ICT Policy advocacy
The lack of easy, affordable and timely access to information about ICT-related issues and processes is one of the top challenges African countries face. Accordingly our objectives are to raise awareness about key issues, provide useful information to assist African participation in policy-making, and stir debate by sparking discussion and convening productive gatherings, primarily in the area of international ICT policy.

Since its inception, CIPESA has positioned itself as the leading centre for research and analysis of information aimed to enable policy makers in the east and southern Africa understand international ICT policy issues. Great attention has been paid to the role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Internet governance and ICT infrastructure — three of the issues considered to be critical to the development of the region.

We produce and publish commentary, briefing papers and a monthly newsletter that are widely circulated in the region and beyond. Our commentaries - short and informative pieces aimed at sparking thinking and dialogue on important issues in international ICT policy-making processes - provide an overview of selected international ICT policy issues relevant to African stakeholders. They stir discussion by presenting views and posing relevant questions. Readers are encouraged to respond to the points raised, via email or in the "comments" box under each commentary on the CIPESA website.

CIPESA has also published a number of incisive briefing papers on ICT policy issues, which explore issues like Internet Governance, regional infrastructure initiatives and Internet Governance.  We have held national workshops in various countries on the East African Submarine System (EASSy) and other ICT infrastructure initiatives, and have been a driving force in online discussions for the Africa ICT Policy Dialogue DGroup (AFRICTIC) during April and May 2006. In 2005, we held the online discussion on issues for Africa in the Intellectual property rights debate in the information society, in conjunction with our west African sister centre CIPACO, www.cipaco.org.

We were also actively involved in developing content and driving debate for the Association for Progressive Communications (APC, www.apc.org ) project that advocated affordable and open-access fibre in Africa – www.fibreforafrica.net. Besides, CIPESA has been one of the partners in the APC’s Communication for influence in Central, East and West Africa (CICEWA), which sought to identify the political obstacles to extending affordable access to ICT infrastructure in Africa and to advocate for their removal in order to create a sound platform for sub-regional connectivity in East, West and Central Africa, thereby providing a base for the effective use of ICTs in development processes.

In mid 2006, CIPESA commissioned 10 journalists across east and southern Africa to conduct an assessment of policymakers, regulators, civil society and private sector perceptions of how undertakings like EASSy can effectively contribute to alleviation of the region's bandwidth problems.

Research & Debates
CIPESA has published and disseminated informative public briefings on the African Network Information Centre (AfriNIC), ICT indicators and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), Regional Perspectives on Open Access ICT Infrastructure, Leveraging Universal Service Funds to Grow The Uptake of ICTs, and many other subjects. We have carried out some of this research in 11 countries in East and Southern Africa, although most of it has been in fewer countries. Many of these briefings are to be found under the ‘Publications’ section on this website.

Our recent work has included studies and advocacy on interconnection regimes; research on pre-requisites for extending new generation networks to hard-to-reach areas in Africa; the impact of the Universal Service Fund in Uganda; Making broadband accessible and affordable in East/South Africa; A review of policy encumbrances to extension of wireless in selected African countries; Advocacy on Internet Governance, including co-organising national and regional consultations and meetings on IG; Presentation to MPs on ICT committees of policy briefs; Research on consumer protection for ICT goods and services; and research ICT and environment sustainability tools and practices.

We have over the years co-organised or funded events in countries in Burundi, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Uganda, forums that have debates many of the issues we feel arte crucial to enabling ICIs to catalyse development. Partners in some of these workshops and other initiatives have included the Association for Progressive Communications, Balancing Act, Women of Uganda Network, KICTANET, One World Africa (based in Zambia) and I-Network Uganda.

Back in 2004/05, CIPESA played a leading role in the deliberations to the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunis in November 2005. Specifically, the collaboration prepared a briefing document on Internet Governance to inform regional stakeholders on the salient issues and institutions that were up for deliberation during the Summit. Titled, ICANN, Internet Governance and Africa, the public briefing explored issues on the status of the Summit and the key points of debate for stakeholders in the region.

Circulated in both print and electronic versions, the briefing attracted tremendous response from the media and civil society organisations who followed and participated in the Summit. Even after the Summit, the public briefing was warmly received by participants at various forums where it was presented.

Information resources
Getting information on ICT policy and development issues to government officials, business people, civil society organisations, and the general public across Africa is crucial. CIPESA has accordingly developed its online presence over the last several years, ever striving to become a leading one-stop centre for information on international ICT policy issues in Africa. Our website allows for readers to feedback us, and has a popular bloggers’ section. Our newsletters, commentaries, and briefing papers are all available online; and both print and online versions are published as Open Content to create free resources for use by others.