| WHAT'S
NEW
Lebanon Development Gateway Public Communication
We
are writing to follow up on a previous communication
concerning the Lebanese Development Gateway (LDG) project,
which was circulated back in mid September 2003. The
purpose of this new communication is to announce the
start of the project and to solicit cooperation from
all interested parties.
As communicated earlier CRTD-A is implementing
the LDG project with the support of the Development
Gateway Foundation (a World Bank initiated organisation
based in Washington). The project aims at increasing
the access of a diverse range of local development actors
(from government, NGO and private sectors) to relevant
gender and social development information in Arabic
as well as catalyzing and facilitating various fora
for dialogue and collaboration between these actors.
The project will also entail a number of associated
supporting activities.
The first phase of the project involves
the planning and necessary groundwork for the construction
of the Lebanon Development Gateway. We will pursue an
inclusive approach in implementing the Gateway project.
More information on this initiative may be obtained
through this link: http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/678918/interpage/index?iso=lb
The activities to be implemented in the first phase
of the LDG project include the preparation of key documents
and studies on Lebanon’s e-readiness as well as
the e-needs of development actors and stakeholders.
The e-readiness study should provide insight into the
current state of ICT use for social development in Lebanon.
The e-needs study will identify the actual needs of
development stakeholders in relation to development
knowledge and cutting edge information.
This phase will also generate a marketing study to ensure
the sustainability of the LDG portal as well as a governance
report, which will identify the best structure and institutional
framework for the LDG.
These outputs will be developed using
a participatory approach and through various consultation
processes such as workshops, e-dialogues, data and information
gathering and bilateral meetings. This will not necessarily
entail the commissioning of new studies but rather an
updating of existing research and studies.
All the above is to be carried during the period March
2004 to October 2004. Once this phase is complete, a
business plan will be produced and submitted to solicit
further financial support to the project.
CRTD-A is calling on all interested individuals and
organizations to get in touch with us and indicate the
ways in which they would be willing to participate in
this initiative.
CRTD-A will be setting up a steering committee for
the project. CRTD-A welcomes suggestions and nominations
for the reference group.
After receiving initial suggestions and feedback, CRTD-A
will call for a first discussion meeting of interested
parties to be organized during the next two weeks. The
exact date will be communicated soonest by email following
consultations with interested stakeholders. It is hoped
that the first meeting will result in the setting up
of the LDG Reference Group as well as an agreement on
a detailed work plan for the coming period.
Finally, in order to help steer and facilitate the
implementation of the first stage, CRTD-A has set up
a project team consisting of a Project Manager (Omar
Traboulsi) and two Project Assistants (Sawsan Atallah
and Bassam Kantar)
For more information
on LDG, visit the site: www.developmentgateway.org
and on CRTD the site: www.crtd.org.
|
