Grant Amount: US$ 26,477

Keywords: GOVERNANCE, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, POLICY, PHILIPPINES

Geographic coverage: Philippines

Objectives

The objectives of this project are to examine critical information and communications technology (ICT) policy issues with clear public interest implications in the Philippines and to engender a multi-stakeholder approach to policy development.

Research context

This project aims to support and strengthen the recently set up Philippine Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) by examining critical ICT policy areas with clear public interest implications. It targets issues where it is seen that public policy is underdeveloped and where civil society can make a positive contribution. The project aims to develop seven research papers on strategic policy areas, using a multi-stakeholder approach during production and validation. Roundtable discussions and validation workshops will complement the research process and produce outputs that benefit the national and regional community with sound information and communications policies. This process is seen to strengthen a public interest multi-stakeholder constituency that will actively engage in the implementation and oversight of each policy area studied.

Target beneficiaries

The direct beneficiary is the grant recipient’s project partner, CICT, to which the outputs of this project will be turned over. Indirect beneficiaries are other policy stakeholders in the Philippines, policy communities in other countries of the Asia-Pacific region, and ultimately the people of the Philippines.

Outputs

The production of research papers in seven areas of information and communications policy that correspond to Philippine national priorities for policy development. For each policy research area, the project will conduct roundtable discussions and research validation workshops involving strategic stakeholders in Philippine information and communications policy development (with CICT and attached agencies, academe, key information technology (IT) associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society organizations). The project will publish the papers, including relevant outputs of the related roundtable discussions and validation workshops, in monograph form or as a single volume and online and offline (CD) versions. The policy research papers include:

• Internet Governance for the Administration of Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs);
• Internet Governance and Policy Implications for Emerging Technologies and Universal Access Programmes;
  
• The Question of Agency in InfoComms Policy Development: An evaluative history of Philippine ICT governance from an institutional standpoint;
  
• Free and Open Source Software (FOSS): Evolving a policy framework and action plan for the Philippines;
• WSIS@PH: An assessment of Philippine participation in international spaces, national processes;
  
• Locating the Digital Divide in the Philippines; and
  
• Mainstreaming Gender Issues in ICT Policy Development.

Research results and outcomes

This project seeks to engender a new way of developing policy that relies on the research capacities of different stakeholders and the balancing of quantitative and qualitative indicators and methods. To achieve this, a multi-stakeholder approach is embedded into the project. This collaborative research methodology ensures participation of various stakeholders from different sectors throughout the project development process. Thematic roundtable discussions provide input before the research papers are prepared, and research validation workshops provide further input after the drafts are finished. The project also places emphasis on a knowledge sharing framework. Most of the papers consult existing state-of-the-art research and similarly, outputs will be widely disseminated internationally. It is foreseen that these processes can form the basis of ongoing knowledge networking with governments and NGOs in other developing countries.

The thematic areas covered by the project involve a broad array of information and communications concerns which cut across sectors and issues (FOSS, ccTLD administration, digital divide indicators, gender, emerging access technologies, participation in international forums, and policy institutions). Research agendas for each thematic area necessitate different methodologies that cut across various disciplines - both on the level of theory and praxis. Some of the research areas also suggest new data sets that may be important for the government to consider in its statistical systems. Each of the thematic area will be used to pinpoint and mobilize a multi-stakeholder community based on practice and interest within civil society and with government agencies. This broad-based process is seen to adhere to the principles of inclusion, participation and knowledge networking. The policy development focus of the project is a key component of sound, multi-stakeholder governance in the area of information communications. Hopefully, governance mechanisms will be improved, as the project will seek to demonstrate the value of multi-stakeholder policy development.

The project has noted several factors that effected progress. First, a number of the researchers could not be mobilized according to the original timetable for a variety of reasons. This caused some delay, as some of themes being explored are specialized areas, and it was difficult to find alternatives. However the project notes that to date all of the seven papers are in various stages of production. In addition, some of the thematic areas are “live” - meaning, these are current areas of actual policy debate. The project noted that it was a challenge to keep up with actual policy processes and make the research relevant to governance realities. The project also notes that since a primary beneficiary and partner is CICT, there has been a need for the project to be flexible in response to political developments and transitions in that government agency.

It is envisioned that all of the research outputs will be integrated to make concrete submissions to the Philippine ICT Strategic Roadmap of the CICT. The research process also seeks to empower non-government actors such as NGOs, academe, activists and gender advocates to continually engage in policy development for the public interest. Broad dissemination of the results will facilitate sharing of this knowledge internationally with similarly placed civil societies.

Duration

Start Date: June 2005
End Date: December 2006
Total Duration: 19 Months

Contact information

Alan G. Alegre, Executive Director
Foundation for Media Alternatives
Unit 1, #32 Esteban Abada Street, Loyola Heights
Quezon City 1108, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 435 6684
Fax: +63 2 433 2192
Email: info@fma.ph, alalegre@fma.ph

Website: http://www.fma.ph