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Integration & Harmonisation
National Integration
National Integration
The linkage between ICTs and development needs to be understood in a context that integrates the economic, social, environmental, gender, governance and leadership aspects of development. An integrated approach needs to be adopted for ICTs to contribute effectively to growth and development. While numerous projects abound aimed at using ICTs to address Africa’s development challenges, these projects tend to be small, limited in scope, generally not scalable and with insufficient collaboration amongst groups and agencies. Collaboration and integration are stressed as key factors driving successful applications of ICTs to development challenges, due to the ability to aggregate demand, make viable the introduction of low cost options, increase the number of services offered, increase education and training opportunities, amongst other things. Parliaments can play a crucial role in ensuring such integration in terms of ICT policy through the passing of sound legislation that incorporates strong mechanisms for oversight of its implementation.
Regional Harmonisation
Regional Harmonisation
A nationally integrated approach to ICTs can be further enhanced through regional co-operation and harmonisation of policies and regulation. Regionalism as a strategy is characterised by economic policy co-ordination among co-operating countries but on basis of state interests and protection of national sovereignty It is a body of ideas, values, concrete objectives and goals laid down for a regional project aimed at creating maintaining or modifying provision of security of wealth, peace and development within the region. In this way the benefits of national integration are amplified through benefits of shared policy capabilities and arising economies of scale and scope. Regional integration can be a successful strategy to increase global competitiveness while stabilising economies and spreading risk. It is a form of political organisation with procedures and mechanisms as reflected in the regional economic and regional associations on the continent and which operate to different degrees of success. Despite model legislation in some regions and model regulation guidelines there are few regions successfully leveraging the benefits of regional harmonisation currently. This probably reflects the lack of integration of economies in the different regions and challenge that progressive integration gets harder as more national powers have to be surrendered. Parliamentarians can play an important role in supporting regional initiatives rather than defending at all costs national interests.
