A new era for the Global Teenager Project - Schoolnet Africa in the lead

The Global Teenager Project (GTP) has been co-ordinated and organised by the IICD based in The Hague, Netherlands over the last five years. During this period, GTP has grown in leaps and bounds and now operates a network with 22 countries participating in the GTP’s high quality Learning Circles. Many local initiatives related to GTP have also emerged which is indeed highly encouraging for IICD.

In an attempt to promote IICD’s commitment to Southern leadership and to foster further growth of GTP, IICD considered a Southern-based partner organisation with a focus on ICT4 Education to take the lead in the co-ordination and management of GTP. Extensive discussions between IICD and SNA led to the transfer of the Global Teenager Project responsibilities under a fortified partnership between the two. Thus, five years after the commencement of the activities of the GTP, the management of the programme returns to the continent where its foundations were built! The objectives of GTP in general, and the working structure will remain the same. The Learning Circles will remain one of the strongest components of the project. In practice, staff at SNA will be the daily contact for all involved in the Global Teenager Project.

IICD will remain the overall owner and play an important role in the project as advisor, strategic partner and main financer. The Statement of Intent (see below) has identified clear objectives for the co-operation.

Objectives:

• Creating learning opportunities for learners focussing on inter-cultural understanding, new ways of learning and the use of ICT for education.
• Providing opportunity for the growth, expansion and prioritization of GTP through an education-oriented organization with a strong international network.
• Expanding GTP through the SNA pan-African and international networks thus enabling more learners to participate and benefit.
• Provide more opportunities to the African SchoolNets to offer content to their networks.

The ‘physical’ transfer will take place in the first half of 2004. The March Learning Circle will be set up together and run by SNA. An intensive transfer period between dedicated staff from SNA and IICD is currently being planned.

Both IICD and SNA are confident that on the basis of this transfer, GTP will grow from strength to strength.

SNA and IICD
January 19th 2004

Appendix: Full text of the statement of Intent.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Re: TRANSFER THE GLOBAL TEENAGER PROJECT (GTP)

This statement of intent confirms our understanding of the mutual intentions of transferring managerial and organizational responsibilities of Global Teenager Project to SchoolNet Africa (SNA) based in Johannesburg South Africa, from International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) with respect to the principal terms and conditions stated below;

Objectives of transfer
The objectives of the transfer of the organizational and managerial responsibilities of GTP to SchoolNet Africa are to;

• Creating learning opportunities for learners focussing on inter-cultural understanding, new ways of learning and the use of ICT for education.
• Providing opportunity for the growth, expansion and prioritization of GTP through an education oriented organization with strong international network.
• Expanding GTP through the SNA pan-African and International networks thus enabling more learners to participate and benefit.
• Provide more opportunities to the African SchoolNets to offer content to their networks.

Outcomes
The following are the expected outcomes at the end of the 3 year period;

• An effective ICT enabled collaborative program for learners
  
• GTP growth and expansion in terms of number of learners and countries participating via the different international and continental SchoolNet’s
  
• A wider range of interrelated educational packages available for learners and teachers
  
• There will be strengthened international networks

Process
SNA and IICD intend to transfer GTP within a minimum period of 3 years commencing January 15th. During this period the process will be as follows;

• SNA is responsible for the management of the program
  
• SNA and IICD are equal partners in the transfer of GTP
  
• SNA and IICD will form an advisory board to support the strategic direction of GTP
  
• There will be an intensive transition period in which IICD empowers the new project management for its future tasks.

Below is an outline of the program transfer:

• Signing the statement of intent at the WSIS, December 10th
  
• Start recruitment of new project staff from December 10th
  
• Agree on budget before December 10th
  
• Signing of MOU and contract January 15th
  
• Transfer plan January 15th
  
• Stated deliverables January 15th
  
• Work plan 2004 with new project staff

Both SNA and IICD agree to the transfer of the management and organizational responsibilities of GTP to SchoolNet Africa.