What is the Kofi Annan Fellowship?

A fellowship grant for an emerging leader from a developing countryfor a one-year full-time MBA education in Berlin, Germany.

Purpose

To make significant contributions to least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs); to strengthen the awareness forresponsibility in leadership in developed countries.

Partner

ESMT in cooperation with the Kofi Annan Business School Foundation in The Hague, Netherlands.

When

Starting annually in January. Application deadline is September 30, annually.Up to three fellowships are available each year.

Financials

Value of the fellowship is € 58,000. Fellows will have a full scholarship from ESMT plus fair compensation for costs like travel, accommodation, and program-related fees.

Support

Travel, visa, housing, insurance, placement, networking.

Requirements

Bachelor degree of any kind, a minimum of three years’ professional experience, GMAT, fluency in written and spoken English, willingness to contribute to building the economy and society of the home country withentrepreneurial impetus. Download brochure here.

Interested applicants should please apply with a cover letter expressing their interest and expected remuneration, and a completed application package which is downloadable from www.aidipinsitute.org. Individuals working within universities or other research institutions are encouraged to apply.

===== DOWNLOAD APPLICATION PACK =====

• APPLICATION PACK - ENGLISH | FRENCH
• CALL FOR CONSULTANTS - ENGLISH | FRENCH
• E-Governance Explained - ENGLISH & FRENCH

BACKGROUND

The African Institute for Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP) focuses on the conduct and dissemination of research and the advocacy and establishment of projects and policies concerning the adoption and usage of development informatics. With funding from the Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA), AIDIP is implementing a policy research project aimed at furthering understanding of e-governance policies, programmes and projects in the ECOWAS region. The first phase of the project focuses on the six ECOWAS countries outlined above.

The Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA) Secretariat promotes the creation and transfer of knowledge concerning e-governance with a primary geographical focus on ECOWAS countries. AfegA is a UNDP and OSIWA co-funded initiative.

PROJECT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Post: Consultant for Country Case Study

Duty Station: 6 AfegA countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cameroun)

Duration of Assignment: 1 month

Languages Required: English and French

Starting Date: 9 September 2011 (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)

The purpose of the study is to understand the opportunities and challenges in supporting governments and organizations in e-governance and examine interrelations and strengthen networks between sub-Saharan organizations and CSOs to achieve the promises of e-Governance. Establishing a better understanding of e-governance in Sub-Saharan Africa will enable us to define an appropriate approach for programmatic support. The objectives to achieve this purpose are:

1. To identify the policies, programmes, projects and initiatives/services which promote good governance and democracy in the countries;
2. To assess the type and level of sophistication of technologies and applications which support e-governance;
3. To identify critical processes and gaps between the objectives of e-governance and the impact of e-governance projects and services;
4. To explore the nature of relationships between e-governance stakeholders and how that these relationships impact on e-governance projects;
5. To identify the opportunities and challenges facing governments and e-governance stakeholders in deploying and utilizing e-governance services; and
6. To identify the best practices and lessons from e-governance projects in the case study countries.

ELIGIBILITY OF CONSULTANTS

1. University degree with relevant field, at least at Masters Level. Further Postgraduate qualifications would be an advantage.
2. At least 5 years of relevant experience, including work in the ICT sector.
3. Strong analytical and data skills and proven writing ability.
4. Experience with the specific country would be an advantage.
5. Proven English writing skills with fluency of the official language of the country being studied.
6. Previous consultancy experience.

Read More….

Dr. Richard Boateng has joined ITID as our newest Associate Editor. In this role, Richard joins the front-line team of scholars with direct responsibility shepherding submissions through our rigorous peer review process. It is the significant work of our Associated Editors that ensures the highest research standards are maintained in everything we publish. Welcome Richard!

Dr. Boateng is Director of Research at the International Centre for Information Technology and Development at the College of Business, Southern University. He also currently is teaching at the University of Ghana. And Richard is the founder of Pearl Richards Concepts (www.pearlrichards.org), a project that turns research ideas and concepts into sustainable development projects and business enterprises. He holds postgraduate and doctorate degrees from the University of Manchester.

Richard follows in the footsteps of Dr. Alemayehu Molla, who served for the past two years as an enormously able and enthusiastic Associate Editor. Alem has now stepped down from that role and has re-joined the Editorial Board. He has been an exceptional Associate Editor with ITID. We are delighted that he will continue to be associated with the journal and we do offer our considerable thanks to Alem!

Africa Digital Week will seek to:

1. Discuss the experiences of African governments, private and non-governmental institutions in using new and emerging digital technologies (social media, mobiles and information and internet-enabled technologies) to interact and provide services to the consumers and citizens;
2. Promote the strategic understanding of the role of digital technologies in achieving the millennium development goals in Africa and other developing countries; and
3. Educate participants on how to conduct evaluations and impact analysis on using these new technologies (especially social media and mobiles) to achieve organizational or institutional objectives.

Conference and Workshops

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1) ECOWAS Youth and Graduates Conference

Theme: Social Media, The Youth and Development. The conference will examine ways in which capabilities and competencies of the youth and graduates can support business, development and good governance in Africa.

2) AfegA E-Governance Workshop

Theme: New Technologies and Governance – “Can A Government Be Open without being Public?” This workshop is being co-organized by the Africa E-governance Academy (AfegA).

3) Africa Digital Business Workshop

Theme: New Technologies, Business and Development. The workshop will critically explore the use of social media for business and non-profit institutions and the contribution of African Telecoms and NGOs to development in Africa.

Paper Submissions

Submissions are welcome from students, practitioners, researchers, academics and doctoral/research candidates.  Submissions information - http://www.africadigitalweek.com/submissions.html

EXHIBITION

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Theme: Technologies and Applications that Change the World. Exhibition will feature a corporate digital product launch from entrepreneurs, African companies, and multinationals institutions.  A special feature will be The Launch of VIVA Africa Multimedia – An Internet Television for the Internet Generation of Africa (www.vivaafrica.tv).

Africa Digital Week 2011 will encourage open minds, critical thinking, self-examination, creativity, and sharing ideas. We invite you to join us, and look forward to welcoming you. We believe your invaluable experience and insight will add to what is an invaluable discourse for Africa and other developing regions. We have no doubt it will be challenging and thought-provoking, as well as an entertaining experience.

(Prepared for “What is Research” Immigration Course, Computer Science Department, Carnegie Mellon University, 14 October 1987)

Presentation Outline

1. Introduction
2. Why Ph.D. thesis could be really difficult for a student
3. Types of Ph.D. theses (from Allen Newell)–not a topic of this talk
4. Growth of a star (the transformation process that some students go through to become a mature researcher)–which stage are you in?
5. Stages of Ph.D. thesis research
6. Methods to get into the depth of a topic (or how to come up with good ideas)
7. Breaking myths
8. Pitfalls to avoid (easy ones to avoid listed first)
9. Some other general advice
10. All the effort is worth it (believe it or not)

The increasing accessibility to the Internet and the growing penetration across Africa has presented a number of opportunities for businesses on the continent. Alongside these opportunities for businesses is a major challenge – a number of companies are either confused on what to do or even yet to identify and understand these opportunities. The challenge is the increasing sophistication of the consumer of today. The consumer in the Internet generation or in this information economy has a short attention span and seldom seeks for information or learns through the tradition media – print, TV and perhaps, radio. As such, traditional media has become the lesser preferred medium for new information and content for edutainment, interaction, learning, fun, inspiration and motivation.  This phenomenon powered by the Internet and allied technologies has stirred up a major rethink in the boardroom: COMPANIES HAVE TO USE MULTIPLE CHANNELS OR MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND AUDIENCE. Primary among these multiple channels is social media. However, very few companies in Africa have taken steps at this or even considered it as an opportunity.

It is on this premise your client, VIVA Africa Multimedia was established: to provide a platform for companies, NGOs, the public sector and civic society to produce and deliver multimedia engaging content and information to the Internet generation in Africa.

So there is so much talk about VIVA.. VIVA Africa what is it?

VIVA Africa Multimedia (VAM) is an Internet Television network for the internet generation in and from Africa. Our objective is to create, produce and present free and unique episodic edutainment programs watched by a passionate and energetic community. We use contemporary multimedia technologies to tell the African story in a manner which will like you to love our beloved continent and yearn to be part of the experience.

The multimedia shows are vast and varied… from technology, to finding love, food, beauty and fashion and what have you! Our professionally produced shows can be watched anywhere, anytime, on any internet-enabled device and including mobile phones, notebooks, PCs, and tablet PCs. Our shows are viewed through our own website, along with other distribution partners including iTunes. Advertisers enjoy an intimate and direct reach to audience via customized message integration and host mentions that have a positive viral effect.

if you are an African and you have something to share… this is the platform… if you want to share anything with Africans this is the platform. This multimedia platform has much to come… this is only the beginning… we are excited, and ready…join the feeling… Africa Live… VIVA Africa!!!! Follow us on Facebook.

This Journey is Your Journey But It Would Affect A Number of People In And Around Your Life – The Question is, To What Extent would You Let What Affects Them Affect You?

Today I want to share some of the lessons I learn during my PhD. I used to have these pinned on my wall until the week of my viva It may be of help to some who have just began their PhD or are some way through.

1. You May Rejoice in the Fact that You are Winning Until You Realise that You Are Not Even in the Race!

2. Cheap Trills and Empty Promises May Look Necessary but has a Price!

3. A Smile is not Always What it Seems to be; Some Smiles Say I Pity You; Others Say You Remind Me Of Something/Someone; Some Are Indifferent or Acted; and A Few Are Genuine. Which one did you have today, when you met your supervisor?

4. Success is Sometimes A Concentrated, Consistent Focused Effort!

5. If You Don’t Know, ASK Where Possible, Don’t Make Assumptions On Things You Don’t Understand! You Need to be Critical of your Own Realism, Because it Consists of Your Own Perceptual Experience!

6. Intellectual Stimulation and Emotional Breaks Sum Up the Dinner of a PhD Student! Too Much of Any of them Makes the Meal Less Delicious!

7. Find An Escape Environment – This is Where the Sub-conscious Mind Maps Out What You Read!

8. This Journey is Your Journey But It Would Affect A Number of People In And Around Your Life – The Question is, To What Extent would You Let What Affects Them Affect You?

9. Teach My Heart How to Endure, My Hands How to Make Wealth and My Mind How to Give Back the Wealth!

10. Time is the Best Teacher!

11. During your analysis, remember not to stress too much, give yourself time to think through the concepts and hidden connections between the factors and variables your are studying. Also break the analysis into sections and work on them gradually. Have a small note pad to summarise your thoughts and put down new ideas… which will come up in the most unusual place.. sometimes the bathroom, on the bed, kitchen and squash court!

Drop me an email and let me know what you think… Richard Boateng, PhD editor @ digitallearningafrica.org

Perhaps, FOSS in Africa needs a dedicated publication featuring different applications and adoption/implementation advice. There is much to be done. In the previous ICT4Africa conference (www.ictforafrica.org), I did a session on Open-source and Open content. Though it was well received, the follow-up was the challenge.

1. How can we communicate FOSS better to businesses in Africa and to students?
2. How can we promote an open development community which will exchange skills and also make current software more robust for adoption?

There is also the issue of the fact that, much software development is being done by African developers and programmers, but because of the challenge of poverty, making ends meet and contractual issues, these projects are primarily proprietary and commercial. Making them open is not discussed. Developers do not have same intrinsic luxury as in developed countries to go open. Even some are taking open applications like Joomla and commercializing its adoption and implementation. So there is a need for business model for FOSS which enables developers to get some reward for their time. Otherwise we use the Google way… we will buy proprietary software developed in Africa and make it open for others. How many of us are as ‘rich’ as Google!

Perhaps such a scheme will encourage developers to develop software and make it free. In this model we can ask for specific applications… for example, the World Bank’s Apps for development competition is using a similar model (thus if the make the apps free and open after the competition)…

Lastly, the connections between FOSS and socio-economic development have to be investigated more thoroughly and shared. I do not know if we can form an advocacy group to this. Next July I am organizing a conference in Ghana to look the NGOs and telecoms contributions to development in Africa. I will place this issue on the agenda. I will post more information about the conference in January.

We have some challenge ahead of us but we can achieve a more if we keep our focus…

Defining FOSS

FOSS is software for which the human-readable source code is made available to the users of the software, who can then modify the code in order to fit the software to their own needs [1-2]. The main characteristic of FOSS is that the users are free to use, modify and redistribute the software respecting the terms of the license associated with it. FOSS is, as an abbreviation, free and open source software. Though used together, philosophical differences exist between “free” software and “open source software” (OSS). Free software vision represents a critique of software ownership based on its public utility [3]. It focuses on the liberty to access the source code of the software and the associated freedom to run, study, copy, modify and redistribute the software. Free software is generally distributed under the General Public Licence (GPL) which aims to guarantee users’ freedom and prevent free software source code from being turned into or mixed with proprietary software [4].

Open source movement has a more pragmatic approach: it discards the free software ideology and fosters the widespread commercial adoption of open source software promoting the commercial and technical advantages of its developmental model. OSS licences allow developers to sell the software and realise derivative OSS that incorporates proprietary code.

According to the Free Software Foundation (FSF), founded by Richard Stallman in 1985, free software is about protecting four user freedoms:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to a person’s needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbour (freedom 2).
• The freedom to improve a programme, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this”[5].

FSF’s principles are based in part on the belief that “free software is a matter of liberty” [5]. It is important to note that the term free software refers to the freedom associated with it and not to the price [6]. Richard Stallman, creator of the philosophy and term “free software”, underlines that FOSS is “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. The freedom to use, copy, modify and redistribute the software application is based on the availability of the source code. However, as the source code has to be freely available for use and redistribution, free software usually can be obtained at no or very little cost[7].

FSF considers non-free software unethical and condemns software ownership on the base of its public utility: software, like language, is foundational to the society that uses it [2]. Free software is generally distributed under Stallman’s General Public Licence (GPL); GPL guarantees the users’ four freedoms but does not allow them to add restrictions: it requires all follow-on programmes or enhancements to be licensed under GPL, thus preventing any proprietary software from being constructed using GPL software [8]. Because of this feature, the GPL is considered a “viral” license: programme’s code derived from code covered by the GPL is “infected” by the GPL [4,8].

Now, consider open source software. The expression Open Source Software (OSS) was coined as an alternative to Free Software. OSS, defined by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), can trace its origins to the Free Software Foundation, but differs from it as it is less focused on the moral implications of free software and more on the technical advantages of the OSS distributed development model [3,7]. OSI was founded in 1998 by a group of developers within the Free Software movement that wanted to bring Free Software to a wider audience: they rejected the purely ideological approach of the FSF in order to address the commercial world with the concept of “open source software” [4]. This split was necessary to attract a commercial interest and the corporate world. Leaders of the OSS movements are Linus Torvalds and Eric Raymond. OSI has a more pragmatic and commercial approach than FSF: it promotes the superiority of an open development process that leads to software reliability, low cost and quality, and emphasises economic competitiveness over ideology [9]. OSS licenses still require that source code to be made available, but do not necessary prevent the development of hybrid free/proprietary tools (Bannerman 2007). The Open Source Definition (OSD) articulated by the OSI represents the guideline for OSS licences, which can have either relaxed or nonexistent intellectual property restrictions [10]. There are more than fifty OSS licenses certified by the OSI, which differ in terms of right for commercial use, the extent of code control and the integration between OSS and closed source code [11].

FSF Vs OSI

Concerning the differences between FSF and OSS, the Free Software Definition is slightly more restrictive than the Open Source Definition. As a consequence of this, free software is open source, but OSS may or may not be “free”. While the FSF produces software and publications, the OSI has given up software development in favour of marketing the software. Feller and Fitzgerald argue that, in spite of the differences in strategy and/or principles of these two advocacy groups, the FSF and the OSI complement each other well [4]. While the FSF continues to inspire and stimulate the software development with projects and articles, the OSI complements them in legitimating the FS/OSS movement within larger audiences such as the business community [4].

Further Reading

This is part one of the FOSS Discussions, we will continue with FOSS Adoption in developing countries and its challenges in the next issue. Happy Christmas and a great new year.

References

1. Wong, K. and Sayo, P. (2004) Free/Open source software: a general introduction, UNDP-APDIP, Kuala Lumpur.
2. Cook, I. and Horobin, G. (2006) Implementing eGovernment without Promoting Dependence: Open Source Software in Developing Countries in Southeast Asia, Public Administration and Development, 26, 279-289.
3. May, C. (2006) “Escaping the TRIPs’ Trap: The Political Economy of Free and Open Source Software in Africa”, in Political Studies, Vol. 54 no. 1 pp. 123-146.
4. Feller, J. and Fitzgerald, B. (2002) Understanding Open Source Software Development, Pearson Education, Edinburgh.
5. Free Software Foundation (2007) The Free Software definition Free Software Foundation [Online] Available at: http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-sw.html [Accessed: 2 June 2008].
6. Stallman, R. (1992) Why Software Should be Free, The GNU Project [Online] Available at: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/shouldbefree.html [Accessed: 20 June 2008].
7. Hoe, N. S. (2006) BreakingBarriers: The Potential of Free and Open Source Software for Sustainable Human Development UNDP, New Delhi, India.
8. Evans, D. S. and Reddy, B. J. (2003) “Government Preferences for Promoting Open-Source Software: a Solution in Search of a Problem” in Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review, Vol. 9 no. 2 pp. 313-394.
9. Weber, S. (2004) The Success of Open Source Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
10. Chang, V., Mills, H. and Newhouse, S. (2007) From Open Source to Long-term Sustainability: Review of Business Models and Case Studies. In: All Hands Meeting 2007, OMII-UK Workshop, 10 September – 13 September, 2007, Nottigham, UK.
11. Krishnamurty, S. (2005) “An Analysis of Open Source Business Models” in Perspectives on Free and Open Source Software, Feller, J., Fitzgerald, B., Hissam, S.A. and Lakhani, K.R. (eds.) The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts pp.279-296.