{"id":147288,"date":"2019-03-20T06:15:08","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T11:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=147288"},"modified":"2019-03-20T06:15:01","modified_gmt":"2019-03-20T11:15:01","slug":"ictp-047-digital-increasing-access-tech-projects-caribbean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2019\/03\/ictp-047-digital-increasing-access-tech-projects-caribbean\/","title":{"rendered":"ICTP 047: Community Chat on going digital and increasing access to tech projects in the Caribbean"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>In this Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Liselle Yorke and Ian Mitchell, the panel discusses:\u00a0 what will it take to go digital in the Caribbean; and the limited access to ICT tenders and projects by regional independent consultants, contractors, and service providers.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/592853160&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=false&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=false\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>This episode is also available in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast\/id1373550291\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple iTunes<\/a>\u00a0and on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast?refid=stpr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stitcher<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is Community Chat time, once again, and based on the topics submitted for discussion by our guests, who will be introduced shortly, we are challenged to critically examine the state of ICT development in the Caribbean region in specific areas. Essentially, although currently the region enjoys and experiences the results of considerable technological advancement \u2013 when compared with what obtained 20, or even 10, years ago \u2013 the development has been uneven, at best, and warrants closer scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>For the March discussion, we have two newcomers to the Community Chat family:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_147289\" style=\"width: 305px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147289\" data-attachment-id=\"147289\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2019\/03\/ictp-047-digital-increasing-access-tech-projects-caribbean\/liselle-yorke-l-yorke\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Liselle-Yorke-L-Yorke.jpeg?fit=629%2C640&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"629,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Liselle Yorke (L Yorke)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Liselle Yorke&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Liselle-Yorke-L-Yorke.jpeg?fit=295%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Liselle-Yorke-L-Yorke.jpeg?fit=629%2C640&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-147289 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fgd.dfv.mybluehost.me\/.website_c81a1e61\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Liselle-Yorke-L-Yorke-295x300.jpeg?resize=295%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"295\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Liselle-Yorke-L-Yorke.jpeg?resize=295%2C300&amp;ssl=1 295w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Liselle-Yorke-L-Yorke.jpeg?w=629&amp;ssl=1 629w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 295px) 100vw, 295px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-147289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Liselle Yorke<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>First, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/liselleyorke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Liselle Yorke<\/a><\/strong>, who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, is a mission-driven communications strategist with a deep commitment to social causes that benefit underserved communities. Currently, based in the U.S., she has written about harnessing ICT for innovation in developing economies.<\/p>\n<p>Liselle posed the question, <strong>\u2018<em>What will it take to go digital in the Caribbean?\u2019<\/em><\/strong>. Although the question might seem confusing to some, who would be of the view that the Caribbean is already quite digital, based on her experience whilst visiting Trinidad and Tobago, and also her exposure to ICT for development initiatives in Africa and Asia, in particular, Liselle is concerned that the region is still not as \u2018digital\u2019 as it could be.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_147290\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147290\" data-attachment-id=\"147290\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2019\/03\/ictp-047-digital-increasing-access-tech-projects-caribbean\/ian-mitchell-i-mitchell\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Ian-Mitchell-I-Mitchell.jpeg?fit=536%2C448&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"536,448\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Ian Mitchell (I Mitchell)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Ian Mitchell&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Ian-Mitchell-I-Mitchell.jpeg?fit=300%2C251&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Ian-Mitchell-I-Mitchell.jpeg?fit=536%2C448&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-147290 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fgd.dfv.mybluehost.me\/.website_c81a1e61\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Ian-Mitchell-I-Mitchell-300x251.jpeg?resize=300%2C251&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Ian-Mitchell-I-Mitchell.jpeg?resize=300%2C251&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Ian-Mitchell-I-Mitchell.jpeg?w=536&amp;ssl=1 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-147290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ian Mitchell<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Second, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/iancdmitchell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ian Mitchell<\/a><\/strong> is the Managing Director for eMagine Solutions Inc., a website and mobile applications development firm, which is headquartered in Saint Lucia. He is also a senior developer, is experienced in the design, development, programming and maintenance of complex web applications, and has worked on web projects for Fortune 500 companies in a range of sectors including financial services, investment promotion, real estate, media, and insurance industries.<\/p>\n<p>For firms like eMagine Solutions that provide ICT-related consulting and contracting services, Ian is concerned about the lack of \u2018<strong><em>Access to ICT projects for regional service providers<\/em><\/strong>\u2019 that so many Caribbean tech firms, including his own, experience. He is of the view that too often, ICT-related projects are being given to entities outside the region that are not necessarily more qualified than those in the region, and frequently, the former tend to do shoddy work, which arguably, further exacerbates the situation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We would love to hear your thoughts!<\/p>\n<p>Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ICTPulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ict-pulse-consulting-limited\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0pages, or via Twitter,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ICTPulse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>@ICTPulse<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Select links<\/h3>\n<p>Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/liselleyorke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Liselle Yorke<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/iancdmitchell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ian Mitchell<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.emagine.lc\/\">eMagine Solutions Inc.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>GSM Association report, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsmaintelligence.com\/research\/?file=e14ff2512ee244415366a89471bcd3e1&amp;download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Mobile Economy: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>GSM Association article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/mobilefordevelopment\/uncategorized\/digicel-haiti-moncash-turnaround-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Digicel Haiti MonCash \u2013 a turnaround story<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>CNN article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2017\/02\/21\/africa\/mpesa-10th-anniversary\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">M-Pesa: Kenya&#8217;s mobile money success story turns 10<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Wikipedia article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/M-Pesa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">M-Pesa<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalindia.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Digital India<\/a><\/li>\n<li>ICT Pulse Podcast episode, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2NZHjuV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ICTP 046: Thriving whilst maturing as a young entrepreneur in the Caribbean, with Gordon Swaby of EduFocal<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.projectcalls.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Project Calls<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ictassociation.lc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> ICT Association of St. Lucia<\/a><\/li>\n<li>ICT Pulse Podcast episode, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2NsVUxV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ICTP 020: Establishing the Caribbean Single ICT Space, with Jennifer Britton of the CARICOM Secretariat<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Quartz Africa article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/africa\/1285884\/why-sierra-leone-appointed-a-31-year-old-mit-phd-as-its-first-chief-innovation-officer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Why Sierra Leone appointed a 31-year old MIT PhD as its first chief innovation officer<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Deutsche Welle video clip, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/modern-tech-hub-for-start-ups-in-rwanda\/av-45721784\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Modern tech hub for start-ups in Rwanda\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<li>African Renewal article, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/africarenewal\/magazine\/april-2011\/information-technology-super-charging-rwandas-economy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Information technology super-charging Rwanda&#8217;s economy<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Image credits:\u00a0 alles (<a href=\"http:\/\/pixabay.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pixabay<\/a>); L Yorke, I Mitchell<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Music credit:\u00a0 Ray Holman<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Liselle Yorke and Ian Mitchell, the panel discusses:\u00a0 what will it take to go digital in the Caribbean; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[355],"tags":[71,305,32,359],"class_list":["post-147288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-businesses","tag-digital-economy","tag-information-society","tag-panel-discussion","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/wireless-microphone-mic-alles-Pixabay.png?fit=1024%2C540&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2iE1G-CjC","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147288"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147310,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147288\/revisions\/147310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}