Visit of Bangladeshi delegation- AusAID PSLP on eGovernment capacity building in Bangladesh
Two high-level officials from Bangladesh visited the Australian National University, Canberra from 27 July to 30 July 2008 to attend a workshop on Information Technology Strategy and Management, which is a part of a project for eGovernment capacity building, supported by the AusAID Public Service Linkage Program (PSLP). The workshop aimed to receive feedback on the two main project deliverables, set strategies to deliver the programs in most effective ways and to establish a common understanding and collaboration between the counter part organisations, stakeholders and the project team.
The National Centre for Information Systems Research (NCISR) of the College of Business and Economics (CBE) at the Australian National University is conducting this applied research project in Bangladesh, based on a PhD research by Ahmed Imran of Information Systems in CBE, which addresses the barriers and strategies of ICT adoption in public sector of least developed countries (LDC). The project has significant potential to benefit Bangladesh, one of the world’s least developed countries, in bringing about increased efficiency, improved services and reform in the public sector, through the implementation of eGovernment. Lessons learned in this project could also have broader application in other LDCs in addition to contributing to research outcomes. The project is supervised by ANU’s endowed professor of Information Systems Professor Shirley Gregor, AO and assisted by researchers and experts form ANU and other government and non- government organisations.
The ANU secured funding from the competitive AusAID Program on January 2008, with the Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology (MOSICT) of Bangladesh as the lead counterpart organization and the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) as a third party organization. The visitors, who represented these organizations, are Mr. S.M. Wahiduzzaman, Secretary, MOSICT and Major General Muniruzzaman, President, BIPSS.
In addition to attending the day long workshop the delegation met ANU’s Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb, AC and Professor Keith A Houghton, Dean of ANU College of Business and Economics. The delegation also visited the Australian Government Management Information Office (AGIMO), National ICT Australia (NICTA) and the AusAID who are supporting the project. During these visits the delegation had some fruitful discussions and exchanges of views on use of ICT in the public sectors. The team has expressed their deep satisfaction and gratitude to ANU for their world class expertise and research and also to AusAID for financing this great initiative. It was expected that relationship between these two countries will further strengthen through such program on knowledge transfer and capacity building which have great potential for social and economic development in partner country.
