20101105 Ea Ict - Round 2 Feedback Final

8/8/2019 20101105 Ea Ict - Round 2 Feedback Final

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Round 2 Feedback SessionsKenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

This report is solely for the use of the Excelsior Firm and client personnel. No part of it may becirculated, quoted, or reproduced for distribution without prior written approval from ExcelsiorFirm.

October 2010

DRAFT


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OVERVIEW

Purpose of

feedback

sessions

Review findings on key ICT SME challenges fromfirst round of workshops held in September 2010

Present early draft version of vision andinterventions ofICT Business Engine

Collect feedback on vision and interventions; solicitnames of partner organizations

Venues andparticipants

October 19: Nairobi, iHub October 21: Kampala, Hive CoLab October 28: Dar es Salaam, Twaweza October 30: Kigali, KIST

Participants Nearly 50 participants across 4 countries including25 returning participants from our first series of

workshops

90 participants across both sets of workshops inSeptember and October 2010


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ATTENDEE PROFILE

Date October 2010

Locations - Nairobi, iHub

- Kampala, Hive CoLab

- Dar es Salaam, Twaweza

- Kigali, KIST

Lead

Moderators

Attendance

(4 countries)

Ory Okolloh (Excelsior)

Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

Type of ICT services provided Company size

4742

Surveyed

participants

Javier Ewing (Excelsior)

Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior)

11

10

10

5

1

5

15

4

4

1

1

17

0-50

50-100

100-500

500-5,000

5,000+

N/a or non-profit

23

16

15

14

9

Software

Network

Mobile

Content

2 tied

Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected:

Data Centers (9), Hardware (9), Non-technical (8), Security (7), BPO/ Call

center (4), Other (3)

~90%

response

rate

Annual

revenues, USDthousands

Number of surveyed participants

Number of surveyedparticipants


0-2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

11-20 years21+ years

N/A


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Attendees across four countries for October sessions

Attendees Organization

Angela Crandall Infodev/iHub

Kariuki Gathitu Zege Technologies

James Muendo Timsoft Technologies

Agatha Verdadaro The Can do ! CompanyMark Misiko Geona Enterprises

Fabian Owuor Adelphi Trading

Charles Kithika Greendreams Ltd

S. Ingabo Mama-mikes

Dominic Mativo Xrystalgenius

Tonee Ndungu Nailab

Simon Ndunda Equisoft Technologies

Henry Kago Front Gate

Larry Carl Keya Unlock Modems

Daniel Otieno Omondi Dotto Computer Agencies

Ahmed Maawy Datadyne .org

Marvin Oduor Transparency & Accountability Programme

Evans Owiti Construction & Admin

Casira Carol Eat Out


Richard Zulu Time Info Company

John Kibuuka Easysites/ Mountainbatten

Solomon King Node Six

Daniel Stern Hive Colab

Kitaka Felix FELLO

Majugo Gerald Komputa

Barbara Birungi Hive Colab

Kenya

October 19

Uganda

October 21


Nicolas Pottier Nyaruka

Alice Mukabalisa Hobuka

Robert Nsinga RwandAir

Mwizerwa Carlos RDB- ICT

Benjamin Muhoza Partners in Health

Keli Mutiso Moneta Capital I.T.

Albert Rwego Transparency - Rwanda

J. Paul Kavuna CITT/KIST

Rajeev Aggarwal TBIF

Iyaturemye - Aime Hobuka

Philotele Gahire CITT/ KIST

Nyirore Marie Claire KIST


Jonathan Kalan The (BOP) Project

Iemmanuel Kanagisa Perfect Approach

Edwin Mwenda BIDC

Idrisa Kinyagu ZantelFelix Maganjila Marketing Partner

William Ndilla Quantum Computers

Richard Mushi E-Fulusi Africa

Mbutho Chbwaye Digital Brain Company Ltd

Peter Baziwe My Data

Terence Silonda BIDC

Albert Francis IT FARM

Tanzania

October 28

Rwanda

October 30


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SUMMARY OF ISSUES RAISED IN SEPTEMBER WORKSHOPS

Access to

business skills

Access tofinancial

resources

Access to

markets

Access to

technical skills

Access to

business

networks

Encouraging

regulatory

environment

Participant comments Common themes

Were geeks. We need people who can market andcommunicate.

At university we learned how to code, but our professors dontknow other things we need in the real world.

There is local money, but the networks are not transparent. I know I need some money, but I dont know exactly how much.

Nobody thinks we can do the jobs. We dont know when the tenders come out. The government and the big companies would rather

outsource to foreign companies than have locals do the work.

There is no place for people to find my work.

The certifications people want are expensive. I have the skills, but Icant afford to pay the certificate fees.

The schools teach computer sciences using theoryon thechalkboard and from bookswe dont get practice.

I dont know how to find someone who can check my code. These networking opportunities are priceless. If we worked together we could have capacity for big jobs. I wouldnt tell someone my idea, because they might steal it. We need to be organized to talk to government. I need to talk to someone who has done it before. We need some mentors.

There is no legal protection for intellectual property. The government doesnt make the companies work with us.

Need to partner withbusiness professionals

Need practical advice

Need connections tofunders

Need mentors forbusiness model review

Need forum for

discussing andpublicizing ideas

Need to developcommunities of trust to

encourage idea sharing

Need trustedintermediaries forrating, referring, and

validating products and

services

Issues

Similar themes

across the

countries


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TESTED - EA ICT VISION AND COMPONENTS

Overall Vision: An East Africa with a robust and dynamic ICT sector that

creates companies, jobs, and innovation that compete on the world stage.

1) Develop a Fully Connected Network: Create a networked community of trust

that collaborates as well as competes, and provides its members advice,mentoring, financing, skills, and representation.

2) Launch Skills 2.0: Cooperate with academic and training institutions to ensure

that young East Africans have the full range of skills they need to be Ready for

Business.

3) Support Innovators: Support the start-up and growth of companies that create

innovative solutions to business and development challenges in the region and

beyond.

4) Enable Job Creators: Support the development of stable service companiesthat generate employment opportunities for knowledge workers.

5) Upgrade the Business Environment: Improve business conditions in tangible

ways that enable citizens and international investors to build strong ICT

businesses in the region.


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SESSION FEEDBACK

Vision

Fully connected

network

Skills 2.0

1

2

Interventions

Overall agreement with vision Considerable opinion that benefits for ICT

sector to impact East African broadly, not

strictly individuals and organizations directly

involved in industry

Broad consensus across countries onimportance of physical space and networks

linked to that space

iHub was commonly cited example as best-in-region currently

Importance placed on independence of

space and network from institutionalagendas

Mentors will need training and clearresponsibilities as well

Some existing networks are too broad forICT SMEs (e.g., RICTA?)

Bias to partner with corporations for training

and internships, with access to latesttechnologies; however more meaningful

opportunities to learn must be developed

Create training opportunities in the ruralareas as well

Push back in Rwanda and Tanzania onwhether academic institutions are right

institutions to lead practical trainings

Feedback

Could we add something about ICT 4D? We need to do something in ICT for the

villages.

This effort leeds to benefit all of [East Africa]including the poor.

We have good networks, they just needsupport to reach more people and do more

physical meetings. Everything cannot be done

in a virtual network.

Lets not duplicate our [existing] networks, butbuild capabilities within them

We are funding the meetings and talks out ofour own pockets; knowing there was a solid

source of funding would increase the

perception of our networks.

Universities need to focus on hands-on.

Colleges are academic places and not theright places to learn the practical [side of

development].

Internships are great, but give us theopportunity to practice on real problems; not

made up items.

Universities do not know the latest software,they are teaching ones that are very out of

date.

Quotes

Consistent feedback in regular type;

Country/segment specific feedback in italics


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SESSION FEEDBACK

Innovator

support (Small

enterprises)

Job creator

support

(Medium

enterprises)

3

4

Interventions

Consistent feedback that financialcommunity does not understand ICT

industry business models, funding needs,

and risk profile, so seed capital and working

capital availability are thin at best

Mentorship and mix of business network,business skill and financing was attractive to

participants

Chamas (indigenous savings co-ops)mentioned as a potential indigenous

solution; but similar risk and industry gaps

may limit impact

Positive response, if a bit out of scope forsome session participants

Positive, though acknowledgement thatresults will take time.

Address specific ICT issues includingdomain name squatting and short-code

allocation

Feedback

There is money for the local restaurant andfor the established business, but not for mine

The banks dont understand ICT at all It took us 9 months to get our financing from

the bank

We need to educate the bankers andinvestors.

Chamas could be an answer, why dont welook into that?

We need the support to get to medium stagecompanies and also to be part of their supply

chains.

Getting an SMS short code is very hard for asmall business and it takes very long. It

creates a major delay to test and launch a

product.

Quotes

Consistent feedback in regular type;

Country/segment specific feedback in italics

Business

environment

5


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POTENTIAL PARTNERS BY COUNTRIES AS SUGGESTED BY

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Fully connected

network

Skills 2.0

1

2

Interventions

Innovator

support (Small

enterprises)

3

Job creator

support (Medium

enterprises)

4

Business

environment

5

Kenya

iHub already has physical space and criticalmass of activity; structure required to formally

build out the networks

Tandaa as a network Other organizations mentioned included USIU,

Strathmore

University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University,Strathmore; Kenya ICT Board

Chama as a partner though no specific Chamaor Chama network was mentioned; Institute of

Electrical and Electronics Engineers; KICTANet

Government procurement managers Large multinational IT firms

Kenya ICT Board

No dominant physical space or network althoughKIST was an opportunity

Government/Rwanda Development Boardsupportive of private organization creating aspace

RDB engaged on in setting standards for trainingand providing funds for training (although current

participation is low)

Academic institutions, both internal (KIST), andexternal (e.g., Carnegie Mellon)

Business plan competitions; RDB organizingbusiness skills retreat

Government - freedom of information efforts areearly but expected to yield results in terms ofcontent (e.g., GIS); donor / government

assistance with procurement

Rwanda Development Board marketing on newefforts will be improving in the early 2011

Kenya Rwanda


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POTENTIAL PARTNERS BY COUNTRIES AS SUGGESTED BY

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Fully connected

network

Skills 2.0

1

2

Interventions

Innovator

support

3

Job creator

support

4

Business

environment

5

Kenya

Business network Enablis, eThinkTank (asorganized by some session participants), British

Council, Costech, Tanzania Marketing

Association Physical space: no clear dominant space; group

sought independent leadership, e.g., not

academic and government affiliated

University Computer Center considered goodat building hands on skills

Business skills potential partners includeBritish Council, University of Dar es Salaam

Entrepreneurship Center, Tanzania EntrepreneurForum

infoDev incubator coming on-line in Q1 2011 No clear financing partners a lot of vulture

capital currently

Not discussed in detail in this session

Advocacy partners include National BusinessCouncil, Costech, Tanzania Private Business

Council, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, and

Tanzania Investment Authority

Physical space: Hive CoLab as a physical space,with additional resourcing to improve attendance

iNetwork

Linux User Group fairly active, if specific topicarea

Makerere University; Kampala InternationalUniversity; Uganda Communications

Commission Universal Service Fund

Hive Colab, Makerere University NationalSoftware Incubation Center

Government procurement managers; largemultinational IT firms

Not discussed in detail in this session

Tanzania Uganda


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APPENDIX


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OVERALL SURVEY RESULTS

Session

attendance

(4 countries)

Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

Type of ICT services provided Company size

90 93

Surveyed

participants

17

27

26

12

2

9

26

13

10

6

4

34

0-50

50-100

100-500

500-5,000

5,000+

N/a or non-profit

49

32

31

29

22

Software

Network

Content

Mobile

Hardware

Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected:Hardware(18), Other (16), Security (16), Data Centers (16), BPO (13)

Annualrevenues, USD

thousands


Number of surveyed

participants


0-2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

11-20 years

21+ years

N/A

Includes feedback session attendees and additional respondents that were unable to attend workshops

Date September and October 2010

Locations - Nairobi

- Kampala

- Kigali

- Dar es Salaam

Lead

Moderators

Ory Okolloh (Excelsior)

Additional

Moderators/

Participants

Victor Gathara (UKaid)

Tim Kelly (infoDev)

Lucy Mbaye (Excelsior)

Ellen Olafsen (infoDev)

Jill Sawers (infoDev)

Steve Giddings (infoDev)

Javier Ewing (Excelsior)

Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior)


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TODAYS AGENDA

Topic Group size Objectives

Provide brief overview of project and workshopobjectives, ground rules, and agenda

Introduce each other and break the ice

Full groupIntroduction

Provide summary and way forward Full group

15

5Next steps

A

Determine profile of participants

Rank order issues to focus on issues of greatestpotential impact

Full groupIssue kick-off 15B

Understand root causes and provide examplefor breakout session

Separate into teams to work on additional issues Breakoutgroups

Breakoutdeep-dives

45C

Understand root causes for each issue area

Understand current status of interventions, best-in-class examples and develop new solutions

Report insights from breakout discussion

Develop full group consensus on findings andpriorities

Full groupBreakoutpresentations

25D

E

Timing

(minutes)

Documents

20101105 Ea Ict - Round 2 Feedback Final