By: Van
Soul Addey
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of
Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI) has begun training information
and communications technology (ICT) officers from government institutions in
website management and security as part of efforts to standardise government
websites and improve access to official online information.
The training, organised by
the Ministry’s Directorate of Technology, marks the first phase of the Website
Management and Security Training under the government’s Website Standardisation
Framework.
The framework seeks to
address inconsistencies in the design, structure and security of government
websites across Sierra Leone, which can make it difficult for citizens to
identify official platforms and access the information they need.
Under the initiative, every
Ministry, Department and Agency (MDA) website will follow common design,
branding and technical requirements. The Ministry will be responsible for
building and hosting the websites, while ICT officers within individual MDAs
will manage their day-to-day operations.
The broader objective is to
consolidate government websites onto the gov.sl infrastructure, providing the
public with a single, secure home for official government information online.
As part of the first phase
of the training, ICT officers from across government are participating in two
days of practical, step-by-step sessions covering website updates and measures
to protect institutional platforms against security threats.
The training is designed to
enable each MDA to maintain up-to-date website content while the Ministry
oversees the shared platform and its security.
MoCTI said further phases
would extend the training to more officers as the Website Standardisation
Framework is rolled out across government.
