Goal: To have an environment that promotes and supports private-sector led sustainable economic activities
Aim: To liberalize the ICT sector and implement a regulatory framework for the sector
Targets – ICT Legislation and regulatory framework developed and approved by September 2009. Licenses issued to ICT providers by December 2009
The first ICT National Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan was approved in June 2012 to 2016. This policy was further updated in 2017 for the period 2017 – 2021 to further foster the growth and development gains that were being achieved under the 2012 policy. Progress under the current National ICT Policy has advanced under the e-lava concept – that is Environment, Learning, Access, Virtual and Adoption – with successes in all the key areas especially as it relates to work with youths and young persons, the private sector and notably with the elderly persons of the society which is quite an important deliverable for the Government of Montserrat. An outline of some of the positive progresses made under the ICT Policy using the e-lava concept are: –
Environment (which looks at both the natural environment and the regulatory environment)
- Go Green Campaign – with the support given to the environmental initiatives such as the dispensing of reusable bags to the private sector businesses to reduce to dependency on plastics which is damaging to the environment;
- Review and Update of ICT Suite of Legislation
Learning
- Let’s Talk Tech – Targeting Middle Managers participating in an ICT training for small business to create awareness of the usefulness of ICT to business and to promote business to gain additional customers through the leveraging of the Internet and social media.
- The hosting of a Girls in ICT Day which is a highly anticipated yearly event that is celebrated with girls from schools across the island where they are given the opportunity to become exposed to IT based technologies both in Government and in the private sector thereby creating an awareness of the far reaching effects of IT in the businesses world.
- Cyber Security training conducted in key areas. Starting an ICT Afterschool (Club) Program which is still ongoing for students in the Primary and Secondary
- Schools ICT Summer Camp for young persons.
- The ICT 101 Radio Program which educates and advices on all matters relating to ICT on Montserrat.
- Conducting general data protection and sensitization sessions.
Access
- Disseminated ICT Tools and Equipment to encourage the use of ICT in Non- profit institutions like churches
- The implementation of a ‘love Connection Program’ which was targeted to the older persons living at the Look Out Home where residents were provided with the use of simple smart phones with connectivity apps such as WhatsApp enabling them to stay connected with family both at home and abroad. The phones were also installed with brain stimulating activities to keep them focused. This project was implemented in partnership with Flow. The response to this initiative was very much appreciated by the recipients in the home as persons who were not able to speak or communicate with family for a number years were overjoyed to finally connect and talk and see family more readily.
Virtual
- The music talk workshop held in partnership with OECS was aimed at attracting musicians, singers, producers, DJ’s etc. to demonstrate the value of online technologies and to encourage the use and utilization of IT tools in order to build and create an online virtual presence for their music and artistry thereby generating greater interest for themselves and their work and becoming more visible to the international market which in turn may generate additional income from the sale of their music. This was also a success as many of the persons who attended this training are now online and are creating a virtual online presence for themselves.
- Leveraging Social Media – This series of workshop session engaged business owners. They were talk to the skills necessary to leverage social media to make money online, and to create more business presence online.
- Website development course – Individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations were taught how to create complete websites.
Adoption
- Driver’s license system – which will soon be launched online by MCW to allow for faster and more efficient service
- The digitizing of a large number of Montserrat National Trust and the MCRS documents/records. This was necessary in preserving of historic information for the Trust and relieving the use and dependency of paper based files for the MCRS.
- GOM Website Development
