Monday, January 7, 2013

UNESCO releases "Information policies in Asia: development of indicators"

Information policies in Asia: development of indicators
by Kavita Karan. UNESCO Bangkok, 2011.

The scope of information policy is broad. For the purposes of this report, information policy can be defined as the collection of policies and strategies that are designed to promote the development of a better-managed information society. These policies include, but extend beyond, those that are concerned with processes, management, promotion and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Across the Asia-Pacific region there has been a steady development in the information policies that support the information sector. This sector is expected to grow if policies keep abreast of needs. In most of the countries of the region, the acquisition of technology, creation of infrastructure and improving the quality of human resources are significant engagements, but a lot has yet to be achieved. Lesser-developed countries like Bhutan, Lao PDR, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan, among others, appear to be putting together blueprints for the development of information sectors.
This report focuses on assessing country information policies on seven broad dimensions in the context of achieving the goals of information-based societies. These cover (a) overall national policies; (b) telecommunications infrastructure and networks; (c) the content and delivery of information; (d) the information industries in the public and private sectors; (e) legal and regulatory frameworks; and (f) the skills and competencies of human resources – providers and consumers.
The report is divided into two parts where Part I covers three sections. The first section contains the objectives and methodology of the data; the second focuses on indicators contributing to information policies across seven dimensions; and the third section concludes the report. The report provides an organizing framework that can be adapted to the needs of information policy initiatives in any given national context. The significance and results of such an analysis provide a blueprint for state interventions to promote an information-rich environment, the efficient running of government and other development projects of the country. Part II is on implementing the indicators and some examples of measurement including a questionnaire for household access to information given.
Download Full-text PDF http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0020/002070/207048e.pdf

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