ICT Development Centre - Mali

Mali’s development requires a command of Information Technology, among other things. This technology is now used in almost all sectors of activity in Mali, but the supply of training has not kept pace with the increase in its use. The result is a critical lack of trained personnel, in both the private sector and government, and negative impacts not only on productivity but also on the longevity of the IT environment. Other partners of Mali are willing to introduce open source software, which offers real advantages for the country’s sustainable development, but have difficulties finding local structures that can support this move. IDC’s project aims to meet this need.

The target groups are staff of companies, government bodies and nong-governmental organisations, as well as university students, health professionals, IT professionals, IICD-supported project partners in Mali. Trainees derive benefits for themselves, through enhancement of their skills, and their employer organisations benefit through increased productivity and better maintenance of the IT equipment. There is also a social component involving internships and training for students wishing to work in the ICT sector, who can subsequently train other students in the context of grass-roots organisations.

Read more about IICD's Mali Country Programme.

After a 1-year project phase, the project is being run independently by IDC since May 2005. The focus of IDC has shifted from training to consultancy and software development.

• To meet the enormous need for IT training in Mali
• To provide training in open-source solutions
• To offer a training room complying with quality and safety standards
• To efficiently meet the training needs arising from IICD-supported projects in health and agriculture in Mali
• To serve as a training centre for courses for IICD project partners in Mali
• Ultimately, to serve as an IT certification centre in Mali

The project is to set up a properly equipped training room to address the dire shortage of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training in Mali, and to provide advise and consultancy on ICT4D solutions in Mali. The ultimate goal is to be able to deliver training certificates with a quality label recognised locally and internationally, through partnerships with companies specialising in ICT.

Read more about IICD's approach towards Education.

IDC (ICT Development Centre) SARL is a private company that started in 2004 and is specialised in data processing and new technologies such as E-health in the western Africa. IDC works with IICD for several years now. Main ambition of IDC is to adapt new information and communication technologies in Africa in order to use them as sustainable development tools. To achieve this goal, IDC works in different fields: Health, Agriculture, Eduction and Governance.