isiAfrica is a site dedicated to mapping public information systems in Africa and tracking the progress African countries are making towards taking ownership of the development of these systems.
isiAfrica encompasses both e-Government (the use of ICT in public administration) and e-Governance (the use of ICT to promote transparency, democracy and civic participation in government).
Many existing information systems in Africa are unsustainable because they have been built by external contractors on short-term consultancies. Whatever their terms of reference might say in theory, in practice they often leave behind badly documented legacy systems that are difficult to modify and expand. The time is ripe for African governments to look to their own resource bases and develop locally grown systems.
Contact
I am open to suggestions, corrections, discussions, informal chats, etc. You can reach me at bill.anderson@isiafrica.net
