IT company Altran offers support to Africa

In the first year of the agreement Altran employees will contribute to governance projects in Zambia and Tanzania. Following the outcomes of their support Altran might also assist projects in other countries and sectors too. The contribution of Altran consultants will consist of training, workshops and strategic advice to both IICD and the local partner organisations.

Altran, the Dutch branch of the French Altran Group, consists of over 17,000 employees in 20 countries. Nonetheless, it is the first time that they will enter into a partnership with a non-profit organisation and offer support to projects in developing countries.

“A partnership agreement with IICD fits perfectly in Altran Nederland’s strategy to contribute to society through our knowledge and expertise”, says Gert Jan ter Weeme, senior Business Manager from Altran. “As a private sector company we feel socially responsible and the way we can shape this offers additional value to Altran’s core business. By letting our own people work on projects we not only help people in developing countries, but it helps to expand the horizon and cultural sensitivity of our own people too. Specially the latter is very valuable”.

IICD has a long track record when it comes to collaborating with private sector consultants in developing countries. Some of the issues that IICD encounters require very specific knowledge for which it needs to make use of the expertise of private sector companies. Private sector companies also help IICD to get insight in the latest technologies as most innovation takes place within the private sector, not the non-profit sector which IICD is part of.

In the past ten years IICD worked together with consultants from among others Ordina (Open Source Software), CapGemini (health and ICT4D in general), Atos Origin Learning Solutions (education), InterAccess (governance and livelihoods) and the Senegalese IT-company Manobi (mobile technology). Each company has its specific expertise and will therefore be asked to work on specific issues. IICD and Altran will focus mainly on e-governance issues.

The first ‘business interventions’ already took place. In the past three months consultants have travelled to local partners in Tanzania to help the Tanzania Telecentre Network to use specific software for participatory mapping and to help the Zambian farmers’ cooperation OPPAZ with setting up a mobile network to improve the exchange of information with potential international buyers.