Information Policies and Content Creation

The information policies followed by many organisations have to change as very few of them are still to make significant investments in the development of web based information resources. In an online discussion forum moderated by the author of this manual - Africa Web Content Discussion Forum (africa_web_content_owner@eGroups.com), a number of areas have been identified as lacking in terms of both the quality and quantity of web content available. One respondent, Gumisai Mutume quotes UNESCO's findings from a survey in 2000 on the top 50 web sites on Africa:

"Content on African sites is relatively poor. Education, sciences and community development sites have the lowest content".

It has also been noted through the responses from group participants in the online discussion forum, some of them hold key positions in their oganisations - that there are no coherent methodologies to guide web publishers in both the development of information resources that can change the information environment in those communities and the evaluation of their impact.

The design methodologies followed follow the approaches taken in building web sites for use in developed countries. There are no check-lists referred to by web publishers that considers the production of content that reflect the real-life situation of people living in those settings. More often that not, there are no intensive information needs assessment exercises involving the people who are going to use the information.

Participatory approaches akin to the consensus methodology where all relevant stakeholders are involved in reaching an agreement before a final decision should be developed should be practised by those actively involved in web site production for local use.

There is a cost element in the process of content creation - which should be borne mainly by government institutions that are not really serving the information needs of the people they are intended to serve. Partnerships in content creation and also spreading the cost of content creation should be shared by both public and private sector institutions. The cost of putting up a web site is relatively cheaper than producing print based publications.

Mobile telephones are being seen as a way forward to improve access to the Internet in many developed countries. Plans are underway to use low orbiting satellites to connect mobile telephones to the global Internet backbones. Basic Internet services like the email facility via mobile telephony will certainly increase the diffusion of the technology in many African countries - this is how the technological leap-frog is likely to happen in the next ten years . Everything is dependent on local organisations developing and implementing innovative information and Internet policies and working together with international organisations that are committed to change through the use of ICTs.

Information Gaps