IMPLEMENTING THE ICT VISION 2010

The Vision 2010 document states fact that Mongolia wants to become a ‘knowledge society’. The government, the private sector and the public, indeed all sectors of society and of the economy, need to harness the potential of the information and knowledge revolution to improve the health, wealth and well being of everyone.

What does this mean in fact given the present situation of the economy and the development priorities of the country? What are the priorities? How should the Action Plan and the Vision 2010 be implemented?

Priorities

As a result of discussions that took place at one time or another with most of the 21 members of the ICT Council, and based on research and further discussions undertaken during the course of this mission, it is proposed that the focus of the action plan over the coming 4 years be in the following areas: 

Policies 

Creating an enabling environment for enhancing and extending the use of ICTs and the Internet by adopting, creating and/or strengthening appropriate standards, regulations, policies, financial support, mechanisms and institutions

Infrastructure 

Ensuring that a modern, cost effective, competent and universally accessible telecommunications infrastructure exists across the country

Education and training 

Developing the human resources base upon which a Mongolian Information Society will be built, grow and sustained

E-commerce 

Strengthening the capacity of the private sector to make beneficial and commercial use of the Internet and of ICTs, and to generate employment and profits

Government services 

Enhancing capacity to deliver government services across the country and encouraging greater citizen involvement in the governance of the country

Community access 

Providing support for public computer access to the Internet at the local community level

Strengthen Mongolian content on the Internet

Enhancing the presence of Mongolia on the Internet

Research networking 

Strengthening the capacity of scientists, researchers and other experts and professionals to collaborate using the Internet for the greater development and advantage of Mongolia

Implementation mechanisms 

Establishing viable institutional arrangements to implement the action plan.

Categories of priority

There are two categories of priorities: operational priorities and programmatic priorities.

Operational priorities

The implementation mechanism is the only operational priority and it deals with how to implement this action plan and make it operational.

Programme priorities

Among the programmatic priorities, human resource development is a pre-condition for dealing the other priorities. Awareness promotion, strengthening and maintaining an appropriate policy environment and encouraging and facilitating local community access are also pre-eminent. The priorities identified need to be addressed at the same time, in parallel and not sequentially, but emphasis initially should be directed to the first priorities.

Implementation mechanisms

An implementation mechanism needs to be agreed and support for implementation via this mechanism guaranteed. Support from the government, and especially from key decision makers in the government and from deputies and members of parliament, and the public and private sectors is essential. These key decision-makers have to be involved in the governance of the implementation mechanisms agreed upon for these to be effective. Preferably, the solutions and whatever institutional arrangements are put in place can become self-sufficient very quickly.

Components of the implementation mechanism

Implementation is to be undertaken via the involvement of two related but separate and independent entities, structured as such under the laws of Mongolia.