Academy of ICT Essentials

The “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders in the ESCWA Region” (AIGLE) project aims at helping policymakers in Arab countries to build capacities, in order to narrow ICT human resources gaps, reduce barriers to ICT adoption and promote the application of ICT in accelerating socioeconomic development.

Indirectly, it helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It builds upon lessons learned and achievements of a similar academy that was launched in 2008 by the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT), located in Korea, within the region of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

AIGLE strives to enhance the capacity of national partners, mainly public administration teaching institutions, information technology or e-Government authorities and agencies. It will also pave the way for the establishment of ICT for development (ICT4D) training programmes through participation of concerned and interested national institutions and individuals and ownership of the process, thus maximizing the impact and ensuring the sustainability of the Academy.

Our approach

Phases:

• Needs Assessment  

• Development of AIGLE modules and production of the training package 

• Development of the AIGLE online training platform  

• Training of trainers  

• National rollouts of AIGLE Academy 

• Impact assessment and future perspectives for AIGLE 

Our partners

The following partners contributed to the implementation of AIGLE activities: 

UN system United Nations Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT): www.unapcict.org/ 

Other partners: 

1. Bahrain- Institute of Public Administration: www.bipa.gov.bh/BIPA/bipa_home/index.php 

2. Egypt - Ministry of State for Administrative Development: www.ad.gov.eg 

3. Iraq - Ministry of Planning - National Centre for Management Development and Information Technology: http://ncmdit.gov.iq/ 

4. Jordan - Ministry of Information and Communications Technology: www.moict.gov.jo/ 

5. Kuwait - Central Agency for Information Technology: www.cait.gov.kw/ 

6. Lebanon -    National School of Administration, and the Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform: www.omsar.gov.lb 

7. Morocco - Ministry of Public Sector and Modernization of Administration: mmsp.gov.ma 

8. Oman - Information Technology Authority: www.ita.gov.om/ITAPortal/ITA/default.aspx 

9. State of Palestine - Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology: www.mtit.pna.ps/ 

10. Saudi Arabia - Yesser, e-Government Programme: www.yesser.gov.sa/ 

11. Sudan - National Information Centre : http://nic.gov.sd/ 

12. Syrian Arab Republic - National Agency for Network Services: www.nans.gov.sy/ 

13. Tunis - Prime Minister Office, E-Government Unit

14. United Arab Emirates - Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government

Our activities

Following an analysis of the APCICT curriculum, and based on a regional survey and needs assessment of ICT4D, the following four training modules were developed in Arabic for the benefit of government officials in Arab countries, in line with the specificities of the region:

• Linkage between ICT applications and development;

• ICT for development policies: main elements and tools for management; 

• e-Government: policies, strategies and applications;

• Internet governance.

A website for the AIGLE project, including an online training platform, was developed and two regional/subregional workshops were organized by ESCWA and its national partners for training future trainers on these modules. Selected national training sessions were also held to train top and middle management on ICT4D.