Power and Communications Sectors Modernisation and Rural Services (PROMEC) - Ecuador

The Power and Communications Sectors Modernisation and Rural Services project (PROMEC) is a leveraging (taking all experiences to new programmes through partnerships) project. Aim is to support the installation of some 1,120 telecentres in Ecuador. In the framework of the cooperation between IICD and SENPLADES, 3 consultancies have been fielded. Focus in these consultancies was on capacity development of telecentre administrators in telecentre management and the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the set-up of a telecentre network and the definition of a a broad curriculum for telecentre administrators and end-users.

Access to the Internet in rural areas in Ecuador is problematic and costly, at best. The generation of local content, while addressed in a number of IICD projects, remains a challenge after 5 years of operation of the IICD national programme in Ecuador. It is hoped that support to telecentres will bring about a positive change in this situation.

Read more about IICD's Ecuador Country Programme.

Final versions of two of the three promised studies have been received until now. The study by Hernando López, an Ecuadorian ICT-expert, on sustainability of telecentres gives a number of valid recommendations for making the operation of telecentres sustainable. Two key issues are: 1. A business plan is absolutely required. In the preparation of this business plan, the local community should be involved as closely as possible; 2. Telecentres can only be sustainable if their existence and delivered services are really requested and needed by the local community. The study by Hugo Carrión, another Ecuadorian ICT-expert, explains the workings of telecentres and makes recommendations for setting up a network of telecentres in Ecuador.

Three consultancies have taken place in support of the planned installation of over 1,100 telecentres, on sustainable management, telecentre networking and curriculum development for capacity development, respectively.

So far roughly 530 out of the planned 1,120 telecentres have been installed.

• Support the installation of some 1,120 telecentres in Ecuador.
• Strengthen telecentre management.
• Support capacity development of telecentre administrators.

At the basis of the telecentre project lies the fact that rural connectivity in Ecuador very much lags behind with the urban situation. In the framework of the large telecentre project, the implementers, nor the state, had not given much thought to enabling conditions, such as networking among the different telecentres and capacity development of telecentre administrators. Neither was there a business model which would help the individual telecentres to set up a sustainable operation. IICD focuses its support in its leveraging programme in Ecuador to these preconditions.

Read more about IICD's approach towards Livelihoods.

It has turned out to be important to synchronise consultancies with the implementation of the project itself. In this case, the consultancies were all but completed when a major contractual disagreement brought the telecentre project to a halt. As a result, the results of the three consultancies cannot be put into practice straightaway.

It has turned out to be difficult to directly influence large-scale development projects with a heavy hardware component.

Secretaría Nacional de Planificación y Desarrollo (SENPLADES) or in English: the National secretary of Planning and Development was responsible for this project.  As of June 30, 2008, however coordination of the PROMEC project is the responsibility of Fondo de Desarrollo de las Telecomunicaciones (FODETEL) or in English: the 'Fund for the Development of Telecommunication.'