The Inter University Council For East Africa

Strategic Documents

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 The IUCEA ICT Policy

The journey to the IUCEA ICT Policy Plan started way back in 2006 when the IUCEA embarked on the process of formulating its strategic plan for the year2006/07-2010/11. Within this plan, a number of areas were identified in which the IUCEA could intervene on behalf of member universities through the application of ICT. Following this, a meeting  bringing together ICT and library experts from all the IUCEA member universities was held in Jinja, Uganda in August 27 – 29 2007, where an ICT Steering Committee was  formed. Among the areas of focus during this meeting was the need to harmonize ICT policies for higher education in the region that would eventually result in the development   of an ICT policy for the IUCEA. The Steering Committee held its first meeting in May 2008, where key project areas were identified in which the IUCEA could intervene on behalf of members.

In June – July 2008, a field survey on the current ICT status of the IUCEA  member universities was conducted, with the aim of providing background information for a  stakeholders' workshop that was held in Dar es Salaam in January 2009, to discus the ICT policy process, with delegates drawn from members of the ICT Steering Committee plus other experts selected from member universities in the five East African Partner States. The premise was that extensive consultations among stakeholders would help build consensus among the very diverse actors involved and overcome constraints that often forestall policy processes. This regional forum discussed the background information on the status of development and application of ICT in the region's higher education and identified an institutional framework and the key policy issues that needed to be addressed within the IUCEA policy document.

During the stakeholders' workshop, a regional ICT Policy Taskforce was set up to spearhead and oversee the formulation of the ICT Policy for the IUCEA. This taskforce met in Kampala on February 25 – 27 and came up with the first draft of the policy document. This draft was circulated to all staff at the IUCEA Secretariat for their further input, and a copy submitted to the IUCEA Governing Board members during a meeting held in Mombasa, Kenya (March 10 – 17 2009), where it was approved.

Download the ICT policy here

The IUCEA ICT Masterplan

In March 2009, the Governing Board endorsed the IUCEA ICT Policy Plan for the year 2009/10 – 20114/15. In this ICT policy plan, long-term ICT goals supporting the mission of strengthening higher education capacity in East Africa were identified, as well as specific strategies that are needed to reach those goals. In compliance to the Governing Board resolution upon the approval of the ICT policy plan, the IUCEA ICT Masterplan was developed with a five-year coverage. In this masterplan, the ICT policy plan has been translated into a collection of concrete projects, which collectively are responsible for the development and implementation of the envisaged ICT services, data communication infrastructure, and professional competence needed within higher education as a whole. This dynamic plan will enable the IUCEA to respond to the rapid changes that continue to occur in the technological arena as well as socio-economic sphere in a timely fashion.

Download the ICT Masterplan here.

 

 


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