ICT Policy Research Articles

Moving beyond liberalization: stumbling toward a new European ICT policy framework

PurposeThis paper intends to promote a re‐consideration of the most appropriate policy framework for implementing the European Union (EU) digital agenda.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines relevant EU documentation and the related research literature on EU telecommunications reform within a context of economic market theory and policy analysis models.FindingsThe liberalization principle driving EU telecommunications reform for the past quarter century has stalled, and may be reversed by the policy framework adopted for implementing the digital agenda. The public sector broadband funding model is likely to be wasteful and ineffective. Other options for implementation should be considered.Originality/valueThis paper examines current EU policy shaping the development of broadband networks and the evolution of the digital economy and information society. It highlights the progress and limitations of EU policy as it has evolved as a reference for implementation of current policy objectives. It will be of value to policy makers, industry analysts and players, as well as researchers in academia and other institutions.

수요자 중심의 중소기업 ICT 정책수립을 위한 정성적 연구

A variety of SME ICT support programs has been very great significance and performance for Improving national competitiveness and constitution strengthening in Korea`s industry. However, it could not solve ICT gap between each SMEs. In this qualitative study, we analyzed ICT support programs for SME and collected requirements from the perspective of the consumer. Then we designed ICT policy strategies and detailed support program for SME in Digital Economy.

ICT Policy and Implementation in Education: cases in Canada, Northern Ireland and Ireland

Countries with similar levels of economic development often implement different education ICT policies. Much of the existing research attributes such differences to economic and political factors. In this paper, we examine the development of ICT policy and implementation in the two parts of Ireland and in two Canadian provinces and find that historical, social and cultural differences also play an important role in the way ICT policies develop. In particular, we see differing historical perceptions of the role of the state and church in education playing a more important role than has hitherto been recognized.

Implementation of e‐Government at the local level in underdeveloped countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to collect and articulate experiences acquired in implementation of e‐Government in Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Serbia) aimed at speeding up diminution of the gap in the level of local e‐Government development when compared to the developed countries, while taking into consideration the main constraints that are attributable to underdeveloped countries.Design/methodology/approachContemporary methodologies were used for the project design and implementation of the communication and information infrastructure, accompanied with international and domestic good practices related to the development of e‐Government.FindingsBased on the strategic recommendations related to ICT policy and standards, and annual operating plans, in the first five‐year period (2005‐2010) the level of the ICT deployment in the operation of AP Vojvodina Assembly and Government was achieved that is close to the level of e‐Government in the developed countries in early 2006. The computer communication network was developed in the buildings of AP Vojvodina Assembly and Government and electronic communication was fully embraced within that network (2007). All activities pertaining to sessions of the Government of AP Vojvodina are conducted electronically, without paper documents (2007), and the electronic voting system was implemented in sessions of the AP Vojvodina Assembly (2009). Several public electronic services were implemented: Library (2006), Portal APV (2007), Records and Archives Office (2010), Legal Regulations and Judicial Practice (2009), Distance Learning (2009) and Access to Records from Sessions of AP Vojvodina Government (2010). Another important result is development of the system aimed at improving IT literacy for all employees in provincial administrative bodies. The results indicate that the creative leadership, careful planning and strict management of implementation plans which are based on precise goals could facilitate a speedy development of e‐Government even under severe constraints in financial and technical resources.Originality/valueRecommendations were made for the development of e‐Government at the local level, to ensure interoperability with subordinate and superior e‐Governments. Recommendations contain models of computer communication networks, software architectures, programme platforms and the strategy for implementation of e‐Government.

Global interoperability and linked data in libraries: ICCU international committment

The digitization of cultural heritage issues even new challenges for accessing and sharing the content on the web. The Central Institute for the Union Catalogue of the Italian Libraries (ICCU), which is involved in the digitization of cultural heritage, participates in the European debate on open data to develop new approaches for the valorization of cultural heritage within some major European projects such as Europeana and Linked Heritage, and national initiatives as CulturaItalia, the Italian culture portal. This conference is organized in cooperation with the Linked Heritage project, funded through the ICT Policy Support Programme, and coordinated by ICCU. Linked Heritage involves 20 European countries and dozens of European cultural institutions in each sector (archives, libraries, museums). Its main objective is to provide 3 million data to Europeana; the first ones will be online in September 2012. In addition, the Linked Heritage partners are working on three areas considered crucial for the development of cultural content on the web: multilingualism with the aim to supply cultural institutions with a technology platform that facilitates the production of multilingual metadata that can be easily found in Europeana and in

Development of Higher Education in Albania: The Case of the Public University Libraries in Efforts to Build Digital and Electronic Services for the Academic Community

Between the obligation of carrying out their mission to ensure the quality development of higher education and the right to function as important centers where knowledge is taken, developed and transmitted, this paper will examine the technological developments of university libraries as an important part of higher education. Digital and electronic experiences applied in Albanian universities libraries will be brought to the attention of the public. This paper is based on the questionnaire survey conducted at public university libraries in Albania. Opinions of librarians regarding ICT application were elicited using a structured questionnaire, followed up with interviews. In the case of non-response by libraries is consulted their official web sites to have a more complete information. In addition, secondary sources were consulted as domestic and foreign literature in this field. Results show that: 1) the level of application information technology in public university libraries in Albania is acceptable. The most important and serious problem is the lack of the unique University Library ICT Policy; 2) serious handicap is the lack of educated librarians in using information technology; 3) the proportion of university library activity goes more digital, so the digital collection becomes reality in the public university libraries. This paper brings conclusions that contribute to: a) national information communication technology policy for university libraries and b) the creation of an integrated system for management and transmission of knowledge at the national level for all Albanian university libraries.

ICT 생태계 구축을 위한 기업 전략 분석 및 정책 제안

This paper proposes policies for developing ICT ecosystems so that Korean ICT companies can have a competitive power under the changing ICT industry environment. It analyzes the changes of user characteristics, their consumption trends and ICT industry environment. It also examines problems of domestic ICT industry and overseas ICT policies. In addition, it investigates the ICT ecosystem strategies of Google and Apple based on the theory of business ecosystem. This study suggests government policies for establishing a smart ecosystem, incubating a strategic ecosystem, and maintaining a sustainable ecosystem. The findings of this study provide additional insights and guidelines for policy makers to develop effective ICT ecosystems.

Managing Perceived Challenges of E-Learning in Nigerian Higher Education

Higher Education is the climax of the process of providing knowledge, changing learners attitude and inculcating specialized skills in individuals preparatory to taking a life-long employment with intent to earning a living and equally contributing to national economic growth and development. The Teaching and learning process is cardinal to the realization of the educational objectives of any nation. The advent of information and communication technology has made teaching and learning easier and beyond the traditional face to face interaction between the teacher and the learner. E-learning basically involving the transfer of skills and knowledge through an electronic device aims at improving the teaching/learning process. In spite of the benefits of e-learning to both regular students and distance learners, e-learning has been fraught with some challenges in Africa. Therefore, this paper discusses some of the challenges facing e-learning in Africa particularly in the Nigerian higher education system. These among others are epileptic power supply, high cost of procurement of computer hardware, inadequate infrastructure, and resistance to change on the part of the instructors, inability of learners to make use of ICT infrastructure, inadequate skilled manpower ICT, and corruption of computer storage device through viruses. Effectively managing the identified challenges means that the government would have to ensure regular power supply, lecturers and learners should be trained in the use of ICT infrastructure, and the government should evolve viable ICT policy as well as control or subsidise the price of the s of ICT infrastructure to make it affordable for both lecturers and learners. Keywords - Education, Challenges, Information and Communication Technology, National Educational Objectives, University system, Descriptive Research, Ibadan, Nigeria

Propagation & level: Factors influencing in the ICT composite index at the school level

Many nations are greatly affected by their education policies, and the educational level of different schools is relevant to a nation’s ICT policy. In the area of ICT, Korea has achieved quite high levels of competency. This study analyzed the level of ICT competency of 4490 elementary and 2419 middle schools in Korea within the context of the Korean educational system and social circumstances. The findings are as follows: first, differences in ICT level were greater among elementary schools than among middle schools; and secondly, ICT usage had a great impact on the ICT composite index for both elementary and middle schools.

Prácticas, ambientes y saberes: políticas de TIC en el contexto de la educación superior colombiana

Este artículo de revisión tiene como propósito presentar un estado de arte sobre la reflexión académica e investigativa producida en el contexto de la relación educación superior y políticas de TIC. Para lograr este propósito el texto se estructura en tres partes. Inicialmente se realiza un contexto histórico, breve, de las reflexiones y estudios de sistematización y análisis del tema. Dicho contexto se delimitó entre principios de los noventa y mediados del 2000. Posteriormente, se registra el estado de la cuestión en términos del planteamiento de problemas, metodologías empleadas, resultados obtenidos y discusiones abordadas. Finalmente se hacen algunas consideraciones a propósito de los resultados encontrados.

The Impact of UTAUT Model and ICT Theoretical Framework on University Academic Staff: Focus on Adamawa State University, Nigeria.

This paper examined the impact of UTAUT model and ICT theoretical framework on university academicians. The UTAUT model theory was verified using multiple regressions of the four constructs on behavioral intention to accept and use ICT by the Adamawa State University (ADSU) academic staff. The ICT theoretical framework reveals the connectivity between education and the independent variables, use of ICT, ICT infrastructure, staff development and ICT available tools as it brings transformation in education. We have verified the influence of the four UTAUT constructs on the behavioral intention of the university academicians towards the acceptance and use of ICT for teaching and learning. The UTAUT constructs significantly correlated with behavioral intention to use ICT. These are the factors associated with ICT acceptance and usage in Adamawa State University. According to our results Perceived Usefulness (PU) has R2 = .181 and significant with p-value .047(model 1), and Perceived ease of use (PEOU), has R2 = .270, significant with p-vale .000 (model 10). This has answered objective 1, which is to examine the factors associated with ICT acceptance and usage in (ADSU). The study confirms that the most influential UTAUT constructs influencing the behavioral intention of the academic staff to accept and use ICT is Effort expectancy (EE) in (ADSU)(model 10), with R= .519 and R2 = .270 ( Answered Objective 2). This study confirms the validity of the UTAUT model in the field context of a developing country‟s educational system. Knowledge gained from the study is beneficial to both the university academic staff and the ICT policy makers in developing countries.

Organizing for Policy Impact in Telecommunication: A Framework for Action

Policy impact is the ultimate goal of policy research. Different kinds of organizational forms to enable/enhance policy impact have emerged. It is useful to evaluate such organizational forms periodically to evaluate their performance. The ‘organizations’ facilitating the taking of research to policy can range from very loose forms through tightly networked associations of researchers to actual organizations such as think tanks. Communication Policy Research south (CPRsouth) is an Asian initiative to “facilitate the creation, sustenance and continuous advancement of policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulation processes in specific country and regional contexts in the South.” The paper develops and applies a systematic method, based on the theory of change and theories of communication networks, to evaluate the efficacy of CPRsouth. First the theory of change implicit in CPRsouth’s statement of objectives is explicated. The attributes of participants and the results of six policy-impact surveys conducted after each annual conference are used as data sources to evaluate CPRsouth’s performance in relation to its theory of change. The connectedness among the CPRsouth community, measured in terms of co-authorships, citations and informal interactions, is used to examine the organizational form of CPRsouth. The results are discussed in the context of other research conferences and other research-to-policy initiatives, generally, and communication policy research initiatives, specifically. The paper makes a contribution to the state of the art in evaluating research-to-policy initiatives, especially in the field of communication. Distinctions, if any, between developing- and developed-country contexts are identified.

The history of UTAUT model and its impact on ICT acceptance and usage by academicians

This paper started with the review of the history of technology acceptance model from TRA to UTAUT. The expected contribution is to bring to lime light the current development stage of the technology acceptance model. Based on this, the paper examined the impact of UTAUT model on ICT acceptance and usage in HEIs. The UTAUT model theory was verified using regressions analysis to understand the behavioral intention of the ADSU academic staffs' acceptance and use of ICT in their workplace. The research objective is to measure the most influential factors for the acceptance and usage of ICT by ADSU academic staff and to identify the barriers. Two null hypotheses were stated: (1) the academic staff of ADSU rejects acceptance and usage of ICT in their workplace. (2) UTAUT does not predict the successful acceptance of ICT by the academic staff of the Adamawa State University. In summary, our findings shows that the four constructs of UTAUT have significant positive influence and impact on the behavioral intention to accept and use ICT by the ADSU academic staff. This shows that university academic staff will intend to use ICT that they believe will improve their job performance and are easy to use. The facilitating conditions such as appropriate hardware, software, training and support should be in place by the management. In the Adamawa State University, EE and SI are found to be the most influential predictors of academic staff acceptance of ICT and use among the four constructs of UTAUT. The greatest barriers are time and technical support for staff. Knowledge gained from the study is beneficial to both the university academic staff and the Nigerian ICT policy makers.

Assessing the energy consumption for heating and cooling in hospitals

This work is a part of a larger project initiated under the patronage of Europe's Information Society, within ICT PSP – ICT Policy Support Programme11Call identifier CIP-ICT-PSP-2008-2, Project full title “Intelligent Energy Efficiency Control in Hospitals”, Project acronym “HosPilot”; www.hospilot.eu. in order to increase energy efficiency in hospitals, using a variety of currently available technologies. A prerequisite for the determination of savings is the accurate calculation of energy consumption and then the application of different methods of intelligent control for the energy savings, which should be combined with a system of expert advices in order to gain the highest efficiency. This study concentrates on the first part of the problem – the creation of a mathematical tool for the exact calculation of room/building energy demands.

ICT policy activism on a national level: Ideas, resources and strategies of German civil society in governance processes

This article deals with ICT policy activism on a national level and studies the case of Germany, where ICT policy activism became known to the public through its protest against the blocking of websites and data retention. Civil society is a political actor here, being invited to policy consultations. Drawing on the governance approach and resource mobilization theory, we interviewed 20 leading ICT policy activists about their values and goals, and forms of organization and political protest. According to their different focuses we distinguished between four types of activism: privacy protection, free access to information, free software and open standards, and equal opportunities for women in ICT policy. These activists are particular in that their political claims focus on the tools they are using for mobilizing and organizing. However, offline forms of protest still play an important role and mass media coverage is still seen as one of the main resources.

Thailand ICT direction under woman premier

2011 marked another page of Thailand history when Pheu Thai party won the general election that made the party leader, Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra the new Prime Minister, the first woman in the post ever. The new Thailand PM background is somewhat heralded in Wikipedia [1]. Yingluck graduated with a BA degree from the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University in 1988 and earned a MPA degree (specialization in Management Information Systems) from Kentucky State University in 1991.She started her career as a sales and marketing intern at Shinawatra Directories Co., Ltd., a telephone directory business founded by AT&T International. She later became the director of procurement and the director of operations. In 1994, she became the general manager of Rainbow Media, a subsidiary of International Broadcasting Corporation (which later became TrueVisions). She left as Deputy CEO of IBC in 2002, and became the CEO of Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand’s largest mobile phone operator. After the sale of Shin Corporation (the parent company of AIS) to Temasek Holdings, Yingluck resigned from AIS, but remained Managing Director of SC Asset Co Ltd, the Shinawatra family property development company. Yingluck Shinawatra is also a committee member and secretary of the Thaicom Foundation. She described a 2020 vision for the elimination of poverty. She promised to reduce the corporate income tax from 30% to 23% and then 20% by 2013 and to raise the minimum wage to 300 baht per day and the minimum wage for university graduates to 15,000baht permonth. Her agricultural policies included improving operating cashflow to farmers and providing loans of up to 70% of expected income, based on a guaranteed rice price of 15,000 baht per ton. She also plans to provide free public Wi-Fi and a tablet PC to every schoolchild. With such a background of the new Prime Minister, experts believe that ICT policy and direction of Thailand will shine again according to following reports and analysis from various sources together with background information on “Thailand’s Needs for ICT Development”, “Thailand to offer all government services online by 2015” and “Current Status of Thailand e-Government”will render some indicators for moving forward of Thailand ICT development.

Problems and Challenges Facing the University Of Nigeria Undergraduate Students in the Use of the Unn Digital Library

This paper examined the problems and challenges facing the undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria Nsukka in their use of the digital library of the institution. A sample size of 390 respondents was used, while all seven staff of the digital library in UNN were interviewed. The findings indicated that awareness of the meaning of multi-media is low. The library is being run as an internet cafe as against the real purpose of a digital/virtual library which should offer virtual access to other libraries, access to e-books among other crucial services. Respondents mentioned slow network as the most important problem, followed by difficulty in reaching needed e-books due to no subscription. Inability to access online books appeared more than power failure as problems. The study recommended that the university administration should show interest in ascertaining the functionality of newly established methods of learning and research to see how well they are going in view of the university's ICT goals and the general ICT policies of Nigeria. The digital library should also regularly renew subscriptions and look for ways to collaborate with other libraries on resource sharing to help students have better and greater access to books stored in other virtual libraries. Key terms: digital/virtual library, information/communication technology, multi-media, compuer/internet

‘Rural Informatics’: Use of Information and Communication Technologies for the Rural Poor – From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity in Rural India

ICT has great potential to bring in the desired social transformations by enhancing access to people, services, information and other technologies. ICT applications can enhance poor people’s opportunities by improving their access to markets, health and education. India is striving to come up with innovative ICT support for the rural community. Creation of affordable ICT facilities and investment in training to maintain and expand computer networks in rural areas is on policy agenda of the government. However, incorporation of ICT in a national development agenda must involve public and private sector together with the local community for effective creation, expansion and diffusion of ICT applications and also for better e-governance. This article is an attempt to analyse the ICT policy for the rural poor people in India and discuss evolving an integrated approach for participatory rural development where the participation of the local community and an inclusion of a traditional knowledge system is taken into consideration.

The Role of ICT in Education: Focus on University Undergraduates taking Mathematics as a Course

This paper examines the role of ICT in education with focus on university undergraduates taking mathematics as a course. The study was conducted at the Federal University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. 150 questionnaires were administered to the first year students offering MA112 which was completed and returned in the lecture hall. According to the study ICT usage shows that majority (32.7%) use technology once or more in a day. Again the majority of the respondents (35%) said that the greatest barrier to using ICT is technical. The survey shows that there is significant correlation between the students and the use of ICT in their studies. However difficulties facing ICT usage is highly significant also. This shows that students have negative attitudes towards using ICT in their academic work. This is a foundational problem which cannot be over emphasized. Most of the students have never practice using ICT in their primary and secondary schools. Recommendations were made, that the government should develop ICT policies and guidelines to support all levels of education from primary schools to university. ICT tools should be made more accessible to both academic staff and students.

ARROW: Accessible Registries of Rights Information and Orphan Works Towards Europeana

The European Union promotes programs of mass in order to make the cultural and scientific resources in Europe accessible to all, and to preserve them for future generations. The Accessible Registries of Rights Information and Orphan Works Towards Europeana (ARROW) project began in September 2008 with the aim of facilitating the management of rights in digitization projects. Partial funding was provided by the European Commission under the programme ICT Policy Support. The outcome of the project was an automated system for distributed management of rights information that meets the needs of digital libraries and is easily adaptable to other contexts of use. With the approval of the ARROW Plus project in April 2011, the system will be further improved, extending the number of covered countries, and integrating rights information about images contained in books.