Exactly what does the Leland Initiative try to do?
What are Leland's three strategic objectives and expected results?
What is the process that Leland uses to bring a typical country 'on-board'?
How does the Leland Initiative grow the user-base?
Who is the Leland contact person in each partner country?
If you are an Internet Service Provider (ISP), how can you become involved?
What will LI be doing to support potential ISPs in each country?
What, if anything, will Leland do in a country where email or Internet exists?
Where should one go for more information/ How should one contact the Leland Initiative?
Q. Exactly what does the Leland Initiative try to do?
A. The Leland Initiative is a five-year $15 million US Government effort to extend full Internet connectivity to twenty or more African countries in order to promote sustainable development. The Leland Initiative ( LI ) seeks to bring the benefits of the global information revolution to people of Africa, through connection to the Internet and other Global Information Infrastructure (GII) technologies. The Internet is emerging as a low cost pathway that allows information to be more accessible, transferable and manageable; ready access to information is becoming the catalyst that transforms economic and social structures around the world and supports fast-paced sustainable development Even as African countries move toward more open economies and societies, there remain formidable constraints on sustainable development in such areas as the environment, disease prevention, literacy and private sector development. Africa needs access to the powerful information and communication tools of the Internet in order to obtain the resources and efficiency essential for sustainable development.
Q. What are Leland's three strategic objectives and expected results?
A. The project seeks to be flexible, ready to address the obstacles and opportunities within any given country, including support for policy reform, facilitating low-cost, high-speed access to the Internet, and the introducing proven mechanisms to build networks of active users. Its Strategic Objectives are to:
Create an Enabling Policy Environment (Objective 1): The project will promote policy reform to reduce barriers to open connectivity. The expected results:
1) Affordable prices, based upon costs plus profit, conducive to broad expansion of the user base;
2) Delivery of Internet services by private sector providers; and,
3) Free and open access to information available through the Internet, in conformance with host country laws.
Create a Sustainable Supply of Internet Services (Objective 2): The project will identify appropriate hardware, assist with full Internet connectivity, and assist private sector ISPs to develop their industry. The expected results:
1) Indigenous ISPs, trained in marketing and business plan development, offering full Internet access and better communication between counterparts in Africa and the world;
2) Country-wide access, with special attention to extension (rural) issues; and
3) Internet Society Chapters serving as advocacy and support organizations.
Enhance Internet Use for Sustainable Development (Objective 3): The project will increase the ability of African societies to use the communication and information tools of the Internet. The expected results:
- Local and international partnerships sharing information related to sustainable development in manufacturing, business, the environment, health, democracy, education, and other sectors;
- Indigenous partnerships to create and maintain new information resources based in the African experience which feed the GII;
- Increased African capacity to use information in decision-making and in managing scarce resources;
- Broadened user base for information systems and telematics services; and
- Indigenous training capacity for users and ISPs.
The blend of activities addressing these Strategic Objectives will vary from country to country, depending on the level of e-mail and/or Internet connectivity. The development portfolio of the USAID Mission in each country will be very important, especially in implementing a strategy for growing the user base in priority sectors. For more information, please see Leland's Internet End User Applications page on this process with a highlighted section on USAID's telematic pioneering programs and sector case studies.
Q. What is the process that Leland uses to bring a typical country 'on-board'?
A. First, Leland Washington receives an indication of interest from the USAID in-country Mission that Internet connectivity is desirable and feasible, for both the USAID Mission and the host country government.
Next, policy and technical experts review the telcom policy environment (Objective 1) and available telecommunications and Internet technologies (Objective 2) in the country. Generally, the assessments are conducted by a policy specialist from the State Department and an Internet technology specialist. During these visits, the specialists consult with US Embassy and USAID staff, host country telcom policy makers, state-owned and private sector telecommunications firms and e-mail firms. When host country and USAID resident officials determine it is appropriate, the LI negotiates a formal bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by appropriate U.S. and host government officials. The MOU records the willingness of the host country to promote Internet friendly policies and the establishes the commitment of USAID to assist it to develop reliable high-speed access to the Internet.
In a typical country, with minimal Internet access, the next step is the development of a Plan of Action that details how the technology supplied by USAID (if any is needed) will be operated, maintained and Internet access made available to private sector Internet service providers. The Plan of Action normally addresses the following issues:
* A technical design for a national Internet gateway and
dedicated access for private Internet Service Providers (ISPs);
* A cost-based tariff structure;
* A business and marketing plan for the gateway;
* An organizational structure for the gateway operating center;
* A training plan for gateway staff;
* A process and timeline for qualifying and licensing private sector ISPs;
* A plan for developing an Internet Society Chapter, to serve as a support and advocacy
organization for the industry and users; and,
* Where feasible, a strategy and plan for expanding Internet access nation-wide, including
secondary cities and rural villages.
The Plan of Action is then implemented, including equipment acquisition and installation, training of staff, selection of private sector ISPs and the commissioning of the Internet gateway. Private sector Internet Service Providers are then able to gain access to the Internet gateway by dedicated leased lines, and retail Internet services to the public.
Q. How does the Leland Initiative Grow the User-Base?
The dynamism of growing the user-base (Objective 3) is addressed in two phases; they are not always in parallel with the supply side activities spelled out above. In Phase 1, the diagnostic and strategy Phase, Leland Information experts assess the Internet 'readiness' of the bilateral USAID field mission's partners (eg - host country institutions, NGOs, other donors, etc.). The teams establish a priority list of "fast track" partners, those most ready to begin applying the information and communication tools of the Internet to the challenges of sustainable development, and prepare a list of pilot activities designed to demonstrate the value of Internet access.
The team then returns for Phase two, a process of training, brainstorming and detailed action planning with the Mission and its partners designed embed Internet tools throughout the portfolio. Over the course of the following year, Leland will assist the Mission and its partners to implement these action plans, and bring Internet use to full flower.
In addition, the LI will implement an analytical/research agenda focusing on pilot uses of the Internet to foster sustainable development and the collection and dissemination of information and lessons learned - the "best practices" - to decision-makers throughout the donor and host country communities. For more information, please see Leland's Internet Case Studies page on this process with a highlighted section on USAID's telematic pioneering programs and sector case studies.
Q. What US Government agencies and private sector partners work with the Leland Initiative to help implement the three core objectives and what are their roles?
A. USAID Africa Bureau Office of Sustainable Development manages the Initiative and coordinates the project partners. The telecommunications policy arm of the State Department provides support for policy assessments/ policy reform and the negotiation of MOU between host country governments and the US Government (Leland Objective 1). The GSA and their contractors provide support for telecommunications assessments and the procurement, delivery, installation and training for Internet enabling technologies (Objective 2). The Academy for Educational Development through USAID's Center for Development Information and Evaluation ("CDIE") provides support for the Internet Development Applications (Objective 3) through its Research and Reference Services Project (R&RS) staff. The Leland Initiative Washington, DC team coordinates closely all aspects of the Initiative's implementation with USAID field missions.
Q. Who is the Leland contact person in each partner country?
A. Within the Mission, there will be either a USAID staff member or a local USAID coordinator responsible for day to day activities. The Leland local coordinator will be responsible for communicating with USAID - Washington, helping to form an Internet association, assist during the shipping and installation of the Internet gateway equipment, and helping to provide outreach and support for NGO/PVO partners of the USAID Mission and ensure their adoption of the Internet as a primary method of their communication and their information production, dissemination, and gathering. The Country Coordinator is listed on each separate Country Page (see next section.)
Q. What African countries are involved in the project & what should someone do if they want a country added?
A. Due to funding constraints, Leland is limited to countries indicated below. If you believe a country should be on the list, please convey your interest to your host country USAID Mission or US Embassy.
1. Benin, 2. Botswana, 3. Cote d'Ivoire, 4. Eritrea, 5. Ethiopia, 6. Ghana, 7. Guinea-Bissau, 8. Guinea-Conakry, 9. Kenya, 10. Madagascar, 11. Malawi, 12. Mali, 13. Mozambique, 14. Namibia, 15. Rwanda, 16. Senegal, 17. South Africa, 18. Tanzania, 19. Uganda, 20. Zambia, and 21. Zimbabwe
Q. If you are an Internet Service Provider (ISP), how can you become involved?
A. The goal of the Leland Initiative is to foster opportunities for multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in each country through the provision of an affordable International gateway and a supportive policy environment. A prospective ISP should contact the Leland Coordinator in each country (and review the contents of the Leland web page) to determine the status of project implementation.
If the Leland Initiative is providing an Internet gateway and partially supporting the costs of the international satellite circuit, the service provider will need to contact the gateway operator (in most cases the host country phone company) to make arrangements to get access. This gateway will likely be the lowest cost mechanism for reaching the global Internet. Prospective ISPs will be required to provide their own equipment for operating the retail end of the ISP business.
The Leland Initiative will also promote the development of an association of Internet providers and users in each country, most likely a host country chapter of the Internet Society. This chapter will serve as an advocacy and support organization for the growth of the industry. This association will serve as a good vehicle for training ISPs on the latest in technical and business management approaches for running a successful ISP.
Q. What will LI be doing to support potential ISPs in each country?
A. The ISPs will be assisted through the access to a high speed, affordably - priced Internet gateway, as well as having an open policy environment in which to work. In addition, Leland will work closely with in-country USAID Missions to encourage their partners (e.g., NGO/PVOs) to adopt and use email. This will help to create more Internet ready customers. Leland does not plan on offering equipment to the ISPs.
Q. What, if anything, will Leland do in a country where email or Internet exists?
A. Leland is designed to be flexible, since our partner countries are at varying stages of Internet development. Leland will build on the existing capacity, with the ultimate aim of facilitating Internet access throughout each country. For some countries, that means working with the host country PT&T and/or private sector to establish a high-speed gateway. For those countries with functioning gateways, the focus may be on increasing access to the gateway, facilitating a vigorous private sector Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry and expanding access to secondary cities and rural nodes.
In all cases, Leland will work with host country officials to promote Internet friendly policies oriented towards affordable, cost-based tariffing, non-discriminating access to the information available on the Internet, and the delivery of retail ISP services by the private sector. Finally, Leland Initiative will work with the USAID Mission and its partners to grow a user base of competent, dynamic individuals and institutions capable of applying the powerful tools of the Internet to the challenge of sustainable development.
Q. Where should one go for more information/ How
should one contact the Leland Initiative?
A. For more information, please contact:
USAID - Leland Initiative
Ronald Reagan Building
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 4.06-104
Washington, D.C. 20523-4600
Fax: (202) 216-3373
Email: leland.initiative@usaid.gov
Web: www.info.usaid.gov/leland
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