CONTENTS. The National Strategic Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide 2. Increase Access and Adoption of ICTs by Underserved Groups

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2 CONTENTS Preface The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide 2 THRUST 7 Increase Access and Adoption of ICTs by Underserved Groups THRUST 2 Create Value in E-Inclusion Programmes THRUST 3 5 Develop Local Content through Participatory Approaches THRUST 4 9 Cultivate Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Coordination THRUST 5 23 Institutionalise Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice LIST OF FIGURES Figure : The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide 3 Figure 2: Socio-Economic Value of ICTs 4 Figure 3: Institutional Arrangement for BDD 5 Figure 4: Implementation Thrusts 6

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4 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Preface The use of ICT becomes more and more pervasive in our daily lives. The extent of use and reliance on ICT, however, depends on the availability of infrastructure and the capacities of the people to use such facilities. In advanced nations, like Japan and Korea ICT infrastructure incorporating information networks, terminal devices, application and content is widespread and the population can access information and modern communication anytime and anywhere. Building a knowledge-based economy, where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an important role in generating and sustaining economic growth, is a key objective of many governments. In moving Malaysia into the knowledge economy, efforts are being made to reduce the digital divide between served and underserved areas as well as between Malaysia and the rest of the world. We therefore cannot have sectors of our community disenfranchised due to lack of access to infrastructure. The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide (NSF BDD) is a blueprint of policy, strategies and action plans for planners and implementers, either public, private or NGOs, who have a role to play in overcoming issues associated with the digital divide. From the outset, the Framework took the position that the digital divide is a reflection of deep-seated problems concerned with more than an uneven distribution of ICTs. These problems are symptomatic of the uneven distribution of socio-economic development, as elsewhere, resulting in the emergence of several underserved sections of society. It has now been acknowledged that ICT has an important role to assume in overcoming these deeper socio-economic inequalities. The NSF-BDD aligns its initiatives with the National Information Technology Council, embodying the Government s national ICT agenda, in areas such as e-governance, human capital development and ICT-for-development initiatives. Through these efforts, the Government is committed to bridging the socio-economic divide brought about by differences in access, affordability and literacy. In conclusion, I wish to record my deepest appreciation to the United Nations Development Programme for its assistance and also to the various Government agencies for their valuable input in making this framework possible. Tan Sri Dr. Sulaiman bin Mahbob Director General Economic Planning Unit

5 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide The National Framework For Bridging the Digital Divide Introduction In its quest to achieve the objectives of Vision 2020, The National Mission ( ) seeks to develop Malaysia into a knowledgebased economy. ICTs are crucial enabler in the knowledge-based economy to facilitate the acquisition, utilisation and dissemination of knowledge towards enhancing the economic and social values of society. In this context, it is important to ensure that all segments of society have equitable access to ICT and have the requisite capacity to leverage on ICT to improve their socio-economic well being. The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide A number of initiatives were introduced in the Eight Malaysia Plan ( ) to address issues contributing to the digital divide. These included providing infrastructure, developing local content and enhancing digital literacy. To consolidate and provide better coordination of all these initiatives, the National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide (NSF-BDD) was formulated. The NSF- BDD sets out cost-effective strategies with concrete steps with the aim of narrowing the digital divide. The NSF-BDD defines digital divide more in terms of the value of the developmental benefits that ICTs make possible leveraging on the physical access to the technology. The diagram in Figure depicts the Framework. 2

6 The National Framework for Bridging the The Digital National Divide Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide E- INCLUSION Social and Economic Inclusion in a Knowledge Society. Employing ICT to address the problems of digital divide and social exclusion and promoting opportunities for the economic and social empowerment of all citizens. Access Delivering access to the ICT infrastructure to everyone Adoption Promoting regular and widespread use of ICTbased content in everyone s daily life Value Ensuring the social & economic value of ICTs is realised by underserved Malaysians COORDINATION Joined-up policies that embed ICT within socio-economic development programmes. EVALUATION Knowledge management for evidence-based policy and practice. Oversight Policy and Planning National IT Council National BDD Coordination Committee E-Inclusion Lead Agencies Committee Evidence Socio-economic benefit Sustainability benefit Funding for research & analysis (i.e. impact study, process review) Partnerships Programme Implementation Federal Government. State government /local authorities. Private sector. Civil Society (esp. NGOs) Measurement Systematic data repository Data collection (i.e. survey, usage patterns) Indices for goals & spatial analysis Digital divide database & atlas Figure : The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide The Components of NSF-BDD The three components in the NSF-BDD are: E-inclusion: This is defined as employing ICTs to address the problem of social exclusion and promote opportunities for the socio-economic empowerment of citizens. To achieve e-inclusion, the framework envisages a three-phase process as follows: Phase I : Delivering access to ICT infrastructure to all of society; Phase II: Promoting regular and widespread adoption of ICTs in the daily lives of citizens; and Phase III: Ensuring the socio-economic value of ICT is realised by all including the underserved community. 3

7 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Each subsequent phase will build upon the other to ultimately generate socio-economic value as a result of applying ICT, as shown in Figure 2. Socio-economic Value of ICTs Socio-economic impact of ICTs Impact gap Adoption gap Access gap Intensity of ICT adoption Deployment of ICT Infrastructure Bridging the Digital Divide Time PHASE Employ measures of infrastructure deployment PHASE 2 Employ measures of intensifying adoption PHASE 3 Employ measures of socio-economic impact Figure 2 : Socio-economic Value of ICTs Coordination: A new institutional structure that engages relevant stakeholders - public, private and civil society towards achieving a more coordinated and coherent approach towards bridging the digital divide has been established, as shown in Figure 3. This institutional structure will formulate and review strategies as well as promote and coordinate programmes for bridging the digital divide. Evaluation: Evaluation of programme outcomes to support evidence-based policy and practice is important to ensure that lessons learnt from ongoing activities are fed back for continuous policy formulation and programme implementation. 4

8 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide National IT Council (NITC) National Coordination Committee for BDD Chair: Director General EPU, Prime Minister s Department Members: KPKK, MOSTI, MOE, MOHE, MRRD, MYS, MWFCD, MHLG, MOAABI, MOH, MCAH, MAMPU, DOS, DOI, MCMC, MIMOS, MDeC SMMEs (MRRD) Women (MWFCD) Rural and Urban Poor (MRRD/MHLG) Youth (MYS) Rural (MRRD) Indigenous (MRRD) Elderly (MWFCD) Disabled (MWFCD) Children (MOE) Notes: Represented Sub-Committees under Lead Agencies that consist of members from Government, private sector, underserved communities and NGOs Figure 3: Institutional Arrangement for BDD EPU = Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister s Department KPKK = Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture MOSTI = Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation MOE = Ministry of Education MOHE = Ministry of Higher Education MRRD = Ministry of Rural and Regional Development MYS = Ministry of Youth and Sports MWFCD = Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development MHLG = Ministry of Housing and Local Government MECD = Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development MOAABI = Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry MOH = Ministry of Health MCAH = Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage MAMPU = Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit ICU = Implementation Coordination Unit DOS = Department of Statistics DOI = Department of Information MCMC = Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission MIMOS = Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems 5

9 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide NSF-BDD Implementation Thrusts There are nine targets identified as underserved communities in the Framework, namely the elderly, women, indigenous, rural and urban poor, youth, Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME), children, rural and disabled. In achieving e-inclusion within these communities, five implementation thrusts have been formulated, as shown in Figure 4. Further explanation on each implementation thrust, policy, strategies and action plans are elaborated in the next part of this publication. THRUST Increase ICT access and adoption of ICTs by underserved THRUST 5 Institutionalise evidence-informed policy and practice Disabled Rural Youth THRUST 4 Cultivate multi-stakeholder collaboration and coordination e-inclusion SMME Elderly Indigenous Children Rural and Urban poor Women THRUST 3 Develop Local content through participatoty approaches THRUST 2 Create value in e-inclusion Programmes Figure 4 : Implementation Thrusts 6

10 THRUST Increase Access and Adoption of ICTs by Underserved Groups

11 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy : Ensure Equitable Access to Affordable PCs and Online Services Coordinate & harmonise Government telecentre programmes to achieve efficiency in operation & management Consolidate telecentre programmes Adopt recognised best practices for telecentre management & operation Partners with public service programmes through Lead Agencies programmes through Lead Agencies to deliver e-inclusion to underserved groups Develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for telecentre operation Develop a network of telecentre programmes 2 Increase telecentres & mobile coverage in remote areas primarily in Sabah & areas primarily in Sabah & Sarawak Accelerate the implementation of telecentres to achieve the target of one telecentres per mukim by 200 Increase telecentre access and mobile coverage in remote and isolated parts of Sabah and Sarawak Collaborate with state governments to roll-out telecentres Notes: Mukim refers to sub-district in Malaysia 8

12 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 2: Increase Adoption and Usage of Networked Applications Link PC ownership programmes and after sales support to telecentres Telecentre programmes partner with computer suppliers to promote computer ownership and technical support Telecentre programmes extend computer training for technical subject that computer owners need to know 2 Promote telecentres as one-stop service and information centres for local communities by providing e-services and e-banking facilities Lead Agency Committees promote and design programmes and services that can be delivered via telecentres Telecentre operators promote e-services provided by local authorities, NGOs, private and financial sectors Bank Negara Malaysia facilitates small scale on-line transaction facilities Telecentre programmes adopt methodologies for community engagement and development with ICTs Telecentre programmes implement self-financing schemes to move them away from dependency on subsidy by the government 3 Increase e-inclusion programmes for target groups The National Coordination Committee for Bridging the Digital Divide prioritises design and implementation of development programmes by the Lead Agency Committees for target groups Commission the Centre of Excellence to conduct research on opportunities for e-inclusion Replicate successful e-inclusion programmes for target groups 9

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14 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide THRUST 2 Create Value in E-Inclusion Programmes

15 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy : Focus on e-inclusion for Programme Implementation Prioritise programmes that create e-inclusion to target groups through tripartite collaborations between government, NGOs and private sector Facilitate funding for e-inclusion Build capacity at state level for programme design and implementation where it does not currently exist Encourage state authorities to partner with local NGOs and private sector for programmes design and implementation Invite bids against set criteria for programme implementation for e-inclusion 2

16 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 2: Infuse ICTs Further within Existing Development Programmes for Underserved Groups Incorporate existing community ICT projects that are showing signs of being successful into existing telecentre programmes Locate and merge promising e- inclusion pilots into government telecentre programmes Recruit their expertise to collaborate with existing telecentre programmes 2 Adopt international best practices on ICTs in socio-economic development programmes Lead agencies to: Incorporate and customise initiatives for e-inclusion Conduct needs analysis to serve as a basis for programme design and content development 3 Increase the integration of ICTs into existing development programmes Build awareness and capacity in agencies responsible for underserved groups in ICTs for development Lead Agency Committees review current development programmes for their underserved groups and suggest further infusion of ICTs The Centre of Excellence for e-inclusion provides support with research outputs on existing examples with capacity-building measures Implementing agencies adopt Top-Down-Up methodology of programme design and implementation 3

17 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 3: Improve the Performance of Telecentres to Achieve and Increase Socio-Economic Value Facilitate new entrants and local entrepreneurs to use telecentres as hubs for business activities Provide broadband network access to all telecentres 2 Develop exit strategies for government telecentres Develop standards for telecentre manager and operation Adopt appropriate business models for telecentre sustainability Provide centralised shared services for common operations Telecentres as points of presence for co-location of services and products 3 Relevant Lead Agency to develop opportunities for micro-enterprises to use ICTs Lead Agency to identify opportunities for e-inclusion for SMMEs, especially microenterprises supported by the Centre of Excellence Collaborate with private sector to conduct programmes for SMMEs under Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) 4 Provide online payment systems which are widely available and easy to use and have low barriers to entry Bank Negara Malaysia encourages all banks to adopt online payments and e-banking Telecentres provide training to local communities to adopt local transactions 4

18 THRUST 3 Develop Local Content through Participatory Approaches

19 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy : Adopt Improved Methodologies for E-Inclusion Programme Design and Implementation Lead Agencies consult underserved communities to identify specific and local content requirements Lead Agencies conduct participatory workshops with representatives of their underserved communities to design suitable e-inclusion programmes The Centre of Excellence advises on content and presentation according to the needs and requirements of underserved groups The Centre of Excellence refines the participatory approaches for easy replication 2 Adopt Top-Down- Up approach in BDD programme design that incorporates methodologies for community development in support of social innovation and upscaling The Centre of Excellence to assist lead and implementing agencies to build capacity in the Top-Down-Up approach Conduct participatory interactions with underserved groups; identify programmes and locations for topdown phase implementation The Centre of Excellence develops supporting guidelines for topdown-up activities, researching outcomes and refining the methodology 6

20 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 2: Provide Support for Community-Based Local Content Development Provide allocation for the development and sustenance of local e-inclusion content Provide allocation for the continued development of local content Invite proposal for content development clearly identifying the beneficiary underserved groups 7

21 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 3: Promote Generic Local Content for Customisation, Interactivity and Localisation Build adaptation skills such as translating content to suit local conditions Lead Agencies to examine existing projects for e-inclusion and locate applications that can be usefully replicated Centre of Excellence conduct researches on suitable examples that can be adapted and adopted for the Malaysian context 2 Incentivise creators of e-inclusion content Invite bids for the development of local content that addresses the needs of underserved groups Prioritise applications that are able to become self-financing Content to be developed must include the replicability criteria 3 Customise generic content to suit the needs and interest of target groups Develop a community portal as a gateway to government services and online applications as well as other services such as e-commerce and e-banking Promote the community portal by making it as a home page for all telecentres Involve experts in each target group, website designers, linguist and system operators as well as lead agencies in the development of the portal 8

22 THRUST 4 Cultivate Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Coordination

23 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy : Integrate and Coordinate Policy Making and Programme Design for E-Inclusion Establish the National Coordination Committee for BDD (NCC- BDD) for policy formulation, coordination, approval and monitoring of e-inclusion programmes for optimal impact EPU as the secretariat of the NCC-BDD Appoint Lead Agencies for underserved groups as members of NCC-BDD Include all government stakeholders and implementation agencies in BDD in the NCC-BDD 2 Establish Lead Agencies to facilitate programmes design and implementation Include group representative as well as state governments, private sector and NGOs directly involved with each target group to participate in each subcommittee 3 Establish BDD Action Council at district or local authority level as a form of outsourcing of implementation and fostering local variations Telecentre programmes partner with state authorities, district officers, local councils as local telecentre programme coordinators The Centre of Excellence builds capacity at state level for telecentre operations; through local institutions wherever possible 20

24 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 2: Incorporate Civil Society Voices within the Policy Advisory Process Adopt improved methodologies for programme design partnering with a state authorities, the private sector and NGOs The Centre of Excellence develops training materials for the methodologies; builds capacity at all levels for programme design, implementation and evaluation 2 Promote national debates on e-inclusion Lead and implementing agencies to: Organise public forum dialogues and symposiums Organise community programmes at local level Promote e-inclusion public forums, which include civil society and local authorities that foster debate and surface concerns and opportunities 2

25 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 3: Increase Capacity at All Levels for Creating E-Inclusion Implement capacity building measures at all levels in; approaches for ICT4D, programme design and evaluation, telecentre management and operation Conduct training needs analysis in related government agencies in support of the Framework Conduct capacity building in government for e-inclusion 22

26 THRUST 5 Institutionalise Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice

27 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy : Adopt Improved Methodologies for Evaluating E-Inclusion Programmes Establish a Centre of Excellence for e-inclusion; comprising a consortium of academia, government and NGOs Establish the e-inclusion CoE as a virtual centre Assemble relevant researchers from existing institutions working on e-inclusion issues Set-up collaborative ICTs for the centre; groupware, network etc 2 Adopt the outcome approach in programme design, monitoring and evaluation The Centre of Excellence builds capacity in the methodology; create training materials and conducts workshops; evaluates the results of its use Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of e-inclusion programmes 3 Conduct a wide ranging and fully independent evaluation of the major Malaysian digital divide initiatives, seeking evidence of socio-economic improvements and their causal linkages Centre of Excellence critically examines existing e-inclusion/bdd initiatives; isolates socio-economic impact 24

28 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 2: Target E-Inclusion Indicators that Measure the Socio-Economic Benefits of Technology Establish a system as a regular mechanism for monitoring progress towards closing the digital divide Identify indicators that represent access, adoption and e-inclusion Adopt a methodology as a regular measurement mechanism to monitor progress 2 Incorporate the Geographical Information System (GIS) facility into digital divide planning and monitoring including a digital divide database and a digital divide atlas Assign the function of developing the GIS facility to an appropriate agency Utilise the mapping system as a facility for planning and monitoring of e-inclusion initiatives 25

29 The National Framework for Bridging the Digital Divide Policy 3: Collect Data for Monitoring Progress Towards E-Inclusion Install systematic measures for data collection for measuring access, adoption and e-inclusion; comprising the national census and household surveys Modify existing census and household surveys to incorporate questions about ICT use, adoption and value impact 2 Increase the exchange of information between the industry and government to allow for monitoring of outcomes and for future planning of e-inclusion programmes MCMC and the telecommunication industry organisations agree and implement the format and content of useful data for regular monitoring Standardise and update e-inclusion indicators in line with other countries 26