While there is no shortage of good will or individual intellect, the industry seem to be going through a lack of direction and a well coordinated plan to get in par with other developing nations around the world.

Information Technology is not a vertical industry, it is a tool that is horizontal and cuts across all the sectors and thus IT cannot be seen as an industry by itself. One of the biggest problem baffling the minds of so many is that they are trying to see information technology as a software development function and thus our trials of becoming a PREMIERE COUNTRY for software development has had very little success.

Bangladesh, in spite of its individual knowledge and excellence of its formal education systems has had less than successful endeavors in capturing the legitimate share of the software market. The major problems that are baffling this effort can be summarized as follows:

- Inadequate networking and marketing capacities of the existing software companies and other agencies in promoting Bangladesh as a premiere software developing nation.
- Lack of a comprehensive IT strategic plan for the nation
- Lack of capacity building institutions
- Lack of integration of software with other thrust sectors
- Inadequate experience in large IT Project Management skills
- Inadequate experience in systems management and systems integration skills

Our efforts should be directed at developing a comprehensive national IT strategic plan that will focus on a structured plan, resource requirements, gap analysis, and a time plan with defined priorities. Our Mission should be to forge a thread of common understanding among various participating agencies and expatriate organizations in gathering and sharing the required competency to help create and foster our software industry. We should also create a central knowledge base that will be directed to creating appropriate capacity building efforts in Bangladesh. The Capacity building efforts will be focused in the creation and effective utilization of information that helps integrate organizational and human resources to provide maximum value to achieving the overall objectives and targets. In addition, we should also assists in the transformation of information to knowledge and knowledge to wisdom that enables the organizations to compete effectively in the global market place.

As we all know that a new wave is emerging and the grand rules of the 'industrial age' are changing very rapidly replaced by the information and technology based solutions. Mass production is giving way to JIT production, the rules of marketing is changing from traditional methods to information based techniques. The 'Third Wave' or the 'Information Age " is in the making and is changing the very foundation of our business culture. With this change in transition, the international business and trade sector is expected to go through a major refocus in terms of its strategies, methods, procedures, techniques, and competition.

Adjusting to this new wave of information age, the world has entered into a new phase of global competition with ever-changing standards and quality that is defined by the consumers and the end-users. This competition is giving rise to the globalization of market forces.

With the addition of the technological revolution of the nineties, competition has intensified to a degree that inefficient and old structures are crumbling. How do we respond to this new challenge and keep ourselves competitive in the global market place?

Bangladesh is also experiencing this wind of change in terms of its structure, orientation, competition, and the customer desires and is adjusting itself to the new market forces that have come with the change.

Bangladeshi software companies should realize this change and act now to restructure their organization in a way that balances people, process, and technology in providing the right value for their organization and the stakeholders. The centerpiece of this change is to ensure that available information is shared among the strategic and operational decision makers to transform them to a knowledge base that can help management take better and more informed decisions so that they can achieve their strategic and operational targets.

We all, both the RBs and NRBs, should focus to develop a world-class management and information management services with a philosophy to help Bangladeshi organizations meet the challenges of the new century. Implementing quality in all phases and stages of product
development or service delivery is the answer to tackling the new challenges. Our solutions should be based on the best practices in the area with appropriate sensitivity to the local cultural
orientations.

We should immediately embark on a comprehensive plan that will address the following:
1. Institutionalize a 'Think Tank Group' in the West that will represent existing organizations, agencies and individuals representing the following Competency Groups:
1.1. Infrastructure Development
1.2. Capacity Building
1.3. Management and Organizational Development
1.4. Marketing
1.5. Software Technologists
1.6. Business and Operations Management

This Group should be entrusted to developing a comprehensive IT strategic plan for Bangladesh.

- Create an IT vision or take existing visions and translate them to tangible and measurable goals and objectives segmented by sector.

- Add any missing items to the overall objectives developed in the previous step.

- Ascertain the current western market structure and identify the opportunities that we can tap on.
Identify the strengths that we require capturing those opportunities.

- Find the gaps and weaknesses we have those needs to be bridged.

- Come up with a strategic plan for bridging those gaps with appropriate time frames, resources requirements, and strategic partnerships.

- Look for international funding in augmenting the resource plan and solicit their support.

- Mobilize the human resources abroad in the IT industry and entice them into participating in the capacity building.

- Initiate an aggressive marketing strategy in taping on the identified opportunities.

- Develop an IT infrastructure back home to support the initiative.

- Develop organizational and management IT infrastructure back home to support capacity building.

- Initiate ventures of partnerships with the government in creating a conducive business environment that is required to promote IT industry in Bangladesh.

- Start developing international standard software that can be internationally marketed.

All of these can be done if and only if the government takes a pioneering step to declaring IT as a major thrust sector under the guidance of an independent ministry and creating an appropriate
partnership between the public and private sectors. Bangladesh should adapt a model that has succeeded in other parts of the world rather than inventing one of its own.

The need for an independent ministry for IT or a combination of IT and Communications is pivotal given the need for joint efforts of the public and private sectors or more so even a partnership between them is critical to the development of the sector as a whole so that there can be one common purpose and objective for the sector.  Given the need for an IT thrust in our national economy, the uniqueness of technology therein, and the norm of business procedures, we definitely need an independent Ministry looking after both the Communications and Information Systems sectors.  If a ministry is not doable due to the current political architecture then there can be an independent agency charged with similar functions as that of the ministry who would report directly to the Prime Minister's Office. 

While the ministry will provide regulatory and strategic support to the sector, the choice of the Minister is a critical factor for the success.  This ministry would be run as a business unit and thus the person in charge should come from a business background with ample knowledge of the Industry.  The person should be a highly regarded professional in the Industry and someone who has adequate exposure to the outside world.

As mentioned in my previous postings, IT is a horizontal sector that cuts across all other vertical functions and provides the much-needed knowledge base and the know-how for others to succeed.  It is therefore imperative that the IT ministry or the agency work hand in hand with other ministries to develop a common program and have other individual ministries become the implementing agencies for the sector based information technology development.

Most of the developing countries that are thriving to get in par have already done that and the positive impact of such a partnership is already evident in many countries.  Egypt for example, has unified the IT and the Communications sector into one and have called it the 'MCIT' Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.  While MCIT is responsible for the development of a common vision and direction for the country as a whole and the creation of a conducive environment in the country so that the businesses can grow and flourish under the strategic umbrella and that the private sector participates in the implementation of the joint programs. 

While MCIT works in tandem with related ministries and coordinates the efforts, the private sector actually carries out the implementation works on a common platform so that they add value to the overall direction.

The Need for Computer Education around the Country Specifically in the Outreach Districts and Upazillas

The need for quality computer education is pivotal to the creation of skilled human resources for all sectors.  If we are able to develop an IT conscious labor force in the country then we can assure the development of all sectors given the use of information systems in all the sectors.  The means and methods of developing a computer literate work force is key to the success of our national development program.  Now let us look at the process that we need to focus on and be prepared for such an initiative. The key success factors for the IT education of the general mass are:

1. Availability of the hardware and communication infrastructure at the out reach locations
2. Availability of qualified IT educators around the country
3. Availability of hands-on training where the students and community members can practice their IT understanding.

None of the above are available in Bangladesh and therefore, traditionally, we will be unable to achieve such an undertaking.  Let us look at how other countries are attacking this problem and achieving success in creating an IT educated work force.

The government is supposed to set out a clear strategy for such an undertaking to start with and create an action plan to achieve the set targets and goals.  Such a strategy can be formulated by a Joint Committee set out from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Education.  This Committee should be given the responsibility for setting out tangible and measurable goals for a period of 5 years.  The long-term objectives and goals can be set as the following:

1. Create community based 'Computer Labs' financed by the local community augmented by international aid for the use of the local schools during the day time and community learning programs during the evening hours.
2. Create a central knowledge base of media based computer education systems under the auspices of the MOE and MCIT.
3. Develop a central database of NRB resources that are knowledgeable of distant learning and teaching aids
4. Create and manage a teachers learning program from the MOE with assistance from NRBs contributing to the creation of a central knowledge base.
5. Develop a sustainable Technology Services Provider (TSP) at each UpJilla level to operate the Computer Labs as a business.

With the above goals set, the Joint Committee would then develop a detailed action plan for a period of five years progressively showing the financial needs, technology insertion required, private/public partnerships, sustainability factors that the model succeeds.  In order to assess the sustainability of the program, the Joint Committee will be required to develop 5 to 10 models at targeted locations throughout the country during the first year of operations and assess the feasibility of each Model.  The successful Models at the end of the first year would then be replicated in other locations based on the need and availability of the resources required.

The program will need to look at the challenges and the risks involved in each model and devise plans to minimize the risk factors.  The success of such a program will depend on the level of local community participation, availability of the local infrastructure, and the creation of a Central knowledge base.