IICD annual report 1999

Chairman's Report

Human effort is closely associated with the ability to communicate and create new knowledge. Human beings have a basic need for information and communication. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) create new possibilities for communicating information and can add significantly to the human capacity for creating new knowledge.

ICTs expand information and knowledge in quantity and accessibility. In many fields they provide unprecedented new tools for development. In such fields as good governance, environmental management, health care, education and livelihood opportunities, the consequences can be revolutionary. ICTs have enormous potential, especially for developing countries, in furthering sustainable development.
Since ICTs form an essential communication tool in any form of sustainable development, they should be mainstreamed in international development programmes. The choice between mainstreaming of ICTs versus an ICT-specific approach will imply a facilitating, supporting and integrating role of ICT applications. In our view, this will be the best option to stimulate and sustain the use of ICT for development purposes.

"Information is power. Knowledge is the new global asset, the new business capital, the very premise of progress."

Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, UN

IICD's mission is to assist developing countries to keep up with the latest developments in ICTs to improve access to basic social services, based on local ownership. Its innovative approach to ICT and development is based on a highly integrated strategy. As a start, an ICT Roundtable Process is facilitated to articulate the demand for ICT applications in developing countries. Local capacity development is always embedded in IICD's activities. The dissemination of best practices and lessons learned is another essential element, which is mainly realised through web-based ICT Information Services.

Partnering is the connecting link between the activities of IICD and other interested parties. IICD facilitates a series of ICT Roundtables. Relevant national players, government representatives, ICT companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and centres of expertise take part in a process of scenario building. Results from the Roundtable Process are ICT policy recommendations, new demand-driven market models and concrete projects that embrace sustainable ICT applications.

In October 1999, IICD facilitated an ICT Roundtable workshop on health care provision in Ghana. The Internet Society of Ghana (ISOG), IICD's local counterpart, and the Ghanaian Ministry of Health hosted the workshop. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Health at central and regional levels, hospitals and clinics, and representatives from research and private institutions. The participants identified a programme with five priority areas in which the introduction of ICT is expected to generate the largest impact on the provision of health care to patients. First priority was given to the development of a clear national ICT policy strategy for the health care sector, which is currently being developed by the Ministry with support of IICD and ISOG. A programme for mainstreaming of ICT in priority areas within the Ghanaian health sector is also being developed. For example, a Patient Information System will enable health care institutions in Ghana to keep electronic records on patients (personal data, hospital stay, diagnostic data, treatment, etc.). The information will allow for improvements in information and communication for patients, physicians, administrators and planners in health care institutions. A more efficient monitoring of drug intake and ordering will be one of the benefits of this project. In addition, patient records can be accessed from different locations, saving potential life-saving time.

The ICT Roundtable workshops in Jamaica have led to a range of initiatives in the areas of agriculture, tourism, music and education. For example, a computer user television show has been set up. It was recognised that computer skills are rapidly becoming a basic requirement for employees in the main economic sectors in Jamaica. Yet, so far there has only been limited public awareness of the importance of such skills. More importantly, the Jamaican population has had little opportunity to participate in computer training. Realising the importance of computer skills to modern education, the government of Jamaica has put the information society high on the agenda as a means to improve its educational competitiveness. This will require widespread awareness as well as technical skill development among Jamaicans.
A Computer User Television Show emerged as a means to effectively disseminate useful computer knowledge. The show specifically aims to increase awareness and computer skills of the employed and non-employed workforce, thereby improving and expanding labour market opportunities. The show demonstrates how to use actual computer hardware and software via public access television through visual, hands-on techniques. Viewers can also receive free 'off-air' technical support via telephone, a free web page, and access to free downloadable software via the Internet. In 1999, a first series of the Computer User TV show was broadcasted, accessible to about 1.5 million Jamaicans. The show is set up with resources of the local project owner, Island of Industries Ltd., and a group of partner organisations. IICD provides project assistance and monitoring.

IICD's Global Teenager project is committed to stimulating the use of ICTs for the creation of cross-cultural understanding. More specifically, the project focuses on two-way communication between secondary school students in different countries, who thereby learn from and about one another's lifestyles. By using email as a low-key technological solution rather than requiring full Internet access, the Global Teenager project focuses on the basics of learning - sending and receiving information as this is the fundamental ingredient of knowledge.

An Adopt-a-School plan was set up for companies in order to enable the provision of adequate equipment, training, support and content to schools in developing countries. Currently, some fifty schools with a total of around 1500 students, mainly from Africa and The Netherlands, are actively participating in the network. Within the next few years, a substantial expansion of the network is foreseen to other countries and continents. This will be complemented by increased interactivity in terms of virtual content.

IICD and Media Plaza initiated a fellowship in memory of the late Mr. Johan Kooij, who strongly believed in the power of education and ICT to bring people closer together. The initiative is supported by various private sector organisations. The Johan Kooij Fellowship will enable local ICT training co-ordinators to participate in a support and exchange programme in The Netherlands, thereby intensifying mutual relations.

The activities undertaken in 1999 provided a solid framework for continuation of IICD's activities in the new millennium. Local, national and international smart partner initiatives, based on local ownership, are considered critical. In parallel, two-way communication, capacity development and the dissemination of 'best practices', will continue to be spearheads serving IICD's mission.
Management Report

In 1999, IICD successfully built on consolidating its foundation by giving body to its vision and mission. Its independent role as a catalyst and facilitator appeared to be essential throughout its activities, whereby partnering as a crosscutting issue added great value. All IICD's activities have therefore been developed around concepts of networks and collaboration. The ICT Roundtable activity matured into an effective facilitation process to articulate local needs for ICT applications, while ensuring local ownership of all programmes and projects. IICD's capacity development programme, implemented over the course of 1999, was critical in building institutional and technical skills in developing countries. The Global Teenager project, interactively connecting students in industrialised and developing countries, achieved great success. In 1999, it was further expanded to additional countries. Moreover, IICD participated at conferences and exhibitions, such as TELECOM 99, where it presented creative ICT-applications in a development context.

ICT Roundtable process
The ICT Roundtable workshops are committed to achieving consensus based on democratic decision-making. This is appreciated by many and by some, for obvious reasons, considered threatening. In the Roundtable activity, the role of IICD as a facilitator has been very effective in stimulating initiatives using applications of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). So far, Roundtable Processes have been initiated in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and Jamaica. A similar process will start in Mali in early 2000.

ICT policy recommendations from local users are one of the added values of the Roundtable process. In addition, locally owned programmes and projects for ICT applications within strategic sectors have been developed. For example, in Burkina Faso and Ghana, an agricultural information centre is providing up-to-date market, price and crop information to local farmers and promotes the products involved via its website.
Also in Burkina Faso, ICT has been introduced in Information Boutiques. In order to promote citizens' participation in decision-making processes, an easily accessible ICT facility is created where information can both be collected and published. Information Boutiques, a combination of information centre and telecentre, reflect the paradigm shift for developing countries: the more away from individual connectivity to community connectivity.

"Access is crucial. The capacity to receive, download and share information through electronic networks, the freedom to communicate freely across national boundaries: these must become realities for all people."

Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, UN

There is also a need for strategic partnerships between employers, educators and governments to explore creative solutions to the urgent world-wide need for trained employees in the field of ICT. Ways have to be sought for keeping staff developers up-to-date and for expanding their knowledge and skills in a rapidly changing environment. Information used to be considered as gold. Nowadays however, through the use of new technologies, information is more like milk: it has to be used while it is fresh. Stakeholders and users need to know how to locate and access relevant information. Access to such sources and interactive learning is important to gain new perspectives and to support self-development and informed decision-making.

A concrete example of such creative alliances is found in the ICT Training Centre project. In order to contribute to bridging the gap between training and employment in the ICT industry, an ICT Training Centre has been set up in Ghana. Multinational corporations co-operate with local companies and centres of expertise to offer intensive ICT training. In this way, ICT specialists will be equipped with the requisite state-of-the-art skills to design, build, operate and support local ICT application initiatives. Since learning and two-way knowledge transfers are considered to be strategic, training courses for local users are always embedded in each project. The ICT Training Centre will allow for attaining synergies in such training courses.

Through the ICT Roundtable process, insight has been gained into the role of ICT for sustainable development in key sectors. Moreover, ICT applications are developed and implemented on the basis of local needs and conditions - a prerequisite for sustainable socio-economic development.
In 1999, Sector Roundtables were introduced, focusing on a particular sector, such as health care and education. They have proven to be a good follow-up to the National Roundtables in that a deepening and replication of activities in specific sectors provides promising opportunities.

Capacity Development
IICD's capacity development programme, initiated in IICD's focus countries, was highly successful in providing practical ICT knowledge to people in developing countries. The workshops are organised around hands-on use of ICT and computer-based training courseware involving around 60 interactive training programmes.

ICT Information Services
In 1999, IICD's web-based ICT Information Services activity was instrumental in the gathering and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned, which is key to IICD's role as a knowledge broker.
IICD further developed its website and (co-)facilitated various virtual discussions, such as a three months' web-based conference called 'Learn to Build a Brighter Future'. Also in 1999, the Service Desk answered around 200 requests for advice on ICT for development-related issues; formulated ten advisory reports, and; assisted in various ICT projects within a development context.

Partner-supported Events
IICD successfully organised and participated in various public events. An example is its participation in the Philips/ANCARA Interactive Theatre at TELECOM 99 in Geneva. Together with several partners, UNDP, UNCTAD, infoDev, FAW, TU Delft TopTech Studies and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, IICD interactively presented examples of ICT-application in a development context. Also in 1999, The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DG International Development Co-operation (DGIS), and IICD jointly hosted a Global Knowledge Partnership Meeting. The Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation, Mrs. E. Herfkens, addressed the event.

Preview of upcoming activities
In the year 2000 and beyond, IICD will pursue the course it has taken: it will remain strongly focused, concentrating on deepening instead of broadening its activities. In so doing, it will maximise results in terms of learning and multiplier effects, synergy and overall efficiency.
In its current focus countries, IICD's Roundtable process has embarked on a new phase: from an initiating to a consolidating phase. In early 2000, a new Roundtable process will be started in Mali, where strong influential local ownership exists. Moreover, activities in Mali will enable expanded learning effects in Francophone African countries, an increased South-South exchange, and border crossing ICT-related activities.

In addition, professional planning, monitoring and evaluation tools will be further developed, since the implementation of such tools can strongly support the collection, analysis and dissemination of experiences in the Roundtable process.
IICD's future strategy will be based on coherence with DGIS policies as well as on enhanced partnerships with other donor agencies and private sector organisations.
An intense supporting role of DGIS will be key to realising the catalytic value of such a strategy. IICD will increasingly focus on local institution building. In this way, countries in the South will develop the institutional capacity to utilise ICT applications as tools for sustainable development and empowerment of the poor, based on informed decision-making.
ICT Roundtable Process: Introduction

The ICT Roundtable process consists of three phases: ICT workshop, project formulation and project implementation. In its Country Programmes 1999, IICD worked on deepening participation in its focus countries through Sector Roundtables. IICD facilitated two Sector ICT Roundtables in Tanzania. The first Roundtable focused on livelihood opportunities for community development and the second on good governance for NGOs. In Ghana, an ICT Roundtable was held on health care provision. In Jamaica, an ICT Roundtable focused on livelihood opportunities for small and medium-sized farmers. These Roundtables resulted in the identification of a series of new project ideas, totalling around 50 ideas by the close of 1999. In this period, local project owners formulated a portfolio of 20 project proposals, of which 11 projects started in 1999. In addition, preparations were made for a Roundtable Process on Good Governance in Mali and a Roundtable Process on Education in Zambia, both to be held in 2000.

Articulation of Local Needs
The social process is more difficult to master than technological change. Therefore, a proper process of stakeholder consultation is essential. In order to assist developing countries in articulating their needs for ICT applications, National and Sector ICT Roundtable Processes have been successfully facilitated in 1999. The ICT needs have been developed on the basis of a clear national development context, which takes into account the interests of all stakeholders from government, private sector and NGOs.

The Roundtable workshops are committed to achieving consensus based on democratic decision-making. In this activity, the role of IICD as an independent facilitator has been effective in promoting catalytic approaches to the utilisation of ICTs.
The workshops provided a platform for discussion and input to ICT policies. They mostly resulted in a series of strategic and operational policy recommendations on ICTs and development with a particular emphasis on local ICT needs. As a second outcome, ICT project ideas were produced within key development sectors such as health care, education, environment, good governance and livelihood opportunities. In quantitative terms, the Roundtables produced the targeted number of ICT project ideas.

To address the need to focus on sector needs, National Roundtable workshops were supplemented by Sector Roundtable workshops with a focus on a particular sector. Sector Roundtables have proven to be a good follow-up to the National Roundtable, in which a deepening of activities in specific sectors results in promising initiatives that can easily be replicated. The national hosting organisation in co-operation with the relevant stakeholders selected and organised the Sector Roundtables. The workshops resulted in recommendations for policies and priorities in sector programmes to be supported by ICTs. Within the sector programmes, priorities were identified that were the bases for a series of ICT project ideas.

Project Formulation, Based on Local Ownership
The formulation of feasible projects is the next step in the process: project ideas have to be formulated and presented in a work plan. Local agents of change themselves come up with proposals for sustainable ICT applications. The Roundtable workshop and following project formulation activities enable the identification and development of locally owned ICT project proposals that qualify as sustainable in terms of organisation, finance and technology. In this activity, the role of IICD as a facilitator has met expectations. Projects, formulated to-date, constitute small and medium-sized initiatives, and have an average project investment of USD 300,000. The projects are expected to have promising growth potential.

Project Implementation
In the project implementation phase, assistance is provided in partnering, fund-raising and capacity development. With regard to partnering, various smart partnerships have so far been developed, some of which have materialised in creative alliances. For example, the ICT training centre in Ghana has been set up by the Internet Society of Ghana and a Ghanaian company, Network Computer Systems (NCS). The initiative is supported by IICD, several centres of expertise and IBM, which has offered in-house capacity development to trainers of the institute. In Jamaica, several projects are in the implementation phase through local partnering and funding. The Information Boutiques project in Burkina Faso is also a result of partnering and funding between private and not-for-profit organisations. In Zambia, New Millennia Corporation, an Internet Service Provider and systems integrator, became a local partner in the area of project formulation activities and capacity development.

The provision of seed monies has proven to be essential in keeping the momentum in the Roundtable process and to attract funding partners. Through IICD seed money and co-funding, the first phases of 11 projects were ensured. This represents more than 50% of all formulated project proposals.
In terms of IICD's Country Programmes, 1999 is characterisable by the number of IICD projects that entered the implementation phase. This is particularly important to a young institute such as IICD as on-the-ground results will help contribute to lessons learned, best practices and the critical mass needed for activities to gain momentum.

The following pages offer a snapshot of each of IICD's Country Programmes, including a description of ICT Roundtable Activities, a highlighted Project and other Projects started in 1999.
ICT Roundtable Process: Burkina Faso Country Programme

In Burkina Faso, initiatives resulting from the National ICT Roundtables in 1997 and 1998, were further developed and implemented. This was realised in co-operation with IICD's host organisation, the 'Délégation Générale à l'Informatique' (DELGI), and IICD's local project partners. DELGI is the public institution responsible for national ICT policy in Burkina Faso. Many developments were realised in the country programme as the result of, among other things, the start-up of three projects. These three are:

• 
  
• Business Intelligence Trade Points (FIAB)
  
• Intranet Backbone for the Government (DELGI)
  
• Introduction of ICTs in Information Boutiques (SNV)
  

Featured Project
Business Intelligence Trade Points (FIAB)
Sector: Agriculture

Objectives and Outputs: In Burkina Faso, small-scale agricultural producers and exporters do not have access to national and international information on agricultural products, prices and trade. Nor do such producers have available to them the tools for product promotion and the necessary training capacity to make optimal use of such information. Rather, such information is controlled and monopolised by intermediaries and large traders at the central market in the capital city of Ouagadougou. The Business Intelligence Trade Point for the agro-business sector is a project designed to address the socio-economic exclusion of small-scale farmers in Burkina Faso. The Project is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of the small agro-business producers and traders through an effective and efficient agro-business information facility. This can be achieved for example, by helping local agriculturalists be more proactive in the face of changing market conditions.

The Business Intelligence Trade Points will provide both access to market information via the Internet and training in capacity development, required for information retrieval and analysis, via computer software applications.

The national centre will feature a customised hybrid media information service comprised of a database with searchable market information, Internet and more traditional sources of market information. This central site will be connected to four regional centres, each situated in a different agricultural area in Burkina. Well-trained regional staff or information officers will assist agricultural producers to access, retrieve, analyse and disseminate market information. The complete service package offered by the custom-made local centres will include: 1) Information Services (market information); 2) Business Services (company start-up and legal advice); 3) Product Promotion; and 4) ICT Supported Training (in agro-business marketing).

Development Impact: The project seeks to improve the socio-economic position of small-scale agricultural producers and exporters by enabling a more competitive market positioning relative to the large producers. Strengthening their market position empowers their overall business position and consequently, will contribute to alleviating rural poverty.

Management and Organisation: The FIAB is the largest federation of agricultural producers in Burkina Faso. It represents small- and medium-sized agents in agriculture, agro-industry, domestic traders and exporters. FIAB and its members have recognized their need for competitive information and have had a long-term interest in realising the project's objectives. project partners include IICD and UNDP.

Recent Events: In 1999, two of the project's five centres have been established, with the remainder expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2000. The project has received a strong response by the target market, despite a slower than anticipated delivery of on-line pricing information. In 1999, much effort was invested in the provision of content concerning crop quality improvements and quality control to assure a better exportable product. It is expected that this focus will continue in 2000. Training is on-going.

Project Snapshots
Intranet Backbone for the Government (DELGI)
Sector: Good Governance and Civil Society

The objective of the project is to implement an Intranet structure for the government of Burkina Faso. Its structure spans information needs at three government levels, and includes the linking and networking of 45 provincial capitals to government ministries on one end, and departments at the local-level at the other end. The project focuses on improving the provision of education, research, and social services by bettering the supply, co-ordination, retrieval and analysis of information needed for effective decision-making in these sectors. A project component is also concerned with providing relevant content. The project expects to contribute to more effective decentralised governance in the long-term.
In 1999, a meeting was held to bring together stakeholders from government and donor agencies around the large-scale DELGI project. In addition, the project's stakeholders agreed to the desired structure of the intranet.

Introduction of ICTs in Information Boutiques
Sector: Good Governance and Civil Society

'Boutiques d'Information' were designed to meet the information needs of the rural population of Burkina, who do not have sufficient access to information supporting basic economic, social and political activities. SNV and IICD formed a partnership to improve the Boutiques' services by introducing ICTs into the Information Boutiques with the support of SNV Burkina Faso. The Introduction of ICTs (including radio) in Information Boutiques aims to enlarge access to the above-mentioned types of information by Burkina's rural population and to strengthen their awareness in the availability and usefulness of such information per the 'Boutiques d'Information'. The project expects to stimulate rural population interest in the Boutiques by showing its relevance to their own purposes, as a tool to satisfy their personal information needs, and thereby, demystifying the Internet. In 1999, the Boutiques were equiped and its personnel trained. A structured approach was chosen to introduce local populations to the possibilities offered by the Internet; specifically, as the growing of mangoes is key to the local economies, relevance was given to use of Internet as a means to locate information on treating mango diseases. The facilities are also being used for email and attention is increasingly being paid to mango marketing. The project's effectiveness is dampened by interruptions in Internet traffic due to outdated telephone switches. Though arguably an economic benefit, there is a high rate of turnover among the trained and energetic staff within the local environment.
ICT Roundtable Process: Ghana Country Programme

In October 1999, IICD facilitated an ICT Roundtable workshop on health care provision in Accra, Ghana. The Internet Society of Ghana (ISOG) hosted the workshop with support of the Ghanaian Ministry of Health. The workshop was opened by the Ambassador of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the Director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health.
The workshop resulted in a series of recommendations for ICT policy and programmes aimed to improve health care services in Ghana. Furthermore, five priority areas in the health sector were identified in which the introduction of ICT is expected to be most instrumental.

The ICT workshop on health care provision was the beginning of a long-term co-operation between IICD, the Ghanaian Ministry of Health and the Internet Society of Ghana. IICD and ISOG are currently assisting the Ministry in developing a more detailed formulation of an ICT strategy for the health care sector. In addition, the possibilities of a mainstreaming of ICT in priority areas within the health sector in Ghana will be explored.

Six project ideas were originated in the 1998 National Roundtable. By 1999, five had reached proposal stage and two start-up. The latter include:

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• Environmental Information Network (EIN)
  
• Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT)
  

Featured Project
Environmental Information Network (EIN)
Sector: Environment

Objectives and Outputs: Ghana has a long history of good scientific research, but over the years library and information services have deteriorated. As a result, much valuable information is difficult-to-impossible to find. Additionally, without information management tools, there are limitations to how information can be packaged and disseminated to targeted users for use in decision-making. The Environmental Information Network (EIN) aims to enhance the co-ordination and management of environmental information.

Environmental Information Network expects to facilitate information accessibility in support of decision-making and to stimulate research via web-based systems and other electronic media.

The project will focus on linking information centres in three institutions holding responsibility for hosting environmental information in Ghana. These three are the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) and the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI). The information centres provide electronic information through an on-line search system and complementary media such as diskettes and CD-ROMs. Furthermore, the centres provide tailor-made information services and promotion materials.

Development Impact: More effective use of environmental information and research is the primary input to strengthened environmental management - the desired development goal. The immediate project beneficiaries are the environmental institutions of Ghana, decision-makers and other users of environmental information such as students and private companies.

Management and Organisation: The Ghanaian EPA is the project owner and operator. The EPA co-ordinates all activities related to the environment in Ghana and is the focal point for the country's management of environmental resources.

Recent Events: In 1999, project facilities were installed and development of the electronic information services was begun. Training of the project team also started. It is expected that by early 2000, the public will have access to all project services.

Project Snapshot
Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT)
Sector: Education (ICT)

In Ghana and on a global scale, an increasing number of companies, organisations and institutions are expressing a strong demand for ICT professionals. Yet in Ghana, most ICT facilities are developed, installed and maintained by foreign experts and/or computer firms. This gap between training and employment is not only in terms of numbers but also in terms of the skills required to fill the emerging positions in the job market. CICT was identified as what is required to bridge the existing gap between training and employment in the ICT profession in Ghana and the West African sub-region. By building local ICT capacity, CICT expects to halt the increasing dependency on foreign experts to service ICT facilities. In 1999, CICT has begun offering courses in Accra.
To meet the needs of an expanding client base, programmes are presently being developed in support of on-line, distance training.
ICT Roundtable Process: Jamaica Country Programme

An ICT Sector Roundtable workshop was organised in Mandeville, Jamaica in November 1999 to discuss the role of ICT in the agricultural sector. The National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST) and the Ministry of Agriculture hosted the workshop, with facilitation by IICD. The Jamaican Minister of Agriculture, the Ambassador of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jamaica and the Executive Secretary of NCST, opened the ICT Roundtable workshop.

At the workshop, 30 representatives of various stakeholder groups gathered to reflect on the role of ICT in agriculture. The main focus was on strengthening small local producers of domestic food crops through the deployment of ICT. The participants represented government and research institutions, producer groups and agri-business. The workshop resulted in a series of recommendations for ICT policy in agriculture. The development of agricultural information centres and a strengthening of training facilities were considered key areas, in which ICT is expected to have the highest leverage for the producers.

In 1999, four of the six project proposals originating in the 1998 and 1999 Roundtables were started:

• 
  
• Instructional Technology Institute (ITI)
  
• Music Production and Marketing Company
  
• Computer User Television Show
  
• Agro-Business Information System
  

Featured Project
Instructional Technology Institute (ITI)
Sector: Education (ICT)

Objectives and Outputs: Improving education is a socio-economic priority for Jamaica and international donors with operational projects in Jamaica. A number of initiatives have been undertaken to support this priority. Teachers proficient in the use of ICT to assist in instructional delivery, are the efficacy of such programmes. Nonetheless, only a very small number of teachers and trainers meet these criteria.

The Instructional Technology Institute (ITI) seeks to provide an on-going ICT-based capability for the training of tutors and trainers in Jamaica's teachers colleges, training and vocational training institutes, as well as companies.

ITI builds the capacity to develop ICT-based/web-based materials that take into account the national and regional cultural context as well as educational standards; and in turn, use these materials in a high-quality training facility.

Development Impact: The project will contribute to professional development of teacher and trainers at all education levels. Improved teacher skills level together with bettered teaching materials, in turn, help students realise more effective learning. As a result, the project supports skill development at many levels of the Jamaican work force, current and future.

Management and Organisation: ITI is based on a partnership between the three leading educational and training institutions in Jamaica: the Jamaica Computer Society Education Foundation (JCSEF), the HEART Trust/National Training Agency (HEART), and the Institute of Education/Joint Board of Teacher Education (JBTE). The partners all contribute human resources and facilities to the project. IICD provides complementary advisory and financial support.

Recent Events: In 1999, preparations were made to start the project's pilot phase, which is scheduled to begin in January 2000. The pilot phase will focus on the development of on-site and on-line training programmes for English Language. All project partners found this a highly relevant item to all teachers and trainers in Jamaica.

Project Snapshots
Music Production and Marketing Company
Sector: Livelihood Opportunities

Jamaica and other Caribbean islands have over the past 40 years produced a number of recording artists and producers whose creative musical exploits have given the world of popular music several exciting musical genres. New opportunities of electronic production and distribution methods rapidly reshape the music industry in which smaller players from developing countries could have a chance to compete (e.g. downloading music products via the Web). Nonetheless, only a handful of Caribbean-based performers and producers have been able to benefit from the new opportunities. Consequently, the Jamaican population is largely excluded from the socio-economic benefits that could be realised were the country in a position to take advantage of the recent boom in demand for regional music. The Music Production and Marketing Company assists Jamaican and Caribbean artists and producers in the electronic marketing of their musical goods and services. The Marketing Company provides electronic distribution facilities for CDs, audio-visual programmes, and live performances as well as music business advice in the region. The Music Production and Marketing Company is financed by its project owner and operator; namely, Caribbeat Music Distribution Ltd. The Company started its sales operations in 1999.

Computer User Television Show
Sector: Education (ICT)

Simple and more complex computer skills are rapidly becoming a basic requirement for employees in the main economic sectors in Jamaica. Yet, there is limited awareness of the importance of computer skills. More importantly, the Jamaican population has had little opportunity to participate in computer training. Realising the importance of computer skills to modern education, the government of Jamaica has put the information society high on the agenda as a means to improve its educational competitiveness and therefore, socio-economic development. This will require widespread awareness of and skills development in computers among Jamaicans. The Computer User Television Show emerged as a means to effectively disseminate useful computer knowledge. It aims to increase awareness and computer skills of the non-employed and employed workforce. The Show demonstrates how to use actual computer hardware and software via public access television through visual, hands-on techniques. In addition, the Show's viewers can receive a free web page, free 'off-air' telephone support and access to free downloadable software via Internet. In 1999, the project's owner/operator, Island of Industries Ltd., launched the first series of Computer User Television Show. The Show was on the air and accessible to about 1.5 million Jamaicans. Island of Industries and a grouping of partner organisations provided the resources for project start-up. IICD furnishes project advisory and monitoring services.

Agro-Industry Information System (AIIS)
Sector: Agriculture

The agriculture sector in developing countries is being challenged by change. Technological advances are being used to propel the industry into the major international markets and new trading arrangements are being imposed under the banner of globalisation. This has resulted in the exposure of less developed country markets to relatively cheaper agricultural imports from abroad and probably more significantly, have caused the traditional preferential export markets of least developed countries (LDCs) to be seriously threatened by cheaper exports originating elsewhere. The challenge is further exacerbated by the increasingly stringent product requirements, imposed on imports into markets of more developed countries. Strengthened communication between researchers and small farmers is needed to address this situation and is one of the focal points of the project. Lack of adequate communication between producers, users and other key players in the agricultural industry has resulted in inadequate planning and ultimately an unstable market environment for small farmers. It is therefore necessary to provide small farmers access to price and other marketing information as well as other types of agriculture-related data. Agro-Industry Information System is designed to provide better access to more useful, timely and accurate agricultural information for farmers in Jamaica. The project is owned and operated by Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) of Jamaica. In 1999, AIIS reached implementation and a Needs Assessment has been conducted as part of the project's preparatory phase. Hardware and software has also been purchased and installed.
ICT Roundtable Process: Tanzania Country Programme

In Tanzania, two Sector ICT Roundtable workshops were held in 1999 as a follow-up to the country's National Roundtable in the previous year. IICD facilitated a Roundtable workshop on livelihood opportunities in Mwanza in June and July 1999.
The Tanzanian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) hosted the workshop. The Roundtable generated valuable insights into the possibilities of using ICT to trigger and facilitate income-generating activities, such as community telecentres and regional information centres. In addition, in November a joint IICD-Hivos ICT Roundtable was facilitated on good governance for NGOs in Dar Es Salaam. IICD's objective was to assist in mainstreaming ICT in local development activities. The Ambassador of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Tanzania opened the Roundtable workshop. NGOs from mainly Tanzania and some from Uganda and Kenya participated in the workshop, which was hosted by a local counterpart ForDIA. The Roundtable was successful as it created better insights in the role of ICT for development work by NGOs. IICD and Hivos will provide follow-up, based on project proposals generated by the local NGOs.

During the past two years, 17 project ideas have emerged from the Roundtable Processes held in Tanzania. Four of the latter have evolved through the project pipeline to the proposal stage. And in 1999, three of these projects entered the implementation phase:

• 
  
• District Computerised Profiles
  
• Community Tele-Centres
  
• Regional Information System
  

Featured Project
District Computerised Profiles
Sector: Good Governance and Civil Society

Objectives and Outputs: Good governance transcends matters such as elections, corruption, independence of investigative bodies and the independence of law. It also includes the provision of public services and the involvement of the people (civil society) in the decision-making process. Good governance can therefore, be considered as the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country's economic and social resources for development. Good governance includes the following as core characteristics: transparency, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, participation, strategic vision, accountability, rule of law, consensus, orientation, equity, legitimacy, resource prudence, empowering and enabling partnership. District Computerised Profiles aims to introduce an effective information and communication system to support good governance in the Kinondoni District of Tanzania. Specifically, the project's objective is to:

Improve the information flow within the government system for the purposes of enabling District Commission's officers of the Kinondoni District to access, retrieve and manage data within the District.

This pilot project will establish a simple integrated information system at district level that will capture information generated from three selected areas; namely, education, health care, and birth, marriage and death registration. It also seeks to provide a communications link with the rest of the government and facilitate internal information management in support of enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in daily operations. A simple electronic network will be built from a total of six computer systems and linked via a local area network (LAN). Three computer systems at the district headquarters-level will form one part of the network, while the remaining three are to be located at education offices and one health care centre/hospital. The three nodes will be connected to the server of the LAN at headquarters by a normal telephone line and a modem.

Development Impact: Use of the information system outputs by district top leadership is expected to contribute to strengthened decision-making and in turn, improved governance and public service delivery.

Management and Organisation: The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) will be the project's principal owner and operator. COSTECH, a government agency whose main function is to co-ordinate and promote national research activities on Science and Technology, will be responsible for the execution and co-ordination of all project activities. COSTECH will also be the operational liaison with IICD and the government. A central part of the project team and other personnel will be drawn from the Kinondoni District Commissioner's Office. Other partners include the Directorate of Management Information System of the Civil Service Department in the President's Office, the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government.

Recent Events: By the end of 1999, the project had just entered the start-up phase.

Project Snapshots
Community Tele-Centres (CTC)
Sector: Livelihood Opportunities

Tanzania's development plans in the past and in the future, give a very high priority to the improvement of public services-services such as education, health care, access to improved agricultural and environmental techniques, effective local government, together with new business and job creation. The focus of these plans is largely directed to rural areas, where about 85% of the population lives. Tanzania's poor communications infrastructure is a major and often increasing constraint on development in rural and poorer urban areas. CTC highlights a promising solution by working to strengthen those aspects of rural service provision that depend on information exchange, by means of satellite and wireless communications that reach the most remote rural areas as easily as downtown. The project's specific objective is to transform communication and information exchange attitudes and practices in the whole of Tanzania through better use of existing infrastructure and use of appropriate new ICTs, particularly in remote urban centres and in rural areas. Telecom Solutions Ltd. and the University of Dar Es Salaam's Computer Centre will jointly own and operate this project. In 1999, CTC began to establish operations in the Tanzanian district of Mwanza. To date, office facilities have been found and staffed with a few key staff members. Equipment has been purchased and this pilot site is expected to be operational within a two-month timeframe, i.e. in early 2000. The Mwanza base will serve as the starting point for the project, and experiences from Mwanza will be built upon in the project's expansion.

Regional Information System
Sector: Good Governance and Civil Society

The set-up of a reliable data information system is becoming 'pressing' as old structures are revised or eliminated in the processes of decentralisation and privatisation. The gap between information needs and reliable sources is being partly filled by the starting of independent data collection within organisations. The government, at this stage, does not have sufficient means to ensure that information is co-ordinated by taking up the tasks of data collection and dissemination. Regional Information System will have a significant impact on development as the quality of decision-making improves, the decentralisation process is reinforced, and as costs savings occur. The objective of the project is to establish a regional information system that accommodates the data needs of the economic and social sectors of the Lake Zone district, including government, NGOs and private sector. The project has been formulated and agreed upon by parties involved, including the ARI-Ukurikuri Agricultural Research Station, the Dutch financed District Rural Development Programme (DRDP), and FEDA consultancy. The first phase of the project started in December 1999. In this phase, the Agricultural Research Station and the local consultancy group conducted an inventory and analysis of existing data requirements, both unmet and met. The output of this effort serves as the project's starting point and has been developed into a position paper on how to restructure and organise data collection and handling in a much more efficient manner.
ICT Roundtable Process: Zambia Country Programme

In 1999, project formulation activities were started, based on the outcome of the November 1998 ICT Roundtable in the Zambian capital of Lusaka. One of the most promising project opportunities was establishing community telecentres in support of developing livelihood opportunities. New Millennia (NM) Corporation, a full-service systems house and Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Zambia, will be one of IICD's major local partners. In addition, together with the Zambian Ministry of Education and relevant bilateral donors, plans have been developed to launch an ICT Roundtable process in the education sector in the second quarter of 2000.

In 1999, two Project opportunities were identified:

• 
  
• Community Tele-Centres (CTC)
  
• Distance Education
  

Featured Project
Zambian Community Tele-Centres (CTC)
Sector: Livelihood Opportunities

Objectives and Outputs: The agriculture sector strongly contributes to the Zambian economy. As such, the strength of Zambia's rural communities, represented by farmers, is important to promoting the country's socio-economic development goals. The project's owner and operator, the Zambian National Farmers' Union (ZNFU), and its affiliate members represent a major stakeholder in the highly important Zambian agriculture sector. Currently ZNFU members lack access to agricultural information in and beyond neighbouring regions as well as among members themselves. This lack of access and market information inhibits ZNFU members and others in the rural community, from most effectively participating in the agriculture sector. CTC is designed to extend the reach of the agricultural community by enabling producers to access and make use of pricing and other relevant information through telecentres and web-based systems. The project's objective is to:

Improve socio-economic conditions for farming and other communities in rural towns through telecommunications services.

The project is organised around two components:
1) the physical infrastructure of the pilot and franchised telecentres; and 2) creation of content in a ZNFU-managed programme. Under this programme, selected organisations will participate in capacity development activities so as to ensure that newsletters, websites, goods-ordering services, information services, etc. can be delivered through the CTC system.

Development Impact: Access to agriculture and other information is an effective means of empowering the population in these rural areas. Facilitating trade between producers and wholesalers-including female producers associations and export growers associations-enhances the demand/supply chain and therefore more efficient socio-economic decision-making. The project is expected to contribute to skills building through extensive capacity development, and to job creation.

Management and Organisation: The project's three founding partners are: Zambia National Farmers' Union (ZNFU), who will guide content creation for information and transaction services; NM Corporation, who is the technical partner; and Micro-Bankers Trust, who is the management partner. The project's technical partner will provide a package of services to the CTCs that is to include, but is not limited to, Internet access, maintenance, web-hosting and monitoring of the leased lines. The CTC business model features a holding company with leasing options for franchisees. This model facilitates rapid expansion in telecentres and in content provision. The partners in the project - ZNFU, NM Corporation and Micro-Bankers Trust - will all bring value to the company against shareholding (in-kind contributions or 'sweat' equity).

Recent Events: The CTC project was designed and brought to proposal in 1999. Financing for the project pilot has also been largely secured. Based on the outcome of additional negotiations among all stakeholders and the private sector in early 2000, project implementation is expected by mid-2000.
The Dutch Embassy in Zambia has made positive contributions to the project to-date and into 2000.

Project Snapshot
Distance Education
Sector: Education

In 1999, project formulation activities in support of distance education were begun; however, the activity in distance education was halted because earmarked local owners appeared unable to play a leading role in the process. As stakeholders attending the Roundtable expressed a strong interest in the education sector, discussions have been started with the Ministry of Education and relevant bilateral donors, regarding an opportunity to launch an Education Sector Roundtable. This Sector Roundtable process would be designed to strengthen a large existing investment programme in Zambian basic education.
ICT Roundtable Process: Mali Country Programme

In Mali, preparations were made by IICD to start an ICT Roundtable process in early 2000. The Bureau of the President of Mali together with the 'Mission de la Décentralisation et des Réformes Institutionnelles' (MDRI), will guide the activities. A possible result will be the establishment of various telecentres in support of the 701 municipalities, which were recently created. In this vast country, access to telecom facilities and the Internet are expected to have a significant development impact. A telecentres project would expect to demonstrate innovative technologies, adequate managerial set-up and the development of a capacity to produce meaningful content.

In addition, IICD provides active support to the preparations of the international event Bamako 2000, which is an initiative of the President of Mali, Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré. The purpose of the meeting is to exchange experiences and practical approaches to the application of ICTs for development, with a special focus on the civil society sector. The Advisory Network for African Information Strategies (ANAIS) network will organise the international meeting.
Capacity Development and Research

IICD's capacity development programme aims to contribute to the empowerment of organisations in developing countries. This is realised by building institutional and technical skills through locally implemented as well as web-based training courses. Local capacity development forms an integral part of IICD's activities. Therefore, much attention was paid to the development of this programme in 1999. In addition, IICD expanded its model development to provide a framework for the implementation of easily replicable programmes and projects, such as telecentre projects. As part of its guest research programme, IICD commissioned researchers from the South to undertake a number of action research studies in their respective fields of competence.

Capacity Development
IICD developed and implemented its capacity development programme in its focus countries. In addition, it initiated a train-the-trainer programme in Mali in preparation of the upcoming Roundtable process in this country. Its 63 participants highly appreciated the programme. They gave an average score of 4.6 on a scale of 1 to 5 (1=marginally and 5=highly) in terms of quality and value of the overall course. In 1999, IICD developed knowledge in this area via close partnerships with other development and private sector organisations in The Netherlands and in developing countries. The provision of practical ICT knowledge to project partners strengthened the partners' capabilities to implement and operate their projects. The ICT Training Centre in Ghana provided special support and allowed for attaining synergies within the capacity development programme.

"A crucial part of IICD's work is to play a role in capacity development. IICD realises that, in financial terms, each dollar spent on ICT systems should be doubled for training and educational purposes."

The workshop 'Lifelong Learning Skills in ICT', developed in co-operation with Computer Based Training (CBT) and Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC), enabled the training of IICD's project partners. The methodology has been designed to ensure the workshop's usefulness to people with a wide variety of skill levels and interests, focusing on how ICT can be applied to solve development problems.

The ICT Workshop concentrates on hands-on use of ICTs and interactive courseware programmes. The methodology involves presentations, discussion, experimentation and two projects, to be completed by participants. A total of around 60 courses, ranging from 'PC fundamentals' to 'Setting up a webserver', are available in English and French. In every course a progress monitor and an assessment procedure are available. After the workshop participants have access to a 'helpdesk' that will provide support for gaining proficiency and certification in additional courseware programmes.
As a result of the programme, participants developed several databases and websites, such as the website of the Environmental Protection Agency in Ghana (http://www.webstar.com.gh/epa/ ).

Model Development
In 1999, IICD extended its model development to provide guidelines for the implementation of projects that can easily be replicated. Currently, models have been developed in the areas of community telecentres, education (e.g. distance learning), livelihood opportunities (e.g. e-commerce) and web-based information systems (e.g. public information and health care systems). To avoid duplications, model development takes place in close co-operation with partner organisations and companies elsewhere in the world.
The models describe proven approaches to formulating development projects using ICTs. Users are prompted queries and guidelines in order to stimulate interactivity. Each model consists of the following sections:

• The initial project set-up, in which possible objectives and outputs of the project are discussed;
  
• A business plan, covering human resources, market, technical and financial issues;
  
• The project's planning of activities;
  
• An 'In Practice' plan, providing examples of a market, technical and financial plan and guidelines on queries.

The dissemination of IICD's knowledge in this area is supported by the publication of its models on the IICD website: /models/

Community telecentres
The telecentre model focuses on:

• How telecentres can be set up in institutions, such as a community centre, a school or a health care centre;
  
• How access to telecommunication networks - specifically in rural areas - can be established.

Communities in rural areas are the beneficiaries of the Telecentre model.

Web-based Information Systems
This model focuses on:

• How to provide an effective infrastructure for public information systems (e.g. on governmental, health care and/or environmental information);
  
• How to ensure user-friendly and broad access possibilities to these information systems (e.g. through the Internet).

Civilians, health care workers and its patients, and environmental agencies are, among other things, the beneficiaries of the web-based Information Systems model.

Education
The Education model focuses on:

• How to facilitate alternative ways of learning by integrating ICT into the existing curriculum;
  
• How to foster the use of ICTs, such as the Internet and courseware programmes, to secondary schools and vocational institutes in developing countries;
  
• How to stimulate Internet connectivity in secondary schools in developing countries
  
• How to bridge the information gap between developing and industrialised countries.

Teachers and students from secondary schools and vocational institutes are the beneficiaries of the Education Model.

Livelihood opportunities/ E-commerce
This model focuses on key issues for livelihood opportunities:

• Type of activities, supported by e-commerce. For example: information services, promotion, sales support (ordering, delivery, after sales) and payment;
  
• Ownership and trust;
  
• Financial viability;
  
• Technical viability.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are the beneficiaries of the e-commerce model.

The project models can serve different types of organisations, including governments, policy and decision makers, NGOs, co-operatives or sector organisations, donor organisations and private sector organisations.

IICD model development, together with the guest research and capacity development programmes, enables the development and exchange of specific knowledge in various sectors, notably in education, livelihood opportunities and good governance. In this way, synergies are attained via various interrelated activities.

Research

Guest Researchers from the South
IICD commissions guest researchers from the South to undertake a number of action research studies in their respective fields of competence. Through these activities, IICD aims to facilitate a process of two-way knowledge transfer, in which experts from the South can give voice to their opinions. In this way, a dialogue is fostered between experts in the North and South, as well as a South-South exchange on ICT for development-related issues.

In preparation of a Roundtable workshop, IICD commissions local researchers to write a reference report on the state of the art of ICT in their respective countries. Such a report then functions as a starting point for the scenario building process during each Roundtable.

So far, the following researchers have written a reference report:

• Dr. Joachim Tankoano, reference report on the National ICT Roundtable in Burkina Faso;
  
• Mr. Mohammed Saani Abdulai: Reference report on the National ICT Roundtable in Ghana;
  
• Mr. Tony Williams: Reference report on the Sector ICT Roundtable on health care in Ghana;
  
• Mr. Knolly Moses: Reference report on the National ICT Roundtable in Jamaica;
  
• Mr. Dr. Huntley Manhertz: Reference report on the Sector ICT Roundtable on agriculture in Jamaica;
  
• Prof. Samwel M. Wangwe: Reference report on the National ICT Roundtable in Tanzania;
  
• Prof. Beda Mutagahywa: Reference report on the Sector ICT Roundtable on livelihood opportunities in Tanzania;
  
• Mr. Prof. J.M. Mwenechanya: Reference report on the National ICT Roundtable in Zambia.

Moreover, a number of guest researchers from the South have conducted their research at the IICD premises in the Hague in 1998 and 1999. In principle, these guest researchers are representing the partner organisations that are involved in the Roundtable projects, which are set up with assistance of IICD.
The objective of the guest research is to strengthen research and information sharing in key development areas. In addition, the research will contribute to the knowledge base of the executive agencies of the projects in the South. All research results are published on IICD's website to ensure that external parties have access to the information acquired.

During the research period, the guest researchers undertake studies on the basis of various information sources. In addition, a series of visits to specialised institutions enable the researchers to build partnerships with these institutions and stay informed on the latest applications of ICT in The Netherlands.

Hitherto, guest researchers represented the sectors of good governance, education and livelihood opportunities. It is foreseen to invite researchers in other sectors, including health care and the environment.

Guest researchers from developing countries
Good governance:

• Mr. Beda Mutagahywa, University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: Mr. Mutagahywa visited The Netherlands to investigate the technical and financial feasibility of the project Access@Internet by the university of Dar Es Salaam;
  
• Mrs. Osei Brimpong, Director Human Resources, Ministry of Communication, Ghana: Mrs. Brimpong visited IICD to study European ICT regulations in preparation of Ghanaian national ICT policy. This research was set up in partnership with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management in The Netherlands.

Education:

• Mr. Mohammed Saani Abdulai, Vice President of the Internet Society of Ghana: Mr. Abdulai visited IICD to strengthen the partnership with the Internet Society and with a series of educational institutions in The Netherlands in order to seek partnerships for the ICT Training Centre in Ghana;
  
• Mrs. Denise Clarke, HEART/NTA foundation, Jamaica: Mrs. Clarke studied the state of the art in training in The Netherlands and prepared for IICD the key paper for the Education Conference 'Learn to Build a Brighter Future' in November 1999 in The Netherlands;
  
• Mr. Sylvain Zongo, Independent Consultant, Burkina Faso: Mr. Zongo prepared a study on the viability of Linux applications for implementation in Africa and developed an installation manual for training in Linux. This research was set up in partnership with Cap Gemini;
  
• Mr. Abdul Wahab Issah and Mr. Musah Haruna Balle Baz, two Ghanaian trainees in the last phase of their studies in Computer Science at the University of Accra in Ghana. These two trainees will get in-house training at IBM, The Netherlands, on ICT applications and ICT management to improve their own training skills. After the training, they will be assigned as trainers at the ICT Training Centre in Ghana.

Livelihood opportunities (E-commerce in agriculture):

• Mr. Edward Addo Dankwa, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana. Mr. Dankwa has visited a series of specialised institutions in The Netherlands to study the latest developments in e-commerce in the agricultural sector;
  
• Mrs. Simone Zoundi, Federation des Industries Agro-alimentaire du Burkina (FIAB), Burkina Faso. Mrs Zoundi did a similar research study on the latest developments in e-commerce in the agricultural sector;
  
• Mr. Zongowayo Zyambo, Zambia National Farmers Union, Zambia. Mr Zyambo also studied the latest developments in e-commerce in the agricultural sector.

Guest researchers
In co-operation with IICD's local partners, several trainees conducted a research on ICT for development related issues.

Guest Researchers

• Mr. Jako Jellema, Research on the application of telecentres in developing countries;
  
• Ms. Anneke Wieman, Research on Virtual Conferences in the sector Education ('Learn to Build a brighter Future');
  
• Mr. Maarten van Oudenniel, Research on the application of e-commerce in developing countries.
  ICT Information Services
  
  ICT Information Services activity is committed to the collection, storage, processing and dissemination of information in the area of ICT and development. It focuses on the web-based dissemination to its stakeholders of best practices from IICD's own and partnership activities. In this approach, it acts as an independent information and knowledge broker. The collection and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned is an important tool in IICD's role as a knowledge broker. The experience and expertise that are acquired within the Roundtable process and through other activities, are disseminated to a broad public via ICT Information Services. The ICT website (/ ) and the Intranet are important means to that end.
  
  Website
  In 1999, ICT Information Services further developed a technical infrastructure to enable web-based information supply and to facilitate two-way communication. The IICD website featured, among other things, an electronic Journal (E-journal), information about ICT projects and relevant stakeholders, ICT Stories and the Service Desk.
  
  The website serves as the primary channel through which people can access ICT Information Services. It provides elaborate information on IICD's core activities, its model development, the IICD Global Network, the Global Teenager Project, and many other activities. Furthermore, the ICT website offers an E-journal with background articles and research on IICD's own and other organisations' activities in the area of ICT and development. IICD's monthly email service, easily accessible via low-key technological means, has currently more than 400 subscriptions.
  
  In 1999, IICD continued to develop its website with the introduction of new functionalities such as a 'fuzzy search' and electronic discussions. For instance in co-operation with TU Twente, VU Amsterdam and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, IICD started a three months web-based conference called 'Learn to Build a Brighter Future'. IICD's website facilitated this virtual component. In this respect, IICD supported the process of two-way knowledge transfer and empowerment by connecting participants and organisations from the South to each other and to participants from the North.
  
  Visitors of IICD's website
  After the launch of IICD's new website in late 1998, the number of hits first grew strongly, before stabilising as from February 1999 until over the summer. In October the number of hits per month further increased beyond the 130,000 figure. In November, the number of hits reached 120,000 and in December, a holiday period, 100,000. The number of visitors has also grown; an increased number of people visit IICD's website on a regular basis. The locations where the visitors originate from have more than doubled between January and December 1999.
  
  The number of countries where the website's visitors come from is also growing. Interest from countries in Asia and Africa continues to grow steadily. Visitors from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe generate less hits than their colleagues from North America and Western Europe. One of the reasons may be that costs of Internet usage are high in these countries, so people's searches for information are limited by time- and cost-constraints. For instance, South Africa and Malaysia have a rather developed Internet infrastructure; they generate more hits on IICD's website than the other countries from their respective regions. While the number of countries from these regions has continued to grow, the number of hits has grown as well. Equally encouraging is the fact that the percentage of hits from people in Africa has increased from 0.5 % in early 1999 to a peak of almost 6 % in October 1999 (which nearly equals the percentage of Western Europe, excluding The Netherlands). Although this percentage must still increase substantively, its positive direction is promising, given the current rate of Internet connectivity in Africa (NUA Internet Surveys) which accounts for 0,86% of the world's connectivity. Along this positive line, it should be mentioned that the rate of Internet connectivity in Africa has recently grown substantially (from July 1998 until January 1999 it grew by 36%, excluding South Africa (Mike Jensen, July 1999)).
  
  Service Desk
  The Service Desk is the human point of contact, where people and organisations can ask questions on ICT and development. Answers to these questions vary from relatively straightforward information to tailor-made advice and project assistance. Advice is rendered with the assistance of a network of experts, IICD's Global Expert Network. In 1999, consultants and ICT companies were asked to join the Global Network to disseminate their knowledge and experiences on ICT. For example, Origin has offered to make available its international network of ICT experts to support IICD's Service Desk. The Service Desk therefore combines global ICT expertise with knowledge of the local situation in developing countries. Knowledge that is acquired via the Service Desk is made available to a broader public via the ICT website, for example by means of a search facility and by Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
  
  In 1999, the Service Desk answered approximately 200 requests for advice on ICT for development-related issues. In addition, the Service Desk formulated ten advisory reports on how to apply various technologies and it assisted in five ICT projects within a development context. In this respect, experts from IICD's Global Experts Network identified local needs as a starting point for support.
  
  Service Desk Example of Project Assistance: Creating an Indigenous Dialogue
  For centuries, indigenous people all over the world have been facing great hardships. Although specific topics may differ, there is a great overlap in issues, affecting indigenous people alike. For example, the human rights of these people are often severely violated, they are denied property rights over lands, they have inhabited for ages, and their political and cultural integrity is seriously dishonoured.
  
  Right now, one of the main challenges for indigenous people is to get their voices heard in global debates in order to get their issues on the international political agenda. The only way to succeed is to mutually join forces in order to raise one strong voice that cannot be put aside by the international community. Communication between these people is therefore of critical importance in order to exchange experiences, to obtain knowledge about the various issues at stake and to formulate their common grounds.
  
  In this context, several indigenous organisations, together with NARWAL, in The Netherlands, have started a project to create a global network of indigenous organisations to initiate a lively dialogue between the represented nations. In order to facilitate such an international dialogue, participants utilise the Internet, because this is by far the most cost-effective communication tool on the longer term. Therefore, a public space on the Internet has been created to provide the Internet community with information about indigenous people and the challenges they are facing. A private space, for participants only, is also created in order to enable them to communicate freely without political risks.
  IICD's Service Desk has provided assistance in this project. For example, it developed a technical outline on how to set up these public and private spaces on the Internet. Together with technical partners from IICD's Expert Network, the technical tools required for the project's implementation were developed. Moreover, a training programme was set up to assist participants in using the Internet, as well as in utilising additional technical tools.
  
  Two Indigenous People's Meetings, in which 20 indigenous organisations participated, were held in 1999. The Indigenous People's project aims to create a network of around 200 organisations before 2005.
  
  Overview of technical issues the Service Desk dealt with in 1999:
  
  • Application of CDS/ISIS in Africa;
    
  • Internet connectivity in Africa;
    
  • Technical information on spread spectrum technology;
    
  • Technical information on radio stations;
    
  • Curriculum development for ICT training;
    
  • Y2K problems in Africa;
    
  • Technology for distance education;
    
  • Application of Internet for NGOs in developing countries;
    
  • Application of e-commerce in developing countries;
    
  • Technical information about satellite technology;
    
  • Use of Internet as a backbone for SAP-applications;
    
  • Connecting schools to the Internet.
  
  
  ICT Stories
  The ICT Stories project, a joint-activity of IICD and infoDev of the World Bank, is another important tool to disseminate best practices and lessons learned. ICT Stories aims to become a portal to 'lessons learned' regarding development projects with an ICT component. Furthermore, the project seeks to create an online network in which people share practical knowledge on the uses of ICTs in development. Input is generated from people who gained 'hands-on' experience in such development projects. The overall objective of the ICT Stories project is to capture the learning process that accompanies the introduction and implementation of ICT in a project in exemplary stories.
  
  By making the stories available through IICD's searchable database, the ICT Stories project becomes an information service to ICT practitioners around the world. By learning from the successes and mistakes of others, one can utilise advice and recommendations from others. An important feature of this service is that the stories do not have to be written specifically for the ICT Stories database. There is no restrictive format, allowing everyone the space to elaborate on his or her findings. The submitted stories, around 60 in 1999, deal with a range of issues and opportunities and with a variety of actors, project sizes, objectives, target groups and regions.
  
  As an incentive for people to submit their story, a competition was set up in 1999. For this purpose, IICD and infoDev initiated an internationally acclaimed ICT Stories Jury in order to select the winning stories. The winners resulting from this contest will be invited to participate in an international ICT event in order to present their story to the public. The first such upcoming event will be the second Global Knowledge Conference in Malaysia in March 2000.
  
  Children and the Internet: an Education Experiment in India
  "What we observed was both strange and wonderful. (...) The observations indicate that these underprivileged children, without any planned instructional intervention, achieved a certain level of computer literacy. (...) While it is difficult to draw specific conclusions from a single experiment of this nature, we felt that the following hypotheses (...) can be formulated: It is possible to design PC kiosks that can operate outdoors in tropical climates. Such kiosks would have to be protected against heat, dust, humidity and possible vandalism."
  
  The use of ICT in South African Township Schools
  "If there is one lesson that I hope you get from this short story is that there is no need to be scared of computers and in fact I have found that they are powerful tools for self-development. (...)
  During the running of the project, several problems encountered (...) Some of the most important issues are:
  
  • Inadequate communication systems: insufficient telephones and fax machines;
    
  • Overloads of educators: Educators are also teaching the normal curriculum and are often unavailable for meetings;
    
  • Distance: Project schools widely dispersed-difficult to organise meetings and training;
    
  • Missing integration of ICT in curriculum at national and regional levels. (...)
  
  In summary, I hope that the inspiration and excitement that we have all had in developing this project will help to encourage others to join on the same superhighway of learning."
  
  The Lessons Quipunet Learned on the Internet
  "And so, Quipunet was born (...) with the following mission: "To channel resources, materials, and knowledge available all over the world to the places most in need in South America, with emphasis on Peru". (...) What have we learned?
  
  • That we, the people from developing countries, have to use more imagination and creativity, in lieu of money we don't have;
    
  • That we all have valuable information to exchange. Traditional knowledge, in exchange for up-to-date information;
    
  • And most important of all, that we have a unique chance to really stop the devastation of the world by channelling education and information so people can better understand and take care of their quality of life, preserve their environment, and their own culture;
    
  • (...)"
  
  
  The Virtual Souk, E-Commerce for Unprivileged Artisans
  "The Virtual Souk is a service to local development NGOs engaged in the promotion of income generating activities at the grassroots level. (...) The major risk is the economic failure of this commercial activity caused by low volumes of sales, less than expected involvement of the participating NGOs or poor quality of the products. In addition, governments in the region are suspicious about increased connectivity and have the tendency to control the Internet. However, several built-in measures would mitigate these risks:
  
  • E-commerce is predicted to grow to a US$ 300 billion annually by 2002 (already there are 27 million purchases made every day) and will carve an increasing share of the world trade. The Virtual Souk is an opportunity offered to low-income and isolated artisans to benefit from e-commerce and globalisation. We are experiencing a day-to-day increase of our sales;
    
  • The Virtual Souk involves only reputable NGOs who have demonstrated high level of commitment and a reasonable level of organisational and outreach skills;
    
  • (...)"
  
  Global Teenager Project
  
  The Global Teenager project is committed to stimulating the use of ICTs in education and to the creation of cross-cultural understanding. More specifically, the Global Teenager project focuses on two-way communication between students in different countries, who thereby learn from and about one another's lifestyles. By using email as a low-key technological solution rather than requiring full Internet access, the Global Teenager project focuses on the basics of learning: sending and receiving information as the fundamental ingredient of knowledge.
  
  The Global Teenager project is a network of secondary school students from around the world, including both developing and developed countries. The network is locally co-ordinated by IICD's education partners. Students and teachers learn how to use modern technologies and thereby form a new link in the world-wide knowledge network. Moreover, a start is made towards bridging the global gap between the information rich and the information poor.
  
  The Global Teenager project fulfils a need schools around the world have for creating an international learning environment and, at the same time, integrating ICT into their curricula. A dedicated network that students can rely on is key if meaningful communication is the goal. In addition to the curricula provided, a virtual campus will be set up to provide networking opportunities and a range of other activities between schools and students.
  
  The network started with South Africa and The Netherlands. From March through April 1999, a Global Teenager pilot project took place, involving students from these countries in virtual discussions. Since there was much enthusiasm for interacting with a broader range of countries, IICD set up an Adopt-a-School plan.
  The plan, which has so far received great financial support from various private enterprises, enables the provision of adequate equipment, training, support and content to schools in developing countries. For example, at a dinner held on the occasion of the annual 'Broos van Erp' Award at Media Plaza in The Netherlands, eight schools were adopted. Through the Adopt-a-School plan, these schools are able to participate in the Global Teenager project and to increase and sustain their ICT awareness and computer literacy (see: /globalteenagers/).
  
  Currently, students from four countries, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe and The Netherlands, are involved in the network. Jamaica will be added to the network shortly. In total, some fifty schools with around 1500 students are actively participating in the network.
  
  Organisations that currently support IICD's Adopt-a-School plan:
  
  • Bibit
    
  • Gopher Publishers
    
  • KPN Research
    
  • Media Plaza
    
  • Noaber Foundation (former Baan Brothers Foundation)
    
  • PriceWaterhouseCoopers
    
  • Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jamaica
    
  • Service Apotheek
  
  Partnerships
  
  One of the major issues in tackling the emerging knowledge gap is partnering; co-operation through functional relationships. In this respect, IICD endeavours to create strategic cross-sectoral alliances with public, private and not-for-profit institutions in order to combine overall visions, power and resources. In 1999, various alliances were consolidated and new partnerships were initiated. Further co-operation was sought with for instance Media Plaza, RNTC, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Origin, Gopher, KPN, ANCARA, Network Computer Systems (NCS) Ghana, ISOG, NCSTD, University of Dar Es Salaam, University of Accra, SNV, NOVIB and UNDP. In addition, IICD remained an active partner of the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP). New partnership activities emerged with Hivos, IBM, Cap Gemini, NM Corporation Zambia, ANAIS Mali, OneWorld, various Netherlands Embassies in IICD's focus countries and many others.
  
  Private sector
  New strategies are needed to take advantage of current and future developments in ICT: win-win situations should be sought after. The trend to join forces with 'look-a-like' organisations should be transferred into a cross-sectoral approach to development. This should involve an active search for partners from other constituencies. Within such an approach, the private sector should play a significant role, since it is able to provide resources and expertise in the areas of technology, financing, capacity development and infrastructure. In addition, partnerships should be focused on transparency and 'open door' policies.
  An example in 1999 of such a public-private partnership, is IICD's alliance with its local agent of change, Sylvain Zongo, and with Cap Gemini. This co-operation resulted in a Linux distribution with a user-friendly manual.
  
  Media Plaza again proved to be a valuable partner in linking private sector organisations to IICD's activities. Through its fund-raising dinner at the occasion of the Annual Broos van Erp Award eight schools were adopted on behalf of the Global Teenager project in 1999. Moreover, IICD and Media Plaza initiated the Johan Kooij Fellowship. This fellowship will enable local ICT training co-ordinators to participate in a support and exchange programme in The Netherlands, thereby intensifying mutual relations. The initiative is supported by private sector organisations, such as KPN and Lucent Technologies.
  Such smart partnerships are in conformity with a more general goal to co-operate with the private sector on a long-term basis, in which companies are invited to offer human resources, expertise, training and other contributions as a partner.
  
  Partner-supported Events
  In October 1999, ITU's World TELECOM 99 and Interactive 99 was held in Geneva. IICD and its partners participated in the Philips/ANCARA Interactive Theatre, where they presented creative ICT-applications in a development context. Moreover IICD's Managing Director, Mart van de Guchte, was a speaker at the ITU Forum on an 'Innovative Approach to ICT and Development'.
  The Interactive Theatre stand with its 25 square meter 'vidiwall' provided a unique opportunity to disseminate best practices and to illustrate the work that organisations do, and the benefits they bring to a range of people. Many high level representatives visited the stand and extensive media attention was generated.
  
  In co-operation with several partners, UNDP, UNCTAD, infoDev, FAW, TU Delft TopTech Studies and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, IICD participated in the Interactive Theatre to present 'ICT Applications for Development'. IICD mainly focused on ICT-applications in the areas of education (Global Teenager project), public information (Introducing ICT in Information Boutiques project) and e-commerce (Agro-Industry Information Centres project; E-commerce for non-traditional exports project).
  
  Experiences from these e-commerce applications were fed into two live multi-point videoconferences, organised by UNDP in co-operation with IICD, UNCTAD, infoDev and World Bank's Knowledge Network. Individuals working in various e-commerce projects all over the developing world, including IICD's local agents of change, linked up via the sessions to a central panel in Geneva and interactively presented and explored practical issues in the area of e-commerce.
  
  In September 1999, IICD, in co-operation with the Universities of Twente (UT) and Amsterdam (VU), and with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, started a three months web-based conference, called 'Learn to Build a Brighter Future' (/conference/). The conference focused on how ICT can be instrumental to realising the development of education and training capacity in developing countries. Its virtual component was facilitated via IICD's website. The Virtual Conference was concluded with a Live Workshop in Amsterdam in December '99.
  The virtual discussion targeted two topics of teacher training, namely for secondary schools and for vocational institutes. The 82 participants, as a group, struck a solid balance between the North and the South as well as between the two key topics. The most notable characteristic of the group has been the strong participation of universities and private sector from the South. Participants from multinational donor organisations such as the World Bank and UNESCO; from bilateral development agencies including USAID and DFID; from NGOs such as NUFFIC; and from private sector, such as Cap Gemini, complemented these institutions. It was fascinating to read the interventions initiated by a participant in Russia, answered by one in Zimbabwe, built-on by others in Colombia, The Netherlands and India, and the global thread continued.
  
  During the final week of the virtual conference, participants identified eight projects that innovatively apply ICT to building training capacity. As a project is only as strong as the combined strength and commitment of its project team, participants were asked to form working groups in support of their personal project choices. In this way, four solid multi-regional working groups were formed and proposals have been developed face-to-face as well as on-line via the website's discussion area:
  
  • Sharing teacher training materials through the Internet;
    
  • Science/Maths teacher training through the Internet;
    
  • Developing a localised Educational Computer Driving License;
    
  • Use of ICT in a teacher support system.
  
  
  A smart partnership initiative at a global level, in which IICD actively participates, is the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP). GKP is an evolving, informal alliance of public, private and not-for-profit organisations committed to sharing information, experiences and resources. Its aim is to promote broad access to, and the effective use of, information and knowledge as tools for sustainable development. Currently, more than 55 organisations have joined forces under the GKP.
  In March 1999, The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DG International Development Co-operation (DGIS), and IICD jointly hosted a Global Knowledge Partnership Meeting. At the occasion, they organised a social event at which more than 160 Dutch organisations were invited. The Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation, Mrs. E. Herfkens, addressed the event. Through its membership, IICD has also played an active role in the preparations of the second Global Knowledge Conference (GKII): Building Knowledge Societies: Access, Empowerment and Governance (Malaysia, March 2000).
  
  Since partnering is embedded in all of IICD's activities, close working relationships with many organisations are developed and maintained. Of particular importance are IICD's partnerships in the area of capacity development with Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC), Computer Based Training (CBT) and its local partners, such as the ICT Training Centre in Ghana.
  
  A joint IICD - Hivos ICT Roundtable workshop was held in November 1999 in Tanzania, in which NGOs reflected on the use of ICTs in their development work and formulated project ideas in this area.
  
  "Acting big and being small, by means of effective partnerships."
  
  IICD played - together with OneWorld, World Bank and Bellanet - a key role in the development of XML and IDML. XML is a new mark-up language, such as HTML, a meta-language allowing different communities to develop their own 'dialect'. The IDML (International Development Markup Language) Initiative was initiated to discuss the possibility of a XML 'dialect' for the international development community. The aim of IDML is to supply a data exchange standard for information that is specific to international development, making it much easier to share information with regional offices, partner agencies and with the broader public. Together with OneWorld Europe, IICD organised two meetings at the conference 'The Information Society and International Co-operation Logistics' in June 1999 in Maastricht. Main outcomes of this meeting were a new standard setting process, pilot projects and a decision on the follow-up by two parallel meetings in December '99: one in Washington (organised by World Bank and Bellanet) and the other at IICD in The Hague. Here, main decisions were to broaden the platform by setting up a toolkit (the XML demonstrator) in co-operation with OneWorld and IICD's guest researchers from the South. The toolkit is made available on the joint IICD-OneWorld website (http://www.oneworld.net/thinktank/iktools/).
  Organisation
  
  IICD chooses to be a mean, lean and flexible network organisation. At the end of 1999, IICD's staff consisted of fourteen persons, supplemented with various temporary employees. Effective December 31, 1999, Mart van de Guchte resigned his position as Managing Director and became a new Member of the Board of IICD. Jac Stienen succeeded Mart van de Guchte and became IICD's new Managing Director.
  
  In 1999, necessary steps were taken to start to institutionalise the International Advisory Council. Up till now, various highly respected stakeholders in the area of ICT and/or sustainable development have officially accepted membership of the council and additional international members are in the process of being appointed.
  
  Board of Trustees, January, 2000
  Chairman:
  Dr. J.E. Andriessen
  Secretary/Treasurer:
  A. de Bie RA
  Members:
  M.W. van de Guchte
  J.H. Krijnen
  Prof. Dr. D.A.N.M. Kruijt
  Prof. Dr. P.H.M. Vervest
  
  International Advisory Council
  Mrs. I. Albers, HDTP, Netherlands Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
  E. Gimei Wasukira, B.Sc., Uganda National Y2K Task Force, Uganda
  S. Mworia, Telecom Solutions, Tanzania
  Mrs. A. Opuku-Mensah, Ford Foundation, Nigeria
  Prof. Dr. L. Soete, MERIT, The Netherlands
  Baron J.W.J. van Till, Stratix, The Netherlands
  Dr. A. Ventura, National Commission on Science and Technology, Jamaica
  E. Wintzen, Ex'tent (former member of IICD's Board of Trustees), The Netherlands
  Prof. Dr. H.C. de Wolf, Open University, The Netherlands
  
  IICD staff, January, 2000
  Managing Director:
  Jac Stienen
  Programme Manager:
  Stijn van der Krogt
  Programme Manager:
  Nic Moens
  Programme Manager:
  Marcel Werner
  ICT Developer:
  Arjan de Jager
  Communications Manager:
  Loeki Schaeffers
  Resources Network Manager:
  Ingrid Hagen
  ICT Advisory Manager:
  Tjalling Vonk
  ICT Communication Manager:
  Ben Geerlings
  ICT Information Supply Manager:
  Jan Willem van Nus
  Policy Officer:
  Lisette Gast
  Accountant:
  Ben Freeze
  Executive Secretary:
  Judith Veldhuizen
  Secretary:
  Sharita Nandpersad
  
  Trainees:
  Anneke Wieman
  Maarten van Oudenniel