The National ICT Policy and Plan Development Committee set up by the Government under the Chairmanship of Professor Clement Dzidonu is tasked to develop for Ghana an ICT-led Socio-economic Development Policy and the corresponding Plan on the basis of an extensive national consultative exercise. See members and sub-committee members.

The ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Process
This process is not aimed at developing a sectoral ICT policy but rather to develop an ICT-driven socio-economic development policy and plan that will aid Ghana’s developmental effort and move the economy and society towards a knowledge based information society and economy in the shortest possible time. The process is being carried out in three phases:

Phase 1: The first phase will concentrate on the development of an Integrated ICT-led Socio-Economic Development Framework for Ghana (The Framework Document). The Framework Document will among other things provide the analytical basis for the development of the subsequent Policy document and the Plan. This document will specify and define the general problem and policy areas as well as identify specific policy issues and orientations that are required to guide the Policy development process and the subsequent Plan.

Phase 2: This phase of the Process will concentrate on the development of an Integrated ICT-led Socio-Economic Development Policy and Strategies for Ghana (The Policy Document). This document will provide details of the Government’s policy commitments in relation to WHAT need to be done towards the realization of the Vision for Ghana through the development, deployment and exploitation of ICTs. The Policy document will be submitted to Cabinet.

Phase 3: The Plan, to be developed in the 3rd Phase will provide details of HOW the policy commitments of the Government (contained in the Policy document) can be translated into concrete programmes and initiatives for implementation. This Plan, the first of series to be developed is to support the development of the necessary economic base and environment for accelerating Ghana’s development towards information rich and knowledge base economy and society.

On the National Consultative Process

The Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Process is to be a consultative one intended to bring on board all key stakeholders, namely: government, private sector and civil society. Apart from yielding specific deliverables, the process is to be used to build national consensus on key policy and plan development issues and as well for getting a general agreement on the way forward in terms of the direction and orientation of the national policy and plan development and implementation process.

The goal is to mobilize the involvement of all key stakeholders to play an active role in the consultative process --- this, it is anticipated will also facilitate the required ‘buy-in’ into the process as well as the ownership of the resultant policy, the plan and its implementation process.

The national consultative process which is currently on-going involve:

• meetings with each Cabinet Minister on a one to one basis
• meetings with key stakeholders in the public sector including organizations like: Bank of Ghana, Atomic Energy Commission, Media Commission, National Communications Authority, National Investment Promotion Center, CSIR, Private Enterprise Foundation, Ghana Academy of Arts and Science, State Enterprise Commission, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration service among many others like the TUC, the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Associations etc
• series of meetings with key stakeholders in the Private Sector and the ICT industry
• public fora at all the nation’s universities and other institutions of higher education
• meetings with key Civil Society Stakeholders and the Media
• meetings with a specific Parliamentary Select Committees
• consultative and technical briefing meetings with technical teams/parliamentary caucus of major Political Parties
• consultative meetings with key economic research institutions, including: ISSER, CEPA, IEA
• briefing sessions with the UN Systems and Development Partners

The Committee is also having series of dialog sessions with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to pipe into their on ongoing process aimed at developing a socio-economic development framework for the country ----- The two processes are complementary. The task of the Committee is to develop the relevant ICT policies and plans that are set within the wider socio-economic development framework defined by the NDPC.

Also planned is a group meeting with all the Chief Directors of the Government Ministries and Public Sector Organisations. It is also envisaged that a high-powered ministerial level meeting be held at some stage on the key outputs of the process. This meeting is expected to be attended by Cabinet Ministers, Members of the Council of State, Parliamentarians, key leaders from the Private Sector, Academia, and Labour Union and Members of the UN and Donor Community and the Media.

Please feel free to send your comments and inputs to: policy@ict.gov.gh