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ICTsFOREFFECTIVEDECENTRALISATION:APILOTSTUDYFROMSELECTEDWOREDAS(DISTRICTS)INETHIOPIAByAssefaAdmassieMulatDemekeJune,2004Introduction•ThemotivationforthisstudyoriginatedfromtheGovernment’srecentlyadopteddecentralizedsystemofadministration.•Accordingtothedecentralizedsystemregionsandlocaladministrations(Woredas)arenowassumingmoreresponsibilitiesforprovidingbasiceconomicandsocialinfrastructureandservices.•Itis,therefore,importanttoimprovetheefficacyofthesystemofadministrationandtheservicedeliveryattheworedalevel.•TheintroductionanduseofICTsisacriticalinputtoimprovetheefficiencyofservicedeliveryandfacilitatetheflowofinformation.Introduction……•Consequently,theexpansionofICTshasnowbecomeoneofthenationalstrategicprograms.•Adraftnationalinformationandcommunicationtechnologypolicyhasalreadybeendeveloped.•ThedraftpolicystressesthecomputerizationofpublicservicesatFederalandRegionallevels.•ThereareplanstoimplementLANandWANlinkingWoredaswitheachotherandwiththecentralgovernment.•TherecentlylaunchedschoolnetprogramforschoolsacrossthedifferentregionsisanexampleoftherecognitionoftheimportanceofICTs.PotentialInter-linkagesbetweenICTsandBroad-basedDevelopmentObjectivesofthePilotStudy•TodeterminetheinformationandcommunicationneedsofgovernmentofficesandthegeneralpublicatWoredalevel–ExamineinformationneedsofWoredahealth,agriculturaldevelopment,educationoffice,etc.•Toinvestigateinformationandcommunicationflowbetweencommunitiesandpublicinstitutions–Analyzethehorizontalandverticalexchangeofinformationbetweengovernmentoffices•ToidentifyandrecommendappropriateICTtechnologies.Methodology•FourWoredashavingdifferentlevelofeconomicdevelopmentwerepurposivelyselected–Urban-AddisAbaba(Woreda13andWoreda26)–Semi-urban-Ada’aLibenWoreda-Debrezeit,Oromiya–Remote-BambasiWoreda-Benshangul-Gumuz.Datacollection•Fourdifferenttypesofinstrumentsweredevelopedandused.–TwooftheinstrumentsweresomewhatstructuredandwereaddressedtoWoredaadministrationandsectoroffices–Theothertwoinstrumentswereintheformofchecklists-forcommunities/localorganizationsandforgatheringsecondarydata•Theinstrumentswererevisedandamendedthroughapilottesting•Ahalf-dayworkshopwasalsoheldineachWoreda–toexplainanddiscussthepurposeofthestudyDatacollection….•Informationwasassembledfromdifferentsources.–TheWoredaAdministrationoffices–TheFinanceoffices–TheHealthoffices–TheEducationoffices–TheWoredaPoliceoffices–TheCooperativesOrganizationandPromotionoffices–TheWorksandUrbanDevelopmentoffices–TheAgriculturalDevelopmentoffice.Datacollection...•NGOsandseveralcommunity-basedinstitutionswerealsocontacted–YouthAssociations–Kebeleadministrations–Farmers’servicecooperative,etc.MainFindings•1)Organizationalstructure–WoredaCouncilmakespolicydecisionsandensuresthesmoothadministration–Regularmeetingsareusuallyheldeverythreemonthsontheaverage–But,minutesofthemeetingsarenotdistributedb/cofshortageofstationaryitems–Thismeans,thereislimitedopportunityforactingandmakingdecisionsbasedonwhatwasdiscussedandagreed.MainFindings…..•TheWoredaAdministrationcallsfivetosixpublicgatheringsayeartointeractwiththecommunity–But,notallpeopleshowupforsuchmeetings,and–Nominutesarecompiledanddistributed•Conclusion:Noeffectivemeansofinformationdisseminationorpopularparticipationexist.MainFindings….•2)InformationFlow•TheWoredaAdministrationsreporttotheZonaladministration.•DifferentsectorofficesreporttotheWoredaAdministrationsandtotherespectivesectorbureausatZonallevels.•TheWoredaAdministrationoverseestheday-to-dayactivitiesofthedifferentsectoroffices.•Sectorofficesarefurtherorganizedintothreeorfourworkingteams(pools).MainFindings….•TheKebeleAdministrationsreporttotheWoredafinanceofficesandtotheWoredaAdministration.•SchoolsintherespectiveWoredasreporttotheWoredaeducationoffices•PublichealthcentersreporttotheWoredahealthoffices.MainFindings….•3)HumanResource–Allpublicofficesareverymuchunderstaffed.•E.g.healthofficeinWoreda13unabletoundertakeanydiseasepreventionactivitybecauseoflackofmanpower.•Itneedsmorethan20permanentemployees,buthasonlyfiveemployees.MainFindings…..•Onlyveryfewemployeeshavediplomaleveltraining.•NoonewasreportedtohaveauniversitydegreeinalltheWoredas.•Veryfewemployeeshavesomecomputerability(inAddisonly21workers-6.6%-havesomecomputerability).MainFindings…..•4)MainActivities–ThesectorofficesprepareWorkplans,progressreportsandbudgetplansfromtimetotime.•Thepreparationofthesedocumentstakes»severaldays»alotoflabortimeofseveralpeople»severalpages-oftenhandwritten–Attimes,theseactivitiesbecomethemajor(sole)activitiesformoststaffMainFindings….•5)ICTrelatedinformationcompiled:•ICTNeeds,StorageandProcessingmechanisms•TheavailableICTsineachworedaoffice•NumberandqualificationofICTProfessionals•ThedegreeofTelephoneConnectivity•ICTExpenditureandPlanning•PrioritySectorsthatNeedICTSupport•MajorProblemsinICTExpansion•ICTNeedsofthecommunityMajorimplications•Rapidgrowthanddevelopmentcannotbeachievedwithoutensuringaccountabilityandwithoutimprovingefficiencyofservicedelivery.•ICTsareusefultopromotetransparencyingovernanceandforanefficientf