ict@innovation – Creating Business and Learning Opportunities with Free and Open Source Software in Africa is a joint capacity building project in the area of innovative information and communication technologies through Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) implemented in Southern and East Africa from 2008-2010. For details please see: http://www.ict-innovation.fossfa.net

TERM

One year of initial contract (1/1/2010-31/12/2010)

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan and implement the ict@innovation programme activities on FOSS certification and achieve the ict@innovation Pillar B programme targets;
• Work toward a long term strategy for spreading FOSS certification throughout Africa;
• In collaboration with global certification entities, and in consultation with FOSSFA members and project partners, compile and make available the needed training materials for key FOSS certificates

APPLICATION

For a detailed job description, qualification criteria and application procedures, please see:

http://www.ict-innovation.fossfa.net/CertificationManager

Last date of application: January 20th, 2010

Please Note: Interested candidates should send an application as soon as possible, to Mr Frederick Yeboah: secretariat@fossfa.net with copy to Petra Hagemann: petra.hagemann@inwent.org or through any FOSSFA Executive.

Also we would appreciate if you can forward this mail to all your mail contacts. Thank you very much for your usual cooperation.

This post is reserved for female applicants ONLY. Interviews for this post will be held week commencing 20th October 2008. See attached detailed job description. Send CVs to leemuzala@yahoo.com

Position:   Admin Assistant /ICT Trainee Trainer
Supervisor:  Senior Consultant

Starting Salary:  Commensurate with education and experience.

Start Date:  The expected start date of this position will be no later than November 1, 2008.
Continuation in the position and possible upgrade is based on satisfactory job performance.

Job Description

This job involves carrying out a range of administrative and IT-related tasks. Typical work activities will include:

• liaising with clients, suppliers and other staff;
• dealing with correspondence and writing letters, and taking dictation and minutes;
• screening telephone calls, enquiries and requests, and handling them when appropriate; dealing with complex queries and complaints on the telephone, by email and in person; dealing with incoming company emails, faxes and post;
• organising and maintaining diaries and making appointments;
• dealing with administrative records, organising and storing paperwork, documents and computer-based information;
• dealing with shipments,
• carrying out background research and presenting findings into subjects the senior managers are dealing with;
• meeting with senior managers to review office performance;
• arranging travel and accommodation and workshop/seminar logistics.
• carrying out specific projects and research;
• responsibility for accounts and budgets;
In addition to supporting senior managers and other consultants, this job may also call for additional roles and responsibilities, which may include the following:
• liaising with external course providers, employers, clients, examining bodies and software companies
• compiling course materials and other documents such as handouts, manuals and exercises;
• carrying out training needs analyses
• organising and marketing courses to meet the needs of learners and demands of business;
• preparing the learning environment and resources, including setting up IT equipment;
• delivering training programmes to clients either in a group classroom setting, or on a one-to-one basis;
• supporting and coaching learners using self-learning packages or CBTs;
• assisting with the management and coordination of an education project;

The CSO June monthly publications shows that the 2006 LCMS IV collected information on information communication and technology (ICTs) facilities which included radios, televisions, video player, land phone, cellular phone, satellite dish and decoder, computer and internet connection.

Analysis by rural and urban shows that, ownership of a radio, cell phone and television was more in urban areas that in rural areas. The proportion of households that owned a radio in urban areas was 65.8 percent compared to 50.1 percent in rural areas while that of those who owned a cell phone was 53 and 8.8 percent in urban and rural areas respectively. The proportion of households that owned a television was 54.6 percent in urban areas compared to 7.8 percent in rural areas.

The survey also revealed that there has been an increase in the proportion of households that own cell phone while those that owned land telephone lines declined. The proportion of household that own a cell phone increased from 10.8 percent in 2004 to 24.2 percent in 2006. The proportion of household that own land telephone line declined from 5.2 percent to 1.2 percent during the same period.

Analysis of ICT assets by sex of household head shows that male headed household own more ICT facilities that female headed households. About 62 percent of male headed households and 35.5 percent of female headed households own a radio. The results also indicate that 26% male headed household owned a cell phone than 18.4 percent female headed households.

Press reports show that Deputy Minister of Communications and Transport, Mubika Mubika said this in Siavonga on Monday June 17 when he opened the Southern African Postal Operators Association annual general meeting. Mubika urged Postal administration to reform their traditional operation led organizations and adopt customer and service led organizations.

For Zambia it should be noted that, in 1994, Parliament enacted the Telecommunications Act, which resulted in the restructuring of the telecommunications sub sector by separating the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) into two commercial entities which are the Zambia Telecommunications Limited (ZAMTEL) and the Zambia Postal Services Corporation (ZAMPOST). In additional this included the removal of regulatory functions from the PTC; thus resulting in the establishment of an autonomous regulatory agency, the Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ). On the other hand regulation of the postal sub sector was still carried out by the Ministry of Communications and Transport through a Licensing committee comprising various stakeholders.

Postal and courier services are mainly provided by ZAMPOST. The Corporation covers the country through a network of about 116 Post offices, 64 Sub Post Offices and 55 Postal agencies.

A large percentage of the 72 districts have an operational post office. In addition, there are private courier services, which are concentrated along Livingstone Copperbelt corridor for delivery of parcels. However, some private courier operators now service provincial centres as well.

In relation to provision of ICTs, ZAMPOST offers a money transfer service called “SWIFT CASH” which has enabled many people within the country to receive and send money. Many Zambians are happy are please with the services as it is an alternative to Western Union a money transfer service which many Zambians now use to receive and send money to people living out of the country.

In addition to teaching, supervision and research, the applicant will be expected to play a pivotal role in a special project supporting African professionals attending UCT’s postgraduate programme.

The incumbent will be expected to take responsibility for the following:

• designing and developing ICT in Education postgraduate courses
• teaching ICT in Education postgraduate courses
• supervising PhD and Master’s students
• overseeing the selection of candidates for the African educational technology bursary awards
• supporting the bursary recipients
• identifying and developing new teaching programmes
• identifying and leading niche research areas.

In addition, the incumbent is expected to participate, where feasible, in CET’s general activities and projects.

Appointment to this position requires:

• a PhD at Associate Professor level, OR nearing completion of a PhD at Senior Lecturer level
• extensive postgraduate teaching experience
• relevant supervision experience with evidence of successful Master’s and (at Associate Professor level) PhD student completion
• solid relevant research experience with peer-reviewed outputs
• sound knowledge of current research trends in the field of ICTs in Education
• experience in supporting students from a variety of backgrounds.

In addition to ICT in Education experience, exposure to and experience in higher education teaching and supervising in disciplines other than those directly linked to the ICT in Education area would be advantageous, as would relevant knowledge of the challenges faced by African educational technology professionals.

The annual remuneration package, including benefits, is:

• Associate Professor – R422 154
• Senior Lecturer – R361 232

Please send:

• a letter of motivation
• a full CV (no certificates)
• a one-page summary of your CV
• the names, e-mail and telephone details of three contactable referees to:

Mrs R. Daniels (Ref:1698-MG),
Staff Recruitment & Selection,
University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, by 30 June 2008
tel. 021 650 2220
e-mail: Roslyn.Daniels@uct.ac.za
Website: www.ched.uct.ac.za

UCT is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity and redress. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at http://hr.uct.ac.za/policies/ee.php

The policy development process started with the holding of a National ICT Policy Symposium on 25th August 2003 at Intercontinental hotel in Lusaka.  The symposium attracted speakers from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana to share experiences on ICT Policy development.

The National Symposium was preceded by syndicate consultations with stakeholders which resulted in the production of the first draft ICT Policy document.  The draft was launched on 23rd December 2003 and following the launch the document was subjected to further stakeholder meetings through provincial workshops.  This process ended in August 2004.

Thereafter a second draft document was produced and subjected to public scrutiny through internet and print media.  After this process a second national stakeholders workshop a third and final draft document was developed reflecting the final views of stakeholders.

The final draft National ICT Policy document was submitted to the Ministry of Communications and Transport and subsequently to Cabinet Office for approval. I wish to pay special tribute to institutions that accepted to provide experts to the national technical team, namely:  Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services; Ministry of Science, Technology & Vocational Training; Communications Authority Copperbelt University; University of Zambia; ZAMPOST; ZAMTEL; Bankers Association of Zambia;
Computer Association of Zambia; CELTEL; and COMDEV(X) Ltd for website development hosting and other specialised services offered to the Secretariat.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of my predecessors for initiating the policy development process and co-operating partners in particular the Japanese Government for the pivotal role they played in financing the policy development process.  Last but not least I would like to thank the UNDP or the financial and technical assistance for policy development through operational and project management support to the TICAD Secretariat in the Ministry of Communications and Transport.  Tribute should also go to the World Bank and USAID who supported specific studies and capacity building to the Ministry respectively.

Finally, I want to thank all the staff in the Ministry who contributed in one way or the other to the successful development of this policy. I look forward to more stakeholder support during the implementation process.

Brig. Gen. Peter Tembo (Rtd)
Permanent Secretary
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT

ICT is receiving focus at various fora as demonstrated by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).  Both initiatives have resulted in the promotion of information and knowledge based society as the basis for creating wealth. An opportunity has arisen for Zambia to join the global village by connecting commerce and trade.  This policy sets the framework for Zambias participation in the global economy.

At the national level, the importance of ICT in national development is demonstrated by the approval of the ICT Policy and the inclusion of ICT as a priority sector in the Fifth National Development Plan 2006-2010. This Policy is designed on thirteen pillars namely as follows:-

* Human Resource Development;
* Agriculture;
* Tourism, Environment & Natural Resources;
* Education;
* Health
* E-Commerce
* E-Government
* Youth and Women
* Legal & Regulatory Framework
* Security in Information Society
* Access, Media, Content and Culture
* ICT Services

A challenge has now arisen for the country to implement this policy and I therefore call upon all stakeholders to rise to this challenge.  This Policy shall be Government-led and it is the intention of Government to involve the private sector in its implementation through the Public-Private Partnerships.
This partnership is especially important for mobilizing resources for infrastructure development.

At the operational level, it is expected that all ministries, institutions and organizations shall take the National ICT Policy as a guiding document to assist in developing sector-specific ICT policies and plans that will allow the application of ICTs in their respective programmes and projects.

To demonstrate Government commitment in providing leadership, Cabinet approved the creation of the Department of Communications in the Ministry of Communications and Transport which will coordinate and oversee the implementation of this policy.

Now that the first milestone of developing the national ICT policy has been achieved, I wish to implore co-operating partners to consider ICT as a priority.

Hon. Abel M. Chambeshi, MP.
Minister
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT