GLOBAL INTERNET FREEDOM INITIATIVE: RESPONSE TO

UNCLAS ACCRA 002212 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECPS GH PHUM SUBJECT: GLOBAL INTERNET FREEDOM INITIATIVE: RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REF: SECSTATE 142147 ¶1. Summary. In response to reftel, Post has identified ten USAID projects and one Public Affairs Section (PAS) projects that directly promote access to, and use of, the internet in Ghana. All of the programs mentioned have been completed, except the Last Mile Initiative and the PAS program. Most of the projects involved one-time purchases of ICT equipment for recipients, sometimes as a complement to a broader USAID project. FYO6 Projects A) Information Technology Support to Ghana Research and Advocacy Program B) Information Technology Support to Rights and Voice Initiative C) Information Technology Support to the Ministry of Finance D) Trade and Investment Program for a Competitive Export Economy (TIPCEE) and Last Mile Initiative E) Public Affairs Section (PAS): Information Resource Center FYO5 Projects A) Legislative Database and Computer Equipment for Parliament B) Information Technology Support to Legal Resources Center (LRC) FY04 Projects A) Center for the Development of People (CEDEP) B) Center for Information Technologies Research and Development (CITRED) C) Center for Empowerment of the Vulnerable (CEV) D) Volta Regional Association of NGOs (VORANGO) End Summary. ¶2. FY 06 Projects -------------- A) Information Technology Support to Ghana Research and Advocacy Program Recipient: Ghanaian Research and Advocacy Program (G-RAP) partner organizations. Project Description: The Ghana Research and Advocacy Programme (G-RAP) seeks to enhance the capacity of research and advocacy organizations (RAOs) to carry out evidence based research and advocacy on economic, social, political and security issues along with providing support for institutional development of RAOs to enhance their autonomy and capacity to contribute effectively to the development progress. The core funds provided by G-RAP do not provide enough support to cover information and communication technology (ICT). IT Component: Computer equipment and software to increase effectiveness of organizations. Funding: USD 50,000 B) Information Technology Support to Rights and Voice Initiative Recipient: USAID's Organization of Rights and Voice Initiative (RAVI) partner organizations. Project Description: RAVI is a fund targeted at enhancing citizen's engagement with the state in relation to the respect, protection, and fulfillment of civil cultural, economic, and political and social rights. RAVI targets grassroots level organizations that focus on advocacy issues particularly at the local level. The organizations associated with RAVI have at most limited and obsolete IT equipment. IT Component: Computer equipment and related software. Funding: USD 50,000 C) Information Technology Support to the Ministry of Finance Recipient: Ministry of Finance. Project Description: Support for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning's (MoFEP's) efforts to enhance its information technology capacity and its ability to communicate with development partners and efficiently manage information. IT Component: Computer equipment and related software. Funding: USD 200,000 D) Trade and Investment Program for a Competitive Export Economy (TIPCEE)/Last Mile Initiative Recipient: Ministry of Communications, small-scale farmers and private sector exporters. Project Description: USAID Ghana provided support for policy and regulatory reform and will provide ICT applications for rural development. USAID has worked with the World Bank to finalize three telecommunications bills, which address independence of the regulatory, openness and transparency in the exercise of the regulator, convergence of voice, data, and video technologies, increased competition in the industry, and universal access to ICT. The legislation will help enable the Ghana Investment Fund to develop rural ICT infrastructure and extend ICT access to all parts of the country. IT Component: Under the Last Mile Initiative (LMI),USAID will support expansion of ICT applications in rural areas to farmers, businesses and other exporting organizations. Electronic exchange of bar code transactions between farmers producing horticultural products for export and local pack houses and the ports will permit real-time data connectivity along the value chain. The technology uses PDA-based software and GSM mobile phone communication technology. Funding FY 05: USD 250,000 Funding FY 06: USD 250,000 E) Public Affairs Section (PAS): Information Resource Center Recipient: General Public. Project Description: PAS provides internet training to Muslim student groups as well as exchange students from Ghana preparing to travel to the United States for a year in American high school under the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. IT Component: Ten public-access terminals located at the Martin Luther King Jr. Information Resource Center. PAS is also in the process of donating computers to the Ghana Institute for Journalism and should do a handover ceremony in October 2006. ¶3. FY 05 Projects -------------- A) Legislative Database and Computer Equipment for Parliament Recipient: Parliament. Project Description: This project provided a series of searchable legislative databases that include: the Ghana Law Dictionary; the Acts of the 4th Republic; all Legislative Instruments; Ghana's Consolidated Statues; and all Executive Instruments. As a result, members and staff of Parliament now have immediate electronic access to all of Ghana's existing laws, executive instruments, and legislative instruments as they consider, debate, and sometimes amend new bills brought before them. IT Component: Databases, a server on which to store the databases and additional computer equipment to ensure that all the clerks and research staff have access to the databases. Funding: USD 80,000 B) Information Technology Support to Legal Resources Centre (LRC) Recipient: Legal Resources Centre (LRC). Project Description: The LRC is one of the up and coming NGOs actively engaging Parliament. This project provided the LRC with a number of computers, a better internet connection, web hosting support, and printers. LRC was able to establish a solid information technology infrastructure that enabled it to continue to play a significant role in the democracy and governance section. IT Component: Computer, internet connection, web hosting support and printers. Funding: USD 30,000 ¶4. FY 04 Projects -------------- A) Center for the Development of People (CEDEP) Recipient: Jachie Community Learning Center (CLC),Ashanti Region. Project Description: Access to internet information and communications at an affordable cost and in a socially, economically, and politically friendly environment. IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and some operational expenses for startup period of the CLS. Funding: USD 55,500 B) Center for Information Technologies Research and Development (CITRED) Recipient: The Community Learning Center, Tamale. Project Description: Computer and internet training to students and teachers. Funds provided ICT support and services to institutions, organizations and individuals, networked people in the northern community, and established ICT facilities in peri-urban and rural communities in Ghana. IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and some operational expenses for startup period of the CLC. Funding: USD 73,300 C) Center for the Empowerment of the Vulnerable (CEV) Recipient: Community Learning Center (CLC),Sunyani. Project Description: The CLC provided a broad range of services for vulnerable populations, including access to technology and electronic information, training, and awareness raising. IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and some operational expenses for startup period of the CLC. Funding: USD 79,500 D) Volta Region Association of NGOs (VORANGO) Recipient: Community Learning Center, Ho. Project Description: The VORANGO CLC provided access to the internet and organized low-cost computer proficiency courses for both members and the general public. Courses covered introductory computer, e-mail, and internet use. The learning center will enhance the human and institutional capacity of VORANGO, as well as of individual member organizations, by upgrading internet skills and enabling NGOs in the Volta Region to play a more focused and effective role in regional development efforts. IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and some operational expenses for startup period of the CLC Funding: USD 41,800 BRIDGEWATER