Re: [GKD] The Phones Keep Ringing in World's Poorest Country

[S Woodside]

Actually I think that Somalia's telecomm grew BECAUSE there is no
national operator. You also see this ironic situation in DRC, where
there are tremendous advances in telecomms despite a totally chaotic
situation. The truth is the telecomm in this era needs competition to
force down prices. I am not generally an advocate of privatization, but
competition in telecomm is essential, and it's got to happen in Africa
quickly.

But, this article then immediately confuses a national operator with a
national regulator, they are completely different. A national regulator
is essential, this is a government department that does not sell
service, they just design policy and regulations. A national operator is
the same thing as a national telecomm company.

One is essential to have (national regulator) the other is essential to
get rid of (national operator).

simon


On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 04:24 PM, Frederick Noronha (FN) wrote:

> Notably, Somalias telecommunications sector grew despite the fact that
> it does not have its own national telecommunications operator, as
> companies merely filled in the void left by the government. But that is
> not a model that wins the approval of experts: the International
> Telecommunication Union (ITU), which closely works with the Somali
> telecoms companies, says the lack of any regulatory body is a big 
> worry.


--
www.simonwoodside.com -- 99% Devil, 1% Angel




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[GKD] RFI: Teacher & Co-ordinator Manuals for ICT Centres

[David Babington-smith]

Can anyone recommend a good source for finding free manuals and training
materials for ICT training centres? We are a non-profit programme
looking to resource our partners around the world (mainly small
charities teaching IT to street kids and the disadvantaged). The ideal
types of manuals we are looking for are:

- Start up manual (how to set up an ICT, tips on legal, staffing,
technical issues etc)
- Co-ordinator's manual - how to run an ICT centre
- Technicians manual - basics of looking after an ICT centre with
computers, printers, software etc
- Teachers training manual / course - not necessarily a technical course
in MS Office, but more the softer skills of using IT in the classroom

Thanks so much

David Babington-Smith
+44 (0)77898 73540

This email has been sent by David Babington-Smith, Project Manager,
Oasis Net2work, Oasis Trust

Tel: +44 (0)20 7450 9045 (direct line)
Tel: +44 (0)20 7450 9000 (switchboard)
Mobile: +44 (0)77898 73540
Fax: +44 (0)20 7450 9001




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[GKD] Future Directions in Agriculture and ICTs at USAID

[Siobhan Green]

DOT-COM is pleased to announce the publication of: "Future Directions in
Agriculture and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) at
USAID."

This publication was developed by Winrock International, one of
dot-ORG's resource partners, and the Academy for Educational
Development, for the Agriculture and Food Security (AFS) division of
USAID/EGAT.

This report examines the impact that ICTs can have on agriculture
development and productivity, outlines trends and emerging ICT
opportunities in agriculture, and offers some guidance on how USAID/AFS
can build on its considerable experience with using ICT for development
to take advantage of these technologies to advance development
assistance.

To download a copy of the paper (available as an Adobe PDF, 1MB), visit
http://www.dot-com-alliance.org/documents/AG_ICT_USAID.pdf


EXCERPTS FROM EXECUTIVE BRIEF
---

ICTs have a role in each of the key strategies outlined in USAID's
"Future Directions in Agriculture" document. ICTs can help mobilize
science and technology for agriculture by linking agricultural
specialists into virtual communities and accelerating agricultural
research exchange between developing and developed countries.

They can help develop trade opportunities for farmers by linking
smallholders into increasingly globalized production chains. ICTs can
bridge the knowledge divide by permitting geographically distributed
organizations to work together more effectively, allowing them to
provide mutual mentorship and support.

Finally, ICTs can support taking the long-term view, with tools for
understanding and planning the future effects of today's economic and
land use decisions.

Understanding the place of ICTs in developing country agriculture
depends on four key concepts:

* that knowledge is an increasingly significant factor of production;

* that all actors in the agricultural sector are part of an evolving
Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS);

* that ICTs accelerate agricultural development by facilitating
knowledge management for AKS members;

* and that ICTs are essential coordinating mechanisms in global trade.

Expanding the use of ICTs in developing country agriculture will demand
a more active and empowered role for rural intermediate organizations.
These organizations will increasingly act as local knowledge brokers:
they will identify client needs and suitable knowledge management
methods, and provide feedback on the quality of existing agricultural
knowledge services as well as identify new ones.

Effective ICT applications in the rural developing world face
significant hurdles, especially in access provision for off-grid or
remote areas. Rural telecenters have a poor sustainability record, but
they remain critical tools and have potential for future improvement.
Alternative models of connectivity ready for pilots utilize shared and
inexpensive cell phones, pagers, DVDs, and personal digital assistants,
combined with CD-ROMs or server-side Internet processing models.

Sustainability needs to consider dimensions other than the survival of
telecenter organizations: digital content, ICT training and awareness,
and demand for ICT services may continue even where specific telecenters
fail, and emerging technologies may start to address those needs.

USAID peer organizations such as the World Bank, FAO, Foundations, and
other bilaterals are taking similar approaches to ICT opportunities -
connectivity provision, capacity building for users, agricultural
content development and aggregation, as well as conducive policy
advocacy.

The vast majority of ICT applications in agriculture are still in pilot
stages and are distinguished more by the agricultural development themes
they address than by the donor funding them.


Recommendations for Project Design in Agriculture and ICTs

* Empower agricultural and rural intermediary organizations such as
extension agents, local NGOs, and producer associations through ICTs in
order to increase their effectiveness at understanding and servicing
their clients' needs.

* Improve rural access to ICTs through support of multi-use telecenters
and piloting of emerging alternate technologies that foster inexpensive,
low-power alternatives to PCs.

* Develop and adapt relevant agricultural content for digital
dissemination, using local intermediate organizations to evaluate the
relevance and technical accessibility of information from
institutionalized sources or created by intermediaries themselves.

* Ensure that women and girls can participate effectively and equitably
in emerging knowledge networks by ensuring women's access to ICTs,
availability of women-oriented content (e.g., subsistence as well as
cash crop information), and selection of intermediaries with women in
meaningful positions as key partners.

* Use ICTs to strengthen community feedback mechanisms for democratic
governance, research and extension feedback, and project impact
assessment.


Recommend

[GKD] Kabissa Launches TIME TO GET ONLINE Project (Ghana)

[Tobias Eigen]

** PLEASE FORWARD TO RELEVANT NETWORKS AND ORGANIZATIONS **

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
  
July 31, 2003

CONTACT:
Kim Lowery
+1 202 391 5889
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 
KABISSA LAUNCHES NEXT PHASE OF TIME TO GET ONLINE PROJECT IN GHANA

PROJECT FOLLOWS SUCCESSFUL PILOT IN NIGERIA

Washington, DC (July 31) Following a successful pilot in Nigeria
earlier this year, Kabissa -- a nonprofit organization that seeks to use
technology to strengthen organizations working to improve the lives of
people in Africa -- has launched the next phase of its TIME TO GET
ONLINE project in Ghana. The project is designed to enable West African
civil society organizations to use the Internet more effectively in
their work.

Kabissa used the experiences of its members and other African nonprofit
organizations as a basis for the project. It has learned that many
organizations are still unaware of the power of the Internet for the
nonprofit sector and remain frustrated by a lack of skills to take
advantage of the technology.

TIME TO GET ONLINE addresses these barriers by providing organizations
with learning materials and the opportunity to attend capacity-building
workshops that focus on building the awareness and skills necessary to
use the Internet effectively. The learning materials allow
organizations to work at their own pace through the stages of Internet
usage -- from connecting to the Internet to using the Internet as an
advocacy tool. A free, electronic version of the self-learning
materials is available on the TIME TO GET ONLINE Web site:
. The on-site workshops give these
organizations the opportunity to ask questions and interact with an
Internet expert, and provide Kabissa with an effective way to
distribute its materials and collect feedback.

In the current phase of the project, Kabissa plans to refine the
learning materials and workshop curriculum based on feedback from pilot
participants. The most significant change to the workshop format is the
addition of an optional day of training, in which participants who are
already Kabissa members will have the opportunity to receive training
on Kabissaís Internet services.

For more information or to participate, visit Kabissa's Web site
http://www.timetogetonline.org -- or contact Kim Lowery at
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

# # # 

ABOUT KABISSA
Founded in 1999, Kabissa is a nonprofit organization that seeks to use
technology to strengthen organizations working to improve the lives of
people in Africa. Its programs focus on providing Internet services,
building the capacity of organizations to use technology, and promoting
interaction within the African nonprofit sector. Today, more than 750
organizations from over 30 countries take advantage of Kabissaís
services.

For more information about Kabissa, visit http://www.kabissa.org or send
an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]




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