Program :: Milan Mrvaljevic /Plenary Session I, Telecommunications Policy as a Development Instrument

Abstract

Milan MRVALJEVIC, President of ICT Forum of Serbia and Montenegro

ICT FORUM - AN APPROACH IN THE CONCEIVING OF NATIONAL STRATEGY IN ICT DOMAIN

There are no significant differences of opinion between the relevant entities regarding the importance of strategic definition of development in specific technological disciplines. However, there are differences in connection with the selection of methods to attain this strategy and, of course, in ensuring its implementation.

Actually, one cannot speak of a sustainable strategy, if it did not originate from the recognition of convergent interests of the subjects involved. Which are these subjects?

- First of all, the society, as a sociological unit, and also as a group of individual persons. Society is the most relevant party concerned for the implementation of technological achievements in the existential infrastructure in which it lives;
- The state, as the executive representative mechanism of the society, responsible for optimization of the said infrastructure;
- The individual - professionally belonging to an activity which is, directly or indirectly, involved in the area that is to be strategically profiled;
- Market subjects, that in a specific area fulfill their economic mission;
- International environment, which in its integral strategic development cannot allow undefined and unorganized cocoons to survive as an impediment to technological globalization.

Therefore, when one identifies the subjects concerned, it is necessary to establish a mechanism whereby they will optimally participate in defining (or reconsidering) this strategy.

Keeping in mind that the international community is recognized as an interested factor, and not (only) as someone wanting to help, its experiences and achieved results should be the starting point in defining the strategy. Corresponding to it, on the other side, there will be professional and objective record of the current situation in the country in a specific technological area. Such record is not going to include only a paper on the technical infrastructure, but also on all resources, which, in any way, may participate developmentally, and thus be a part of strategic potentials.

Finally, already on the level of strategy definition, one has to take into account also those factors, making up the environmental specifics, (local "mentality"), which, in the course of strategy implementation, may be a helping or an impeding factor. Only in such a starting environment, is it possible to define a feasible strategy. Indeed, it is actually due to the incompleteness of the starting point that strategies often look like a list of wishful thinking and to all practical purposes, fail to be included into a serious implementation. Such documents become a proof to their creators that the things "have been strategically systematized, but the circumstances do not allow further steps to be taken ". In such situations, for all the parties concerned, it is immaterial whether it involved a sincere or a demagogic attempt.

ICT Forum of Serbia and Montenegro is a non-governmental interest organization. ICT Forum wishes to be a partner but also a protector, of effective interest. The Forum also represents both business and individual ICT potential of Serbia and Montenegro. Not only that that potential is not negligible, but it has managed, during all these difficult years which are behind us, under almost impossible conditions, to retain the market structure, the link with technological development, and even elementary developmental capacities.

ICT Forum, thus, is not going to stay aside passively waiting for creations bringing radical consequences to the society, the state, ICT activities and individuals affected by it.