e-ASEAN Initiative Peru Telecoms Investment Fund

3 1 Development Aims A SEA N co untr i es b eli eve they must emb r a ce ICT, i ts d evelop ment a nd use, i f they a r e to susta i n economi c gr ow th a nd r ema i n comp eti ti ve i n the glob a l ma r ket p la ce. A SEA N lea d er s thus a gr eed to p r omote collecti ve effor ts to comp lement na ti ona l d evelop ment str a tegi es i n thi s sector. The e-A SEA N initiative establishes a r eg i o n- w i d e a p p r o a ch to ma ki ng comp r ehensi ve use of i nfor ma ti on a nd communication technologies i n b usi ness, society, and the government. In N ovember 2 0 0 0 , A SEA N gover nments si gned the e- A SEA N Fr a mew o r k A g r eement to faci li tate the establi shment of the A SEA N Information Infrastructure. W hile its stated objectives include the intention to promote coop er a ti on b etw een the p ub li c a nd pri vate sectors, there i s no fur ther outli ne of r esp ecti ve r oles i n the d ocument. In the consulta ti ve p ha se of the i ni ti a ti ve how ever, p r i va te sector i np ut w a s sought a nd ha d a si gni fi ca nt i nfluence. Ther e w a s how ever li ttle or no i np ut fr om ci vi l soci ety. The e-A SEA N Ta sk For ce w a s cr ea ted i n 1 9 9 9 to d evelo p a b r o a d a nd comp r ehensi ve a cti on p la n. It i s the only a d vi so r y b o d y to A SEA N tha t i s comp osed of r ep r esenta ti ves fr om the p ub li c a nd p r i va te sector s, a nd exp li ci tly sta tes i ts i ntenti on to a llow the p r i va te a nd p ub li c secto r s to b r i ng thei r r esp ecti ve co mp a r a ti ve a d va nta g es together. The a cti on p la n i tself i nclud es a numb er of p i lot p r oj ects a cr oss a r a nge of ena b li ng envi r onment, ha r d w a r e a nd softw a r e i ni ti a ti ves, most w i th str ong p r i va te sector i nvolvement. Sever a l of these a r e, i n themselves, f o r ma l multi -sector p a r tner shi p a r r a ngements. A g a i n, ho w ever, the o p p o r tuni ty to str engthen the p a r tner shi p s w i th ci vi l soci ety i nvolvement seems to ha ve b een la r gely mi ssed . Pa r tners • G over nments of 1 0 A SEA N countr i es • Pr i va te sector r ep r esenta ti ves of e- A SEA N Ta sk For ce a nd consulta ti ve gr oup s • Pa r tner s i n i nd i vi d ua l p i lot p r oj ects i nclud i ng na ti ona l g over nment,loca l a nd i nter na ti ona l comp a ni es The Pa r tnering Process Ther e w er e sever a l sta ges to the p r ocess of p a r tner shi p d evelop ment, comp r i si ng a co nsulta ti ve p ha se a nd o ng o i ng for um, i nter na ti ona l a gr eements, a nd a n a cti o n p la n. A t the ena b li ng envi r onment level, the gover nments of A SEA N countr i es ha ve a for ma lly si gned a g r eement g over ni ng i nter connecti vi ty a nd techni ca l i nter -op er a b i li ty a mong thei r teleco mmuni ca ti o n systems a nd eq ui p ment, a nd ha ve esta b li shed w or ki ng mecha ni sms a nd a n a cti on p la n for p r omoti ng ICT4 D a p p li ca ti ons. A t a co nsulta ti ve level, p r i va te secto r r ep r esenta ti ves of e-A SEA N Ta sk For ce a nd consulta ti ve gr oup s w er e a b le to i ntr o d uce a str o ng p r i va te secto r p er sp ecti ve i nto the sub seq uent a cti on p la n. In some ca ses p i lot p r oj ects w i thi n the a cti on p la n ha ve for ma l p a r tner i ng a gr eements e.g. the “ e-lea r ni ng for li fe” p r oj ect of Coca Cola , UN DP a nd the G over nment of M a la ysi a . O utcomes a nd Va lue Added The fr a mew or k a gr eement, Ta sk For ce a nd a cti o n p la n a r e p r o vi ng to b e i mp or ta nt ca ta lysts to b oth ha r moni si ng a nd p r omoti ng ICT4 D i ni ti a ti ves i n the r egi on. The str ong i nvolvement of the p r i va te secto r, w hi ch i s unusua l i n A SEA N i nter -gover nmenta l for a , i s seen a s si g ni f i ca ntly i mp r o vi ng the effecti veness of the outcomes. Ther e i s, though, some cr i ti ci sm levelled a t the o ng o i ng r i g i d i ty o f the A SEA N p r o cesses w i th r esp ect to g enui ne p a r tner shi p s a nd the a b sence o f mea ni ngful ci vi l soci ety i np ut i n the e- A SEA N p r ocess. W hat will be interesting in the future is to see how the GKP Secretariat evolves as a broker of more implementation-orientated partnerships. For example, will it as we recommend in this paper begin to utilise its membership base and convening power to move beyond information sharing to more actively broker or build the capacity for others to broker a programme of results-based multi-stakeholder ICT4D partnerships that harness the development potential of the W SIS?

2.4.2 e-ASEAN Initiative

xxxi Although the private sector are not signatories to the e-ASEAN inter-governmental Framework Agreement, their input to the overall design has been significant. Closer to the concept of multi-stakeholder partnerships is the e-ASEAN Task Force: a forum comprising both government and private sector representatives, with a stated objective to look for ways to pool comparative advantages. CASE-STUDY 2 ee--AASSEEAANN IINNIITTIIAATTIIVVEE A key consideration of the Task Force has been development of protocols for interconnectivity and technical inter-operability. These have been designed to deliver the mutually reinforcing objectives of investment promotion and regional competitive advantage the principal interests of the public sector and market access and penetration the key interest of the private sector. The absence of serious civil society involvement in the Task Force has possibly limited the weight given to protocols that facilitate the delivery of government policy for poverty reduction. However, the pilot partnership projects identified in the Task Force action plan do advance ICT4D, not least the “ e-learning for life” project of Coca Cola, UN DP and the Government of Malaysia. Comparing the e-ASEAN Task Force to other sector-based national and pan- regional multi-stakeholder fora, there is a similarity in functions, including: advocacy of government; identification and convening of pilot partnership projects; and the scaling up of best practice.

2.4.3 Peru Telecoms Investment Fund

xxxii The Peru Telecoms Investment Fund underpins a form of public-private partnership. The model recognises the additional investment required in rolling-out backbone ICT infrastructure to remote rural areas. Furthermore, the emphasis on results- based performance e.g. for network congestion, time to dialling tone and user uptake provides a degree of confidence that the goal of rural connectivity is being taken seriously and is not simply subordinate to performance standards based only on the construction of physical infrastructure. A key test for the model over time will be whether providing fixed-line telephony is the most appropriate form of technology in terms of the local livelihood priorities and capabilities of people living in remote rural areas. Key issues here will be affordability, physical access i.e. how far people have to walk and content. Engagement of community groups and development N GO s in the re-design of the regulatory framework and PPP model is one area where a more multi-stakeholder partnership approach might add value. This could lead to the inclusion of additional ‘local livelihood’ driven performance targets in future tender documents, thereby increasing the overall emphasis of operators on their quality submissions, and enabling greater flexibility to be granted by FITEL in the level of subsidy. 3 2 At present, low profit margins mean that operators are unlikely to enter into local partnerships involving civil society stakeholders due to the elevated risks. Partnering with local community development organisations to deliver on new local livelihood-driven performance targets might make the risk worth taking, especially if this leads to a more commercially viable level of subsidy.

2.4.4 Grameen Village Pay Phones, Bangladesh