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AfricanleadershipinICT

AssessmentofKnowledgeSocietyDevelopmentin16Africancountries

ReportpreparedbyNeilButcherandAssociatesforGesci

SarahHoosenKirstyvanGoghDylanBusaMohiniBaijnathSeynabouGaye

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TableofContentsTableofContents..................................................................................................................................2

Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3

AimsandObjectivesofthestudy......................................................................................................3

Methodology.....................................................................................................................................3

Overviewoftheoreticalmodel..........................................................................................................4

OverviewoftheALICT-LATICprogramme.....................................................................................6

ConsideringSustainableDevelopmentGoals................................................................................7

Countryreports.....................................................................................................................................9

ConclusionandRecommendations.....................................................................................................17

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IntroductionThe Global E-Schools and Communities Initiative (Gesci), in collaboration with the African UnionCommission(AUC)andotherpartners,developedanAfricanLeadersinICT(ALICT)capacity-buildingprogramme.Thefirstphaseoftheprogrammeranfrom2012-2013,focusingonleadershipcapacity-buildingintwelvecountries(Botswana,Ethiopia,Kenya,Malawi,Mauritius,Mozambique,Namibia,Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia). A second phase of the programme ranbetween2014and2016and included four countries (Ghana, IvoryCoast,Morocco, and Senegal).ALICT has built the capacities of 487 mid and senior government leaders in 16 Anglophone andFrancophone African countries, as well as officials from the AUC between 2012 to 2015. TheFrancophoneversionoftheALICTProgrammeisreferredtoastheLeadershipAfricainpourlesTICetledéveloppementdelasociétédusavoir(LATIC).Thecoursepresentedamulti-stakeholderapproach forawareness-raisingandcapacity-buildingofAfricanleadersaroundissuesofKnowledgeSociety(KS),Information,CommunicationTechnologies(ICT),Education,andScienceTechnologyandInnovation(STI)insupportoftheAUCActionPlanandthe EU-AU P8. Courses comprised of contextualized, modular content, founded upon countryresearchandreflectingtheidentifiedneedsofcountrygovernments.The programme is currently under review to integrate leadership for sustainable developmentcomponentsinlinewithinternationalframeworksandAUcontinentalstrategiesforachieving2030sustainable development goals and objectives. The focus is on a continent-wide expansion of theprogrammethroughawideraccessmodel.

AimsandObjectivesofthestudy

To inform future development of the ALICT programme, it is important to understandwhere theparticipating countries are at in termsofdevelopingaKS. Thus,Gesci commissionedNeil Butcherand Associates to prepare updates on the status of the KS in the 16 participating countries.Specifically, the focus was to update the situational and needs analysis of each country to keepabreastofdevelopmentssince2013regardingtheKSanditspillarsofEducation,STI,andICT.Thespecificobjectivesofthestudywereto:• UpdatebriefsofcountryKSpillarsfortheALICT-LATICDatabase.• Update the ALICT KS country study database of the KS pillar status in each country, which

involved:̶ Desk review of country KS documentation, identifying essential policies, strategies, plans,

andpapersonKS;̶ ReviewofKSpillardocumentationsetsrelatedtoEducation,ICT,andSTI;and̶ Identification of major actors, stakeholders, and partners and their role in KS pillar

development.

Methodology

The report methodology involved a desk review of various government policy and strategydocuments. Additionally, documents from development partners, research and academic papers,newsarticles,websites,andpublications fromvariousorganizationswereconsulted.Further,datafrom the 2013 report were included where relevant. A framework for the country reports was

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prepared,outliningwhatthevarioussectionswouldcover.Thiswasdonetoensureuniformityinthetypeof informationcollected.Themajorareasand themes covered includedpoliciesandplans inICT, Education, and STI. Additionally, socio-economic background information and indicatorswerereviewedtoobtainanunderstandingofthecontextofeachcountry.AfterreceivingapprovalfromGesciforthisframework,draftreportswerepreparedforeachofthe16countries.ThereportsweresenttoGesciforreviewand,basedonfeedbackreceived,thereportswerethenfinalized.

Overviewoftheoreticalmodel1

Moderneconomiesaretransformingfromagriculturalandindustrialeconomiestoinformationandknowledge-based economies. Such rapid transformation has had significant impact on social,economic,political,andculturaldevelopmentacrosstheworld.Forsuchdevelopmentandgrowth,ICTisseenasbothadriverandanenablertowardsestablishinganddevelopingthevarioussectorsin an economy that contribute to stronger, more developed, and richer societies. Africa is on ajourney of transformation towards information and knowledge societies. During any suchtransformational journey, the leaders of a society and policy makers are likely to undergo aparadigmshiftthatinvolvesdevelopingtheircapacityandprovidingtoolsanddirectionforacceptingrelevantchangesinmindset.Dahlman(2011)definesaKSasasocietythatvaluesthecreation,dissemination,andeffectiveuseofknowledge, and has the institutions, infrastructure, norms, social interactions, and culture thatsupportthis.2UNESCO(2005)describesaKSasonethatisnurturedbyitsdiversityanditscapacities.Itfurtherarguesthat,intheincreasinglyknowledge-basedworld,itiscriticaltoembraceknowledgeandinnovation-relatedpoliciestospurcompetitiveness,growth,andimprovementsinwelfare.3Gesci believes that ICT, education, and innovation are the critical pillars and key elements fordevelopment towards a knowledge-based future. Butcher (2010) visually captured the inter-relationshipbetweenthethreepillarsasfollows:

1Thisoverviewisbasedonthecountryreportintroductionsfromthe2013reports2Dahlman,C.J.(2011).WhatistheKnowledgeEconomyandSocietyandHowCanitHelpJamaica?RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://www.knowledgesocietyfoundation.com/images/Dahlman_C_2011_What_is_the_Knowledge_Economy_and_Society_-_How_can_it_help_Jamaica,_Jam_KE_C_Conf,_Ssn_1-2.pdf3UNESCO.(2005).TowardsKnowledgeSocieties.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001418/141843e.pdf

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Figure1 Framework for reflecting on ICT, Education, Innovation and Development Support of aKnowledgeSociety4

TheinnovationpillarincorporatesthefieldsofScience,Technology,andInnovation(STI)inasinglepillar. Theeducationand innovationpillarsarepresentedas interrelateddrivers fordevelopment.The ICT pillar is the enabler for Education and Innovation dynamics that will drive DevelopmenttowardstheKnowledgeSociety.5ICT is regarded as an engine for growth and a tool for empowerment, which has profoundimplicationsforeducationchangeandsocio-economicdevelopment.UNESCO(2007)definesICTas

Forms of technology that are used to transmit, process, store, create, display, share orexchangeinformationbyelectronicmeans.ThisbroaddefinitionofICTincludestechnologiessuchasradio,television,video,DVD,telephone(bothfixedlineandmobilephones),satellitesystems,andcomputerandnetworkhardwareandsoftware,aswellastheequipmentandservicesassociatedwiththesetechnologies,suchasvideoconferencing,e-mailandblogs.6

ICT is considered a critical tool in preparing students with the skills required for the globalworkplace. Thus, technology integration is becoming a key element in almost every plan for therestructuring and re-engineering of education systems.7 This enables continuous adaptation to a

4NeilButcherandAssociates.(2011).ThematicPaper:ICT,Education,Development,andtheKnowledgeSociety.Gesci.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/4_ICT_in_STEM_Education_Files/ICT__Education__Development__and_the_Knowledge_Society_1__1_.pdf5Hooker,M.(2011).AfricanLeadershipinICTandKnowledgeSocieties:Issues,TensionsandOpportunitiesforLearningforGesci.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/1_African_Leadership_in_ICT_and_Knowledge_Society_Development_Files/2013_-_african-leadership-knowledge-societies-issues-tensions-opportunities-learning.pdf6UNESCOBangkok.(2007).TheUNESCOICTinEducationProgramme.p.1.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001567/156769e.pdf7Scheffler,F.L.,andLogan,J.P.(1999).ComputerTechnologyinSchools:WhatTeachersShouldKnowandBeAbletoDo.JournalofResearchonComputinginEducation,Vol31,Issue3.Availablefromhttp://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08886504.1999.10782257

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work world of continuous technological innovations and makes it easier for students to accessknowledge.ChallengesofICTwithinAfricaoftenrelatetolackofhumanandfinancialresources,whichtranslateinto inadequate and insufficient skills supply, irrelevant or incomplete regulatory frameworks,includingpoliciesand legislation,and inadequate infrastructureandcommunicationplatforms.8Toembrace a KS, Gesci believes that there is a requirement to ensure that leaders develop skills tomakeinformedpolicyandinvestmentdecisionstosupportsocio-economicdevelopmenteffectively.ThisencompassesbuildingbothleadershipICTskillsandICTmanagementskills.Lifelonglearningisregardedasarequirementtokeeppacewiththeconstantlychangingglobaljobmarketsandtechnologies.Educationcontributestoallothersectorsbyprovidingrequiredskillsandknowledge for economic development. Thus, it is not limited to formal education in traditionalstructures,butencompassesthebroadersocietal learningnecessaryfordevelopment.Preparationfor lifelong learning involves an emphasis, in primary and secondary schools, on learning generalskills and competencies (communication, mathematics and science skills, new literacy skills,problem-solvingandinterpersonalskills,andself-directedlearningskillstolearnothersubjects)andat tertiary level on capacity-building in science and technology, discipline-specific skills, research,and development.9 Additionally, there is a need for postgraduate programmes to build specificresearch capacity to handle knowledge-innovation process development – to meet needs anddemands for national and regional competitiveness and growth. Education plays critical roles inimpartinglearningskills.10Innovationisdescribedasaprocessofcreation,exchange,evolution,andapplicationofknowledgeto producenewgoods. It involves adapting, adopting, or using knowledge to producenewgoodsandservices in localcontextsortoadvancesociety ingeneral.11TheUNEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA)(2010)regardsinnovationandchangeasfundamentalwhendevelopingaKStodriveeconomicgrowthandadvancement. Ithasbeenarguedthatthebasic ingredientfornurturingtheinnovationdynamicissettingupsystemstoenablecross-fertilizationofideasbetweenthefieldsofScience,Engineering,Technology,andInnovation(SETI).12

OverviewoftheALICT-LATICprogramme

TheALICTProgramme is conceptualized tomodel amethodologyandmulti-stakeholder approachforcapacitybuildingandawarenessraisingofAfricanleadersontheissuesoftheKS,ICT,Education,and STI.13 The programme is based on the premise that investments in ICT, Education, and STIcontributetosocio-economicdevelopmentandashifttowardsthedevelopmentofaKS.8Hooker,M.(2011).AfricanLeadershipinICTandKnowledgeSocieties:Issues,TensionsandOpportunitiesforLearningforGesci.9NeilButcherandAssociates.(2011).ThematicPaper:ICT,Education,Development,andtheKnowledgeSociety.Gesci.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/4_ICT_in_STEM_Education_Files/ICT__Education__Development__and_the_Knowledge_Society_1__1_.pdf10Hooker,M.(2011).AfricanLeadershipinICTandKnowledgeSocieties:Issues,TensionsandOpportunitiesforLearningforGesci.11Hooker,M.(2010).Conceptnote:BuildingLeadershipCapacityforICTandKnowledgeSocietiesinAfrica.Gesci.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/1_African_Leadership_in_ICT_and_Knowledge_Society_Development_Files/2012_-_ConceptNoteALICITFinal.pdf12Hooker,M.(2011).AfricanLeadershipinICTandKnowledgeSocieties:Issues,TensionsandOpportunitiesforLearningforGesci.13Hooker,M.(2011).AfricanLeadershipinICTandKnowledgeSocieties:Issues,TensionsandOpportunitiesforLearningforGesci.RetrievedJuly17,2017from

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Theprogramme’sfocusistobuildabsorptivecapacityofcurrentandpotentialfutureAfricanleaderstoacquire,assimilate, transform,andexploit thebenefitsofknowledge. Itaims to fosterdynamicorganizationalcapabilitythroughknowledgesharing,collaboration,andexposuretotechnology.Itishopedthat,throughparticipationintheALICT-LATICcourse,futureAfricanleaderswilldemonstrateknowledge, skills, and attitudes that promote their role as change agents. These are expected totranslate into positive benefits for their respective countries in pursuit of inclusive knowledgesocieties.Thecoreconceptsoftheprogrammeareasfollows:• CapacityBuilding:TheALICTcapacity-buildingmodelaimstobuildandenhancetheknowledge,

skills, and attitudes of future leaders to manage transformation and change, manageinstitutionalpluralism,enhancecoordination, fostercommunication,andensure thatdataandinformation are shared and used in planning, resource mobilization, implementation, andevaluationprocesses.

• Knowledge Society: TheALICTmodel focuses on the role all facets of ICT play in building theabsorptive capacities of current and potential future African leaders to acquire, assimilate,transform,andexploit thebenefitsof ICTandknowledgetoproduceadynamicorganizationalcapabilitythroughpeerknowledgesharingandexposuretotechnology.TheALICTapproachtoKSdevelopment focuseson the interconnectionbetween leadership,policydevelopment, andfuture-proofplanningandhowtheycontributetoKSdevelopmentthroughEducation,STI,andICT.

• Leadership: A prerequisite for leadership development for knowledge societies is policycoherencebetweenthethreepillars(ICT,Education,andSTI)thatformthebasisofanyKS.Forfuture African leaders to be able to steer their countries towards that goal, it is essential forthem to not only bewell versed inmanagement, leadership, project formulation and projectmanagementskills,butalsotoacquirecomprehensiveknowledgeabouttheinterrelationshipofthe three KS pillars (Education, STI and ICT) and then be able to apply that knowledge in theAfricancontext.

• Policy Coherence: Policy coherence is the development and implementation of conjointlysupportive policy actions across all sectors of the economy and society and,more specificallyacross government departments and agencies. Policy coherence pursues the creation ofsynergiesacrosspoliciesthatadvancetheachievementofsharedandagreedobjectives.Withinnationalgovernments,policycoherence issuesarisebetweendifferenttypesofpublicpolicies,betweendifferentlevelsofgovernment,betweendifferentstakeholders,andataninternationallevel.

• Futures Thinking: Futures Thinkingwas first theorized by JimDator (Bezold, 2009). Among itsmanyuseswithincomplexand rapidly shiftingeconomicandsocial systems is its relevance topolicydevelopmentandimplementation.FuturesThinkingrequirestherevisitationofplansandpolicies at regular intervals to take into consideration any new signals that appear in theenvironmentthatmayaffectasectorornumberofsectors.14

ConsideringSustainableDevelopmentGoals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentofficially came into force in January2016. Thesenewgoals apply toall countrieswhenmobilizinghttp://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/1_African_Leadership_in_ICT_and_Knowledge_Society_Development_Files/2013_-_african-leadership-knowledge-societies-issues-tensions-opportunities-learning.pdf14TakenverbatimfromAfricanLeadershipinICTModelDocument2013-TheFutureofAfricanLeadershipishere.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://gesci.org/fileadmin/user_upload/1_African_Leadership_in_ICT_and_Knowledge_Society_Development_Files/ALICT_Model__final_Juho.pdf

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efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change over the next 15years.

They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that buildeconomicgrowthandaddressesa rangeof social needs including education, health, socialprotection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmentalprotection.15

While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership of, andestablishnationalframeworkstoachieve,the17Goals:nopoverty;zerohunger;qualityeducation;genderequality;cleanwaterandsanitation;affordableandcleanenergy;decentworkandeconomicgrowth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities andcommunities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life onland;peace,justice,andstronginstitutions;andpartnershipsforthegoals.Primary responsiblilty for follow-up and reviewof progressmade in implementing the SDGs restswith countries. Implementation and success of the SDGs depends on countries’ own sustainabledevelopmentpolicies,plans,andprogrammes.However,regionalfollow-upandreviewwillbebasedonnational-levelanalysesandcontributetofollow-upandreviewatthegloballevel.16WhilstimplementationofSDGsisstillinearlyphases,itprovidesanopportunitytoframetheALICTprogrammeas amechanism for countries to address SDGs,due to theprogramme’s cross-cuttingnature.Specifically,KSdevelopmentreliesontheprogressmadeinmanyoftheSDGs.

15UnitedNations.(nodate)SustainableDevelopmentGoals–17GoalstoTransformourWorld.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/16UnitedNations.(nodate)SustainableDevelopmentGoals–17GoalstoTransformourWorld.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/

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CountryreportsAsmentionedabove,16countryreportswereprepared,focusingonkeydevelopmentswithregardsto education, STI, and ICT. Each country report provides an outline of where the country is withregards to developing a knowledge society. The table below provides a short summary of thefindingsfromeachofthecountries.Table1 Summaryoffindingsfromcountryreports

Country SummaryoffindingsBotswana • Policies,strategies,andplansarewellalignedtoKSdevelopmentgoalsasarticulatedin

Vision2036.• Progressinimplementationofpoliciesandframeworkshasbeenhinderedby

infrastructuralissues,humancapitaldeficits,andlackofadequatefunding.• Economicsuccesstodatehasnotdependedontechnologicaladvancement.• ThereareseveralcontradictionsinBotswana’sdevelopment–forexample,itranksvery

highlyinAfricawithregardtoitsICTplatform,buthaslowpenetrationandinternetusage.Investmentsinbroadbandinfrastructurehavenotdirectlytranslatedtocheaperinternetaccess,andoperatorsdonotappeartohavetakenadvantageoffocusingonretailorthelastmile.

• MinistriesresponsibleforICT,Education,andSTIlackcohesivenessandinter-linkages,andprogressontheiragendasareindependentofoneanother.Forexample,theeducationsectorappearspreparedwithregardtothetrainingofteachers,introducingcomputersandinternetconnectivityacrossalltheschools.However,itssuccessishamperedbythelackofinternetconnectivityandelectricity.

• Thereislowparticipationofwomeninscience,technology,engineering,andmathematics.Also,theover-relianceonthemineralresourceshasplacedtheSTIpillaroftheKSataverylowpriority,althoughitisnowbeingconsideredtodiversifythecountry’seconomicportfolio.

Coted’Ivoire

• Thegovernmentisfocusingonpoliciesandstrategiestorestoresocio-economichealth,includingdevelopmentoftechnologyandcommunicationpolicies.ThereisalsosomeinvestmentinICTinfrastructure.

• AlthoughCôted'Ivoirehasmadeprogressinprovidingaccesstobasiceducationandhasaproactivepolicyinthisarea,ithasplacedlittlefocusonintegratingICTintoitseducationsystem.Whilstthereisane-educationprogramme,mostofschoolsdonothaveaccesstoICTfacilities.Thereis,however,adrivetowardsimprovingICTinpublichighereducationinstitutions.

Ethiopia • ThedevelopmentofKSisstillinthenascentstages.• Ethiopiaisalow-incomecountrywithoneofthelowestliteracyratesintheworld.

Currentpoorperformanceineducation,particularlythelowlevelofenrolmentinhighereducationinstitutions,impedesitsreadinesstotransitionintoaKS.

• Thereisalackofupdatedpolicies,particularlyintheSTIsectorandinICTfordevelopment.

• 40%importtariffsonICTequipmentmakeittoocostlyformostcitizens.Theincumbentpublictelecommunicationsoperatorhasamonopolyoveralltelecommunicationsservices.Althoughthenumberofmobilephonesubscribersisgrowing,uptakeinEthiopiaisamongthelowestinAfrica.Thisisduetothelimitedtelecommunicationsinfrastructure,lowlevelsofcomputerizationoutsidethecapital,andlackofhumanresources.ThelowlevelofinternetaccessislimitingtheusefulnessofICTincreatingaKS.

Ghana • Severalpolicies,strategies,andprogrammeswithinframeworksrecognizetheneedtoembraceopportunitiesassociatedwithafullyfunctionalinformationsocietyandKS.

• ICTisincreasinglybeingwovenintothecurriculum.Atthetertiarylevels,entrepreneurshipandinnovationarebeingrecognizedaswieldinghugepotentialin

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Country Summaryoffindingsassuaginggraduateunemployment.

• Comparingtheformulationofpoliciesandtheirimplementationtimelinesleavesawidegapbetweentheintendedpositionandtheactualsituation.Manyoftheproblemsareattributabletoimplementationgapsthatariselargelyfromalackofcontinuityinprogrammesandroadmapslaidout,thesuitabilityandtimelinessoftheinterventionstheprogrammesseektopromote,andleadershipissues.

• Implementationgapsalsoarisebecauseofascarcityinmulti-stakeholderconsultationsanddialogueononehandandatransformationalleadershipontheother.

Kenya • Thegovernmentismovingtowardsaknowledge-basedand‘innovationdriven’modelofeconomicdevelopment.

• ThelargeandgrowingbodyofmajorrecentpolicyblueprintsinKenyaappearsunanimousthatSTIiscriticalforpromotingeconomicgrowth,stimulatingproductivity,andimprovingpeople’slivelihoods.Kenya’sVision2030andtheSTIpolicyandstrategyprovidetheframeworkforcreatingaknowledge-basedeconomy.

• Sincetheprogressthathasbeenmadeinbothpolicyandinstitutions,researchandinnovationhavebeguntoadvanceinKenya.Universitiesarecompetingtosetupsoftwareandhardwareincubationcentresthatwouldlinkthemtoindustry.

• SomestudiesattributeKenya’sgrowingeconomylargelytoICT.• Currentrestructuringoftheeducationsystemandimplementationofthedigital

learningprogrammealsoshowspromiseingearingthecountry’sdirectiontowardsICTandSTI.

• IntegrationandapplicationofICTwithinthelearningprocessintheeducationsectorisstillinitsinfancy.Newinitiativesarestilldominatedbytechnicalaspects.

• Withdevolvedgovernance,continuityingovernmentreforms,andafairlystablepoliticalenvironment,Kenyaisinagoodpositiontoleverageinnovation.

• Kenyaisfirmlycommittedtonurturingaknowledge-drivendevelopmentagenda.However,theissueofwhetherthereissufficientcapacityandfinancialcommitmenttothesegoalsremainsdebatable.

• WhilstKenyahasdevelopedcomprehensivepolicyframeworks,therelationshipsbetweenresearchinstitutionsandindustryremaindisjointed.

Malawi • MalawirecognizesICTasasignificantdriverofdevelopment,asarticulatedinthecountry’sICTpolicy.However,theICTDevelopmentIndex(IDI)ranksMalawiat168outof175countries.ThecountryfaceschallengessuchaslimitedcoordinationofICTinfrastructuredevelopment,sporadicavailabilityofICTservices,scaregeographiccoverageoftheseservices,littleinstitutionalandhumancapacityinICTservices,andlowadoptionratesofmodernbroadcastingtechnologies.

• ExposuretoICTatschoolremainsaluxury,andteachershavelittleornoprofessionaldevelopmentinICT,bothofwhichposeathreattothedevelopmentofaKS.However,thereareseveralinitiativestoaddressthis.

• STIisapriorityintheVision2020,andthegovernmentandinstitutionsareinvolvedininitiativestowardsmakingscienceandtechnologymoreaccessibletothegeneralpopulation.

• MalawistillhasalongwaytogoinachievingaKS.Themeasuresthathavebeenundertakenthusfarhaveprovidedagoodstart,butprojectsthatmakealargerimpactandthatdonotrelysoheavilyondonorfundingwillbecrucial.Equallyasimportantwillbesolidgovernancemechanisms,politicalstability,andpubliceducationthatemphasizestheimportanceofICTandSTIforthecountry.

Mauritius • MauritiusisoneoftheleadingcountriesinAfricawithregardtodevelopingaKS.Ithasastronginfrastructure,anditsfinancialeconomyisstrong.

• Initiativestocreateaninformationsocietyrevolvearoundtheinstillingofa‘technologytemper’inMauritianstobringaboutincreasedadoptionandusageofICT,ICT-enabledknowledgenetworkingamongcitizens,andgenerallyacceptingICTasastreamofprofessionalpersuasionatparwithothers.

• ICTinfrastructureisstrongandtelecommunicationratesregularlyrevisedtofacilitateICTgrowthandboostthecompetitivenessofMauritiusasadestinationforICTactivities.

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Country SummaryoffindingsInaddition,therearemanyworthwhileICTinitiativesthataimtointegrateICTintoMauritiansociety.However,theICTsectorfacesseriouschallengessuchaserraticspeedofconnectivityandinsufficientgovernmentsupporttohelpSmallandMediumenterprises(SMEs)integrateICTintotheirbusinesses.

• Allpublicschoolsareequippedwithcomputers,andthereareseveralprogrammesandinitiativesaimedatintroducingICTliteracyintoschools.ThenewnationalcurriculumframeworkspecificallynotesthatallteacherswillbeprovidedwithtechnologicalskillstomanageICTandsocialnetworks,andtoadoptICT-mediatedlearning.However,challengesthattheeducationsystemwillneedtoovercometostrivetowardaKSincludeconnectivityproblemsandaccesstoonlinelearning.ThequalityandrelevanceofhighereducationalsoneedstobeaddressedtogiveMauritiusthecriticalmassofexpertscientistsitneedstofulfilitsambitions.

• TherearenoSTIpoliciesinthecountry,butsomeeffortsarebeingmadetogrowtheSTIsector.Mauritiusisinvestinginacollaborativeresearchanddevelopmentgrantschemetopromoteinnovativeideasandcommercializethemtocreatejobs,andultimately,wealth.SeveralorganizationscontributetoresearchandSTIandthereareprogrammesandscholarshipsaimedathumanresourcedevelopment.However,thereisstillmuchworktobedoneinthesectorandchallengesincludeabraindrainasskilledscientistsareleavingthecountry.

Morocco • ThegovernmentiscommittedtodevelopingMoroccoasaKS.• In2000,thecountryundertookarestructuringoftheeducationsystem.Majorefforts

havebeenmadetoreformtheeducationalsysteminboththeinstitutionalandpedagogicalaspects.ThisincludeseffortstointegrateICTineducation.

• Despitetheprogressmade,thequalityofeducationremainsachallenge.• MoroccoisoneofthefewAfricancountriestoshowanupwardtrendinscienceand

technology.Mozambique • DevelopmentofaKSinMozambiqueisstillinitsnascentstages.

• ThevariouspoliciesandplansinplaceindicatewillingnessandcommitmentfromtheMozambicangovernmenttotransformthecountrytowardsaKS.ThemajorfocusisacceleratednationaldevelopmentbyintegratingICTindifferentsectorsoftheeconomy,providingfreeandcompulsoryprimaryeducation,anddevelopmentoftheSTIsectorforsocio-economicdevelopment.

• Whilethereisacommitmentbygovernment,manypoliciesandstrategiesareoutdated,impedingthedevelopmentofthecountry.

• Keychallengesfacedineducationincludelowcompletionrates,highstudent-to-teacherratios,lackofICTintegrationintoteachertrainingandthecurriculum,lackofqualifiedmathematicsandscienceteachers,andlackofequipmentinschools.

• Research,innovation,andhumanresourcedevelopmentfacechallengesincludinglackofequipmentandfundingforresearchinstitutions,highunemploymentratesparticularlyamongtheyouthpopulationgraduatingfrombasicandsecondaryeducation,lowICTskills,lackofconnectivity,poordistributionofelectricitysupplies,lowlevelsofinnovationactivities,aheavyrelianceondonorfunding,anduncoordinatedcross-ministerialrelationships.

Namibia • PlansandpoliciesshowevidenceofadesiretocreateaKS,andKSdevelopmentisacentraltenetofVision2030.

• ThestrengthoftheeconomyisindicativeofitsgreatpotentialtobecomealeaderontheAfricancontinent,althoughsignificantsocialinequalityremainsanissue.

• Namibia’sIDIhasbeenincreasingsteadilysince2002,andthepercentageofindividualsandhouseholdsusingtheinternetisincreasing.However,thesefiguresarestilllow.

• GovernmentplansforICTareclearlyarticulatedinrelevantpolicies,andthereareeffortstodevelopinfrastructure.

• Thereisanincreaseinprimarycompletionrates,andsignificantstridesinachievinggenderequity.However,tertiaryinstitutionsstilldonothavethecapacitytoenrolallthoseseekingauniversityeducation.

• AlthoughICTliteracyhasbeenmadeapriorityintheeducationsystem,supplyingICT

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Country Summaryoffindingshardwaretoschoolsacrossthecountryremainsachallenge.However,thereareseveralICTinEducationinitiativesinschools.

• STIhasalsobeennotedasapriorityarea,andtheresultsofseveralpartnershipshaveyieldedpositivedevelopments.

• Thereisstillasignificantamountofworkthatneedstobedone.Inparticular,additionalworkisrequiredinpolicydevelopmentandimplementationofpolicies.

Rwanda • Rwandahasmadesignificantprogressinsocio-economicdevelopment,andhasseenconsiderableprogressonthepathtowardsrecoveryandsustainablegrowthfollowingtheviolentgenocideandcivilwarin1994.Thegovernmentandprivatesectorhaveinvestedinbuildinginfrastructure,skills,andinstitutionalframeworkstoprovideanenvironmentthatisconducivetodevelopingaKS–fromestablishinghigherinstitutionsoflearningtothelayingoffibre-opticcablenationwide.

• SeveralpolicesandplansfocusondevelopingICT,education,andSTIinRwanda.• RwandacontinuestobeoneofthefastestgrowingAfricancountriesinICT.ICTis

acknowledgedasakeydriverforeconomicgrowth,andisthecoreofthereformagendagearedtowardsreconstructionandhigherlevelsofdevelopment.

• Ineducation,oneofthemajorstrengthsofICTineducationisthatitisalreadystronglysupportedbythegovernmentandiswellconsideredinnationalpolicydocuments,andvariousprojectsarealreadyimplementedorunderway.ThepotentialforusingICTtostrengthenteacherprofessionaldevelopmentisacknowledgedinseveralpoliciesasimportantinimprovingthequalityofeducationinRwanda.

• WhileoverallICTaccessisgrowingandcreatingaccelerateddevelopmentopportunitiesinRwanda,severalchallengeshinderthesustainabilityofnewgrowthanddevelopment.Challengesincludelowlevelsoftelecommunicationpenetrationespeciallyinremoteareas,andalackofbasicinfrastructuresuchaselectricity.Theeducationsectorfaceschallengesofovercrowdedclassrooms,highstudent-teacherratio,andlackofadequatefundingininstitutionsofhigherlearning.Gapsstillexistsuchasinadequacyofcomputerdeployments,lackofteachertrainingincomputerskills,andlackofelectricitygridinfrastructureinruralareashinderingICTineducationdevelopment.

• InsufficientfundingofresearchinstitutionsandinsufficientcapacitytoinnovatemayalsohinderthedevelopmentofaKS.Further,therateofadoptionandintegrationofSTIislow,withtherebeingashortageoftechnicallyqualifiedprofessionals.However,thereareeffortstoaddressthisviathenumerouspartnershipstodevelopcapacityinthisarea.

Senegal • Thegovernmenthasinvestedalargepartofitsbudgetineducation,training,research,andinnovation.However,thequalityofeducation,especiallythatofbasiceducation,remainsachallenge,andthecountryhasnotattaineduniversalprimaryeducation.

• ThegovernmentrecognizesthesignificanceofICTandSTIinthedevelopmentandeconomiccompetitivenessofthecountry.However,thesesectorshavefailedtocreateasmanyjobsasdesired,andthereisagreatneedforeducationandtrainingofqualityhumanresourcesinthecontrolanduseofscience,technologyandinnovations.

• TherecentestablishmentoftheVirtualCampusofSenegalandsigningofseveralpartnershipagreementsinresearch,science,andtechnologyareencouraging.

SouthAfrica • Governmentpolicies,strategies,platforms,andlegislativemeasuresindicatethatSouthAfricaisadvancingsteadilytowardsaKS.ThegovernmentaimstointegrateICTintoallspheresofeducation.

• MinistriesresponsibleforICT,education,andSTIhavesomecross-cuttingpoliciesinplaceaimedatthecontinuedeconomicgrowthandsocio-economicdevelopment,andaremovingtowardsachievingKSdevelopmentgoals,buttheseachievementsarebeinghamperedbythelackoflast-mileinternetconnectivity,lackoffunds,lackofasingularnationalprogrammeforareassuchasteacherICTdevelopmentandICTrolloutstoschools(whichreliesonthecoordinationofprovincialdepartmentsofeducation),andintheregulationandgovernanceoftheICTsectorbeingspreadacrossvariousentities.Furthertothis,manypoliciesrelatedtoICTfocusoninfrastructureandrolloutofICTratherthanasusingICTasatoolforgrowthanddevelopment.

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Country Summaryoffindings• SouthAfricahasmadeimprovementsinbasiceducationenrolment,buttertiary

institutionsareunderpressure,asgrowthintheseinstitutionshasnotbeenasbeeninlinewiththegoalssetoutintheNationalDevelopmentPlan.

• Anotherchallengeisthelowparticipationofwomeninscience,technology,engineering,andmathematics.Thus,thegovernmenthasaffordedahighprioritytoMathsandScienceeducationatschool.

• SouthAfrica’snationalsystemofinnovationhasevolvedovertheyears,showinggreatpotentialtechnologicallyandinhumanresourcestobecomeoneoftheleadingcountriesinresearchanddevelopmentandinnovation.However,thereisaneedforgreateralignmentbetweentheplansandformorecollaborationbetweenthepublicandprivatesectors.

Tanzania • ThedevelopmentofKSinTanzaniahasshownsomeprogressoverthepastdecade.Whilepolicyandtheregulatoryframeworksthatdirect,enable,andlinkprimary,secondary,TechnicalandVocationalEducationandTraining(TVET),tertiaryeducationandSTIareinplace,itappearsthatadequateimplementationislacking.

• Mobilepenetrationrates,fixedbroadbandsubscriptions,andthepercentageofthepopulationusingtheinternetareslowlyincreasing.

• ThegovernmentaimstopositionTanzaniaasaregionalICThubbyconnectingtotheregion’ssubmarinecableinfrastructureandextendingaccesstothistoitslandlockedneighbours.Asaresult,thecostofconnectivityhasfallendramaticallyrecently.However,highretailtechnologyandaccesscostsseemtobestiflingdemandandusageatatimewhenitshouldbegreatlyincreasing.

• Whileenrolments,particularlyinsecondaryschooling,areincreasing,improvementsinaccesshavenotnecessarilybeenaccompaniedbyimprovementsinquality.Furthermore,lowprogressionratestosecondaryandtertiaryeducationmeansthatmostTanzaniansareunabletoaccessuniversityeducation,criticalforthedevelopmentofskillsrequiredforthedevelopmentofaKS.

• WhileICTisformallypartofthesecondarycurriculumandisdocumentedasbeingimportantforteachingandlearning,fewprimaryandsecondaryschoolshaveaccesstoICTandInternetconnectivity,whilethemajorityofthosethatdo,stilltendtomakeuseofICTonlyforadministrativepurposes.Recenteffortstoimprovethequalityofpre-andin-serviceteachertrainingandtoembedICTintopedagogyareunlikelytoyieldresultsuntilthereismoreubiquitousaccesstoICTinclassrooms.

• Significantinvestmentisrequiredtofullydevelopthecountry’sSTIcapabilities.• Thereisalackoftherelevantinstitutionalcapacityandknowledgeinmostkeypartsof

theeducation,technologyandSTIsectors.Thestructuresandinstitutionsseemtobeinplaceintheorybuttheyappeartobeunabletotranslatepolicyintentionintostrategicoperatingplans.

Uganda • Therehasbeenaproliferationofpolicyandstrategyinitiativesthathavetakenplaceoverthepastdecade.Many,particularlythoseintheICT,Education,andSTIsectors,areinlinewithUganda’svisionoftransformingitselfintoamiddle-incomecountrybyleveragingthedevelopmentofamodernknowledgeandinnovationbasedeconomy.Thesepolicyandstrategyinitiativeshavelaidasolidfoundationforprogressingandrealizingthisvision.

• AgreatnumberofUgandansstillliveatorbelowthepovertylineandareeconomicallydependentonagriculture,generallypoorlyeducated,andculturallyrelativelyconservative.

• TherehavebeensomegainsmadeintermsofaccesstoICTsuchasimprovedaccesstobroadbandInternetservices,mobilephonegrowth,andgeneraltelecommunicationliberalization.Therehavebeensomeadvancesmadeintermsofmakinggovernmentmoreaccessible,transparent,andefficient.However,UgandaisperformingpoorlyinICTsectordevelopmentandwasranked157outof175in2016.Nevertheless,currentfibreopticinfrastructureprojectsshouldleadtofurthergainsbeingrealizedformorepeople.Onenotableexceptiontothisisaccesstoelectricity,especiallyinruralareas.ThiswilllikelycontinuetolimitanyfurtherICTgainsintermsofquality,accessibilityand

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Country Summaryoffindingsprice.

• Therehavebeenseveraleffortstotransformtheeducationsector.Enrolmentshaveincreasedandgenderparity,especiallyinprimaryeducation,haseffectivelybeenreached.Poorqualityandthroughputratesremainstubbornchallenges.Currentcurriculumrevisions,especiallytothelowersecondarycurriculumaimtobringaboutabettermatchbetweeneducationoutcomesandjobmarketrequirements,aswellasincreasedenrolmentsintopost-primaryandtertiaryprogrammesrelatedtoSTIorinareasdemandedbytheeconomy.EffortsinalltheseareasarebeinghamperedbytheslowandrelativelyuncoordinatedimplementationofICTinthevariouseducationsystems.

• DevelopmentandimplementationoftheNationalScience,TechnologyandInnovationPlan2012/13–2017/18(2012)hashadsomepositiveeffectsonSTI,includinganincreaseinresearchanddevelopmentcapacity.SpaceisslowlybeingcreatedforlocalandforeigninvestmenttospurResearchanddevelopment(R&D)andinnovation.

• TheSTIsectorischallengedbyalackoflegalandregulatoryframeworks,especiallyregardingIntellectualProperty(IP)protection,weakandoverlappingresearchinstitutions,andalackofinstitutionalandadministrativereformstofacilitateSTIandR&D.Thereisalsoinadequatepartneringbetweenthevariouspublicandprivateroleplayers.Further,universitiesofferinadequatecourseprovisioninscience,technology,andengineeringdespitethesesubjects’criticalcontributiontowardsinnovationandenrolmentsinsuchprogrammesremainsbelow25%ofallstudents.Fundingofresearchinstitutionsisalsoinadequatewhiletheindigenoustechnologiesthataredevelopedlackpromotionandexploitation.

Zambia • Vision2030iswidelyrecognizedastheguidingdocumentformanyplansandpolicies.Theirnationaldevelopmentplanshaveidentifiedvariousspecificsectorissuesanddefinedstrategicgoals,buttendtoberelativelyweakintermsofactionablemeansofachievinggoalsandimplementingstrategies.Sector-specificplans,wheretheyexist,tendtobeoutofdateand/orlackinginthenecessarydetailedimplementationstrategiesnecessarytorealizeZambia’sambitiousplanningobjectives.

• ZambiarequiresmassiveandconsistentinvestmentinalltheareasrequiredforthedevelopmentofaKS,includingeducationandhumandevelopmentatalllevels,researchanddevelopment,especiallyinSTI,ICTinfrastructure,andthepolicyandregulatoryframeworksthatdirect,enable,andlinkthesesectors.

• TherehavebeengainsmadeinimplementationofICT,particularlyinmobilephonepenetration.However,thesegainsaretemperedbyrelativelylowlevelsofinternetadoptionandusage,amoderatelyconstrainedbandwidthenvironment,andthehighcostsofbothICTequipmentandaccess.AlthoughthegovernmenthasindicateditsintentiontoreviewtheNationalICTpolicyof2006,nosuchreviewedorrevisedpolicyseemstobepubliclyavailableyet.

• ZambiahasmadesignificantprogressinUniversalPrimaryEducation,butincreasingenrolmentshaveputtremendousstrainontheeducationsystem,affectingquality.TheTVETandtertiarysub-sectorsbothrequirelargeinvestmentstoincreasetheircapacity,accessibility,andquality.

• ThereisnoICTineducationpolicy,butICTisincludedasasubjectatbothprimaryandsecondarylevel.

• TheSTIsectorisrelativelyunderdevelopedduemainlytoaweaknessincoordination,aninadequatepolicyandlegalframework,humanresourceconstraints,inadequatemodernequipment,andinsufficientinfrastructure.ImprovingthequalityofprimaryandsecondaryeducationwillalsohaveapositiveimpactonSTIbymakingthepoolofpotentialresearchstudentslarger.

ThecountrysummaryreportsabovehighlightthattherearesignificantvariationsbetweencountriesastheydeveloptowardsaKS.Mostcountrieshavedevelopedsomesortof‘Vision’document,whichoutlines where the country plans to be in the future. In some cases, these documents areaccompaniedbyaction/implementationplansoutlininghowthecountryplanstoachieveitsvision.

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CountriesareatvariousstagesindevelopingpoliciesonICT,Education,andSTI.Somecountriesstillneed to create an environment that is favourable to building a KS and thus still require effort indeveloping a comprehensive regulatory and institutional framework that allows for themainstreamingof ICTacross sectorsandgovernmentalentities.Whilst somehave targetedall therelevantsectorsidentifiedassignificantindevelopingaKS,othersmayhaveprioritizedsomesectorsover others, usually education or ICT. Countries are also at various stages in implementing theirplans.With regards to ICT,many countrieshavee-government strategies,whichare in various stagesofbeingimplemented.Thecountryreportsalsohighlightedtheinsufficientnumberofskilledworkersin the industry.With continuousdevelopmentof new technologies, this is significant. Thus, therestillappearstobelackofcapacityandcapabilitywhenitcomestoICT.MostcountrieshaveanICTInnovationHub(butthisalsovariesintermsoftheworkthattheydoandtheimpacttheyhave).ICTinfrastructure appears to be growing, but amajor challenge is lack of electricity and, particularly,last-mileconnectivity(especiallyaffectingthoseinruralareas).Thisiscompoundedbythefactthatmostof thepopulation in eachof the countries is relativelypoor.With thehigh costof data andinternet services, this makes ICT adoption slow. Nevertheless, fibre optic cable systems in mostcountries are likely to be a game-changer for internet connectivity, although the full effects ofprogressinICTinfrastructurecanonlybefeltifthereisgreaterpenetrationinruralareas.Ineducation,whilstenrolmentsinprimaryschoolinmostcountriesisgrowing,thereislessgrowthin secondary school enrolment. Tertiary education faces a hugeobstacle in termsof access as, inmost instances, there are insufficient spaces tomeet student enrolment demands. Some countryreports highlight the mismatch between country needs and what is being taught in educationsystems. Despite education being a priority for all countries, significant gaps are apparent withregards to ICT infrastructure at schools, teacher training in ICT, and the integration of ICT intocurricula.Wheretherearesuchefforts,manytendtobedonorfundeddiscreetinitiatives.Withhighdrop-out rates, there is thus a general lack of the ICT skills that are necessary for citizens tocontributetowardsaKS.In STI, there arewide discrepancies between countries. Some countries appear to give thismoreprominence than others, but it appears to be a ‘less popular’ focus area than ICT and Education.Additionally, statistics around STI were difficult to find, and thus it is difficult to ‘measure’ thesignificance it has in many African countries. Indeed, an article pointed out that, across Africa,relativelyfewresourcesaredevotedtoresearchanddevelopment.

It’stellingthatthere isbarelyonescientistorengineerper10,000peopleonthecontinent,compared with 20-50 per 10,000 in developed countries. Countries funding science andresearch face one key decision: how to balance applied research that focuses on currentdevelopmentchallengeswithbasicresearchthatfocusesonlong-termdevelopment.17

Mostcountriesstillhave lowlevelsofenrolment inSTI fieldsatthetertiaryeducation level,andasmall number of women in science, maths, and engineering careers. The country reports alsosuggestthatmoreneedstobedoneintermsofresearchandinnovation,andparticularlytheneedtodeveloppartnerships in this field.ArecentpositionpaperonSTI indevelopingcountriesstatedthefollowing:

Technologicaland innovationcapabilitybuilding isaboutenablingfirmsandfarmstomoveuptheinnovationcapabilityladder;thatisenablingthemtoadoptimportedtechnologies,toadapt them to suit local condition, combine indigenousand foreign knowledge to radicallyimproveexistingtechnologies;andfinallybeabletoproducethingsthatareradicallynewtothe world. This process, especially for poor countries, cannot happen through market

17Musafiri,P.(2016).RwandatakeslongviewtoinvestinAfricanscience.RetrievedApril7,2017fromhttps://blog.ruforum.org/2016/03/31/rwanda-takes-long-view-to-invest-in-african-science/

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mechanismsalone,but shouldbeguidedby thegovernment throughpoliciesand incentivestructures;andgoodandeffectivepoliciesarealwaysthoseinformedbyevidence–thewholepurposeofapolicy is toaddress existing challenges…Innovationbeinga complex, systemicanddynamicendeavour,requireshighqualityresearchtoproducegoodevidence.However,veryunfortunately,expertiseforsuchkindofresearchisveryscarceinpoorcountriessuchasthose in Africa…poor countries hardly feature in innovation studies, and therefore existingrelevantknowledgeforinnovationpolicymakingisextremelyscarce.AccordingtoLorentzen& Mohamed, for instance, between 1997 and 2008, some major journals in the field ofinnovation published 849 articles on innovation, of which only 37 or 4% were on LeastDeveloped Countries, including Africa; and authors of these few articles are largely fromindividualsoutsidethe leastDevelopedCountries,whomaynotknowthecontextverywell.TheimpactofscarcityofsuchknowledgeandexpertiseisevidentfromthefactthatatbestST&I policies in poor countries are informed by empirical evidence from more developedcountries, and at worst are not informed by any evidence, but rather base on politicalstatements thatarenotbackedby credible evidence. This is amajor reasonwhy–despitelongtermexistenceofST&Ipolicies–someofthepoorcountriesstillliveinabjectpoverty.18

However, promisingly, according to the latestAfricaCapacityReport (ACR)2017entitled ‘BuildingCapacityforScience,TechnologyandInnovationforAfrica’sTransformation’,Africancountrieshavea long way to go in improving the outcome of capacity development, given that capacity needsassessmentsarenotthepriorityformost.Thereport identifiedbraindrainofskilledscientistsandotherexpertsasakeyfactorimpedingthedevelopmentofSTIinAfrica.19Clearly,STIisanareathatrequiresmuchmoreworkandconsideration.

18Science,TechnologyandInnovationPolicyResearchOrganization.(2016).SimplifyingtheImplementationoftheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)inPoorCountries:theCentralityofGoal8and9.RetrievedApril19,2017fromhttp://www.stipro.or.tz/in19TheNerveDesk.(2017).Africa’sPowerhousesranklowincommitmenttoScienceandTechnology.RetrievedJuly17,2017fromhttp://thenerveafrica.com/11090/africas-powerhouses-rank-low-in-commitment-to-science-and-technology/

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ConclusionandRecommendationsThe findings from the country reports confirm that the ALICT programme’s focus areas of ICT,Education, and STI are relevant and still require much attention and continuous work in Africancountries (whilst acknowledging that there are variationsbetween countries). Efforts to achieve afully functioning KS will require a unique combination of strong leadership, innovative policycreation,andimplementation,aswellasICTand,morebroadly,STIdevelopment.Leadership and capacity building is required to enable a greater transformative impact of policytowards KS development. The research findings suggest that there is still a need to developawareness of KS issues among government, and to encourage governments to develop humanresource capacity in ICT and STI. Furthermore, the findings indicate that there is still room fordevelopmentofappropriatepoliciesandtoupdatepoliciesinlinewithICTandSTIdevelopments.Furthermore,aclear findingfromthedesktopresearch is theneedtofocuson implementationofpoliciesandplans.Slowordelayedpolicyimplementation,leadstoalackoftractionandcontinuityofprogrammesandimpactsonsustainability.Implementationhasbeendeterredbyinfrastructuralissues, insufficient human resource capacity and lack of adequate funding. This provides a clearopportunity for the ALICT programme in focusing on developing capacity to on how to translatepoliciesintopractice.Ashighlighted, there is significantwork that is requiredwith regards to STI. Thus,moreemphasismay need to be placed on this pillar in theALICT programme.Additionally, to realize the variousplansandpoliciesrequiressystematiccoordinationandcommitmentfromgovernmentagenciesandrespectivestakeholders.OnewayofapproachingthiswouldbetoaligntheKSfocusareaswiththeSDG goals of a country. The focus of the ALICT programme could also be on fostering a multi-dimensional approach toaddressingKS, allowingparticipants to clearly see the interplaybetweenthe different aspects of KS development. Significant in this regard would, for example, beconsideration of issues of climate change or gender disparities and how these would impact ondeveloping KS. The programmemight further focus on fostering and building partnershipswithinandbetweenorganizations.ThechallengethatGesciwilllikelyfacegivenvariationsbetweencountries,isdeterminingthelevelatwhichtopitchtheprogramme.Onepossiblewayofaddressingthisistogrouptrainingsessionswithamixofdevelopmentlevelstoenablesloweradoptingcountriestobenefitfromtheexperienceof more advanced countries. An alternative approach would be to group all similar performingcountries together to ensure that the level of the programme is consistent anddirectlymeet theneedsofthecountriesinvolved.Considerationcanalsobegiventofosteringregionalcollaborations,lookingathowtoshareideasandpoolresources.Anadditionalchallengeisdeterminingthetargetaudiencefortheprogramme.Ashighlightedintheimpactevaluationreport,thosewhohavemoredecision-makingpowerorwhoareintoppositionshavebeenbetterabletoachievechangeandcreateanimpactatthemacrolevel.Itmaythereforebeuseful to ensure amixof participants fromwithinorganizations so that there are at least twoparticipantsperorganization,withonebeing inahigherpositionwithdecision-makingpowerandanotherbeingamiddlemanager.Finally,itshouldbenotedthatthecountryreportsfocusedontheformaleducationsystemsinthecountries,butgivenALICT’sunderpinningofeducationaslifelonglearning,itmaybeworthwhiletoconsiderresearchingnon-traditionalformsoflearninginanAfricancontext.Itmayalsobeusefulto

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consideraresearchexercisefocusingonhowtheSDGsintersectwithALICTsprogrammeaimsandcontent,andhowGescicouldleveragethesegoalswithintheALICTprogrammerevisions.