The findings of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Capacity and Infrastructure project, which was commissioned by the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) in January and completed this summer, will be used to take ICTs forward in the coming year.

This was revealed by the Acting Director of the NCST, Charles Cyrus, who explained that the organisation would use the information to help Barbados move into a new phase of ICT development.

"The ICT Capacity and Infrastructure project was completed and the consultants made their findings from the three-month study.?? This particular project was specific in that there were three action plans that we were looking to develop out of the project – to promote research, innovation and adoption of ICT; to create a highly skilled local ICT human resource base; and to rationalise ICT infrastructure and management across the public sector," he said.

Mr. Cyrus stated that one of the findings of the project was the need for "the establishment of a steering committee to oversee the implementation of government ICT policy and the setup of an ICT unit, within the NCST, to provide a link between government and businesses".??

He also revealed that there would be additional emphasis placed on offering support to small and medium-sized ICT enterprises and addressing their developmental barriers, such as the cost of staff training and hardware upgrading, "to help them develop their business and make a meaningful impact on the economy".??

nekaelia.hutchinson@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest