Communication for influence in the Andean Region, Latin America. (CILAC – Andean Region)

Communication for influence – Linking advocacy, dissemination and research by building an ICTD network in the Andean Region, Latin America. (CILAC – Andean Region)

1. Introduction

The Communications and Information Policy Programme (CIPP) of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has been active advancing ICT policy advocacy in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region since 2001. APC has focused on:

• advocacy for opening up policy spaces to civil society inputs
• facilitating the engagement of civil society organisations in ICT policy processes by building civil society capacities to understand ICT policy issues
• providing relevant information resources on ICT policy developments.

CILAC seek to integrate research, research communications, network-building and advocacy for affordable universal broadband.

2. Main goals:

CILAC will:

• Conduct research that will identify obstacles to universal affordable access to ICT infrastructure in the Andean sub-region and,
• to develop a sub-regional ICT policy advocacy network that will disseminate research and undertake advocacy on ICTD and access to infrastructure at the sub-regional level, in order to create a sound platform for sub-regional connectivity in the Andean region that will provide a platform for the effective use of ICTs in development processes.

3. Specific goals

Specifically, CILAC intends:

• To support research projects on access to ICT infrastructure and ICTD.
• To disseminate and discuss research findings based on the situation on the ground and link them with ongoing initiatives (both own and other existing research).
• To explore ways of using research findings to inform policy advocacy initiatives.
• To link research finding on practices of governance and freedom with advocacy using civil society participatory processes and gender evaluation methodology.
• To undertake policy advocacy initiatives at the sub-regional level in the Andean region and to support policy initiatives at the national level.

4. Main expected results:

The expected outcomes will be a body of research on the implementation of telecom reform in the Andean region from a political perspective on sector performance, access and affordability and policy environments. The research will complement and offer alternative perspectives to existing research. At the same time, a sub-regional ICTD network will be developed in the Andean Region to undertake research, disseminate and advocate on improving access to infrastructure, enhancing the connection between e-strategies and poverty reduction strategies and taking forward the ICTD agenda.

The network building workshop will take place in Quito, Ecuador, from 1-5 September 2008.