Presentation

What is the knowledge based economy?

 

Better information, appropriate channels to disseminate it and get to it, participation in all social levels, educated users, eco-efficient resources, investment capital, connectivity and competitive infrastructure, lower cost, higher efficiency, public intelligent services, social inclusion, direct access and content collaboration la collective intelligence, support for small and middle sized companies, developing the search field for continuous innovation of the knowledge capital. In other words - use of knowledge technologies to produce economic benefits.

The ultimate objective of a knowledge-based economy is gross domestic product growth through investment in human capital, with information technology and training, learning to generate and exploit knowledge.

Pan-continental and continental organizations for which social and economic development of disadvantaged countries and regions is an important objective, as are the World Bank and the European Union, that address important research programs for a better understanding of the needs of the post-modern world. The results of these programs have identified solutions and recommendations that European and international policies are built on.

The Lisbon Treaty (2007),ratified by all EU countries, including Romania, the initiative i2010 şi Riga Declaration (2006) documents are to ensure the transition from the Information Society to knowledge society. A manifesto and also important study and strategic plan is the political agenda of the next five years for „ future European knowledge society”, established in September 2009, the Ministry of Communications of Sweden, a country which holds the EU Council Presidency.

Knowledge based economy is a concept that Europe itself is trying, therefore, to make it applicable to its culture, trying to keep intact human individuality, but redefining the company as a whole.

 

What is the Project Knowledge based economy?

 

In Romania, under a studyof the emerging knowledge based economy, prepared by the World Bank's pre-accession (2003), were proposed a series of economic policies that can reduce disparities identified in relation to European and international standards. In this context, a team of experts from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology have developed the project documentation of the Knowledge based economy, strategic pioneering project for the Knowledge Economy Project (or KEP, the abbreviated version of the jargon of work) and obtained a loan worth 60 million USD from World Bank, with participation from the Government of Romania, of 9,4 mil.USD.

Being able to handle the computer was in the majority of places that I have been in the norm. Maybe not everyone was so advanced as Saschiz or Laslea, where small businessmen already manage their business on the Internet. Or as innovative as Viişoara, where for the booming flower industry, residents consult the web for new varieties. Or as enthusiastic as the Zlatna town where rehabilitation after closing down the plant, brings together the local intellectuals before monitors. (Iaromira Popovici, in Dilema Veche of August 7, 2009)

In essence, the project, scheduled to be held between 2006 and 2010, is addressed to the rural and small urban area (cities with a population less than 30,000 inhabitants), where there is no access to digital information and therefore no skill to use and exploit it. The environments in which it was invested and is still being invested is the building of skills that can compete in local development, causing changes in nature by transforming community centers in sustainable economically and socially competitive societies - culture, education, local government and the business environment.

Therefore, a multi-sectoral vision, whose stake is actually the skills obtained by audience groups that will know how to get information, to use it wisely and to produce further knowledge that it turned into profit. In practical terms, this profit is reflected in a variety of results that improve the quality of life: power, time, competitiveness, money, experience, openness, equal rights etc.

The good part of a complicated story, as is our project, is that, once the beneficiaries get in touch with the science of using instruments, there is no need for external intervention to keep awake the need created. They themselves will be relays development. It is an irreversible process of cultural change, which creates a recipe applicable throughout rural and small-urban societies.

There is a happy marriage between the strength of this vision and results already achieved, which put Romania on the list of best practices in Europe: the project entered the final competition e-Inclusion organized by the European Commission in late 2008, receiving a medal at the section Geographical Inclusion.

KEP has been awarded one of the 35 medals to which ran more than 400 projects in 37 participating countries.

imagine

A year earlier, Knowledge based economy was designated as „ project with the best information content”, by IT&C market representatives, during the IT&C Romanian Awards fpr the year 2006.

n the Romanian space, perhaps the most beautiful recognition came from the quality press. The weekly Dilema Veche dedicated, in the summer of 2009, a comprehensive dossier which is an X-ray, the changes in Romanian villages after nearly three years of prioiect. [...] and it doesn't relate just to a technology that the governmental programs via European organizations introduce „officially “ in the life of people, but the power that they acquired learning to use this technology. (Extract from the article that talks about second literacy of Romania.)

«A mosaic that is being built by people who have ceased to expect passively the future, but they began to build it.»

 

Who runs the project?

 

The equation could look like: 1 (minister) + 14 (specialists) + 255 (managers RECL) + 255 (IT administrators)
Project Coordination respect a set of clear procedures imposed by the World Bank and adopted in any project management process achieved international standards. That is one of componentes project is devoted entirely to project management, containing plans and indicators of deadlock, communication, risk, change, quality, human resources, etc., all subject to a continuous process of monitoring and evaluation which dictates the manner of implementation of objectives.

The management accountability act was done by innovation in the space of public projects, namely the statutory role of national coordinator of the Minister of resort himself, mandated to lead the project as planned by management and the Romanian legislation. Project Management Unit, ensures the strategic level (central) management and consists of a team of specialists in education and training, e-government, business administration, communication, procurement, financial accounting and human resources.

For the plan of management objectives would not exist without electronic networks of local communities, representing the project's RECL managers and IT administrators that ensure operational level of (local) management.

 

What are the partner institutions involved in conducting the project?

 

There are two levels of partnership: an operational one, which affects the implementation and a strategic one that decides on policy and ensures interdisciplinary interoperability. The first level are the 255 local authorities from the KEP communities.

The second one, formalized by a Steering committee , brings together officials from Ministry of Interior Affaires, Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Culture, Religious Affairs and National Heritage and Ministry of SMEs, Trade and business.

 

What are the objectives of the project?

 

Major components of the project in all fields that have a role in the knowledge society and its strategic vision was calibrated as follows:

  • Ensuringaccess to information for reducing the digital gap (to ensure dissemination of knowledge)
  • Digital Literacy and skills for an inclusive society (human factor as producers and consumers of knowledge)
  • Promoting and providinglocal eGovernment services to establish a correct relationship between the taxpayer and the State
  • Stimulating entrepreneurial initiatives for a sustainable local development
 

What happened so far in the Project?

 

At the end of 2005, began ambitious journey of a young team, dedicated entirely to new targets, unprecedented in the local area. A team that would take management decisions that affected nearly 8% of people in the country and set out to find quick solutions to problems arising due to exclusive features, flaws and sensitivities of disadvantaged populations, disconnected from mainland reality. Tutea said, visionarily: the solution for the Romanian vice is not the oxen wagon and walking in the mud with mocassins, but but tenacious modern industrialization.

Piloting, the foundation of reforms

Gap that separates the advanced societies of the disadvantaged ones in terms of access to knowledge can be filled with reforms capable of generating significant changes, reducing imbalances.

So the first objective: reducing the digital divide between urban and rural society. The first step was to identify the nine communities that formed an experimental network: Lăpuşnicu Mare, Albeştii de Muscel, Aninoasa, Jurilovca, Targu Lăpuş, Ostra, Corund, Şinca Veche and Pilu. The basic criterion for the election of the pilot communities was that of national coverage so that every community would serve as spokesman of the typology of origin.

The piloting process was perhaps one of the most relevant moments in the history of the project: it was when the radiography of the local universe was made, when the first feasibility studies were developed, were established the scaling strategies, the needs were identified and were developed a set of recommendations on whoose action plan was created the the entire project.

Notable for understanding the phenomenon are the program of Technical Assistance regarding integrating ICT into Secondary Education , held in the pilot schools and Training program for IT skills, whose beneficiaries were civil servants, teachers, the staff of Electronic Network of local communities, entrepreneurs, but other people in the pilot communities.

Access to information

The pilot network would become shortly the foundation which the 246 Local Communities Electronic Networks (RECL) were built on. Because in Romania, according to a sociological study, the number of localities cutt off from knowledge is more than one thousand- one third of all territorial-administrative units - engaging in a competition was necessary to the local authorities concerned. The selection process was seven stages and was finished with the completion of the list of beneficiaries.

RECL Logical scheme

Second step: Communication Infrastructure. Full deployment, thousands of kilometers of fiber, tons of equipment, design and implementation of RECL, acquisition of furniture and all that entails ensuring the proper operation conditions. All it was established as the Community Support Center (CSC), call-center dedicated to the whole KEP network, which provides technical assistance and support for community development issues.

Investing in the social capital

Third step: selecting and training the human resources of RECL. From feasibility studies it was apparent that the optimal formula of the local team of „knowledge specialists” is in collaboration of two experts with specific tasks: a network manager (manager RECL), which was going to have an important role in the community, namely a connector and promoter of the factors contributing to local development and an IT administrator, who was going to maintain the integrated information system network. The Public Access Point to information (PAPI) would become the most popular network node.


The 255 RECLs have created,consequently , 502 jobs for as many inhabitants of our communities. The RECL Personnel was dedicated training sessions in several areas related to the knowledge-based economy: management, marketing, communication, use of ICT, local economic development.

Perhaps the most important professional training program is to support the intensive course for using ICT in school and business, completed in the summer of 2009 with the granting of over 5000 CNFPA certificates . Addressed to all members of the KEP communities, especially to teachers, librarians, entrepreneurs and public officials, the course was conceived and structured in a personalized manner, using the basic indicators of the socio-professional profile of beneficiaries, their needs, the degree of familiarity with computer use and digital resources.

  • Medrea Alexandrina, Saschiz teacher:
  • «By implementing the project EBC, the services available in our school are: access to the Internet, use of PC courses, facilitating exchange and partnership, and why not, the competitions with other schools, use of modern teaching and learning.»
  • Adina Grădinaru, local councilwoman, Ibăneşti :
  • «You are doing a great job. These courses should be organized at the village level, on large areas.»
  • Radu Aniela, Entrepreneur, Rebricea :
  • «The course was extremely well planned and presented which made the learning process easy and enjoyable.»
  • Tomulescu Silviu, civil servant, Slobozia Bradului:
  • «In PAPI I learned many things from the RECL team, especially how to use the computer. My knowledge of computers were quite confusing at first, but gradually I began to learn how to format text, how to manipulate a database, use the Internet and email, etc.. I can say now that I know I how to use the PC as much as I didn't hope at college graduation.»

The approach involved an unprecedented deployment of forces, but the effort was worth it. Not only because they have open access to information, but it also had a significant component of inclusion on the basis of age: the monitoring report shows a volume of almost 40% of the graduates are over 40 years of age.

Graduates that come from a business background were invited to further their learning by participating in seven regional seminars dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurs. The structure of the seminars gave information entrepreneurs about open calls for the granting of European funds, presentations of success cases, notions about online marketing and e-business eComunitate portal-applied.

  • Petre Bunea, Associate, SC Contab BP SRL:
  • «This seminar is very beneficial by providing opportunities for developing activities in rural areas.»
  • Cerasela Şerban, Sales Manager, SC HAPPY HOLIDAYS SRL:
  • «I am glad that someone is interested in small entrepreneurs and really wants to change something in this country. Maybe this way we can keep our valuable people in the country.»

ICT in schools, innovation in education

Next Step:integrating TIC in education. An example that expresses perhaps best the benefits of access to knowledge in shaping the student comes from Constantine Noica said: „ Our generation (i.e interbelic generation) ost half of his life walking through libraries, to collect references. Now a zitty teenager presses a button and has all the books available ” (aproximative translation).

Using resources in the digital environment in the educational process during primary and secondary education was, until now, only one alternative. Although just a click away, there is a horizon of knowledge that abolishes the limits of communication and offers a huge amount of resources, schools in Romania, especially those in local communities were deprived of this privilege.

Therefore, the development of public policies ICT integration in the undergraduate education system was the first goal that was achieved by the joint working professionals MKII-MATCH, in education.

In parallel with public policy, the schools from the KEP communities had the opportunity to experience a program of local partnerships (networking) and twinning with schools from the European Union.

The project of school partnership has set out to change the design that access to digital information is a luxury; for such an approach generates insecurities, slow pace of learning, limites the chances of qualitative training and prevents exploitation of the human potential. Access to digital information is necessity without which the modern world, can not learn in competitive terms.

Teachers learned to work together and to participate at joint school development programs.

They learned to use the technological infrastructure of the project and to strengthen their role as community formers, to demonstratethat school can be a local dynamic factor. They learned to discover new knowledge with their students. They learned to prepare a grant application, have acquired managerial skills. The program ended with a session of practical workshops, in which teachers have made teams and recaped together, the learned lessons, moreover, some participants presentations on best practices in teaching school.

  • 9 National Partnership projects (42 schools, 135 teachers, 1300 students involved)
    25% increase in ICT skills in the teaching staff of EBC (compared national average)
    55 teachers initiated in Web 2.0
    34 teachers started to use advanced ICT in education and writing projects
    14 school twinning projects Romania-EU
    239 teachers participating in the conference
    45 school partnerships

A student that learns how to use,in the formative process, access to information technology will have the chance to develop skills and access the wonderful adventure of knowledge. He will develop skills of synthesis, cognitive prioritization and concentration. Moreover, interaction with the digital environment has also a playful element to foster inter-human capabilities that experience both student and teacher. The relationship is established with the teacher will become a construction based on human values such as trust, genuine admiration and respect.

Over three hundred professors and teachers across the country from all age groups filled a conference room with their hopes. The opening, the release, practices, communication and attitude that have brought the program to an end, easy, on the same landing with their counterparts in urban teaching company. Innovation in education

Innovation in education

Although innovation is one of the fundamental pillars of the knowledge economy, online references about the Romanian language, like innovation in education are almost nonexistent. Search on Google the phrase„ innovation in education” and you will be surprised to receive 13 results, of which only 10 go to home pages. The first result is the European Commission that sends us a page dedicated to European Year of Creativity and Innovation.

The best introduction to the initiative e-Vacanţa! (interschool competition launched at the beginning of our project)that, pending implementation of public policies, prepared the premises of adopting a educational process based on innovation. Over the four editions that were held during 2006 - 2009, eVacanţa promoted a way of non-formal learning that has brought amazing results (where results mean even products created by students).

It would be appropiate to go through the list of participating schools and click any of them. You will find one pole of quality content created by children from disadvantaged communities of KEP, children from which we learned at least a priceless lesson: that they do not require a lot, to develop together new projects, using digital resource. We were glad to reward them.

Creativity without limits in the Knowledge based economy project

  • 118 schools were included in the project e-VACANŢĂ!
  • 77 schools loaded materials under the Regulation
  • 9768 is the number of materials loaded
  • 117,6 is the maximum number of points earned

Electronic governance

Another step: electronic governance. In most of our communities and, in general, in the rular environment citizens transport their documents by cart, in file folders, tens of kilometers (or even hundreds, after the example above), to the local authority to have an Apostille put on them. To establish a proper relationship between state and citizen, reduce costs, save time, not let taxpayers talk to a stand , after staying in a queue, winter or summer, all of these have been identified as needs which to their support come the services of electronic governance.

[...] optical fibre was installed in Savîrşin city beacause, otherwise, Public Finances would there be abolished, since they could not transmit data to the county administration, and people ought to walk 100 km round trip to the nearest point, on a road full of curves and very crowded. Thus had had the Săvîrşin citizens to benefit from connecting to the Internet. The account belongs RECL manager of Vărădia de Mure, which tells us something about the snow ball effect that our project started in close communities, not KEP network.

Our project has proposed to help the citizens by providing a local government integrated system, capable of issuing civil status documents (birth, marriage and death certificates). In other words, the system brings the village database record of the person (which, at present, is in Bucharest and at the county residence), and filing the documents,by the citizen, is reduced to a form electronically transmitted online. Preparation of the technical documentation and the necessary documents and implementation of acquisition was a long process and is the result of the study and technical analysis completed by a common working group MCSI-MAI.

The project also invest in a system dedicated to environmental stimulation of the business environment, system that provides a platform for online registration of the authorized individuals and of the family associations who want to start a business. To be quickly made available to potential entrepreneurs, territory officials attended use courses. Unfortunately, the platform can not be put into use until you will suffer some changes due to new legislation.

Grants for Innovation in Business

Here's a chapter about innovation and stimulating the business environment equally. There are voices that say, perhaps rightly, that use of the phrase „business environment ” in the country side is a bit pretentious. That residents of disadvantaged communities lack entrepreneurial spirit and even if there were incentives, there wouldn't be the neccessary tools to believe in an initiative. And be innovative as well? Certainly such an approach leads nowhere. Our project has set out to invent, to promote and to provide tools to teach science entrepreneurs to use them and thus to regain self-confidence.

It is true that, the most common field of small businesses in our communities is mostly tied with trade and less with service and production (there are also producers that were able to create profit centers exploiting the specific nature or simply innovating). Financial incentives could help to strengthen, to develop business or more, to start a new business, namely one with added technology. The logic of the last sentence forms the major component of our project, the one dedicated to the business environment, for which has been invented the grants funding scheme e-Creştere the most complex module of the portal eComunitate.

The launch of the funding program was part of an awareness campaign, with seven regional seminars, appearances in local media, peak appearances on national television and other commercial channels dedicated to business people. The scheme has been addressed to the Individuals and family associations that can create a better visibility in the online environment, but as well as micro-companies who wish to become more competitive, purchasing for example, a customer relationship management system or a production line that uses cutting-edge technology. The application dossier was designed in a friendly manner (in relation to the application to structural programs, for example), and the absorption rate was 5,6 milioane RON.

We are in the autumn 2009 and PMU specialists seek optimal solutions to invest in the project in its last year, all being incentives for the business environment. e-Creştere tried to run an innovative grant scheme that will return, probably next year, in a form able to obtain a greater degree of absorption. To devise a successful strategy we must above all, identify the needs of our entrepreneurs and establish a plan with pragmatic goals, even if the road to them involves efforts of technical assistance, coaching grants or loans, or, why not all at once.

e-Business with dedication

Most likely we will use as an integrator the business module of the portal eComunitate, module able to provide any functional instruments to any business start : online presence, e-commerce, on-line marketing, development resources, experience exchange. The series of seminars addressed to the entrepreneurs who have graduated the course of using ICT in business, online coaching sessions that we are trying to recalibrate in order for them to end with tangible results, technical assistance offered to the most active participants – all of these will be integrated and connected into a joint vision that we hope will pay off.

An encouraging example is the understanding that one of the participants demonstrated which, after an attended presentation of business module of the portal, has testified that he felt regret that he did not know of opportunities offered by our website, when he sold his calf. „Had I posted an advert here,I would stop struggling to find a buyer. Surely is someone who need a calf and that I could come in contact with the portal.”

The eComunitate.ro Portal is a unique initiative in our country, being maybe, the most complex content site funded by the Government. The site features the 255 communities, but also a social network where users transfer knowledge and generate content using Web 2.0 technologies. The journalistic endeavour identifies topics that would otherwise remain unspoken. Thus was created the „success stories“ series promoting best practices on local development or simply, tells about people who have succeeded, with dedication and skill, to drive profitable businesses or to capture the community spirit.

 

What results have been achieved so far?

 

Major figures, the macro-vision, the project can be found in our publications informative or in project's report. Because we talk about results, and that the project reached now a point from which we can make an in depth assesment, we will use in this chapter, precise information as they are presented in the last report monitoring and evaluation (M&E on a sample of 85 KEP communities. Dates: first quarter of 2009 compared with first quarter of 2008) and market research (Market research, quantitative and qualitative held nationally, on a representative sample of 1242 people. Deployment period: 1 February to 27 April 2009).

Monitoring and evaluation indicators: 2009 vs. 2008 GROWTH :

  • Training sessions held at PAPI + over 100%
  • Projects developed in schools + 23%
  • Projects developed in libraries + over 100%
  • Companies-local entrepreneurs who used the RECL resources to access services of central or local government + over 200%
  • PAPI services dedicated to local micro-enterprises + over 7,75 %
  • Projects financed by the European Union and other sources + over 50%
  • Partnerships between local companies and regional ones + over 39 %

Quantitative indicators of market research: 2009 vs. 2008 GROWTH

  • PAPI notoriety + 29 %
  • Computer utilization (total population KEP) + 10 %
  • Internet usage (total population KEP) + 11%
  • The level of ICT knowledge (of teachers) + 21 %
 

What comes next?

 

The economic crisis, poverty, feelings of exclusion, the lack of digital skills, distrust of local actors should be converted into legitimacy, skills, confidence in their ability to succeed, confidence in authorities, the regaining of self-esteem, intercommunity cooperation. We could also add connecting of rural households to the wider market and transfering extra information in rural areas, rural community. (The two recommendations were separated from the discussion on research results that we had around a round table organized by the kindness of professor Peter Datculescu in the summer of 2009. ).

The last year of the project is essential to get us where we set out to go and therefore requires an integrated effort, able to connect and to coagulate the results of four years of the project. Almost all activities planned will take place on competitive criteria, so that human resources can be properly justified. In other words, we invest in the transfer of knowledge to beneficiaries of the project, which will be given much more than the joy of being competent but also social recognition. Whether it's the staff's RECL or teachers, entrepreneurs or librarians.

25 ICT skills training centers

The first competition was the selection of the 25 communities that will be accredited to support training sessions for the acquisition, approved by the NATB, of abilities to use ICT. The selection process was carried out at national level and the winning communities will receive soon, the right to promote their new service on a regional basis, making it into a profitable center.

The 25 centers provide a network of locally managed trainers, which will continue what the Knowledge Based Economy Project started in accessibility, when it trained 5,000 people who received CNFPA certificates. It is obvious that services offered by network training will address the entire population, KEP or non-KEP.

255 Resource Centers for Community Development

I.e the Public Access Point to Information, whose role will be improved expanded and developed. Currently, PAPI receives reduced financial resources and the equipment offered in the project lacks a viable plan for sustainability, that would provide an ideal framework for operation. The technical assistence program Community Development takes into account the legitimacy of PAPI, through the RECL personnel training and drawing up sustainability plans of local networks, so that they become more competitive, more visible and ready to engage in social development, partnerships and media projects of non-governmental organizations or local market businesses.

Local project coordinators (or LPCs, in the working jargon) will facilitate the linkage between strategic management and operational in the same program dedicated to community development. They will assist KEP communities for creating the necessary documentation for submission of projects financed with EU money and will assist in designing plans for sustainability, will facilitate partnerships between local authorities and private organizations and participate actively on all levels, in the process of outlining the sustainability.

RECL manager will be motivated to acquire the role of promoter of community welfare, that must perceive him as a factor to improve quality of life. In order for him to instrument such a responsability, he will have to go through a close, even meticulous process, training, monitoring and evaluation, whose results will decide on its role.

The same will happen among IT managers, who will be trained to use the technical infrastructure in order to broaden the scope of services offered, at present, at PAPI.

Coaching for entrepreneurs everywhere

Entrepreneurs are a special topic in the management meetings of the PMU. Obviously, without private initiative, with its role of regulating the market and the role it has in the knowledge based economy, the local development process would slow down or, simply would not exist. That is why the efforts made to support entrepreneurs are of vital importance and deserves attention. The more so as the general economic context of the financial crisis is demoralizing.

There is a dedicated strategic vision in respect to the business representatives, vision that integrates all components of the project in a way which probably is unprecedented:

  1. about 700 potential entrepreneurs and over 500 entrepreneurs have graduated during the use of ICT in business
  2. half of them learned the in-depth lessons, participating in regional seminars IT-Finance-Profitability
  3. all are invited to continue the learning process, participating in six online coaching sessions taking place on the eComunitate Portal. The type of information that they will be exposed to in the coaching sessions will be exclusively practical and will address punctual knowledge needs of the participants (techniques of promoting and online marketing, the creating of the presentation site, optimizing notions in search engines, internet banking, free platforms for e-commerce etc).
  4. the most active participants will be invited in person at a „live” workshop of the virtual one, in which they will get a professional trainer, that will assist to create the online attendace.
  5. further, several participants will be selected who will receive a complete package of online promotion, customized according to the specific business owned by the winner

The second session, which follows the same steps, will be held throughout the course of 2010 and is intended to duplicate the efforts of a technical assistance program for entrepreneurs

Dedicated support to KEP schools

Regarding teachers, according to research to date a significant increase in their ability to use ICT in school is revealed. This qualitative leap creates prerequisites for a technical assistance program dedicated to KEP schools. The program was designed to teach teachers to use technical resource and digital content in the teaching process, to improve ICT-based teaching techniques, to create interschool partnerships to draw in funds

As we approve the final form of each type of technical assistance, we will return with updates.

Ending

In villages and small towns from our country there are people with potential, wasted on obsolete mentalities and imprisoned in a society that can not evolve. Trades are lost due to the lack of market demand and, with them, tradition as well. Learning with chalk on the board persists and with it, the lack of open mindness of the learners that do not know alternatives. Books are usually found in the metropolitan area and with it, the readers’ from villages access. The citizens’ documents are transported by cart up to the local authority that must make its Apostille. That is why we teach them to exploit their knowledge and give them access to what ourselves have: competent management of information that represents knowledge capital