare measures • Literature – written notes, reports, formal publications • Knowledge – information of the actual know-how, how to treat an ailment.

13. ICT offers the opportunity to face and alleviate the challenges and improve functioning and administration • Health is an information-intensive sector. The impact of computing, networking and telecommunication in health can be quite significant. • There are a number of specific ways ICT can be applied to achieve better health outcomes (Tele-Health and Tele Medicine). The Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) or river blindness in West Africa was eradicated relying on old-fashioned ways and traditional means, (face to face communication, radio transmitters/ receivers) combined with the information and space-age technologies (sensors placed on rivers transmitting via satellite to ground desktop computers which processed the information and computed the optimal spraying by the helicopter squad).

14. Remote consultation, diagnosis and treatment (Nurses in Gambia villages using digital cameras) • Collaboration among physicians and also among health researchers (HealthNet-Tanzania, Ethiopia) • Hospital Management and administration (COSTECH/IICD Kinondoni Municipality – Mwenge Dispensary) MTUHA software used by Ministry of Health • Health distance learning • Health Research (NIMR – Malaria Research)

15. 4.3 AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY • 86 countries are low income and food-deficient; of these 43 in Africa (Tanzania). • The right of everyone to safe and nutritious food (FAO) • One of the factors in meeting the Food Challenge is human resource development through knowledge building and information sharing. ICT are central to this process from traditional media to the Internet. • Putting people-their knowledge and information at the center of agricultural and rural development. • ICT Usage • Research – Communication and Dissemination • Extension – CAB Crop Protection Compendium • Education and Training • Agriculture Price – (IICD and Business CareTanzania) Provide information, crop price, logistics and volumes to enable farmers bargain better and make sound decisions (www.bcstimes.com/bis)

16. Expert Systems – The NEPER wheat expert system developed at Central Laboratory of Agricultural Expert Systems in Egypt. Microsoft Window based application seeking to advice on Variety selection for specific field; Advising formers on field preparation; Schedules for Irrigation & Fertilization; Controlling pests & weeds; Managing harvests; Diagnosing plant nutrition problems; Diagnosing disorders; Suggesting treatments; When the system was tested for its economic impact, yield income increased by 26% with lesser use of fertilizer and decrease of water use of 35%. System given to Extension Workers and Growers. Will also be available on the Internet.

17. 4.4 GOVERNANCE • Information and governance • The process of governance is founded on continuous extraction and accumulation of information • Access to information and knowledge forms the basis of decision-making and concerted action. • Judicious and well-informed decision-making is dependent on the quality and timeliness of information • New democracy and people • New expectations of people of their governments are evident the world over • Demands for good governance follows • Globalization makes it hard to resist demands for governance reforms • New challenge: formulation and implementation of public sector reform programmes

18. Goals of reforms • Better and clear structure and roles of public sector • Improve resource allocation and management • Improve public service delivery with less costs • Accountable and transparent public sector • ICT Potential in Governance • ICT can initiate and stimulate changes in Public organization and management; Improve public service quality; Public decision-making; Public scrutiny and People’s participation • ICT’s are increasingly used to support faster and more democratic development • Public sector has no choice but also increase utilization of ICT for development • Examples of ICT for Good Governance in Tanzania • Kinondoni & Zanzibar Municipality ICT for Good Governance (COSTECH/IICD/Unesco) • Village Good Governance, Lugoba/Bagamoyo and Dakawa (Morogoro)(COSTECH/COMNET-IT) • Tanzania National Website • Tanzania Online Gateway (World Bank Initiated)

19. 4.3 RURAL VILLAGES AND DISTRICTS • ICT must reach rural areas • Telecenters

20. Sengerema Community Telecentre (COSTECH/TTCL/TCC/Unesco/ITU/IDRC/ Sengerema Community) • Pilot Project from 2001 – 2003; More than 700 people ICT trained; Full Community participation • More Telecentres envisaged - Ngara -All Districts

21. Village ICT Project (COSTECH/COMNET.IT) • Lugoba Bagamoyo and Wami Dakawa Morogoro • Village governance – data and information management • ICT training for 35 village officials • Hardware, Software, Applications provided • Facilities created • To be ICT Center for the village • ICT for every village (About 8000 villages)

22. 5.0 CONCLUSION • No ICT No human development • Innovation and change necessary • Society participation and involvement absolutely essential • Future bright and exciting