What are the factors that determine the choice of maximalist vs minimalist strategy of Country Gateway evolution?

-- Oleg Petrov (opetrov@worldbank.org), September 14, 2000

Answers

In order to make the Global Gateway truly global, we need to bring all countries on board sooner or later. But how we deal with countries where Bank country team is not fully supportive and/or the Govt is not really supportive?

We can choose between a proactive strategy (maximalist scenario) and a reactive strategy (minimalist scenario).

The factors which influence this decision are:

Support of other donors, local NGOs and private sector (especially IT community).

Readiness of the country for e-development (e.g. Tajikistan is not really ready for it)

Need of the country in e-development (e.g. Estonia is already e- developed).

For example, in Romania, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and West Bank/Gaza we have full support of the country team and the Govt as well as of other donors and partners which can be easily materialized. Here we chose an abmitious strategy far beyond core knowledge sharing mission.

On the other hand, in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan, where the Country Team and Govt are ambivalent about the project for various reasons, we chose a reactive, minimalist strategy with a focus on the private sector and NGOs.

The bottom line is as always money: the countries that are ready for a full-scale program can usually find their own money, those that are not, prefer freebees. The procedures for the minimalist scenario are drastically streamlined and simplified, essentially limited to InfoDev grant agreement and licensing agreement monitoring.

So these are the extreme scenarios (there can be variations in the middle, depending on the degree of support): |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--- -------| |Scenario |Conditions|Funding |Reputation|Hiring |Bank staff|Legal | | | | |al risk | |role |Status | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--- -------| |Minimalist|no support|InfoDev, |Minimal |No Bank |No Bank |License | |: |from Bank |private | |hiring |staff |agreement | | |or Govt is|sector, | | |involvemen|with an | |Country |needed, |foundation| | |t |existing | |Gateway is|only no |s | | | |private/NG| |a basic |objection | | | | |O entity | |content/e-|is sought | | | | | | |communitie| | | | | | | |s | | | | | | | |management| | | | | | | |project | | | | | | | |run by a | | | | | | | |private | | | | | | | |operator | | | | | | | |licensed | | | | | | | |by the | | | | | | | |Global | | | | | | | |Gateway | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--- -------| |Maximalist|full |InfoDev |Substantia|Country |Bank |License | |: |support of|plus other|l if |Advisor |country |agreement | | |the |Bank/donor|minimal |hired by |team is |with a | |Country |ountry |funding |funding is|the |one of the|newly | |Gateway is|office and|(e.g. LIL,|not |country |main |created | |a |country |PHRD, IDF,|secured |office to |clients |NGO | |comprehens|team, |SATAC, SRS| |supervise |and | | |ive |full |etc) | |the |content |PIU set up| |e-developm|support of| | |project |contributo|to | |ent |the Govt | | |implementa|rs. |disburse | |program |and the | | |tion. |Task |Bank funds| |fully |donor | | | |managers |or | |integrated|community | | |All Bank |are |existing | |into Bank | | | |related |involved |PIU used | |operations| | | |procuremen|in | | |and other | | | |t |designing | | |donor | | | |according |individual| | |programs | | | |to Bank |components| | | | | | |guidelines|of the | | | | | | |. |Country | | | | | | | |gateway, | | | | | | | |e.g. | | | | | | | |Business | | | | | | | |to | | | | | | | |business | | | | | | | |applicatio| | | | | | | |ns, | | | | | | | |e- governme| | | | | | | |nt | | | | | | | |applicatio| | | | | | | |ns etc | | | | | | | |Local Bank| | | | | | | |staff (EXT| | | | | | | |or PSD) is| | | | | | | |supervisin| | | | | | | |g the | | | | | | | |project. | | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--- -------|

-- Oleg Petrov (opetrov@worldbank.org), September 25, 2000.