During HIPCAR’s first phase (2009–2010), teams of regional and international experts assessed existing legislation of beneficiary countries as compared to international best practice, in the context of harmonization across the region. These teams worked closely with Caribbean multi-stakeholder working groups and developed model legislation and model ICT policy guidelines in all nine priority areas listed above.

The model policies and legislative texts represent international and regional best practice. They use language and terminology that are broad in scope and flexible enough to allow for adjustments according to a country’s needs.  

The working groups ensured broad stakeholder input and relevance to each country. Members of these groups were designated by Caribbean governments and included: specialists from ICT agencies, justice and legal affairs and other public sector bodies; national regulators; and country ICT focal points. Operators, academia, regional and civil society organizations participated as well. This broad base of public-sector participation representing different sectors allowed for a cross-section of views and interests. 

To review and adopt by broad consensus the assessments carried out in the 15 beneficiary countries, as well as the model policy and legislative texts, five regional workshops were held: Trinidad and Tobago (October 2009); Saint Lucia (March 2010); Suriname (April 2010); Saint Kitts and Nevis (July 2010); and  Barbados (August 2010). In addition, a cost modelling workshop was organized in collaboration with the ITU Centre of Excellence Nodes of the University of  West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica (October 2010).

In November 2010, the model policy guidelines and model legislative texts were presented to the 13th General Conference of Ministers of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, held in Trinidad and Tobago, to the 5th CARICOM Regional ICT Steering Committee meeting, held in Barbados, and in May 2011 to the CARICOM Secretariat’s 36th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) — Information and Communication Technologies, held in Grenada. 

At its 5th meeting in Barbados in June 2011, the HIPCAR Steering Committee agreed to officially request the CARICOM Secretariat to bring the project’s outcomes to the attention of the Heads of Government and the Regional Legal Committee. This is an important step enabling the new model guidelines to be incorporated at CARICOM level and into national legislation and regulatory frameworks as and when they are revised and updated.