DECI Meeting Penang, Malaysia

11 June 2009

This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Canada and the Department for International Development, UK.

LIRNEasia

What is LIRNEasia?

• A regional ICT policy and regulation capacity-building organization

• Is conducting research in 9 countries in Asia-Pacific in current research cycle and has some activities in 11; capacity building covers the whole region

• Physically located in Sri Lanka

LIRNEasia mission…

To improve the lives of the people of the emerging Asia-Pacific by facilitating their use of ICTs and related infrastructures; by catalyzing the reform of laws, policies and regulations to enable those uses through the conduct of policy-relevant research, training and advocacy with emphasis on building in-situ expertise.

Current Project Components• Research cycle split into 3 main broad sections

- Research ~60%- Capacity Building ~30%- Dissemination ~10%

2008-2010 Research Cycle – (Phase 3)

• T@BOP3 • Mobile 2.0• Indicators – TRE, Broadband Quality of Service

Experience, etc.• Capacity Building – CPRsouth

2008-2010 Research CycleT@BOP3• Examines the use of ICTs, at the Bottom of the Pyramid• Seeks a better understanding of how the use of ICTs is changing at

the BOP; what barriers stand in the way of greater use • Surveyed of ~9500 respondents in 6 countries• Currently at dissemination stage

- Communicating research to the media- Academic papers

Mobile 2.0 • Research into the use of mobile technology for more than voice• To gain a better general understanding of BOP use of non-voice

mobile services, demand, and specific strategies • M-Payments, disaster warning, agriculture• Currently at research stage; papers being peer reviewed• Dissemination yet to start

IndicatorsTelecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) Survey• A perceptive measure of the regulatory environment within

which telecom operators and potential new entrant’s function • A survey of informed stakeholders to be used as a diagnostic

tool• Research conducted in 8 countries• Latter stage of dissemination plans

Broadband Quality of Service Experience (QoSE)• Research into the performance of Broadband with the goal of

improving quality of service• Development of software for testing• Tests conducted bi-annually

Current evaluation plansLIRNEasia’s objective is to play a catalytic role by

influencing regulatory and policy processes

Focus on outputs and outcomes

Outputs: • Research results• Making stakeholders (policy makers, regulators, operators)

aware of the results of the research directly and through media and conferences

Desired Outcomes:• Changes are made by policy makers, regulators and operators

based on the results of the research

Capacity Building - CPRsouthObjectives:

• To facilitate the creation, sustenance and continuous advancement of policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulation processes in specific country and regional contexts in the south

• To develop capacity, stimulate interest, and promote research and systematic study in information and communication technology (ICT) policy and regulatory issues in the South, broadly constituted to include the Asia-Pacific (AP), Africa (AF), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Central Asian regions (CIS)

CPRsouth Conferences

• Research papers presented by researchers (seven sessions; 21 papers) – Papers selected through a competitive, double-blind

review of abstracts and subsequent review of full papers; mentoring

– Policy briefs written by all paper presenters• Plenaries/panels by senior researchers who are

successful as public intellectuals (at most four sessions)

• Tutorials for the next generation of researchers• Communication training

Current Evaluation plansOutputs: The scholarly network attracts the attention of ICT policy and

regulation scholars throughout the South- Re-application rates

CPRsouth members actively engage the policy process in their respective countries- Results of the annual survey of participants

Desired Outcomes: Active, self-replicating clusters of policy intellectuals in the

countries in the regionThe indicators of connectivity within the scholarly network

improve significantly and members’ institutions support the network