This is seen as a critical initial step in the implementation of the NEPAD e-Schools Initiative and is intended to provide a learning mechanism across the African continent for the rollout of the broader Initiative.

The Demo is being undertaken in all countries that make up phase-one of the NEPAD e-Schools Initiative -- the first 20 countries that have acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism.

It will establish and monitor six NEPAD e-Schools in each of the participating countries and is expected to directly impact approximately 150 000 African learners and teachers.

The following 16 countries have already selected participating schools:

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

While a number of individuals and organisations play a critical role in the implementation of the Demo, the following are the key partners and represent the mechanism through which other entities participate:

1. NEPAD e-Africa Commission

2. Participating Country Governments

3. Participating Schools

4. ISPAD-led Consortiums

ISPAD - the Information Society Partnership for Africa's Development -- is a partnership framework of the NEPAD e-Africa Commission. So far 13 private sector organisations are members of ISPAD.

The following ISPAD members have each agreed to assemble and lead its own consortium and to provide an end-to-end technology solution for the NEPAD e-Schools Demo:

ü HP (Hewlett-Packard)~ZTE

ü Microsoft

ü Inmarsat

ü Oracle

ü Cisco

Two ISPAD-led consortiums will be assigned to each participating country, with each consortium responsible for three schools. The following table provides details of the allocation of consortiums to the countries:

Country Responsible Consortiums Country Responsible Consortiums

Algeria CISCOHP~ZTE Mali INMARSATORACLE

Burkina Faso HP~ZTEINMARSAT

Mauritius CISCOMICROSOFT

Cameroon MICROSOFTINMARSAT

Mozambique MICROSOFTHP~ZTE

Egypt HP~ZTEORACLE

Nigeria MICROSOFT HP~ZTE

Gabon INMARSATORACLE

Rwanda CISCOMICROSOFT

Ghana ORACLECISCO

Senegal INMARSATMICROSOFT/CISCO

Kenya ORACLE MICROSOFT

South Africa ORACLE/CISCO HP~ZTE

Lesotho ORACLE MICROSOFT

Uganda HP~ZTEINMARSAT

Structures in place for managing the implementation of the NEPAD e-Schools Demo include:

The NEPAD e-Schools Demo Office within the e-Africa Commission which provides the base for coordination and implementation activities.

The NEPAD e-Schools coordinating body, comprising nominated government representatives of all phase-one countries, plays the role of approving strategies, frameworks and work-plans necessary for continental coordination.

A NEPAD e-Schools national implementing team is responsible for in-country planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation activities. Each participating country has appointed a member of the national implementation team as a country liaison person, who is the focal point for the project management activities.

Each ISPAD consortium has appointed a relationship manager, who represents the ISPAD consortium and acts as the interface between the ISPAD consortium and the other key partners.

Each participating school will appoint an ICT coordinator who will be responsible for assisting with implementation at the school, as well as ensuring the long-term appropriate usage of ICTs in the school environment.

Since the NEPAD e-Schools Demo is essentially a learning exercise for the rollout of the broader NEPAD e-Schools Initiative it encompasses a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation component.

The monitoring and evaluation plan makes provision for quantitative and qualitative data collection via questionnaires, focus groups, project reports, interviews and teacher logs, from a variety of sources including government departments, school principals, teachers, students, and the project team.

The plan will report on the extent to which the Demo achieved the objectives of NEPAD e-Schools, as well as the effectiveness of the implementation process.

At the second meeting of the NEPAD e-Schools coordinating body, held in Pretoria on January 24-26 2005, it was agreed that during the Demo phase one NEPAD e-School per participating country should be launched at an event attended by the respective Head of State.

The first launches are being planned for June 2005.