2009 e-Readiness Assessment for the
Government Sector of The Gambia

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

The main objective of the 2009 e-Readiness Assessment for the Government Sector of the Gambia is to gauge the state of ICT preparation in order to come up with workable ideas for the successful implementation of ICT programmes and projects.

The e-Readiness Assessment Report is structured in such a way that the reader will initially have a "bird's eye-view" of the status of ICT development in The Gambia. Then, as it is explained in detail in the later part of the report, one will clearly figure out how the government sector performs and how soon will it become "e-ready" to join the network world.

From the result of the survey, it could be observed that ICT development in the Gambia has improved significantly over the past five years. This is due to the vigorous spending in new technologies by communication companies, increased donor assistance in the implementation of ICT projects and initiatives, increased opportunities to enhance human resources for an enabling ICT environment.

The 2009 e-Readiness Survey includes 41 national agencies and 17 regional government agencies in terms of readiness in ICT infrastructure, ICT Access, ICT Usage and Human Resources. Specifically, the survey focuses on strengths, weaknesses and challenges of ICT penetration and utilization in the government sector of the country.

The government institutions in The Gambia particularly the ministries and line agencies are fairly provided with computers and its accessories, however, its status in the rural areas still remain poor. Though the national agencies is ready to implement e-government initiatives, the e-readiness of the rural areas is challenged by low computer penetration rate coupled with slow machines, limited and unstable power supply and absence of internet connectivity.

A significant growth in broadband internet connection in national government agencies was also noted. This is due to the need for faster internet connection for efficient communication flow and the transfer of large volumes of data. The Ministry of Communications, Information and Information Technology (MOCIIT) has embarked on assigning an e-mail account to civil servants using the .gov.gm domain as part of the e-government programme.

Though there are quite a number of government websites that were added this year, the government needs to strive harder to make its presence fairly visible on the web in terms of local relevant content and information. The actual number of institutions connected to the internet in remote areas is very few. The immediate challenge for the Gambia is to provide connectivity to all government institutions since it is an essential component for a successful e-government.

One encouraging development in terms of ICT usage is the rolling out of several computerized information systems that are expected to boost the productivity and efficiency in the delivery of services. The big challenge for the government is to come up with a standard platform where all this mission critical information system can be integrated, secured and accessible. In this way, it will also optimize the existing LAN installed in the majority of the government institutions.

Although the basic ICT awareness is already felt in government offices, the need for more education and training on ICT applications is urgently raised by all respondents to optimize the ICT resources. On the other hand, they find it difficult to hire qualified ICT personnel while employing ICT-skilled staff is often difficult to retain due to the more lucrative opportunities available outside. A policy on e-Government and/or ICT integration in government services delivery that needs to be formulated should seriously consider this issue.

The recommendations enumerated in this report are intended to respond to the challenges faced by government institutions in order to smoothly implement the e-government programme.

 

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