ICT in Education Toolkit

Mapping Readiness of ICT at Country Level
ICT Policies and Plans  No information available

If information is available, please complete.

Map Policies, Plans and Projects
1. Summarize policies and plans, such as deregulation plans, technology-related tax credits, special tariffs to support expansion of technology, etc.



2. List and summarize existing or recently initiated large-scale* ICT-related projects that have potential relevance to education (although they are not directly educational projects); e.g. expansion of telephone lines to areas served by schools.

* Large-scale projects are defined as countrywide, statewide, and regional projects

Data Collection Information
Data Source (if applicable)

Annotations on data

Additional comments

 
  Mapping Readiness of ICT at Country Level: ICT Policies and Plans
 


Step 1: Mapping ICT Policies and Plan

Extract from collected documents and expert input information related the policies, plans and projects related to the ICT sector. Summarize in the following form.

If you wish to upload the completed Print Form document to the Filing Cabinet:

  • Download the print form onto your hard drive, complete and save;
  • Go to the Filing Cabinet and select "Upload documents for Tool …"
  • If you wish to replace a file, delete the old file first, and then upload the new version.
  • If you wish to have multiple versions of the same file, give each file a unique name, and follow the above process.

Preparedness of ICT Sector

The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide a rough profile of the preparedness and capacity of the ICT sector. Such a profile will help in making decisions for ICTs in education that are realistic and appropriate. On the other hand, the profile may indicate that the ICT sector is not ready to support large-scale ICT-related interventions in education, and may require some reform.

Under each profile indicator, there are five descriptors that fall along a continuum. Select one descriptor that best describes the current situation, although it may not represent the desired or prescribed goal.

Parts of this Form draw on some aspects of Readiness for the Networked World: A Guide for Developing Countries. Available at http://www.cid.harvard.edu/ciditg/research/tools.html

Electricity Infrastructure
  Countrywide, infrastructure is old and maintenance is limited or nonexistent.
  In urban areas, infrastructure is old but maintained.
  In most areas, infrastructure is reliable most of the time.
  In most areas, infrastructure is being upgraded.
  Countrywide, telecommunications infrastructure is being expanded or renovated.

Telecommunications Infrastructure
  Countrywide, telephone coverage is limited or nonexistent.
  In urban areas, more than half of the domestic phone calls can be completed successfully with dial-up modem transfer speeds of no more than 14.4.Kbps can be supported. However, in non-urban areas, telecommunications infrastructure is precarious.
  In most areas, domestic phone connections are frequently completed and of regular quality; dial-up modem transfer speeds of 28.8.Kbps can be supported.
  Expansion and/or renovation of phone lines are occuring for most of the country. In most areas, dial-up model transfer of 56 Kbps is supported.
  Countrywide, cable modem, DSL, and wireless solutions are available or being made available in most areas.

Technology Availability
  Radio is the only technology available throughout the country, including rural areas.
  Radio and television are available throughout the country, including rural areas, but computers are rare or nonexistent in most areas.
  Radio and television are available throughout the country; computers are common in urban areas but rare in rural areas; Internet connection is either nonexistent or expensive.
  Radio, television and computers are common all over the country, including in rural areas (even if through computer centers); Internet connection is limited.
  ICTs (radio, television, computers, Internet connection) are available countrywide.

Quality of Telephone Service
  Telephone mainlines may take years to be installed; repairs may take weeks or months to be completed; no computer technicians are available for repairs or troubleshooting.
  Telephone mainlines may take up to one year to be installed; repairs are slow but completed within a month; a few places offer technical support for computers.
  Telephone mainlines can be installed within a couple of weeks; telephone and electrical companies offer regular maintenance services; technical support for computers is expensive but easily available.
  Telephone mainlines are installed within one week; maintenance is part of the service contract; technical support for computers is of no problem; a small number of network administrators is available for support.
  Telephone mainlines are installed in a couple of days; maintenance is part of service contract and obtained 24 hours, 7 days a week through phone, Internet or fax; technical support for computers and network administrators is available.

Computer Technical Support
  No computer technicians are available for repairs or troubleshooting.
  Few places offer technical support for computers.
  Technical support for computers is expensive but easily available.
  Technical support for computers is readily available; a small number of network administrators is available for support.
  Technical support for computers is readily available; network administrators are available.

Cost of Basic Services
  Electricity, telephone and Internet rates are too expensive.
  Electricity and telephone rates are reasonable, but Internet rates are prohibitive.
  Electricity and telephone rates are very reasonable, but Internet use via local ISPs is too expensive for most users, including schools.
  Electricity and telephone rates are within the reach of most organizations and individuals. The price of Internet access via dial-up is accessible to most organizations, but not to individuals; high-speed connections are expensive.
  Rates for electricity, telephone calls, and Internet usage, including bandwidth solutions (cable, DSL), are accessible to all organizations and most individuals.

Regulatory Framework
  The telecommunication sector is very weak or limited; taxations or import/export tariff are obstacles for growth.
  The telecommunication sector is a private or state-owned monopoly; there are no regulatory provisions for universal access and no plans exist to open services to competition.
  The telecommunication sector is a private or state-owned monopoly; provisions for universal access exist but are not enforced; plans are under way to liberalize the system.
  The telecommunication sector is liberalized, but regulatory structures make competition difficult.
  There is a vibrant competition among telecommunication carriers, and licensing agreements encourage new groups to enter the market and bring innovation.

Availability of Expertise
  There are no courses for television or computer technicians, computer programmers or network administrators, or plans to open such courses.
  There are few courses for technicians, but not for programmers, network administrators and engineers.
  Training courses are multiplying, but courses for high-level personnel (software developers, programmers, experts in new languages etc) are still rare.
  Supply is becoming higher than demand; finding middle-level technicians is not difficult, but the high level personnel are still scarce or too expensive.
  Supply is much higher than demand; finding personnel with expertise and experience to work in ICT projects at all levels is not difficult.
Preparedness of ICT Sector

The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide a rough profile of the preparedness and capacity of the ICT sector. Such a profile will help in making decisions for ICTs in education that are realistic and appropriate. On the other hand, the profile may indicate that the ICT sector is not ready to support large-scale ICT-related interventions in education, and may require some reform.

Under each profile indicator, there are five descriptors that fall along a continuum. Select one descriptor that best describes the current situation, although it may not represent the desired or prescribed goal.

Parts of this Form draw on some aspects of Readiness for the Networked World: A Guide for Developing Countries. Available at http://www.cid.harvard.edu/ciditg/research/tools.html

Electricity Infrastructure
  Countrywide, infrastructure is old and maintenance is limited or nonexistent.
  In urban areas, infrastructure is old but maintained.
  In most areas, infrastructure is reliable most of the time.
  In most areas, infrastructure is being upgraded.
  Countrywide, telecommunications infrastructure is being expanded or renovated.

Telecommunications Infrastructure
  Countrywide, telephone coverage is limited or nonexistent.
  In urban areas, more than half of the domestic phone calls can be completed successfully with dial-up modem transfer speeds of no more than 14.4.Kbps can be supported. However, in non-urban areas, telecommunications infrastructure is precarious.
  In most areas, domestic phone connections are frequently completed and of regular quality; dial-up modem transfer speeds of 28.8.Kbps can be supported.
  Expansion and/or renovation of phone lines are occuring for most of the country. In most areas, dial-up model transfer of 56 Kbps is supported.
  Countrywide, cable modem, DSL, and wireless solutions are available or being made available in most areas.

Technology Availability
  Radio is the only technology available throughout the country, including rural areas.
  Radio and television are available throughout the country, including rural areas, but computers are rare or nonexistent in most areas.
  Radio and television are available throughout the country; computers are common in urban areas but rare in rural areas; Internet connection is either nonexistent or expensive.
  Radio, television and computers are common all over the country, including in rural areas (even if through computer centers); Internet connection is limited.
  ICTs (radio, television, computers, Internet connection) are available countrywide.

Quality of Telephone Service
  Telephone mainlines may take years to be installed; repairs may take weeks or months to be completed; no computer technicians are available for repairs or troubleshooting.
  Telephone mainlines may take up to one year to be installed; repairs are slow but completed within a month; a few places offer technical support for computers.
  Telephone mainlines can be installed within a couple of weeks; telephone and electrical companies offer regular maintenance services; technical support for computers is expensive but easily available.
  Telephone mainlines are installed within one week; maintenance is part of the service contract; technical support for computers is of no problem; a small number of network administrators is available for support.
  Telephone mainlines are installed in a couple of days; maintenance is part of service contract and obtained 24 hours, 7 days a week through phone, Internet or fax; technical support for computers and network administrators is available.

Computer Technical Support
  No computer technicians are available for repairs or troubleshooting.
  Few places offer technical support for computers.
  Technical support for computers is expensive but easily available.
  Technical support for computers is readily available; a small number of network administrators is available for support.
  Technical support for computers is readily available; network administrators are available.

Cost of Basic Services
  Electricity, telephone and Internet rates are too expensive.
  Electricity and telephone rates are reasonable, but Internet rates are prohibitive.
  Electricity and telephone rates are very reasonable, but Internet use via local ISPs is too expensive for most users, including schools.
  Electricity and telephone rates are within the reach of most organizations and individuals. The price of Internet access via dial-up is accessible to most organizations, but not to individuals; high-speed connections are expensive.
  Rates for electricity, telephone calls, and Internet usage, including bandwidth solutions (cable, DSL), are accessible to all organizations and most individuals.

Regulatory Framework
  The telecommunication sector is very weak or limited; taxations or import/export tariff are obstacles for growth.
  The telecommunication sector is a private or state-owned monopoly; there are no regulatory provisions for universal access and no plans exist to open services to competition.
  The telecommunication sector is a private or state-owned monopoly; provisions for universal access exist but are not enforced; plans are under way to liberalize the system.
  The telecommunication sector is liberalized, but regulatory structures make competition difficult.
  There is a vibrant competition among telecommunication carriers, and licensing agreements encourage new groups to enter the market and bring innovation.

Availability of Expertise
  There are no courses for television or computer technicians, computer programmers or network administrators, or plans to open such courses.
  There are few courses for technicians, but not for programmers, network administrators and engineers.
  Training courses are multiplying, but courses for high-level personnel (software developers, programmers, experts in new languages etc) are still rare.
  Supply is becoming higher than demand; finding middle-level technicians is not difficult, but the high level personnel are still scarce or too expensive.
  Supply is much higher than demand; finding personnel with expertise and experience to work in ICT projects at all levels is not difficult.
 
  Mapping Readiness of ICT at Country Level: Preparedness of ICT Sector
 


Step 2: SURVEY - Preparedness of ICT Sector

Mapping the degree of preparedness of the ICT sector may be achieved by completing a questionnaire that provides a rough profile of the preparedness and capacity of the ICT sector. Such a profile will help in making decisions for ICTs in education that are realistic and appropriate. On the other hand, the profile may indicate that the ICT sector is not ready to support large-scale ICT-related interventions in education, and may require some reform.

It is recommended that the questionnaire be completed by a group designated by the Facilitation Team that is quite knowledgeable of the ICT sector. This can be done in one of two ways:

The Facilitation Team sends the survey through the Toolkit to designated individuals who will complete it online. The Facilitation Team is able to view the results and save them.

The Team can download the questionnaire form and send it to the designated persons to be completed and returned. The Team can then enter the responses into the electronic forms and save the results for further use.


*This section is based on Readiness for the Networked World: A Guide for Developing Countries. Available at http://www.cid.harvard.edu/ciditg/research/tools.html