Under this Programme, the work with ECTEL in enacting the Electronics Communications Bill will be completed. As more information on citizens and businesses go on-line and as information Action Item: Enact a new converged Electronic Communication Act to regulate the ICT Sector and replace the Telecommunications Act 2001 becomes shared across ministries and agencies, and as health information goes on-line, the need to strengthen privacy and personal identification legislation becomes more important. The potential need for a Data Protection Commissioner or similar post will need to be considered carefully. The legislation currently in place will need to be reviewed to determine if it will fully provide the protection required for computer crime, electronic evidence, and increased ecommerce. This programme will also introduce training and capacity building requirements for the judiciary and the legal community. 5.1.8 Education and Human Resources The key objective of the Programmes and Projects in this area of focus is to establish mechanisms to utilise ICT to facilitate a better quality of life through life-long learning. It is intended that through the initiatives in this area that all persons within and entering the labour force will have the capacity to utilise ICT in their daily life through ICT literacy training. It will ensure that all institutions of learning in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be equipped with the necessary technology and that teachers will be trained in utilising ICT as part of the learning process. The cost of technology necessary to support continuous education will need to be managed and opportunities for affording higher levels of training in ICT would be created. In essence, ICT will be exploited to the fullest in enabling the empowerment of the human resources of the country to be the best that they can be. Several of the initiatives in this area of Action Item: Continue training all aspect of the Human Resources Establish programs where no child leaves school without basic computer literacy focus are being implemented and are therefore being brought into the overall National ICT vision. The Plan recognises the considerable investments over the last few years in acquiring hardware and connecting schools to the Internet. It builds and integrates the considerable investment in teacher training, modern buildings with ICT facilities and training of the local labour force. The Plan recognises that equipping the people of SVG, particular the children is critical to successful implementation. ICT which cannot be harnessed by people will inevitably be a useless investment. It also recognises the long term investment that must be made to transform the country to a knowledge-based society – the Plan prepares SVG for the social and economic challenges of the next two decades and that no child leaves school without basic computer literacy. The first Project is AWARE – All Workers ARe e-Enabled or the ICT Literacy Project, which will focus on the existing labour force and on new entrants into the workplace. A critical element of the ICT strategy is ensuring that people are equipped to take advantage of the enabling opportunities that ICT can present. It recognises that the current training opportunities in SVG are relatively limited in scope and are under-funded and centralised. A special focus will continue to be placed on the training of public officers so that the e-government investments can be fully and effectively exploited for the benefit of all. A catalogue of training necessary for computer literacy will be created and training providers will be identified to deliver the required material. An associated marketing plan will be developed to ensure that Action Item: Connect all Schools to Broadband Using the USF Establish Computer Labs in all Schools & Community College Use ICT in Teaching and introduce distance learning. Projects and Programmes P a g e | 69