[WSIS CS-Plenary] Joint research collaboration

[Ezendu Ariwa]

Dear Nnenna

I am interested in collaborating with you and your team o0n a research
project in Africa using practice based or evidence based approach in terms
of maximaxing ICT application and competencies for public sectors



We can write a joiint bid for the grant


Kindly let me know if yoiur are interested for such collaboration

Ezendu
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> _______________________________________
>
> Subject: <incom> Standards: ISO steps towards social responsibility
>
>
> After the OOXML debacle, many countries (Brazil and South Africa,
> among others) question the neutrality of the ISO, unclear whether this
> will affect one of their latest projects as well, interesting
> regardless imo esp. in relationship to fair it projects, which could
> certainly use another lever, Soenke
>
> <http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=6094&newsletter=24>
>
> Standards: ISO steps towards social responsibility
>
> The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is one step
> closer to launching a global standard for "social responsibility"
> The ISO Social Responsibility Working Group took a small – but
> potentially historic – step forward at its recent meeting in Santiago
> de Chile on September 1-5, 2008.
>
> Nearly 400 experts and observers from around the world agreed that
> sufficient progress had been made in developing the draft
> international standard on social responsibility for the "working
> draft" to be taken to "committee draft" level.
>
> In the process of ISO standards' development, this takes the draft
> standard one stage closer to the wider consultation and voting phases
> that could see it available for public use globally in 2010.
>
> For readers unfamiliar with these negotiations, a short history of a
> long story is in order.
>
> Long road
>
> Best known for its widely used technical and management standards, ISO
> embarked in 2005 on its first "soft" standard - on social
> responsibility.
>
> As a new and controversial subject area for ISO, the mandate given to
> the working group was to develop a standard by late 2008 that would
> provide voluntary guidance to all organisations, public and private.
>
> While there were proponents (especially from developing countries) who
> wanted a standard that could be used for certification purposes – to
> demonstrate their world class performance to increasingly picky
> northern consumers and investors – others argued that ethical issues
> were too soft and culture-defined for certification.
>
> As a result, it was agreed that the standard would not be a management
> system standard (like the popular ISO 14001 standard), and could not
> be used for certification.
>
> Since March 2005, there have been six negotiating sessions of the
> Working Group on Social Responsibility. Experts and observers from six
> groups – government, industry, labour, consumer organisations, NGOs,
> and a group of academic, consultant, standards and other bodies – have
> been working intensively on reaching consensus on what "social
> responsibility" means, and what should go in the world's first
> standard on the subject.
>
> Arriving in Santiago, it was not clear to many negotiators whether
> their Carmenera was half empty or half full. To many, the working
> draft before them (known as WD4.2) was over due, over long, and over
> done.
>
> Kitchen sink
>
> Difficulties in getting agreement on scope and content issues had
> already meant that the original 2008 deadline would not be met. Coming
> in at over 80 pages, excluding annexes, there was also hand-wringing
> about whether all but the largest organisations would be inclined to
> read the standard. Moreover, there was a sense that apart from not
> mentioning the kitchen sink, the draft seemed dauntingly
> comprehensive.
>
> On the other hand, there was a sense that important and hard-won
> consensus had been achieved on a number of fronts. For all its length,
> the draft contained valuable and well-written guidance on core social
> responsibility subjects. These included organisational governance,
> human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating
> practices, consumer issues and community involvement.
>
> Moreover, it was common ground that the definition of social
> responsibility – embracing such notions as the importance of
> sustainable development, stakeholder expectations, compliance with
> national and international law, and the need for organisation-wide
> integration – provided a much needed level of clarity.
>
> While everyone could point to weaknesses in the text, there was a
> general sense that real progress had been made, and that it was time
> to take the draft to a wider audience. By agreeing to move the draft
> to "committee draft" status, following further amendments recommended
> at the Santiago meeting, the draft standard will now be opened to
> comments from ISO's 84 participating (and thus voting) national
> standards bodies for comment.
>
> How quickly ISO can complete this process remains to be seen. However,
> as the recent release of a (certifiable) Portuguese social
> responsibility management system has shown, there are some at the
> national level who cannot wait any longer.
>
> Amsterdam-based, Paul Hohnen consults, speaks and writes on
> sustainability and CSR issues. www.hohnen.net. He is a member of
> Ethical Corporation's editorial advisory board.
> _______________________________________________
> Nnenna Nwakanma
> Director, nnenna.org
> Consultants on Information, Communications, Technology and Events for
> Development
> Tel: +225 225 271 44
> Fax: +225 224 264 71
> Cel: +225 07 416 820
> nnenna at nnenna.org
> http://www.nnenna.org
> http://nnennaorg.blogspot.com
>
>
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Ezendu Ariwa
BITM Programme and Pathway Leader
Senior Lecturer - Strategic Information Systems
Business Analysis, Information Systems, Transport and Logistics Subject Group
London Metropolitan Business School
London Metropolitan University
277-281 Holloway Road
London N7 8HN
United Kingdom

Tel: 02071333945
Fax: 02071333899
Email: e.ariwa at londonmet.ac.uk