e-Sri Lanka: Prof. V.K. Samaranayake’s lasting legacy

The late Prof. V.K. Samaranayake, who was the Chairman of the Information and Communications Technology Agency of Sri Lanka, along with like-minded compatriots, drew up a comprehensive vision for Sri Lanka’s forward march in the global IT age. The following are some salient points of that programme.

improvements: This programme pursues major and sustainable improvements in the Government of Sri Lanka’s (GOSL) efficiency, transparency, effectiveness, and quality of services. For this purpose, it will reinforce and expand fundamental governance and public management reforms as a complement and enabler of required solutions.

The programme will do so by re-engineering public sector work processes through the strategic use of ICT and by implementing novel ICT-enabled administrative policies such as

(a) a client rather than organizational design of work;

(b) government accountability for service level standards to its clients;

(c) electronic sharing of data across agencies;

(d) always-on, user-friendly, distance-neutral information and service facilities to citizens ad businesses;

(e) transparency in government operations.

The Vision:

To provide citizen services in the most efficient manner by improving the way government works by re-engineering and technologically empowering government business processes.

Strategies:

* Creation of the enabling environment in government for a successful e-Governance programme

* Collaborate with the administrative reforms regime and bring about a new governance framework that is enabled by ICT

* Ensure public service personnel are imparted with appropriate ICT skills required for an efficient and effective e-Government

* Ensure that the stock of ICT equipment required for an efficient and effective e-government programme is upgraded

* Interconnect government agencies to achieve a higher level of productivity through improved interaction

* Making public services “truly citizen centric”: ensuring geographically non-discriminate delivery

e-Society

Development Initiative To facilitate access to ICT amongst the most vulnerable groups in Sri Lanka and to ensure that the benefits of ICT flow to these groups.

This initiative will be implemented through a funding mechanism inclusive of two types of grant programmes - the Community Assistance Programme (CAP) and the Partnership Assistance Programme (PAP).

Community Assistance Programme (for communities )

The CAP grants are intended to help rural and disadvantaged communities finance and implement projects aimed at improving their daily lives through the use of ICT. What makes CAP unique is that it is a demand-driven development programme where decisions are taken by the communities themselves and funds are allocated according to priorities decided on by the community.

Furthermore it seeks to build capacity of communities by enhancing existing skills and facilitating the acquisition of new skills. Approximately 140 CAP grants are expected to be awarded during the course of the project.

Partnership Assistance Programme ( for organisations )

The PAP seeks to encourage and facilitate the development and deployment of innovative ICT applications that would impact on disadvantaged communities .The recipients of PAP Grants may be public institutions, private entities, or NGOs/ civil society organizations working closely with rural or disadvantaged communities.

This grant will facilitate the organization’s role as an intermediary, to implement ICT for development initiatives, to benefit communities in rural areas. Approximately 30 PAP grants are expected to be awarded by 2008.

The Call for Expression of Interest under the PAP will be made through a public process and short listed applicants will be invited to send in a full proposal. An independent panel of Subject Matter experts would review all full proposals against a published set of criteria.

The recipients of both grants will be selected through a competitive process and applications will be subject to approval of an independent Grants Board. To ensure the success of this initiative, prior to calling for grant applications, a comprehensive awareness campaign will be conducted to targeted communities on the existence of the fund, and the opportunities for using ICT as a tool for development.

During the final stage of the application process, assistance will be provided to the potential grant recipients in the preparation and formal submission of their proposals. Themes for the Community Assistance Programme

Training and Capacity Building

Peace

Environment and Conservation

Indigenous Knowledge

ICT Income Generation

ICT Access to Services

ICT Access to Learning

ICT for the Disabled or Elderly

Themes for the Partnership Assistance Programme

Training and Capacity Building

Local Content/Local Language

e-Services

Innovative communications and general innovation

Project results

* ICT services to meet priority needs for a specific community

* Local content, local languages and local radio programmes

* Training opportunities for women and youth

*Social entrepreneurship opportunities for local communities A communication platform for cultural dialogue

*Utilizing community capacity to implement projects and meet local needs

Project benefits

*Increased awareness among disadvantaged groups on how ICT can benefit lives

* Increased participation at the grassroots level in developing villages and rural localities

* Development of partnerships between communities, civil society, public and private sectors.

* Increased economic opportunity and equity through wide use of ICT in agriculture, health, education

*Empowerment of women and youth

The primary objective of the project is to demonstrate the effective contribution of an IT infrastructure in the accelerated socio-economic development. To provide increased opportunities for growth and a better quality of life for citizens in rural communities, particularly the youth, by using ICT as a tool and enabler for development.

e-Village

The e-Village concept initialized with a pilot project in a small village in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka - Mahavillachchiya. The village, with limited access to resources and few opportunities for its youth benefited greatly when ICT was introduced.

Through dedicated teachers, individuals and organizations, the village youth were empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to access the means for a better quality life.

An example of the impact the partners contribution and efforts have made on the village is secondary level students are now commissioned to design websites and are earning more than their parents who are mostly farmers.

ICTA is now looking to replicate this successful model in other villages across the country. Villages with limited resources and opportunities for their youth will be identified, and provided with ICT facilities for e-learning, e-commerce, and other services.

ICTA will work in collaboration with partners to bring in a greater resource pool of expertise and services, to develop the village and allow for innovative social mobility amongst the members of the community.

Results

*Increased access to information and knowledge for children and adults

*Increased awareness on the benefits of ICT and increased participation of villagers in ICT based activities such as e-commerce, e- learning etc.

*Multi media library services to the community

*Gradual dispersion of ICTs to neighbouring villages

*Skilled trainers at village level

Project benefits

Empowered rural communities through access to information.