The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Canadian e-Policy Resource Center (CePRC) are pleased to announce the First Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards.

The aims to encourage the use of ICTs in the delivery of public services, which remains a major challenge for African governments, affecting millions of Africans, mostly rural citizens. As a result, the poor and disadvantaged in Africa are often dependent on the state for accessing critical services, such as the provision of drinking water, sanitation, health and education. Services are inaccessible to the poor due to major physical, financial and economic factors and they often lack the mechanisms for providing feedback in relations to these services. There is a need to focus on access to information and provision of redress and feedback to communities as a way of strengthening government action for better services to its people in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), through the use of ICT encompassing a various media including telephone, Internet, TV and radio.

The deadline for the 2007 Technology in Governments in Africa (TIGA) Awards is 15th February 2007.

Entries can be made in the following categories:

1. Public service delivery to citizens/communities

This award recognizes outstanding achievements by organisations or teams in developing and implementing innovative projects to improve online government service delivery (such as service application forms, tax payments, revenue collection, birth & death registration, government service delivery using other forms of eServices, etc.); with a specific focus on citizens/communities or businesses as clients of government. This also includes access to feedback mechanisms to public services by disadvantaged groups.

2. Improved health services through the use of ICTs

This award recognizes outstanding achievements by organisations or teams in developing and implementing innovative projects to improve online as well as Government eServices using other forms of health service delivery; with a specific focus on citizens/communities as clients of government (such as improved healthcare delivery, increased access, remote access, etc). This includes the use of ICTs for the provision of feedback on Government services, as well as ‘hotlines’.

3. Improved educational services through the use of ICTs

This award recognizes outstanding achievements by organisations or teams in developing and implementing innovative projects to improve online as well as Government eServices using other forms of education service delivery; Specific examples include using ICTs for innovation in learning and teaching for citizens and communities as well as the provision of e-administration in the delivery of education services.

4. Public Private Partnership (PPP) in economic and financial eServices delivery

This award recognizes outstanding achievements by private and public organisations or teams in developing and implementing innovative projects to improve financial/bsuiness service delivery (such as customs, banking, insurance, trade facilitation, etc.), with a specific focus on the business community as clients of government. This includes initiatives that reduce time and expense for SME businesses and their dealings with government, as well as services that can bring efficiency benefits to businesses with new opportunities to explore new markets.

All Prizes will be under three levels/sub-categories: national, provincial/regional, and local.

More info on http://www.uneca.org/aisi/