Public-Private Partnerships in ICT4D: The case study of e-

education. The Importance of PPPs in ICT for capacity building.

Charlyne Restivo.July 2013. ITU, Geneva.

Introduction

MDGs1 => ICTs2 => e-education : achieving the universal education & gender equality goals through ICTs.

The challenge of financing ICT investments in education : high cost for governments especially in times of debt crisis.

Public-Private Partnerships = strategic agreement to implement public education policies.

How can we build a sustainable model of e-education implementation through Public-Private Partnerships?

1. MDGs: Millennium Development Goals; 2.ICTs: Information Telecommunication Technologies

Private-Public Partnerships (PPPs) in ICT for education

Content

I. The importance and impact of PPPs in e-education.A. PPPs to promote e-education services. What are PPPs? What’s their purpose in ICT4E?

B. The Success Stories. Emerging trends & case study.

II. Building effective PPPs for ICT for education.A. Challenges faced by PPPs in capacity building. Why do PPPs generate mixed reactions; WSIS + 10 Challenges for AL

4 & 7

B. Recommendations on furthering PPPs in e-education.

What can be done in the Public Sector, Private Sector and UN side?

I. The importance and impact of PPP in e-education

A. Financing e-education through PPPs

PPP = combination of Gov./ I.O.s (e.g. ITU, WB, WTO, G20…) and actors from private sector => collective action for common interest.

“PPP is a generic term for projects involving both the public and private sectors. The involvement can be to varying degrees and the

partnership can take different forms.” Web Definition

Benefits of PPPs, a “win-win” agreement: - Public sector seeks financial resources/ provides political legitimacy; regulatory action; protection of public interest.

- Private seeks new markets/ provides resources; technology.

Type of investments:- Infrastructure & equipment. Ex: Fiber optics (high-speed internet); broadband network coverage extension

- Capacity building: e-skilling initiatives. Ex: training of teachers, students...

I. The importance and impact of PPP in e-education

B. Success Stories of PPP led e-education services.

Case study of successful PPPs which have implemented WSIS action lines (4;7) and contributed to meeting the MDG’s.

2 major emerging trends since WSIS 2003:

- E-learning. Ex: online universities; open resource platforms (ITU Academy; UNESCO; MIT...)

- Mobile-Learning. Ex: applications; tablets; digital textbooks (Nokia; Alcatel-Lucent…)

Successful partnerships in ICT for basic education. Ex: online skills

training for teachers; students; executives.

The Cisco Academy; Intel World Ahead programme; Microsoft Innovative Programme…

Case study: ITU Internet Training Centres initiative (ITCI) – Cisco Systems, Inc.

Government

Host Learning

Institution

National Telecom Operator

High-Level

Facilitator

Provides support & mobilizes resources

Collaboration

HOST

Case study of successful PPP: ITU Internet Training Centres initiative (ITCI) –

Cisco Systems

ITU: Project managerCisco Networking

Academy Programme

- Delivers equipment (PCs).- Provides multimedia educational content .

- Selects learning Inst.- Negotiates partnership agreements.- Funds training of 2 instructors / center.

55 Training Centres 47 Participating countries2243 students enrolled.

II. Building effective PPPs for ICT for education

A. Challenges faced by PPPs in capacity building.

The resource mobilization challenge.

Private sector profitability > Financial assistance to the Public Sector.

It is hard to evaluate PPPs & the outcomes are varied.

Difficult transition for low-income communities. Ex: School-based telecentres project : fees for users after school hours.

The regulatory and legal framework.

Business interest may conflict with overall interest

Local providers vs. transnational providers: issues of national sovereignty.

Implications of opening markets to multinationals

Goal: Creating an environment for collective action by sustaining interest of both Public and Private sector in order to further PPP in

the e-education sector.

How?

II. Building effective PPPs for ICT for education

B. The way forward

“It is widely recognized within the UN system that there is a need to increase the capacity of Governments at all levels to implement PPPs successfully”. Marek Belka,

Executive Secretary, UNECE.

Creating incentives for the private sector.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and tax breaks to encourage investments.

Implementing a good regulatory framework to attract investments.

The role of the UN in providing guidance to build frameworks.

PPP policy has to set clear and realistic objectives.

Promoting “Good Governance” to extend the use of PPPs.

Governance : quality and effectiveness of institutions in translating policy into successful implementation.

Key principles: participation; transparency, accountability … => The role of the UN

How can we build a sustainable model of e-education implementation through PPPs?

Conclusion

Key role of the UN in promoting PPPs

Surfing on the Corporate Social Responsibility wave.

Bibliography

Identifying emerging trends in a vision beyond 2015, WSIS forum 2012, 2012,Geneva, Switzerland.

Guidebook on promoting good governance in Public-Private Partnership, UNECE, New York City, Geneva 2008.

Pillay H; Harn G; Public-private partnerships in ICT for education, Academic paper, Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2009–2010, Penang, Malaysia.

www.itu.int