Spoke to UNDP Ghana’s DCD to explore ways to kick-start, once again, Africa’s e-governance Academy (AfegA). Nothing much has happened since the former project coordinator was let go last September for not performing up to expectations. UNDP Accra had agreed to pick up the pieces but that did not really work out as staff in the CO are quite busy. The West Africa e-governance report is still unfinished and the project has still to be financially moved to Accra. We agreed with the DCD to immediately recruit a new project manager after moving the project to UNDP Ghana and issuing the ASL for the unspent balance.
Also contacted IBM to discuss ways in which we could spent the 43k which is leftover from their contribution. Bangkok RSC had initially requested that the funds be use for an open data initiative in Indonesia, linked to the governance assessments programme Oslo manages. IBM quickly discarded such option as their core interest is in having an activity that has global impact. I suggested something around open government or open data perhaps linking both the technical components of open data with the required policy issues that need to be previously addressed. Kenya comes to mind here. I agreed to submit a proposal to IBM next week which the focal point there will then have to sell inside the organization.
Work with our colleagues in BCPR continues to move ahead. We agreed to work together on the guidance note on ICT and Crisis (well beyond crowdsourcing!), liaise on the mobile apps mapping we will be doing with Motorola, do a joint CoP in October/November this year (where we will present the draft guidance note for discussion and completion) and the potential of launching a global programme in December or i nearly 2013.
Finally, the Global Knowledge Partnership Foundation came to visit. They have ask us ti be in the International Policy Advisory board, an offer we could not decline. The future of GKP however is still not entirely clear given the many other initiatives that already on the ground, etc.
Cheers, Raúl
