IICD supported project: ICT Training Centre Bolivia

Countries: Bolivia [BO]
Sectors: education

Summary

Currently, initiatives in the area for capacity development taken by academics, government, non-governmental and private entities are highly fragmented. This results in uncoro-ordinated and unsatisfactory results. Some of the large companies and international institutions receive training from head quarters. The rest of the organisations are in need of training, but this activity is often not seen as an obligation of the organisation, or the type of training provided is not directly applicable to actual requirements of the trainees. Therefore a huge gap in applied capacity development for the working force is present. This project will therefore focus on the establishment of a training centre in La Paz. The target group of the centre includes the participants active in the ICT for Development Programme HIVOS-IICD and other organisations contributing to development, notably NGOs, grass-root organisations, the government and small and medium scale enterprises. Taken into account the needs of the target group and the existing services offered, the project must offer a distinctive approach to training. Applying the methodology developed in collaboration with IICD, the capacity development courses will be fully customized to the needs of the trainee and the organisation and will focused on the direct application to the working environment. This will, unlike many of the ongoing training programmes in Bolivia, produce continuity and consistency in capacity development in the area of ICT.

Update

Updated: 2005-08-30

Started in 2001, private company EnBolivia started a Training Centre
project, named CapTiC. Now functioning with customers of CP Bolivia and
other customers from the private sector and NGOs. The project has
intensified services offered to new project partners through a
structured training programme, which is in implementation with two
courses in the second quarter. This offers the Enbolivia.com an
opportunity to support business. Other private sector and NGO customers
have presented themselves through training courses, providing
additional business in both training and related ICT development
requests. The current business of Enbolivia.com is able to have
self-sustaining business development and does not require any
additional IICD support. To ensure delivery of courses to training
partners in other cities, a new training venue is functioning in Santa
Cruz at the offices of project partner CIDOB. <br />
<br />
Update August 2001<br />
<br />
The project team has initiated the development of courseware, selection
of a training location and investments in hard and software. Operations
will start in September with capacity development courses in the area
of Database and Web site design, development and management. Members of
projects developed through the ICT for Development Programme HIVOS-IICD
in La Paz and representatives of other NGOs in Bolivia participate in
these first courses. To facilitate the start up of operations, the
project received seed funds from HIVOS y IICD.<br />

Objectives

On the basis of a needs assessment among the target group it is decided to start in 2001 with the following types of training: 1) Workshops for practical capacity development: Database Development and Management; Web Design and Management; and 2) Seminars for public awareness in selected ICT themes: The use of Internet, E-commerce, E-governance.

Development Impacts

ICT represents an important instrument for development in Bolivia. For projects and programmes that mainstream ICT, a good design and management of ICT is essential. This requires efficient and applied capacity development of the developers and managers of ICT systems. Yet, access to this kind of skills and knowledge is in Bolivia a privilege for only a few. Increased access to skills and knowledge for a divers group of people will assist in the alleviation of poverty and to overcome discrimination on social, cultural and gender basis.

The project will contribute to the development of the capacities of working people that are directly involved in ICT, and those that will need to incorporate ICT in their work. The training will develop the capacity of the individual person, in the context of the institution's requirements. In most cases, the participants will be aware of the their own capabilities, improving the efficiency of his or her work. On the longer term, it is expected that the institute will have a multiplier effect towards the sectors were the actual training is currently provided, as well as other sectors. Given the increasing interest of organisations in capacity development, as observed in Bolivia, this is likely to happen.

Market and finance

The institute will offer courses to national and international NGOs, the government and private sector entities. In the first year, 15 courses will be offered to a total of 120 participants. In the fifth year, 39 courses are expected to be offered to a total of 160 participants. In addition, 3 public awareness raising seminars will be offered in specific ICT themes on an annual basis for at least 60 participants. The income from courses and seminars is expected to grow from US$ 24,000 to US$ 79,000 in the fifth year of operations. The project is auto-sufficient as from the third year. In the last years, the project will generate a small positive result, sufficient for investment in new technologies.

Project Owner : Enbolivia.com

Project Partners : HIVOS, IICD

Project Contact : IICD