VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #2212/01 2630942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 200942Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2447

UNCLAS ACCRA 002212 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECPS GH PHUM
SUBJECT: GLOBAL INTERNET FREEDOM INITIATIVE: RESPONSE TO 
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 142147 
 
 ¶1. Summary. In response to reftel, Post has identified ten 
USAID projects and one Public Affairs Section (PAS) projects 
that directly promote access to, and use of, the internet in 
Ghana.  All of the programs mentioned have been completed, 
except the Last Mile Initiative and the PAS program. Most of 
the projects involved one-time purchases of ICT equipment for 
recipients, sometimes as a complement to a broader USAID 
project. 
 
FYO6 Projects 
 
A) Information Technology Support to Ghana Research and 
Advocacy Program 
B) Information Technology Support to Rights and Voice 
Initiative 
C) Information Technology Support to the Ministry of Finance 
D) Trade and Investment Program for a Competitive Export 
Economy (TIPCEE) and Last Mile Initiative 
E) Public Affairs Section (PAS): Information Resource Center 
 
FYO5 Projects 
 
A) Legislative Database and Computer Equipment for Parliament 
B) Information Technology Support to Legal Resources Center 
(LRC) 
 
FY04 Projects 
 
A) Center for the Development of People (CEDEP) 
B) Center for Information Technologies Research and 
Development (CITRED) 
C) Center for Empowerment of the Vulnerable (CEV) 
D) Volta Regional Association of NGOs (VORANGO) 
 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. FY 06 Projects 
----------------- 
 
A) Information Technology Support to Ghana Research and 
Advocacy Program 
 
Recipient: Ghanaian Research and Advocacy Program (G-RAP) 
partner organizations. 
Project Description: The Ghana Research and Advocacy 
Programme (G-RAP) seeks to enhance the capacity of research 
and advocacy organizations (RAOs) to carry out evidence based 
research and advocacy on economic, social, political and 
security issues along with providing support for 
institutional development of RAOs to enhance their autonomy 
and capacity to contribute effectively to the development 
progress. The core funds provided by G-RAP do not provide 
enough support to cover information and communication 
technology (ICT). 
IT Component: Computer equipment and software to increase 
effectiveness of organizations. 
Funding: USD 50,000 
 
 
B) Information Technology Support to Rights and Voice 
Initiative 
 
Recipient: USAID's Organization of Rights and Voice 
Initiative (RAVI) partner organizations. 
Project Description:  RAVI is a fund targeted at enhancing 
citizen's engagement with the state in relation to the 
respect, protection, and fulfillment of civil cultural, 
economic, and political and social rights. RAVI targets 
grassroots level organizations that focus on advocacy issues 
particularly at the local level. The organizations associated 
with RAVI have at most limited and obsolete IT equipment. 
IT Component: Computer equipment and related software. 
Funding: USD 50,000 
 
 
C) Information Technology Support to the Ministry of Finance 
 
Recipient: Ministry of Finance. 
Project Description: Support for the Ministry of Finance and 
Economic Planning's (MoFEP's) efforts to enhance its 
information technology capacity and its ability to 
communicate with development partners and efficiently manage 
information. 
IT Component: Computer equipment and related software. 
Funding: USD 200,000 
 
 
 
D) Trade and Investment Program for a Competitive Export 
Economy (TIPCEE)/Last Mile Initiative 
 
Recipient: Ministry of Communications, small-scale farmers 
 
and private sector exporters. 
Project Description: USAID Ghana provided support for policy 
and regulatory reform and will provide ICT applications for 
rural development.  USAID has worked with the World Bank to 
finalize three telecommunications bills, which address 
independence of the regulatory, openness and transparency in 
the exercise of the regulator, convergence of voice, data, 
and video technologies, increased competition in the 
industry, and universal access to ICT.  The legislation will 
help enable the Ghana Investment Fund to develop rural ICT 
infrastructure and extend ICT access to all parts of the 
country. 
IT Component: Under the Last Mile Initiative (LMI), USAID 
will support expansion of ICT applications in rural areas to 
farmers, businesses and other exporting organizations. 
Electronic exchange of bar code transactions between farmers 
producing horticultural products for export and local pack 
houses and the ports will permit real-time data connectivity 
along the value chain.  The technology uses PDA-based 
software and GSM mobile phone communication technology. 
Funding FY 05:  USD 250,000 
Funding FY 06:  USD 250,000 
 
E)  Public Affairs Section (PAS): Information Resource Center 
Recipient: General Public. 
Project Description: PAS provides internet training to Muslim 
student groups as well as exchange students from Ghana 
preparing to travel to the United States for a year in 
American high school under the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) 
program. 
IT Component: Ten public-access terminals located at the 
Martin Luther King Jr. Information Resource Center.  PAS is 
also in the process of donating computers to the Ghana 
Institute for Journalism and should do a handover ceremony in 
October 2006. 
 
 
¶3. FY 05 Projects 
----------------- 
 
A) Legislative Database and Computer Equipment for Parliament 
 
Recipient: Parliament. 
Project Description: This project provided a series of 
searchable legislative databases that include: the Ghana Law 
Dictionary; the Acts of the 4th Republic; all Legislative 
Instruments; Ghana's Consolidated Statues; and all Executive 
Instruments.  As a result, members and staff of Parliament 
now have immediate electronic access to all of Ghana's 
existing laws, executive instruments, and legislative 
instruments as they consider, debate, and sometimes amend new 
bills brought before them. 
IT Component: Databases, a server on which to store the 
databases and additional computer equipment to ensure that 
all the clerks and research staff have access to the 
databases. 
Funding: USD 80,000 
 
B) Information Technology Support to Legal Resources Centre 
(LRC) 
 
Recipient: Legal Resources Centre (LRC). 
Project Description: The LRC is one of the up and coming NGOs 
actively engaging Parliament.  This project provided the LRC 
with a number of computers, a better internet connection, web 
hosting support, and printers.  LRC was able to establish a 
solid information technology infrastructure that enabled it 
to continue to play a significant role in the democracy and 
governance section. 
IT Component: Computer, internet connection, web hosting 
support and printers. 
Funding: USD 30,000 
 
 
¶4. FY 04 Projects 
----------------- 
 
A) Center for the Development of People (CEDEP) 
 
Recipient: Jachie Community Learning Center (CLC), Ashanti 
Region. 
Project Description: Access to internet information and 
communications at an affordable cost and in a socially, 
economically, and politically friendly environment. 
IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and 
some operational expenses for startup period of the CLS. 
Funding: USD 55,500 
 
 
B) Center for Information Technologies Research and 
Development (CITRED) 
 
Recipient: The Community Learning Center, Tamale. 
 
Project Description: Computer and internet training to 
students and teachers.  Funds provided ICT support and 
services to institutions, organizations and individuals, 
networked people in the northern community, and established 
ICT facilities in peri-urban and rural communities in Ghana. 
IT Component:  Computer equipment, internet connection, and 
some operational expenses for startup period of the CLC. 
Funding: USD 73,300 
 
 
C) Center for the Empowerment of the Vulnerable (CEV) 
 
Recipient: Community Learning Center (CLC), Sunyani. 
Project Description: The CLC provided a broad range of 
services for vulnerable populations, including access to 
technology and electronic information, training, and 
awareness raising. 
IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and 
some operational expenses for startup period of the CLC. 
Funding: USD 79,500 
 
 
D) Volta Region Association of NGOs (VORANGO) 
 
Recipient: Community Learning Center, Ho. 
Project Description: The VORANGO CLC provided access to the 
internet and organized low-cost computer proficiency courses 
for both members and the general public.  Courses covered 
introductory computer, e-mail, and internet use. The learning 
center will enhance the human and institutional capacity of 
VORANGO, as well as of individual member organizations, by 
upgrading internet skills and enabling NGOs in the Volta 
Region to play a more focused and effective role in regional 
development efforts. 
IT Component: Computer equipment, internet connection, and 
some operational expenses for startup period of the CLC 
Funding: USD 41,800 
 
 
 
BRIDGEWATER