E-DEVELOPMENT SERVICES THEMATIC GROUP

in partnership with ITSLC QuickStart Learning Program as a part of the

e-Development Dialogues Series

presents

Mainstreaming e-Development:

Implementing National ICT Strategies

(Focus on the e-Sri Lanka Model of Bank's Assistance)

Participating countries (Session 2):

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

Wednesday, October 20, 2004, 8:00 am – 10:30 am (EST/ Washington DC time)

Room MC 4-860, 1818 H Street NW Washington DC USA

PROGRAM DESCRPTION:

This seminar is a World Bank response to the growing interest in many client countries in designing and implementing national ICT strategies in order to mainstream the use of ICT in the development agenda. Many developing countries have already formulated their national e-strategies and many others are in the process in order to meet the recommendations of the World Summit on the Information Society which took place in Geneva in December 2003. Many countries will be reporting on their progress in designing and implementing their ICT strategies at Tunisia WSIS Summit in 2005. Therefore, many World Bank’s client countries are actively seeking support in this area.

We will review the World Bank experience in this field and focus on the e-Sri Lanka model of implementing national e-strategy which involved integrated e-development assistance by the World Bank as the pioneering e-Sri Lanka Development project was just approved by the Board of Directors and is entering a full-scale implementation stage. How did the Bank get involved in supporting the e-Sri Lanka vision? What are the lessons learned so far? Is this model replicable in other countries? How can a country initiate a similar project? What is the process? Is such a model feasible in participating countries? What kind of adaptation will be needed?

More information about e-Lanka can be found at:

The videoconference will be conducted in English with a translation into Russian. It will be broadcast live on the Internet and all relevant materials will be uploaded to the e-Development Thematic Group website. Live Webcast will start at 8 am on Oct. 20:

For more information please email or visit:

AGENDA:

~ PART 1 ~Global Perspectives

8:00-8:10 Introductions &Welcome

Oleg Petrov, Moderator & Facilitator of the e-Development Thematic Group

8:10-8:40Implementing National ICT Strategies: How the World Bank Can Help

Nagy Hanna, Chair of the e-Development TG, Senior Advisor, ISGVP

8:40-8:50Panel Discussion

  • Khaled Sherif, Sector Manager, ECSPF, World Bank
  • Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer, infoDev, World Bank

8:50-9:05Open Discussion, Q&A

9:05-9:10Coffee Break

~ PART 2. Country Perspectives ~

9:10–10:10Brief Remarks and Comments by Participating Countries

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Georgia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Moldova
  • Russia
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan

10:10-10:25Open Discussion, Q&A

10:25-10:30Closing Remarks

Nagy Hanna, Chair of the e-Development TG, Senior Advisor, ISGVP