5.+The+Political+Axis

=The Political Axis= =media type="file" key="political.mp3" width="240" height="20"= = =

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 * ===Much of the discussion that relates to Davis' (2008) political axis focuses on the importance of the political will necessary to successfully implement change in Africa. This political will is needed at every level, from the schools involved through to the national government, around which most of this discussion will revolve.===


 * ===Many African nations have competing priorities in health and infrastructure, maintaining stability and so forth. In such a context prioritising ICT in education can be seen as somewhat of a luxury===


 * ===When the political and commercial ecosystems intersect, a mutually beneficial relationship can occur. The commercial actors can provide the much needed capital and expertise, while the government can open doors of opportunity for their commercial counterparts.===


 * ===A lot of frustration resulted from differences to do with governments' understanding of their role, responsibility and expectations.===

//"Appoints and supports in-country structures necessary for planning and implementation, country level coordination and planning, facilitates entry of equipment required for the Demo Project, ensures safety of equipment deployed to the schools, provides conducive ICT regulatory environment, ensures readiness of schools and availability of teachers and other personnel, and approval of digital content."// (e-Africa Commission, 2008)
 * ===Governments' official role, according to the e-Africa Commission, is as follows:===


 * ===The e-Schools Initiative sets out to establish understanding between the various stakeholders by means of a Memorandum of Understanding, which each country is required to sign.===


 * ===The tendency for many African governments to over-regulate telecommunications industries is another area of frustration resulting from the intersection of the political and commercial axis.===


 * ===Davis (2009) recognises the role of political motives in projects like the e-Schools Initiative, stating that, "politically-motivated promotion of IT innovations also play a role in IT diffusion in education." (p. 145). This was acknowledged in my interview with a change agent, who agreed that, "being part of NEPAD was seen as kudos", although it was also acknowledged that there was a genuine willingness from most countries to improve the quality of education, aside of any perceived 'kudos'.===