Beyond Harmonization: ICT Policymaking in Regional Economic Communities

Maitland, Carleen; Gorp, Annemijn van

doi:10.1080/01972240802587547

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…To this extent, the director is referred to by a variety of consultants and regulatory officers outside of Tanzania as having been pivotal in driving regulatory capacity building efforts in southern Africa. For example, through its role as convenor in the human resource development committee in the Communications Regulatory Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), which is a regional regulatory body of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), TCRA has been pivotal in driving capacity building in the region (Maitland and Van Gorp, 2008;Van Gorp, 2008). As convenor of the committee, TCRA has been engaged in organizing workshops and training for all regulators of the SADC region.…”

Section: Administrative Capabilities: Capacity Building Within Tcramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not only did this enable direct learning about specific regulatory topics, it also enhanced bilateral relations. To this extent, membership of CRASA has provided a basis for peering program where staff members of different regulators in the SADC region visit each other (Maitland and Van Gorp, 2008;Van Gorp, 2008).…”

Section: Administrative Capabilities: Capacity Building Within Tcramentioning

confidence: 99%

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Regulatory innovations in Tanzania: the role of administrative capabilities and regulatory governance

Gorp

Maitland²

2009

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Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to show that, while in many low income countries inefficient regulatory regimes have been blamed for impeding ICT market development, Tanzania constitutes a remarkable exception. This study aims to identify the organizational and contextual factors that have enabled the Tanzanian Communications Regulatory Agency (TCRA) to implement innovative regulations, including a fully converged licensing framework as the first country on the continent, and how subsequently these regulations have influenced market development. Design/methodology/approach-The analysis is based on case study data gathered through 20 face-to-face interviews in 2006 as well as secondary data gathered from government documents, news reports and company web sites. Findings-The research finds that the market developments and regulatory innovations were due in part to Tanzania's Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA)'s high level of autonomy, afforded by independent funding mechanisms and lack of capacity of the Ministry, which pressed the regulator to play a greater role in policy making than is found in other countries. Further, TCRA's significant internal focus on capacity building has also enabled strong regulatory governance. Practical implications-The results provide further evidence of the role that institutional endowments and regulatory governance play in fostering policy reform. Originality/value-The research examines regulatory innovations in a region typically associated with regulatory inefficiencies. It identifies institutional factors and subsequently shows how in a very low income country they may be conducive to effective regulatory governance and market development.

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Section: Administrative Capabilities: Capacity Building Within Tcramentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Administrative Capabilities: Capacity Building Within Tcramentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulatory innovations in Tanzania: the role of administrative capabilities and regulatory governance

Gorp

Maitland²

2009

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“…Such systematized workforce learning is often referred to as workforce development by government agencies in the USA. From the perspective of regional studies literature, the economic development plans of scores of communities around the world (Maitland & van Gorp, ) could be advanced by the use of computer‐supported collaborative learning designs and implementations in rural work settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing computer‐supported collaborative learning at work for ruralITworkers: Learning ensembles and geographic isolation

Goggins¹

2014

Brit J Educational Tech

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This paper presents the results of a 9-month ethnographic and action research study of rural technology workers where computer support for collaborative learning through workplace technologies was introduced to a US-based technology firm. Throughout the implementation of this support and participation, issues related to geographic isolation are contrasted with the information and learning needs of 89 employees. The development of information seeking, cataloguing and coordination practices through technology is described. Resulting insights have led to the identification of learning ensembles as an informal, socio-technical unit of organization within geographically isolated firms. Learning ensembles are hypothesized as a bridge between the mid-level, limited knowledge required in order to perform particular duties at the firm, and the greater potential of individual team members that is enabled by participation in the firm's technologically mediated, geographically dispersed customer teams. The discussion calls for future research on learning ensembles to further inform technologically mediated workplace learning. IntroductionSmall technology firms in rural regions develop new forms of virtual organization as they use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to collaborate with metropolitan partners and customers. In doing this, they bridge social and geographic boundaries among metropolitan and rural areas that date back to the first cities (Williams, 1973). These areas are separated by distance and by socially constructed perceptions regarding education and social sophistication (Malecki, 2009;Williams, 1973). ICTs enable a new type of computer support for collaborative, workplace learning that allow these small technology firms to exist through a process of recruiting and retraining local residents with the capacity to learn technology skills, but little experience in computing.

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“…Moreover, as this paper does, systems theory arrays different elements, posits relationships among them, indicates control mechanisms which regulate their behavior, and locates them within a certain environment as they seek to accomplish tasks (Littlejohn, 2002). In their study of ICT policymaking at the European Union and the Southern African Development Community, Maitland and Van Gorp (2009) also used the systems approach and discovered that the members of these regional economic communities interacted with each other towards policy harmonization than adaptive policymaking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Though literature provides examples of adaptation and change within systems (Maitland and Van Gorp, 2009;Littlejohn, 2002;Melcher and Melcher, 1980), there is criticism that the systems approach presents reality in a static manner. However, since systems approaches deal with the relationships of concepts within an environment, they implicitly indicate a temporal element.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systems framework to telecommunication policy: the Philippine experience, 1989‐2009

Paragas

2012

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Purpose -This paper aims to present a dialogue-based systems framework using two cases in the liberalization of Philippine telecoms.Design/methodology/approach -Through a meta-analysis of government data, academic research and policy studies about Philippine telecoms, the paper presents a holistic view of the role of political, business, and social sectors in policy making and implementation.Findings -The paper shows how intra-and inter-sector dialogues have resulted in the liberalization and growth of the industry. Conversely, it shows how paucities among such dialogues have had consequences in terms of unutilized capacity and in an oversight about the medium of choice in promoting universal access. Moreover, the paper shows how policy is a product of local traditions and global policy trends.Social implications -The paper reinforces calls for states to consider technological innovation and adoption in addressing universal service goals. The Philippines also serves as a case study for other developing states which pursue an agenda of liberalization and deregulation.Originality/value -The study shows the utility of a proposed dialogue-based systems framework as a parsimonious solution to the complexity of policy studies.

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Beyond Harmonization: ICT Policymaking in Regional Economic Communities

Cited by 6 publications

References 40 publications

Regulatory innovations in Tanzania: the role of administrative capabilities and regulatory governance

Regulatory innovations in Tanzania: the role of administrative capabilities and regulatory governance

Designing computer‐supported collaborative learning at work for ruralITworkers: Learning ensembles and geographic isolation

A systems framework to telecommunication policy: the Philippine experience, 1989‐2009

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