THE ICT, Postal and Courier Services ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Computer Society of Zimbabwe (CSZ) to fast-track civil servants’ digital literacy certification.
The MoU was signed during the CSZ 2023 annual summit held last week.
The country’s digital literacy is currently poorly ranked owing mostly to the general high cost of accessing internet and data.
In an interview, CSZ director Viola Dondo said the MoU was aimed at ensuring that all civil servants are certified in the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL).
The ICDL is an international qualification which enables people to demonstrate their competence in the use of computer applications. It is the most widely recognised computer qualification in the world.
“The MoU between the ICT ministry and CSZ spells that both parties endorse ICDL as a digital literacy standard for all civil servants. CSZ will support the ministry in ensuring that the ICDL will be implemented. The aim is to ensure that all civil servants are certified in the ICDL modules recommended by CSZ,” said Dondo.
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“The outcome of the MoU is having digitally literate civil servants leading to a digital populace in the future. This MoU ensures improvements. It ensures the improvement of digital literacy in the public sector, translating to a digitally skilled nation in the future.
“The modules to be used are to be agreed on,” Dondo said.
The ICDL has a module classification which includes ICDL Workforce, ICDL Professional, ICDL Digital Student and ICDL Insights.
“ICDL is a digital skills standard for all. It’s an international qualification that has modules to build critical digital skills for the modern workplace under the ICDL Workforce classification,” she said.
“It has modules to cover all under the following classifications: ICDL Workforce, ICDL Professional, ICDL Digital Student, and ICDL Insights. ICDL has a suite of programmes that meet the demands of today’s digital world. The module under the ICDL Workforce classification allows people to reach the digital skills standard required for the workplace.”
Other countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, Guinea, Kenya and Nigeria have signed similar deals.
“My ministry expects continued participation by CSZ in the smart Zimbabwe 2030 whose key focus is on shared infrastructure, skills and capacity building, policies, and regulations,” ICT, Postal and Courier Services minister Tatenda Matevera said.
“The smart Zimbabwe 2030 impact will be seen and felt through the ease of doing business, increased productivity and markets, education 5.0 projects, smart education and health are all encompassed in a knowledge-based society. CSZ, hence is expected to continue to play a pivotal role in delivering the outcomes and end results from smart Zimbabwe 2030 which will be a digital government, digital economy, and digital society.”