SUMMARY NOTE:
Information, Communications and Knowledge in the Horn of Africa
“The need for developing countries to increase their capacity to use knowledge cannot be overstated”
World Bank World Development Report 1998/99 (p 16).
This summary introduces the main issues of information, communications and knowledge (ICK) systems that are of relevant to strategy in the Horn of Africa. This broad area concerns all the UN agencies and IFIs. Economic and social development, however these are defined, rest on knowledge.
This summary introduces discussion board users to the basic themes with the intention of stimulating productive debate on the strategic options for enhancing information, communications and knowledge systems in the Horn. More detailed discussion papers on specific areas are under preparation. The compiled results of the discussion boards will be made available as resources for a UN General Assembly meeting in September and, more importantly, to assist national and sub-national groups in country with the formulation of strategies/upgrading of existing strategies in this sector.
Note that the provision of formal primary, secondary and tertiary education services in not discussed in this paper, and is awaiting a contribution from the specialised agencies.
Tackling poverty and food security in the region requires a rapid development of the human capital. It is now widely recognised that sustainable agricultural development is based less on material inputs (seeds and fertilisers) than on the people involved in their use. Investments in scientific and material inputs bear little fruit without parallel investment in human resources. The strategy is based on the assumption that rational investment in information and knowledge systems would enhance the efficiency of household resource. It will also ensure that sector investments are efficient and effective, leading to increased growth rates and reductions in poverty and food insecurity. Further, expanding access to information will help to ensure that the fruits of growth are distributed in an equitable fashion.
The lack of information and inadequate knowledge are major constraints to development in the region. This can be evinced by the general lack of economic diversity. In particular, the region is characterised by a weak industrial and service sectors, the economic reliance on traditional low-productivity farming. Low productivity per person (in all sectors) is also a function of lack of knowledge. Inadequate information and knowledge constrain people’s ability to prosper. They also limit the available options for dealing with risks and shocks.
Educated people are, generally, more versatile. Ignorance is a limitation to individual development. But lack of information also undermines policy formulation, and programme and project design. Information and communication questions underlie the implementation of investments in all sectors.
In this context, ICKS is taken to be a very broad way to describe any mechanism for transferring knowledge/information from one person to another. Information and knowledge systems underlie all elements if the strategy. In most sectors, systems entail backward and forward linkages of information between and within institutions as well as discursive mechanisms.
It may be helpful to distinguish four basic types of ICKS:
1. Knowledge enhancement systems and services (here we focus on non-formal and adult education). Examples include:
· Extension, agricultural rural radio services and other farmer knowledge systems
· Press and other media services for general knowledge and current affairs
· Public health and nutrition education, including group training and information campaigns
2. Household communication services include voice, data and other media services including telecommunications, radio and television.
3. Early Warning (EW) and Monitoring Systems are primary designed to service local and national policy makers, at least in the past. But critical “near real time” information services must be extended to households and other organisations. Examples of EW and Monitoring systems are
Some examples of such systems are:
· Famine Early Warning, Poverty and Vulnerability Information Systems for relief and safety net policy formulation
· Crop and livestock pest and disease EW and monitoring systems,
· Meteorological and agro-meteorological monitoring, forecasting and EW systems
· Environment and natural resource monitoring systems and inventories
· Epidemiological EW and monitoring,
· Market monitoring and price information systems
· Political EW Systems
4. Management Information Systems (MIS): Specific organisations need specialised information to support decision processes. These systems are geared towards meeting information needs within organisations and enhancing service efficiency. They include MI Systems for:
· commodity tracking and emergency response planning
· environmental and landuse planning MIS
· agricultural service MI systems,
· health service MIS,
· education service MIS including school mapping and supplying systems
· tax/customs information and administration service MIS.
In reality there is considerable overlap between these types of system, in terms of personnel, institutional responsibilities, physical infrastructure, information types and so on. For instance, local health workers may provide and use epidemiological information both for the formulation of preventative responses (EW) and for regular programme design and management (MIS). They may also be involved in adult education programmes aimed at increasing local awareness of health risks and care practices.
The sector-specific topics and investment relating to information and knowledge systems are defined under these headings. Here we look at the cross-cutting topics that are relevant to information and knowledge systems in all sectors.
What broadly explains the under-developed nature of ICK systems in the Horn of Africa and the need for investment in this area? Clearly, the current status is highly diverse within the region, so one must beware of generalities. There are numerous promising initiatives already underway in Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea and – surprisingly – Somalia. However, these rather general diagnostic comments are true for most of the region:
· Increasing access to high-quality formal education is a necessary but insufficient: It will take many years to develop high-coverage and quality primary, secondary and tertiary schooling in the region, from its very low current base. A large proportion of the current generation will not benefit from any advances in formal education services.
· Access to knowledge and information systems are under-developed in the Horn of Africa. In recent years, many studies have pointed to the wealth of local information and knowledge. However, in a changing and increasingly integrated World, exposure to local knowledge and information is simply not enough to ensure even basic survival, let alone enrich people’s experience of life. People must be aware of the opportunities that exist outside the narrow confines of the village. So there is a need to enhance people’s access to non-traditional knowledge and information. Basic indicators of radio ownership, schooling, literacy, access to telephone lines and so on are among the lowest in the World, with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia occupying very low positions on all indicators. Individuals, households and communities do not have low cost access to fundamental knowledge and information. At the local level, government officials, civil society organisations and private firms also lack access to ICK services.
· Existing ICK services are inadequate and do not reflect needs. Systems are also inadequate in the services that they provide to all user groups. This reflects, in part, a failure to design systems that address users’ needs.
· Women and girls tend to be excluded from formal education and informal ICK systems. Where they exist, school enrolment and completions statistics in the region suggest that girls are much less likely to be sent to school and to remain in school than are their brothers.
·
ICK system development has been ad hoc and haphazard in the region: donor and domestic public investment in ICKS has been ad hoc and
overly sector-focused, leading to numerous large and unsustainable “white
elephant” projects.
Any sector and overall strategy development should seek to:
· Develop ICK systems as a complement to formal education services. Informal ICK systems cannot be developed in isolation from formal education. Although this cluster focuses on informal knowledge systems, it is known that the people who benefit most from informal and adult training and public information (including health education and extension) are those who have some formal education. Without the basic tools of literacy and numeracy, and, in some cases, knowledge of the major languages, people are unable to understand and assess the implications of knowledge. Furthermore, cultivating knowledge (of whatever type) at the local level requires a cadre of educated individuals. It has been shown, for example, that the poor educational attainment among extension staff severely restricts the effectiveness of services.
·
Ensure that ICK systems reach the people who need them most. Rural communities and remote and marginalised people are those who
stand to gain the most from information and knowledge and have the least
access. For the public sector, decentralisation of decisional powers must be
accompanied with a corresponding devolution and decentralisation of
communications and information management systems. Low cost and appropriate
technologies must be found for providing local people with effective two-way
ICK services.
· Correct gender bias in service provision: While it will take time for education services to overcome basic cultural biases, all informal ICK service provision should be designed to ensure that women have equal or preferential access.
·
Ensure demand-driven approaches to ICK system development. All ICK systems must be designed to reflect the real needs of
clearly defined client groups whether
these are individual, group or institutional users. This is a precondition for
effectiveness and sustainability of the systems. All information management and systems
development efforts should be based on a clear definition of the needs of the
clients and users in the countries.
· Harmonise ICK development: for numerous reasons ranging from basic technological compatibility to efficient use of hardware platforms and telecommunications investment, harmonisation of systems within and between countries is essential. There is a need for a comprehensive approaches to regional, national and sub-national strategy and investment. There is also a need for harmonisation across sectors (health, relief, education, agriculture etc.)
Why are information and knowledge systems so weak in the marginal areas of the Horn of Africa? What can be done? These discussion papers attempt to identify and summarise the critical issues, describe ongoing initiatives in the region, draw on useful lessons from elsewhere, and point to some of the possible strategic options. The papers (will) also contain resource links and references and key international and national contact organisations and people.
Note that specific issues (i.e. relating to famine early warning, nutritional surveillance, market information systems and so on) are discussed elsewhere. Here we explore the general issues that relate to all types of information and knowledge.
There is a severe bottleneck in information and knowledge exchange between households and communities and service providers and other agencies. This has two notable consequences. First, communities have very limited access to specialised information and knowledge (including basic health, agricultural, meteorological and economic information). Second, it reduces the ability of NGOs, Governments and UN agencies to establish direct and effective partnerships with local community structures. The weaknesses are particularly evident in the pastoral areas, where outsiders are often held in deep suspicion. There is a need for innovative approaches to mobilising community knowledge and expression and integrating ethnic and clan structures in decision-processes. There is also a need for low cost technologies for delivering ICK services to rural areas, especially those that lack schooling facilities.
Multipurpose Community Telecentres (MTCs) offer the possibility of establishing a low-cost information and knowledge exchange facility with considerable scope for cost recovery and sustainability. These have been piloted throughout West Africa and in Kenya and Somalia. Pilot Farmer Advisory Service, based on a similar concept, are planned in Eritrea. The development of rural radio, limited to date, could also draw on successful experiences in the Sahel and in Eritrea.
All ICK
services must be demand driven, meaning that they reflect the real information
and knowledge priorities of communities and individuals. This implies that the
design of adult education, public information and specialised training products
must be highly sensitive to local people’s needs and opinions.
Informal and adult training and extension must be developed in addition to formal education for the young. It is necessary to move away from “top-down” approaches to service delivery. Given that men and women play different roles in agricultural and rural development, communication media and strategies should reflect their diverse needs and priorities. Information and knowledge transfer and exchange at the grassroots level requires a relatively skilled and gender-balanced cadre, specialised (though not necessarily formally qualified) in particular subject areas. Training of trainers, both formal and informal is essential and this should not be narrowly limited to government extension and health staff. Government agencies are not always the most appropriate organisations for delivering training and extension services and alternative channels may complement or in some cases replace the traditional public sector services. Strategy must address the constraints to service delivery in both the public and the private sectors.
All types of ICKS require a human and physical network for communication within and between institutions. An obvious constraint to information and knowledge exchange is the lack of an appropriate physical communications infrastructure and efficient telecommunications services. Again, this problem is particularly acute in the marginal agro-pastoral and pastoral areas. In the past, this constraint could be attributed to the low feasibility and efficiency of providing wired telecommunications services in sparsely populated areas with mobile populations. Advances in satellite and cellular communications technology, and drastic reductions in the price of both voice and data technology, offer large potential for establishing alternative communications infrastructures. Despite recent reforms, the telecom sector remains highly regulated in all most countries of the region. There is scope for public utility reform and legislative revision to encourage more efficient and extensive service provision.
Formal data collection systems in the Horn (with the exception of Uganda) are among the weakest in the World. In all pastoral areas, reliable statistical data are lacking. The consequence is that decision-makers are ill-informed. This reflects the low capacity of the statistical authorities and other basic information services. There is undoubtedly scope for streamlining and reforming information collection services, but there is also a need for additional and coherent investment in basic information collection. The financial sustainability of statistical services will depend on their institutional status. There is considerable scope for restructuring. Other countries may benefit from Uganda’s example in this respect.
Particular
weaknesses in the current information base in the region relate to basic data
and information for identifying vulnerable
groups in the region, and the underlying causes of vulnerability.
Strengthening this information must be regarded as a priority for determining
priority programmes and effective interventions in the short and medium term.
In addition to information on vulnerable groups and other critical
socioeconomic data, there is a need to obtain standardised information on natural resource ( soil, water,
vegetation related) in an integrated manner (within ecosystems).
Information on natural resource should focus on i) the characterisation of the
resources ii) the state of degradation ( e.g. desertification, land
degradation) iii) the potential or carrying capacity, according to land use/
land management options. Up-to-date, information on natural resource and
environment is still scarce , partial , non integrated and difficult to compare
with socio-economic information.
Advances in internet, intranet and database technology offer the possibility of cheaper, more reliable and quicker communications within government, and between government and other organisations. Moreover, technologies now permit greater levels of decentralisation of information management.
Management information and early warning systems have yet to derive the full benefits of electronic storage, exchange and dissemination methods. This can be attributed in part to the cost of maintaining new technologies and also to mixed staff capacity levels. Donor investment in the sector has often been piecemeal and poorly articulated. White elephant technologies are found in government units throughout the Horn. A more systematic approach to system development, combined with efforts to share web and basic maintenance services, is essential. It is timely because new software technology and more powerful hardware allows more harmonisation without compromising the specificity of MIS.
Iinformation management tools could be used to
provide more integration between MI and EW systems benefiting from maximum
synergy and scale economies. For all information management systems, a basic
set of standard design specifications must be followed for software development
and integration. These include: decentralization, portability, scalability,
flexibility, adaptability (future-proofing), free licensing and royalties, and
adherence to basic open and non-proprietary standards for the technical
architecture and tools.
Investment
and research in the broad field of information, communications and knowledge is
often uncoordinated, creating rather than reducing confusion. The development
process must address the issues of co-ordination and management and for these
main reasons there is a need for a tightly coordinated approach to the
development of ICK systems in the region. First, it is clear that common
technological and institutional problems face all development of ICK systems
and there is much scope for sharing experience and expertise. Second,
harmonising systems will enable successful exploitation of economies of scale
and synergy. Third, integrating thematic MI and EW systems allows users full
access to multidisciplinary information. Fourth, coordinated approaches help to
ensure that systems adhere to minimal standards or, eventually, best practices.
Internationally
and nationally, regular and politically powered co-ordination mechanisms are
needed to review the options, modalities, "rules of the game" and
best practice that could characterise the future information networks at
sub-national, national and regional levels, with a view to facilitating
sustainable development and reduce effectively food insecurity. Such mechanisms
need to be driven by multi disciplinary teams covering not only internet, or
GIS tools but all technical staff dealing with the production and the use of
knowledge and information. Naturally, implementation of best practices within
and between UN agencies would be a good start.