Sustainability and strategic partnerships in ICT4E

1. Sustainability and strategic partnerships in ICT4E TIM UNWIN 7 September 2006

2. Outline • Sustainability and partnerships • Existing frameworks and institutional agendas for sustainability and partnerships • Towards an alternative framework of sustainable ICT4E partnership

3. ICT4E Partnerships and Sustainability • “Partnerships” and “Sustainability” • Two of the dominant rhetorics of contemporary “development” • Of particular salience in ICT4E context • But “partnerships” often poorly thought through • Why have partnerships been so prominent in the ICT4E context? • The central role of the private sector • Not without controversy (CSER agendas)! • The complexity of the processes • The role of partnership organisations such as the Global Knowledge Partnership • Realisation of value of partnerships in achieving sustainability

4. Examples of ICT4E partnership • Global Knowledge Partnership • Multi-stakeholder emphasis • Partnership exploration, building and maintenance (mainly government, business and civil society) • Sharing knowledge; building partnerships • Seven principles for success (2003) • Focusing mainly on internal mechanisms of successful partnership functioning • Jordan Education Initiative • McKinsey report (2005) • Focus on private sector partnering with government • Partnership model flexible but undefined • Designed to be sustainable

5. Examples of ICT4E partnership • UN ICT Task Force and GeSCI (Global eSchools and Communities Initiative) • GeSCI’s three types of partner • Local and Government; Growth; Knowledge • NEPAD and ISPAD (Information Society Partnership for Africa’s Development) • Private sector companies leading consortia • Again, partnership model not clearly formulated • India’s Mission 2007 • Partnerships at village level

6. Dimensions of sustainability • Five dimensions in ICT4E are often defined: • Educational sustainability • Technological sustainability • Social sustainability • Political sustainability • Economic/financial sustainability • This leaves out important dimensions such as • Environmental sustainability • Costing in the satellites! • Cultural relevance and sustainability • And is derived from an accountancy framework

7. Key inputs: Goals and strategy Actors Funding Value delivery system: Deployment of ICT platform Content User training and support Technical support Monitoring and reporting End-user Schools Communities System must be: Comprehensive Demand-driven Capable and efficient Efficiently co-ordinated GeSCI: “a complete and sustainable model”

8. GeSCI partners • Local and governmental partners • Government ministries, NGOs, Private companies, Academic institutions • Growth partners • Private companies, philanthropic organisations, governments, and individuals who provide insight, innovation, and resources • Knowledge partners • Experts from all sectors, including NGOs and academia, provide expertise

9. GeSCI Total Cost of Ownership Model • The approach undertaken by McKinsey was to develop an overall framework for thinking about benefits, costs and feasibility of e-school technology options for developing countries and then to identify a representative list of 10-15 technology platforms for detailed assessment using the framework. • The team created a sophisticated analytic tool that models total cost of ownership (TCO) for all technology options under different country conditions -- the goal is for this tool to be put online to be used by e-schools planners (at multiple levels: schools, districts, regions and country level) in developing countries in implementing ICTs in education. • Aimed to be available online in November 2005 - but still not up on their site in September 2006

10. Four issues from previous examples • The meaning of partnerships is often poorly defined • Partnerships often seen as unproblematic • A term simply used when different organisations collaborate • Focus largely on public-private • Often tends to ignore other kinds of organisation • Emphasis mainly on supply side • Although this is changing (GeSCI) • Insufficient attention paid to partnership processes

11. Key partnership ‘needs’ for successful partnerships • Need to understand what makes partnerships work • Not just take them for granted • Need for focus on the different interests in partnerships • Need to combine demand with supply • Need to conceive of dynamic multi-sector partnerships • Not just ‘public-private’

12. ICT4E Partnership Framework • Two groups of partners • Demand • End beneficiaries • Local partners • Supply • Funding agencies • Private sector • Civil society • Global organisations • Research and learning institutions • ‘Indicative’ framework: a way of thinking

13. Towards a partnership model

14. The types of partner

15. Contributions and benefits • Partnership contributions • Human resources • Physical ICT resources • Social networks • Infrastructures • Financial contributions • Partner benefits • Corporate identity • Networking opportunities • Economic returns • Research and development opportunities

16. Human resource contributions

17. Key principles for sustainable ICT4E partnerships • Must be based on trust • Need for a clear focus on delivery • Importance of charismatic leaders and champions • Sustainability must be built in from the start • Balancing demand and supply agendas • Time must be spent on sustaining networks • Transparency and a sound ethical basis

18. The real benefits of partnership for sustainability • Helps to ensure sustainability • Many stakeholders involved • Combines shared expertise • Building on individual strengths • Delivers appropriate solutions • Through focus on users’ needs • Facilitates ‘joined up writing’ • Limits duplication of effort • Can frequently be delivered very swiftly • One of the strengths of the private sector • Can be very cost-effective

19. Key questions that remain… • Given the effort needed to maintain partnerships, is it cheaper simply to issue contracts to deliver outputs? • How best to get the balance right between supply and demand? • How to deliver ICT embedded solutions in the most marginalised places and for the ‘poorest’ people? • How best to manage the partnerships? • Will this actually lead to ‘better’ lives for poor people?

20. For further details… • The ICT4D Collective • http://www.ict4d.org.uk • UNESCO publications for WSIS • http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001429/142982E.pdf