Telecentre Org Business Plan Final Public Version

Business Plan

Period: 2006 – 2009

May 3, 2006 Final Version

telecentre.org a collaborative social investment program supported by:

Contact:

Mark Surman, Managing Director - telecentre.org

International Development Research Centre 250 Albert Street, Ottawa, Canada K1G 3H9

(613) 236-6163 ext. 2061 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Final Version – May 3 telecentre.org business plan Page 2

Telecentre (noun): A public place where people can access computers, the Internet and other technologies, and that help people to gather information and

communicate with others at the same time as they develop digital skills. While each telecentre is different, the common focus is on the use of technologies to support

community and social development – reducing isolation, bridging the digital divide, promoting health issues, creating economic opportunities, reaching out to youths.

Telecentres exist in almost every country on the planet, although they sometimes go by different names (e.g. village knowledge centres, infocentres, community

technology centres, community multimedia centres or school based telecentres).

Wikipedia definition of “telecentre” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecentre

October 31, 2005, 8:17 pm GMT

A collaborative initiative of IDRC, Microsoft and SDC


telecentre.org is a $CAD21 million collaborative social investment program that aims to improve the capacity and sustainability of

telecentres around the world. The program invests in services and learning opportunities that benefit people working on the ground in local telecentres. Founding social investors include IDRC ($CAD5

million), Microsoft ($CAD11 million) and SDC ($CAD5 million). The partnership will expand over time.

IDRC is a Canadian crown corporation that collaborates closely with researchers from the developing world as they build more healthy,

equitable, and prosperous societies.

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader committed to innovation and broadening digital inclusion through its Unlimited

Potential program.

SDC is Switzerland’s international cooperation agency responsible for overall coordination of development activities and cooperation, as well

as humanitarian aid.

Building on a long history supporting telecentres, all three organizations share a commitment to investing in networks, services and learning opportunities that make telecentres stronger. We invite

others who share the commitment to join us in this partnership.



Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 5

1 VISION: A KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY, FROM THE GROUND UP............................... 7

2 NEEDS: WHAT TELECENTRES ARE LOOKING FOR............................................ 10

3 MISSION: STRENGTHENING THE TELECENTRE ECOSYSTEM............................ 14

4 INVESTMENT LINE #1: BUILDING NETWORKS ............................................... 17

5 INVESTMENT LINE #2: CREATING CONTENT AND SERVICES.......................... 20

6 INVESTMENT LINE #3: SHARING KNOWLEDGE .............................................. 23

7 INVESTMENT LINE #4: CONNECTING PEOPLE ................................................ 26

8 PARTNERSHIPS: GETTING THINGS DONE COLLABORATIVELY........................ 28

9 MARKETING: PROMOTING THE TELECENTRE ECOSYSTEM .............................. 32

10 OPERATIONS: PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT .......................... 36

APPENDIX A – MONITORING AND EVALUATION STRATEGY ................................. 39

APPENDIX B – PROGRAM OVERVIEW TABLES ...................................................... 42

APPENDIX C – PROJECTS FUNDED TO DATE ......................................................... 46

APPENDIX D – RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT INPUTS ......................................... 49



Executive Summary

We don't need more pilot projects. We need a movement.

Dr. Ashok Jhunjunwala Co-founder, n-Logue

Telecentres are helping people around the world join the knowledge society, on their own terms. They provide a laboratory for communities to experiment with technology and determine how it best meets their needs. Connecting telecentres to a network of useful relationships, learning, innovation, products and services ultimately makes them more sustainable and increases their community impact. Being part of a larger ecosystem also improves the services they offer to their local communities. The telecentre.org program invests in efforts that strengthen the entire telecentre ecosystem. The opportunity: a stronger telecentre ecosystem Building on three years of research, telecentre.org is responding to a pressing need – and opportunity – to strengthen the overall telecentre ecosystem. Past telecentre investments have focused on local infrastructure: computers; Internet access; software; electricity. While these are critical, too few resources have gone into building the skills of telecentre managers, creating high-value content and services to offer through telecentres, or networking telecentre people so they can learn and collaborate with each other. The result is lop-sided and unsustainable, with large numbers of local telecentres but little in the way of backstopping services to build capacity and help centres succeed. The telecentre.org strategy is to make investments that benefit the whole telecentre ecosystem: local centres; networks that provide support; social enterprises that develop services; social investors who fund telecentres. This broad-based approach leverages the value of previous telecentre investments while encouraging continued growth of a sustainable telecentre movement. It is now the right time to seize this opportunity. The program: investing in networks and services Housed at IDRC in Ottawa and Delhi, the telecentre.org program invests in four main areas. Each investment line is intended to improve telecentre capacity and sustainability locally while at the same time strengthening the telecentre ecosystem around the world: 1. Building networks: creating or strengthening networks that provide training, technical assistance and other services to improve telecentre sustainability. 2. Creating content and services: investing in services and content that can be easily offered at the local level, helping telecentres attract users, generate revenue and increase community impact. 3. Sharing knowledge: facilitating materials-sharing to help people working in telecentres learn new skills, adopt innovative social enterprise models and deliver better services. 4. Connecting people: convening workshops where telecentre leaders establish new relationships, share innovative new ideas and build practical partnerships. All program investments fall into one or more of these areas. They are provided to telecentre networks or social enterprises offering useful services to telecentres.



The approach: partnership and collaboration telecentre.org achieves these objectives through partnership, with partners working individually and together to deliver concrete services to telecentres. The program works with four types of partners: networks; service providers; telecentre champions; and other social investors. Partnerships include direct, one-on-one investment relationships as well as loose functional alliances, or 'constellations' (see section 8). Direct partnerships typically involve cash or services grants to produce specific, high value outcomes: an event; a network; a service. Constellations target bigger, harder to define tasks that require collaboration amongst many organizations, like building a social supply chain. Constellations have the potential to produce new ideas and partnerships unimaginable today. Partnership is also central to telecentre.org's marketing strategy, which focuses on both the social investment program and the telecentre ecosystem. The program will market the value of the telecentre concept, developing materials about the telecentre movement and sharing the telecentre.org logo with organizations committed to strengthening the telecentre ecosystem. Similar to the Star Alliance or the organic foods logos, people will eventually view organizations displaying the telecentre.org logo as being both a trustworthy brand in their own right and a part of larger global community of excellence. Early achievements, and next steps The telecentre.org program was officially launched in November 2005 at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. A great deal had already been accomplished prior to the official launch. telecentre.org and its partners had: convened 12 workshops attended by over 700 grassroots telecentre leaders; developed a business planning and social enterprise support program for networks; and released a beta online community for telecentres. At the Tunis summit, telecentre.org convened the first global Telecentre Leaders’ Forum (TLF) and announced a $CAD1.2 million commitment to support networks in 7 countries. The telecentre.org program is now fully rolling out all four investment lines. Next steps include:

• Helping telecentre networks grow into strong social enterprises, providing

sustainable peer learning opportunities, support services and a social supply chains to local telecentres. Network support will expand to other countries.

• Creating an R&D investment fund supporting high value services offered by

telecentres, and involving both social enterprises and corporate emerging markets groups. Also, encouraging local communities to create social content.

• Supporting the creation of world class learning and knowledge sharing

systems, including comprehensive training and certification programs for telecentre staff and efficient online+offline channels for distributing content to telecentres.

• Establishing a regular program of high profile Telecentre Leaders’ Forum events, with global and regional events happening during alternate years.

Additionally, efforts to grow awareness and support for telecentre.org are ongoing, including active partner involvement in supported activities and formal program affiliation. IDRC, Microsoft and SDC are seeking a select group of additional social investors to join and guide the telecentre.org consortium.



1 Vision: a knowledge society, from the ground up

telecentre.org invests in networks, services and workshops that improve the capacity and sustainability of telecentres around the world.

Imagine a world where people in villages, towns and cities everywhere have joined the knowledge society – on their own terms. In this world, telecentres are part of a global movement for the community use of technology that removes barriers of geographic isolation and poverty. They offer learning programs, help people find jobs or start businesses and provide an access point for e-health and e-government. They exist as a common space where people work with technology as a community: teaching each other how to create media or program computers, inventing new business ideas and organizing community development campaigns. Most importantly, they give people a voice in their own futures, adapting the tools of the knowledge society to suit their real needs. In this world, telecentres are vibrant local hubs where the social economy of a community revolves, and people gather to learn, experiment and create using technology. While we don't live in this world yet, most of the necessary building blocks already exist. telecentre.org – a collaborative IDRC / Microsoft / SDC social investment program – wants to help put these building blocks together. 1.1 Why telecentres matter … People have been building telecentres for over 20 years. Originally focused on access to computers and other basic technologies, they have evolved to include a wide variety of communications, content and community development services …

The common thread is a focus on the use of technology to strengthen communities. Telecentres offer young people a first place to learn about computers, provide villages access to government services, allow isolated communities to bridge the education and health gap and open up economic opportunity for small entrepreneurs. No matter what they call themselves – telecentres, telecottages, village knowledge centres, CTCs or community multimedia centres – the focus on the social use of technology is what unites the telecentre movement. This is why telecentres matter. The question is: how can telecentres matter more? The answer: invest not just in telecentres, but in the whole telecentre ecosystem.



1.2 The telecentre ecosystem The telecentre movement is a business ecosystem, albeit with a social market in mind. Like any such ecosystem, it consists of complex webs of interdependent innovators, suppliers, brands, delivery channels and financing mechanisms. One problem: many key pieces of the telecentre ecosystem are missing or weak. There are few organizations focused on back end business or technical support. There is no efficient social supply chain to provide telecentres with the hardware, software and other products needed to operate successfully. There are even fewer dedicated to developing high value services and content that telecentres can offer to people in the communities they serve. Housed at Canada's IDRC, the telecentre.org program makes social investments aimed at filling these gaps. Its objective: developing a richer ecosystem where a diversity of interconnected players help each other to succeed …

As this diagram illustrates, strategic and catalytic investments the telecentre.org investment program makes in telecentre networks and backend service providers can significantly improve a telecentre’s ability to meet community needs. 1.3 telecentre.org: driven by values IDRC, Microsoft and SDC partnered to create telecentre.org as its initial social investors. All three organizations have a long history investing in individual telecentres and telecentre programs at the grassroots level. Based on research and input from partners, they saw a complimentary need for targeted investment in people, organizations, products and services that will help local telecentres and telecentre networks succeed, telecentre.org provides a



platform to make this investment in a way that benefits the overall telecentre ecosystem In developing a plan for the telecentre.org program, the founding social investors agreed that a core set of social values should guide all investments. These values reflect the spirit of the telecentre movement and include:

1. Social impact: Remain committed to the idea that telecentres serve a social purpose, helping communities join the knowledge society on their own terms.

2. Entrepreneurship: Focus on people first and organizations second. Identify people

actively engaged in social, business and technical innovation.

3. Knowledge sharing: Use leaders' forums, online communities and other social processes to share knowledge and document new ideas.

4. Collaboration: Promote collaboration amongst partners as a way to strengthen the

ecosystem. Listen constantly to partners, and adapt.

5. Transparency: Clearly explain the program and tell its story, in real time. Encourage partners to do the same.

6. Appropriate technology: Stay platform neutral, always. Constantly monitor,

document and promote the use of new and appropriate technologies. These values are the foundations upon which the program is built. Along with the broad vision of a people-centric, from-the-ground-up knowledge society, these values are the touchstones that guide the telecentre.org program team on a daily basis. The remainder of this business plan describes how the telecentre.org social investment program works, the partnerships it builds, and the ways it contributes to the broader telecentre ecosystem. It also serves as an open invitation to potential partners in every sector, especially those who have previously invested in telecentres locally, to share in this vision of creating a stronger more sustainable telecentre movement and to join us in this work.



2 Needs: what telecentres are looking for There is a vast number of community, government, school and entrepreneur-run telecentres globally committed to the use of computers and the development of digital skills. Major telecentre investments by countries like India as well as the introduction of complex applications that run on mobile 'village phones' means that the universe of shared public access to technology will grow dramatically in the coming years. Despite this huge potential, telecentres face significant challenges. These challenges start with generating community interest: most local people don't appreciate the full potential of a telecentre when it arrives in their village. Once the telecentre takes off, financial sustainability, access to skilled staff, development of new services and upgrades to technology often become an issue. There is demand, but it's difficult to maintain. These problems are exacerbated by the lack of back end support in most telecentres: There is no one to call when something is broken, no one to provide strategic and management advice, and no one developing new services to offer on how to upgrade technology economically. Back end systems have simply never been a priority for most major programs investing in telecentres, and few telecentres can either afford or imagine them on their own. The goal of telecentre.org is to ensure that telecentres have the necessary skills, support and services to grow in their communities, reach out to new users and find realistic paths to sustainability. Based on three years of research and one year working collaboratively with telecentre people around the world, the telecentre.org team has developed a strategic plan to address these needs based on the information collected and presented below. 2.1 Telecentre movement: size and growth It is almost impossible to provide an accurate estimate of the number of telecentres globally. Telecentres are too dispersed, diverse and disconnected for this data to be gathered reliably. It is often not available even within individual countries. Even where it is known, the rapid growth of telecentres means that numbers are quickly out of date. However, the limited data that is available suggests that at least 60,000 government, community and entrepreneur run telecentres globally. Sample data pointing to this estimate includes:

• A soon-to-be published report by CEPAL suggests that at least 35,000 telecentres exist in 13 countries with Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Mission 2007 claims that at least 15,000 knowledge centres and kiosks exist in India. • In Spain, more than 2,000 telecentres are operated by government programs. • In Eastern Europe, the European Union of Telecottage Associations represents more

than 1,000 telecentres. • There are at least 3,000 US telecentres including 1,300 CTCNet members. • In Canada, there are more than 4,000 Community Access Program sites.

These numbers do not include school computer labs, libraries or cybercafés which may offer telecentre-like public access and learning services. Many activities the telecentre.org program supports will also benefit this broader audience. In addition to these already existing telecentres, there is clearly a trend towards continued growth that will enlarge the number of telecentres in coming years:



• In India, Mission 2007 has set a target of one knowledge centre for every one of

India's 600,000 villages. Various government and private sector players have already committed to covering 350,000 villages.

• In Colombia, COMPARTEL is planning for 1,400 new telecentres in 2006/07. • E-Mexico is targeting 7,200 Centros Comunitarios Digitales by end of 2006. • The Nepalese government has committed in its five-year plan the establishment of

1,500 telecentres in each village development council. Over time, the telecentre.org program will make it possible to gather more accurate telecentre metrics. Networks supported through telecentre.org will gather basic information about telecentres that use their services and carry out regular surveys. In the meantime, it’s apparent the telecentre movement is 'large and growing fast'. 2.2 Understanding telecentre needs Understanding the needs of 60,000+ telecentres globally requires research, community engagement and continuous dialogue. These are the principles upon which telecentre.org is built. Consultations and research have been underway for over three years and clearly point to a need for a program like telecentre.org. In 2002, IDRC, UNESCO and IICD organized a meeting of telecentre leaders to discuss future strategies. The meeting’s outcome was a call for networks that supported the work of telecentres on the ground and grew the movement:

This meeting was followed by a regional network workshop for Africa and a number of meetings related to Microsoft's explorations into the creation of a telecentre support network. In 2004, Microsoft and IDRC agreed to create the telecentre.org program. A further series of community engagement and network planning sessions were undertaken, totaling 12 national, regional or global workshops with over 700 participants. All of these events have contributed to this business plan’s development. These consultations have been complimented by extensive research into both telecentre needs and the state of the telecentre movement. During 2003, the New Sector Alliance and World Links undertook a global survey of the telecentre movement for Microsoft. The survey looked at telecentre models, numbers and capacity. Alongside extensive research from IDRC's southern partners, this material guided the development of the initial telecentre.org concept. In 2005 and 2006, IDRC conducted an extensive online survey of telecentre



information needs as well as evaluation of the telecentre.org 'start up year'. This research was used to test the investment priorities and approaches outlined in this business plan. Engagement and research is how telecentre.org does business as well as being the foundation of this business plan, face-to-face learning events and online communities supported by telecentre.org offer regular opportunities to tap the pulse of the telecentre movement. Monitoring and evaluation processes provide a chance to collect local stories. telecentre.org is committed to using these processes as part of a continuing learning loop, ensuring that the program team and partners are always in a position to respond to the evolving needs of telecentres. See Appendix C for an overview of research and community engagement inputs that fed into the development of this business plan. 2.3 Stakeholder needs It was clear early in the research and consultation process that the telecentre ecosystem is made up of a diversity of actors. In addition to people who own, manage, maintain, volunteer and work in telecentres, there are people who provide support, training, services, financing and content to telecentres locally. All these actors bring tremendous assets to the table: local knowledge, social capital, technical skill and a passion for the life of their community. They also face challenges and have specific work-related needs. This business plan is built on an understanding of these people and the needs they have expressed. To provide a clear picture of need, the relevant actors have been divided into four main groups or market segments: telecentre champions; networks; service providers and social investors. The following overview of needs expressed by these groups has been a central input in the design of the social investment program:

Who … … needs what?

Telecentre champions Includes: telecentre managers; trainers; community developers; volunteers; social entrepreneurs.

• Ability to attract more local clients + visitors • Services that can be delivered locally to

generate revenue and community impact • Just-in-time help with tech + business issues • Financing for new telecentres and services • Skilled managers, trainers and other staff • Ability to facilitate community voice in decision-

making at local, regional and national levels • Low cost, durable hardware, software and

Internet access

Telecentre networks Includes: network leaders; tech support provider; trainers; policy advocates; organizations setting up large numbers of centres.

• Start up investment (for new networks) • Business models that fit with network mission • Easy tools for network setup and operation • Products and services to offer to telecentres • Easy-to-adapt electronic content and

curriculum • Access to other networks wanting to

collaborate



Who … … needs what?

Service providers Includes: content providers; rural technology social enterprises; e-government agencies; corporate emerging markets groups.

• Opportunity to test services in REAL rural contexts

• Ways to reach MANY telecentres at once • Trusted partners to support services on ground • Networks willing to partner + learn together • Radar that provides information about

telecentre trends on the ground

Social investors Includes: development agencies; governments; organizations housing large numbers of telecentres; corporate emerging market groups.

• Backstopping and network services for telecentres they have invested in

• Access to advice and information on telecentre best practices

• Channels to reach out to large numbers of telecentres at once

• Other social investors to collaborate with on key ecosystem issues

The program will not invest directly in individual telecentres or telecentre delivery programs. While the need for such investment exists, the program does not feel it can make the most impact through such investments. telecentre.org also will not directly address broader policy issues such like telecom regulations, especially as these issues the being worked on by groups like CATIA and the GTA. While these issues are important, they are beyond the scope of the telecentre.org program.



3 Mission: strengthening the telecentre ecosystem telecentre.org has a clear and simple mission: invest in networks, services and workshops that improve the capacity and sustainability of telecentres around the world. telecentre.org investments are provided primarily to telecentre networks and back end service providers leading to the creation of content, services and networks that help local telecentres to succeed. Ultimately, they also result in more and better services available to the communities that telecentres serve. 3.1 Program objectives The program fulfills this mission by pursuing four broad objectives. Each objective is focused on improving the situation for all players within the telecentre ecosystem.

1. Building networks: increase the ability of networks to provide high quality training, technical assistance and other services that improve telecentre sustainability by making investments in network capacity and planning.

Program outcomes expected related to this objective include:

• Networks are operating as sustainable social enterprises, offering enduring support

and service to local telecentres. • Telecentres consistently turn to networks for support and services as a way to solve

problems, generate new services and make operations more efficient. • Development funders and organizations turn to networks to support the creation of

new telecentres and the delivery of community ICT programming.

• Governments work with networks to efficiently deliver e-government services, social content and opinion-gathering via local telecentres.

2. Creating content and services: improve the ability of telecentres to attract users, deliver valuable information and generate revenue by investing in services and content that can be easily offered at the local level.


• Large numbers of telecentres have adopted new service offerings that help them

increase community impact and generate revenue. • Governments, companies and social enterprises regularly use national networks to

distribute content and services to networks. • Social entrepreneurs are actively developing, distributing, scaling and profiting from

their telecentre product and service ideas. • New sources of financing are available to support the development and scaling of

telecentres, networks and services.



3. Sharing knowledge: help telecentres learn new skills, adopt innovative social enterprise models and deliver better community training services by facilitating knowledge and materials-sharing across the telecentre movement.


• Telecentre program operators provide entrepreneurs, staff, volunteers and

community workers with formal training, drawing on courses from networks. • Networks and their members regularly update, improve and share curriculum and

content that could benefit the telecentre movement. • Telecentres, networks and service providers actively participate in online activities to

maintain collaboration and peer-to-peer support. • Grassroots innovators and young researchers actively engage in action research as a

way to document and share practical telecentre experiences.

4. Connecting people: build social capital, facilitate partnerships and sow the seeds of new networks by regularly convening telecentre leaders and champions.


• Telecentre staff, volunteers and service providers in countries where telecentre.org is

working have formed or joined a network. • People working in telecentres regularly turn to their network of peers for

management, business and technical support.

• Telecentres and the networks they belong to regularly enter into partnerships to cooperate on projects and share knowledge.

• Telecentre networks are using participatory workshops and training methods to

create strong peer-to-peer relationships and social capital. These four objectives represent the program and activity structure of telecentre.org and inform the way we invest. All telecentre.org investments and activities fall under one or more of these objectives. These core investment lines for the telecentre.org program are referred to throughout this business plan. Sections 5 – 8 outline priorities and activities for each program objective and investment line. Note: Appendices A and B describe the monitoring and evaluation strategy that will be used to track progress against the program objectives and associated outcomes.



3.2 A virtuous circle: interconnected goals The program objectives above do not exist in isolation. They are consciously designed to work together to catalytically strengthen the telecentre ecosystem. Each goal is part of a larger virtuous circle that supports the other elements:

For example, a network of telecentres has value in its own right (as a place to connect with peers or work together on projects), but it also offers a channel to distribute content, deliver services and share knowledge. This reinforcing cycle is almost as important as the goals themselves, and plays a significant role in guiding how social investment decisions are made. 3.3 Program overview: from objectives to action The telecentre.org social investment program is the vehicle through which IDRC, Microsoft and SDC have committed to translate these objectives to action. telecentre.org is a collaborative initiative housed at IDRC in Ottawa and Delhi. The program will:

• Act as a convener; providing people within the telecentre movement with places to build relationships, learn from each other and build new ideas

• Make financial investments in networks and service providers who can help

telecentres improve sustainability, service offerings and community impact • Facilitate partnership and networking within the telecentre community, helping to

create constellations of organizations working on common goals

• Actively encourage knowledge sharing within the telecentre movement, and monitor business, social and technical trends emerging from this process

• Promote the values of the telecentre movement, helping business, government and

NGOs to understand the social role telecentres can play

An overview of how the telecentre.org program invests is provided in the next four sections. Section 10 provides a description of program staffing and operations supporting these investments.



4 Investment line #1: building networks telecentre.org's 'building networks' investment line provides funding and services to networks that offer direct support to people working in telecentres. Networks are at the core of telecentre.org's attempt to strengthen the overall ecosystem. Well-organized and operated networks offer:

• Concrete opportunities for peer learning and support amongst people working in telecentres, using collective wisdom to solve common challenges;

• Practical services such as management training, technical support and product

discounts that directly benefit people working in telecentres;

• A social supply chain that provides telecentres with access; and sharing of content, products and services they can offer locally … and provides governments, businesses and NGOs a communications channel to telecentres.

telecentre.org provides support for networks in places where there is a high level of activity in the telecentre movement and where there are strong social entrepreneurs who can drive the success of the network. The program is supporting or actively considering support for networks in the following areas:

These networks typically operate at a national level, although support may be offered to regional networks where they are providing concrete services to telecentres. 4.1 Example: UgaBYTES telecentre support network UgaBYTES is a small NGO providing technical support and computer maintenance services to telecentres in Uganda. With support from telecentre.org, UgaBYTES will expand these offerings to include an on-demand technical and business help desk service, management training courses and product and service discounts. These services will be available across



East Africa, where both IDRC and the SDC-backed UNESCO CMC program have been very active in telecentre work. UgaBYTES will work with telecentre.org and the Non-Profit Enterprise Sustainability Team (NESsT) to develop a complete business plan. UgaBYTES may potentially grow from a small NGO into a thriving social enterprise, offering needed services to telecentres regionally. 4.2 Timeline The telecentre.org 'building networks' investment line focuses on fostering a number of networks early in the program, and learning from these experiences. Nine networks were supported immediately after the program launch at WSIS. Additional networks will be approached for potential collaboration in 2006 and beyond:

The program focused its early efforts on developing services that help networks to operate efficiently and successfully – business planning, web services and product discounts. These services will be offered throughout the program’s five-year cycle. 4.3 Achievements so far … The year preceding the launch of telecentre.org was spent holding meetings in collaboration with national telecentre networks (or groups about to form networks). This resulted in the following:

• Committed over $CAD1.2 million in financial support for networks in Chile, India, Mozambique, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda and the Americas.

• These networks will offer telecentres technical support, training courses, online

resources, e-government services and exchange programs.

• Established initial agreements with organizations offering networks business planning consulting service (NESsT) and web services (TakingITGlobal).

All of these network projects are start-ups, with investments from the telecentre.org program made in late 2005 or early 2006. Concrete services including helpdesks, training sessions and web sites won't begin to appear until mid- to late-2006.



Strengthening and expanding the number of networks supporting telecentres is a major telecentre.org investment priority over the coming years. 4.4 Next steps During 2006 and 2007, 'network' activities will focus on consolidating investments made during the start up period, cautious expansion into new regions and the solidifying of services to networks. Priorities include:

• Expanded network reach, including active collaboration with and investment in networks in the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia and West Africa. These investments will focus on helping networks to offer concrete services to telecentres.

• Business planning support, emphasizing assisting networks to become self-

sustaining social enterprises. This program is delivered by the Non-profit Enterprise and Sustainability Team (NESsT), based in Chile and Hungary.

• Just-in-time reference desk platform helping networks build out support services

for the telecentres they serve. Networks receive a start up package including a website for delivering support, reference desk management training, and access to the global telecentre.org reference desk community. It may also include start up funding.

• A goods and services warehouse that networks can use to offer discounted

products and services to telecentres. Examples include: low-cost hardware, and software; refurbished computers; services that can be offered through telecentres. Networks will be provided with a start up package that includes basic software platform, product line, training and support.

• Web services that networks can plug into their web sites. These plug-ins provide

networks the opportunity to offer blogs, an online library, a reference desk and other tools using their own branding. They also offer a channel for curriculum delivery, research and other materials useful to telecentres.

This package of services is available to any telecentre network that wants them, even if telecentre.org is not making a financial investment in that network. Networks can access these services at any time by contacting the telecentre.org program or the service delivery partner responsible for each of the items listed above. For more information on upcoming activities, see the 'building networks' table in Appendix B.



5 Investment line #2: creating content and services telecentre.org's 'content and services' investment line will support the creation, packaging and sharing of content and services designed to meet the needs of local people who use telecentres. Ultimately, it is the content and services provided by local telecentres that offer value for people at the community level. Most telecentres have created useful services and content on their own – training programs, multimedia services, local media content. However, there is increasing recognition that community impact and telecentre sustainability can be improved if we also invest in organizations specializing in service development or content delivery:

telecentrenetwork

local telecentres

packagedservices fortelecentres

communityimpact

service provider

ruralhealthcaree-government local content

support

training

packaging

feedback

development

As this diagram illustrates, significant effort goes into creating content and services that can be replicated and distributed at the local level: development; packaging; training; support services. The effort allows packaged content and services to be distributed to large numbers of telecentres. The result is increased telecentre use of the material and value for the local community. Increased revenue and financial sustainability of the local telecentre and other players in the telecentre ecosystem also become possible. The telecentre.org program invests in, and partners with, a variety of players committed to developing and sharing content and services providing value to local telecentres. 5.1 Example: kiosk services working group Over the past year, telecentre.org has been talking to Drishtee, n-Logue and TaraHaat in India about service 'unbundling'. Each organization offers high-value packaged services that drive both community impact and revenue for their own local kiosks: rural e-health; literacy and language training; e-governance; village e-commerce. Other telecentres across India could also be offering (and benefiting from) these services. telecentre.org plans to work



with all three organizations to help unbundle and repackage services for broader distribution to increase the flow of services available to the overall rural computing ecosystem in India This effort has involved tight collaboration between IDRC and Microsoft staff in Delhi, drawing on their extensive experience and connections in the Indian rural computing space. 5.2 Timeline The timeline for content and for services is slightly different. With content, there are already a number of established players working in the telecentre space, notably OKN. telecentre.org began informal activities in the content space right from the start, and will expand its work in this areas throughout the life of the program.

The services area is relatively new. telecentre.org must enter this arena cautiously, with pilot investments in 2006 and a full-scale services R+D fund starting in 2007. Cooperation with other social investors, social entrepreneurs and corporate emerging market groups will also be a priority from 2006 onwards. 5.3 Achievements so far … Initial efforts in the content and services area have been small-scale, informal and exploratory. Achievements during the 2005 start up year included:

• Established early collaboration with the Open Knowledge Network, ensuring that the Mozambique network has the resources it needs to support both capacity building and content sharing at the local telecentre level. Also, OKN Asia has asked telecentre.org to join their southern governance consortium and support them in their transition.

• Committed to investment in e-governance services project with the ATACH network

in Chile. ATACH will work with local governments and others to develop citizen services that drive telecentre use, increase access to government services and promote enhanced local democracy.

• Explored potential for services 'unbundling' with leading kiosk service organizations

in India (see above). Also, began work with Microsoft India on small grants fund to support rural technology services R+D.



telecentre.org also participated in a number of research activities analyzing service needs and the process of investing in services. This included a meeting of leading thinkers and practitioners working on financing and replication of technology and social enterprises. This meeting was convened by telecentre.org, NESsT, TechSoup and Internaut Consulting in San Francisco. 5.4 Next steps Over the next year, telecentre.org will move beyond initial exploration of content and services issues and slowly into direct investments. Three major priorities include:

• Pilot investments in telecentre services. During 2006 and early 2007, the telecentre.org program will make a number of pilot investments in telecentre services. These investments will focus on the development, packaging and delivery of services with a high potential to produce community impact and generate revenue for local telecentres. The learning from these investments will be channeled into the design of the services R+D fund. Drishtee, TaraHaat, n-Logue and other investments will be included in this round.

• Telecentre services R+D fund. Building on learning from pilot services

investments, telecentre.org will establish a competitive telecentre services R+D fund by 2007. It will make modest grants to support the development or packaging of services telecentres can offer to communities. It may offer access to product donations and volunteer time to help proposed services evolve more quickly. An online panel of telecentre leaders and social investors will review proposals. Primary selection criteria will center on the service’s ability to generate community impact and revenue for many telecentres.

• Content sharing networks. Building on existing efforts in Asia and Africa, the

telecentre.org program will work with groups such as the Open Knowledge Network (OKN) to encourage content development and sharing amongst community ICT access centres. Focusing first on Asia, the program will work with the most successful of the OKN partner organizations to further their work in getting content into the hands of rural and poor communities. The program will also help these organizations extend their efforts to include content on appropriate technologies, community learning and informal curriculum. Translation of these materials may be possible through partnerships with UNESCO, iTRAIN Online and BCO partners. The program will also help community organizations and community access networks develop partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNAIDS, national NGOs and professional organizations who have an interest in getting their materials distributed at the grassroots level. Local content and building up a community voice will also be a focus.

The telecentre.org program has an interest in engaging corporate emerging markets groups and social investors in the content and services space. There is a desire to investigate the potential of creative financing mechanisms such as patient loan pools and low return social venture funds to scale products, services and franchising. For more information on upcoming activities, see the 'content and services' table in Appendix B.



6 Investment line #3: sharing knowledge telecentre.org's 'sharing knowledge' investment line provides financial and in-kind support for activities that share knowledge and promote learning about the practice of running telecentres. Constant knowledge sharing is core to the telecentre.org program – both as a goal and business practice. Workshops. Networks. Support services. All provide a forum for discussing big ideas and the nitty gritty details of telecentre work. This knowledge needs to be captured and shared widely within the telecentre movement …

telecentre.org supports a variety of documentation and knowledge sharing practices. Sometimes this takes the form of stand-alone funded projects (telecentre manager training programs) and other times it just means encouraging good knowledge sharing practice (embedding bloggers in face-to-face events or requiring telecentre.org to blog all of their trips). The common factor is that explicit knowledge sharing is included in everything that telecentre.org supports or is involved in.



6.1 Example: 'always on tap' knowledge sharing In late 2005, telecentre.org began work with TakingITGlobal to create an 'always on tap' knowledge sharing infrastructure: a series of web sites that give people in the telecentre movement tools they need to capture and share knowledge. This includes everything from individual blogs (to tell a story) to project wikis (to collaboratively organize a project) to full web sites (to provide an online network home). This infrastructure is only in its infancy, but has already been picked by many. The Pacific Telecentre Online Community has created its own web site. A collection of projects involving groups from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Uganda has created a shared project workspace. The telecentre.org team is using blogs to transparently record their interactions with telecentre organizations around the world. By mid-2006, anyone in the telecentre movement will easily be able to create such spaces. 6.2 Timeline The knowledge sharing investment line began by establishing and testing online knowledge sharing infrastructure. Interventions in the training field were also begun. Both of these activities occurred before the telecentre.org launch in November 2005:

Future activities will focus on evolving online knowledge sharing and training programs, and moving actively into offline knowledge sharing. The online approach has already begun to evolve based on feedback from the PacTOC web site roll-out and start up year evaluation. Knowledge sharing and training activities will operate throughout the current five-year cycle of the telecentre.org program. 6.3 Achievements so far … In July 2005, the telecentre.org program team began work on a full-scale knowledge sharing strategy. Early achievements based on that strategy included:

• Identified TakingITGlobal as a partner providing 'on tap' knowledge sharing infrastructure and web sites offered to telecentre networks globally.

• Developed vision and gathered consortium of Indian organizations to create a

training commons, an initiative that will create a common telecentre manager curriculum and online curriculum marketplace.

• Launched prototype telecentre.org web site and knowledge sharing tools at

WSIS, offering training to networks from around the world.



• Set up first 'network web site' for the Pacific Telecentre Online Consortium, a

network of telecentres from Polynesia and Micronesia. telecentre.org began a small research support program in 2005, supporting a young scholar interested in gender and telecentres. The program will expand in future. 6.4 Next steps Over the next two years, the program will work with partners to expand knowledge sharing and training efforts begun in year one. Major priorities include:

• Leadership and management training programs. A need for modular, flexible telecentre management training and certification has been identified. In 2006, telecentre.org will work with Mission 2007 to develop baseline telecentre manager training curriculum, establish an online presence and explore options for certification. It will invest in a social entrepreneurship-mentoring program in South Africa and explore the potential for a leadership development program in Latin America. All material will be open content and adaptable to improvements made by networks.

• Improved access to 'on tap' knowledge sharing tools. TakingITGlobal will

spend much of 2006 focused on the creation of a more advanced and robust set of knowledge sharing tools. This will include the creation of a reference desk platform, a curriculum sharing library and a 'project site' facility to support collaborative work amongst telecentre groups.

• telecentre.org web site in three languages. TakingITGlobal will expand the core

telecentre.org web site to operate in English, French and Spanish. The site will host knowledge sharing tools and will function as a central source of news about how the telecentre ecosystem is growing and evolving.

• Offline content for telecentres. A yearly CD series will be created based on the

most popular resources from the telecentre.org online library. It will include curriculum from Microsoft's Unlimited Potential (UP) and UNESCO's Multimedia Training Kit lines.

• Research awards program. telecentre.org will extend its small research awards

program, offering one sabbatical position and two professional development awards per year, both through IDRC's existing research awards system. The program will provide small-scale support to young researchers interested in practical telecentre research.

In addition to these partner-driven activities, the telecentre.org program team will facilitate a number of knowledge sharing activities. A moderated online 'telecentre radar' will track interesting new ideas and technologies. Continuous blogging and storytelling will highlight the work of our partners on the ground. For more information on upcoming activities, see the 'knowledge sharing' table in Appendix B.



7 Investment line #4: connecting people

telecentre.org's 'connecting people' investment line provides financial and facilitation support for workshops that bring telecentre people together. Convening workshops provides the essential 'glue' that catalyzes and connects activities from all three of the other investment lines. Participatory telecentre events provide the social raw material that feeds into networks, knowledge sharing and collaborative innovation:

Activities supported through telecentre.org's 'connecting people' investment line will include global Telecentre Leaders’ Forums (organized by the telecentre.org program), region-wide Telecentre Leaders’ Forums (organized by networks and telecentre.org) and national peer learning and TLF events (organized by national networks). 7.1 Example: Sri Lanka Telecentre Leaders' Forum In September 2005, telecentre.org worked with Sarvodaya and ICTA in Sri Lanka to gather 120 village level telecentre managers from at least three different telecentre programs. Many had never met another telecentre manager, let alone 120 others. All attendees left with something valuable: a new marketing idea; a copy of someone else's training curriculum; mobile numbers of new friends who'd offered support when things get tricky; a sense that they were a part of a movement. Sarvodaya and ICTA also left with a clear mandate for the creation of a Sri Lankan telecentre network initiative. Essential advice and support for the meeting were provided by IDRC regional staff and the Microsoft Community Affairs lead in Colombo, building on past telecentre work both organizations had done with Sarvodaya. 7.2 Timeline Support for events that connect people within the telecentre movement will occur throughout the current five year cycle of the telecentre.org program …

Early activities focused on grassroots workshops feeding input into telecentre.org program design and initial investments in national networks. Over the longer term, support will focus



on a regular cycle of global and regional events as well as national and thematic events that emerge from networks working on the ground. 7.3 Achievements so far … During its start up year, telecentre.org has supported an extensive series of workshops and peer learning events. Highlights include:

• Supported 15 national or regional workshops, connecting with well over 500 participants coming from 28 countries. These events served as inputs to the design of telecentre.org, and as peer learning opportunities.

• Established concrete investment relationships with national networks as a direct

result of these events. These networks are located in: Chile, India, Mozambique, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Uganda.

• First Telecentre Leaders’ Forum held at WSIS in Tunis during November 2005. This

event led to a number of concrete cross-regional partnerships amongst the networks telecentre.org is working with. It also helped to identify network leaders in regions where the program is not yet working.

In addition to these concrete outcomes, telecentre.org supported workshops which also helped to reduce skepticism about community involvement in program design and establish a positive tone moving forward. As one participant in the start up year evaluation process noted: "telecentre.org has its ears wide open." 7.4 Next steps Convening will continue as an important area of investment, with a particular focus on events in new regions and regional and global events that gather committed telecentre leaders. Specific priorities include:

• Global and regional Telecentre Leaders’ Forums. Building on the success of the first global Telecentre Leaders’ Forum in Tunisia, the telecentre.org program will run regional and global events on an alternating basis, with a regional event planned for Africa in 2006 and a global event slated to take place alongside GKIII in Delhi in late 2007. Telecentre Leaders’ Forums will be organized jointly with the Global Knowledge Partnership wherever possible.

• Funding and support for national level forums. National (or sub-regional)

Telecentre Leaders’ Forums provide an opportunity for training and network planning. The telecentre.org program will fund 3-5 similar events every year. Facilitation support and easy-to-set-up event web sites will be provided. Priorities for 2006 include workshops in the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa and South East Asia.

In addition, telecentre.org will invest in facilitation training and other capacity building efforts that help networks run more effective networking events. For more information on upcoming activities, see the 'connecting people' table in Appendix B.



8 Partnerships: getting things done collaboratively One word is front and centre in the telecentre.org strategy: partnership. Partnership is the glue that binds telecentre.org investments together. It is the method by which concrete services are delivered to, by and between players in the telecentre ecosystem and the way things get done. The telecentre.org program makes social investments in networks, services providers and others who help telecentres become more successful. The program also encourages these organizations to work together on service delivery. Partnerships built around the unique roles of each organization become a key to delivering valuable services …

start upgrant

(contract)

Ugabytestelecentrenetwork

telecentre.orgprogram

telecentres ineast africa

membership

hardware and software

discounts

telecentremanagertrainingprogram

referencedesk

computermaintenance

regionalweb site

servicedelivery grant

(contract) discount relationships + ecommerce platform

(contract)

TechSoup

Mission2007

(india) trainingcurriculum

(creative commons /no formal partnership)

TakingITGlobal

freeweb siteplatform(contract)

These partnerships are referred to as 'constellations': clusters of organizations with specialized roles joining into a 'functional alliance' to share ideas, deliver services and run projects. Some constellations involve telecentre.org directly, and many do not. They are governed by agreements between the organizations involved. The following is a profile of the main organization types telecentre.org invests in and partners with. telecentre.org social investments interconnect and reinforce each other primarily through the constellations formed by these organizations.



8.1 Telecentre leaders and champions Telecentres depend on their people. Without entrepreneurial leadership and community champions, telecentres cannot survive – no matter how much support they have from governments or outside sources. Telecentre leaders fit into the telecentre.org vision and the overall ecosystem in the following ways:

• Roles: leading one or more local telecentre projects; championing and sharing innovative services at the local level; sharing ideas and stories with peers via networks; using and improving content provided by others.

• Partnerships: getting involved in or starting networks; offering services to other

telecentres or networks; training people in other telecentre programs.

• telecentre.org invests directly by: supporting participation in Telecentre Leaders’ Forums; exchange programs; grassroots sabbaticals and research awards.

• telecentre.org supports indirectly through: support for telecentre networks;

investment in content and services to be offered through networks; creation of online communities and offline knowledge sharing for telecentre people.

This group is one of the most important beneficiaries of telecentre.org investments. The services and networks created with telecentre.org investments must provide a direct benefit to telecentre leaders on the ground (and the centres they run). 8.2 Telecentre networks Networks play a central role in strengthening and supporting the day-to-day work of grassroots telecentres. Connecting and organizing telecentres within a particular country or region, these networks facilitate learning, offer support and provide services to improve telecentre sustainability. Networks fit into the telecentre.org vision and the overall ecosystem in the following ways:

• Roles: national peer learning events and training; technical and business reference desk services for telecentres; discounted products and services for telecentres; back end or link to revenue generating services offered by local telecentres; resource for emerging new networks.

• Partnerships: direct relationship with individual local telecentres; contracts with

service providers with something to offer to member telecentres; relationships with governments and NGOs who have content to share with telecentres; collaboration and projects with other telecentre networks.

• telecentre.org invests directly by: funding and facilitation support for

participatory events; network start up grants; network capacity grants; investment for the development of training and support programs.

• telecentre.org supports indirectly through: investing in services assisting

networks, or that networks offer to telecentres; investment in business planning services for networks; support for content sharing networks; sharing open curriculum and content created by other networks; networking opportunities through regional and global Telecentre Leaders’ Forums.



All of the networks that telecentre.org works with are self-governing, and work with local telecentres on their own terms. Some networks have formal membership structures (e.g. CTCNet) while others use a more fluid, network-model (e.g. Mission 2007). Many are embedded in an existing non-profit or social enterprise with a mandate transcending telecentres. The telecentre.org program works with all types of networks, as long as they are inclusive and provide concrete grassroots value. 8.3 Service providers The telecentre ecosystem includes organizations offering concrete services to help telecentres and networks become more effective, efficient and sustainable. These services providers may be NGOs offering support to community technology projects, social enterprises with a product or service that telecentres offer to their communities; or companies working in emerging markets or rural computing. They fit into the telecentre.org vision and the overall ecosystem in the following ways:

• Roles: help networks start up and operate effectively through business planning support, technology platforms and training materials; help telecentres reach sustainability by developing content, products and services that can be easily offered at the local level.

• Partnerships: typically, working with national and regional telecentre networks that

use these services directly or deliver them to telecentres. May also partner with other content and services providers.

• telecentre.org invests directly by: small investments for initial product or service

R+D, or packaging product or service for delivery across networks; support for networks that collect and share content for use in local telecentres.

• telecentre.org supports indirectly through: investing in networks that use

service provider offerings or who partner to distribute services to telecentres; opportunities to meet with networks and telecentres at leaders’ forum events.

Service providers play a key role as their offerings help networks provide support more efficiently (e.g. a reference desk in a box) and help telecentres drive use and sustainability (e.g. a packaged rural healthcare service). Service providers offer services directly to and through networks. telecentre.org makes the introductions. 8.4 Social investors Social investors play a role not just as financiers but also as catalysts and advocates for a stronger telecentre ecosystem. This includes government ICT funding programs, development donors, foundations, social venture funds and corporate CSR and emerging markets groups. Social investors fit into the telecentre.org vision and the overall ecosystem in the following ways:

• Roles: grow the telecentre ecosystem by investing in telecentres, networks and service providers; act as conveners and connector points where appropriate; raise awareness of governments and other social investors.



• Partnerships: work in supportive and catalytic way with partners including networks, service providers, telecentres and other social investors. Where not required, there is no direct involvement in constellations or partnerships.

• telecentre.org invests directly by: providing staffing and infrastructure for social

investors wanting to pool resources in the telecentre support space; offering parallel investments, especially in network and service projects.

• telecentre.org supports indirectly through: investing in networks that provide

social investors with a channel to reach out and interact with grassroots telecentres; inviting social investors to Telecentre Leaders’ Forum events.

IDRC, Microsoft and SDC support the telecentre.org platform because they believe in the value of coordinated investment in capacity support for telecentres and invite others to join in that support. More collaborative investment is required, as are other forms of social investment that go beyond traditional granting programs. This includes social venture funds, patient loan programs and other non-traditional financing mechanisms aimed at scaling-up the telecentre ecosystem. 8.5 Emerging constellation examples The telecentre.org program encourages collaboration with organizations it partners with and invests in them through constellations. A sampling of emerging constellations includes:

• Mission 2007 (India) and other Indian groups partnered to create a training commons: a place to create and test shared telecentre manager training curriculum. This individuals working on this project represent a loose constellation, and they will likely disband when the project is complete.

• D.Net (Bangladesh), Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka) and UgaBYTES (Uganda) are

collaborating to create theTelecentre Times, a print newsletter from the grassroots. This is a very loose and informal constellation, but may formalize if the first issues are successful.

• UgaBYTES (Uganda) in Uganda will work in partnership with TakingITGlobal

(Canada) and TechSoup (USA) to build out a rich set of offerings for the telecentres it serves. This is a formal constellation that will stay together for many years, governed through contractual relationships.

Constellations take many forms and may be informal and formal, temporary or lasting. What connects them is a commitment to practical shared labour delivering value to telecentres.



9 Marketing: promoting the telecentre ecosystem To reach its objectives, telecentre.org needs to do more than just market the social investment program at IDRC. It needs to market the entire telecentre ecosystem. From a marketing perspective, what's required is a widely-held feeling that the telecentre ecosystem is a vibrant – and identifiable – place. This is essential to motivate people and organizations to get more engaged with telecentres; putting their time, services and money into the ecosystem. People only get involved when they see that something interesting is happening, and that there is a clear way to join in and benefit. Creating this feeling will require a diverse and distributed marketing strategy, involving the telecentre.org program and its partners across the ecosystem. Key components of this strategy include:

The book From the ground up: The evolution of the telecentre movement demonstrates this cooperative, distributed marketing strategy. Created jointly by telecentre.org and the Education Development Center, the book profiles twelve telecentre organizations globally describing a vibrant and growing movement. The result: a marketing vehicle that enriches and promotes not just the organizations directly involved but also everyone working in the telecentre field. 9.1 Staged engagement: connecting all stakeholders A marketing strategy promoting a more vibrant ecosystem requires a unique approach to each of the actors identified in this plan: networks; service providers; telecentre champions; and social investors. Each group needs to be transitioned from initial awareness of the telecentre.org program and movement to a level of deeper engagement. The following table describes the stages of this engagement process:



Group Aware Involved Engaged

Telecentre champions

Indicator: see themselves within the movement and are aware of telecentre.org. Outreach: send online newsletters, reach via networks and telecentre.org sites.

Indicator: spends time participating in network activities and sharing content. Outreach: invite to network and telecentre.org events, encourage to participate and post online.

Indicator: known leader and contributor amongst peers. Outreach: invite to lead online and face-to-face learning events, celebrate in network and telecentre.org newsletters.

Telecentre networks

Indicator: knowing that there are other networks and telecentre.org interested in collaborating. Outreach: send online newsletters, promote telecentre.org and IDRC site.

Indicator: working with other networks, actively offering and using telecentre.org services, affiliated with telecentre.org Outreach: invite to telecentre.org events, get introductions via social investors.

Indicator: organizing events amongst networks and engaging with telecentre.org globally. Outreach: include in TLF planning, encourage leading collaborative projects with networks.

Service providers

Indicator: aware of telecentres as a market and telecentre.org + networks as way to reach this market Outreach: targeted e-mail marketing to service providers, and presence at events

Indicator: developing products and services for telecentres, participating in ecosystem Outreach: promote services R+D fund, invite to telecentre.org global events

Indicator: telecentre champion working with telecentre.org globally. Outreach: invite to lead workshops at telecentre.org online and offline events, regular one-on-one meetings with telecentre.org

Social investors

Indicator: knows about telecentre.org program and ecosystem approach Outreach: targeted e-mail marketing, focused on storytelling and lessons learned

Indicator: parallel funding going to projects of common interest with telecentre.org Outreach: one-on-one meetings, regular e-mail updates on emerging projects

Indicator: contributes to main telecentre.org funding pool, or targeted pool like services R+D fund Outreach: individual meetings, joins telecentre.org Senior Working Group

This table provides examples of ways to reach the target groups at each stage of the engagement process. All marketing strategies need to be designed around this cycle, building not only on awareness of different audiences but also on an understanding of how engaged they are (and how engaged we hope they will become). 9.2 Shared brand: marketing the telecentre ecosystem Presently, the telecentre.org brand is associated only with the social investment program at IDRC. In the longer term, telecentre.org can potentially stand for much more – as a symbol of quality and common vision shared by those who see the promise of community-based



technology. Similar to the Star Alliance or the organic foods logo, people would view organizations displaying the telecentre.org logo as being both a trustworthy brand in its own right and a part of larger global community of excellence. Getting organizations to affiliate themselves with telecentre.org also shows a commitment to move towards a higher level of engagement.

The telecentre.org program is committed to sharing its brand. This will occur in phases, testing the waters each step of the way. The phases planned include:

• Step one – funded partners: encourage all partners directly involved in telecentre.org-funded projects to display the logo and declare an affiliation with telecentre.org. All partners showing the logo will also be listed on the www.telecentre.org partner page. Timing: immediate.

• Step two – networks, service providers: invite any network, service provider or

social investor directly working with telecentres to affiliate with the telecentre.org brand, based on approval of the communications manager. Offer these affiliates a partner listing and access to the same services available to funded networks. Timing: 2006.

• Step three – individual telecentres: invite individual telecentres to affiliate

themselves with the telecentre.org brand, ideally through a network that is already part of the telecentre.org family. Offer certificates and promotional materials that can be displayed in the telecentre. Timing: 2007.

The real test of this strategy is whether the telecentre.org brand is actually providing benefits to partners. Partners will be surveyed in 2008 to assess whether the shared brand strategy is working. Survey results will be used to refine the strategy. 9.3 Partner driven marketing strategies Assuming a shared brand and sense of common cause exist as a foundation, telecentre.org will focus most of its marketing efforts on helping partners to market themselves more effectively. Key tactics in this area will include:

• Raw materials for marketing and engagement. Provide network partners with articles, telecentre support resources and a reference desk platform they can offer to members. Provide partners marketing material templates. These materials allow networks to attract and engage telecentres, growing overall awareness about the telecentre movement.

• Collaborative, movement-wide marketing. Support partners who want to work

together on joint marketing and awareness raising activities. An example is the Telecentre Times, a print newspaper about telecentres championed by Ugandan, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi networks.

• Shared online community. Create a shared online community independent of

the telecentre.org social investment program. This online community is already up and running under the leadership of TakingITGlobal. Over time, many partners will use the platform for their own marketing, storytelling and collaboration purposes.

• Putting partners on stage. Highlight leaders from across the telecentre

movement. This includes inviting partners to play a starring role in online learning



events, and including partners as core organizers and speakers at telecentre.org global and regional events.

Partner-driven marketing efforts will be organized primarily through networks, building on already established relationships. Partners using this content for their marketing campaigns will be required to use the telecentre.org logo. They will also be invited to display the logos of the core telecentre.org social investors. 9.4 Program based marketing strategies There are a number of areas where marketing needs to be based directly within the telecentre.org social investment program. These include:

• E-mail storytelling. Write a series of regular e-newsletters, focusing on grassroots stories from across the telecentre movement. Deliver in English, French and Spanish, and offer different versions for different audiences.

• Movement marketing. Develop materials that highlight the telecentre movement,

based on the From the ground up model. They will target policy-makers, social investors and others with limited awareness of telecentres.

• High profile events. Organize high-profile events to promote the telecentre

movement, including annual Telecentre Leaders’ Forums (regional: one year / global: the opposite year). Use these events to market the telecentre movement, telecentre.org partner organizations and the program.

• Partnership and one-on-one relationships. Invest individual time in developing

key partner relationships. Use process to bring policy-makers and social investors through the engagement cycle.

Program based materials will provide a high-profile channel for promoting not only the program and the movement, but also involvement by IDRC, Microsoft, SDC and future social investors. These social investors will receive front and centre branding in program-based marketing materials and at telecentre.org events.



10 Operations: program management and oversight The operational philosophy behind the telecentre.org team is simple: stay small, nimble, lightweight and responsive. Housed at IDRC in Ottawa and Delhi, the telecentre.org program team consists of only eight staff. However, this core team is backed by an extensive network of partners and advisors from across the telecentre ecosystem …

This distributed approach mirrors the telecentre.org program's commitment to growing overall ecosystem capacity. Local work such as running networks, managing technology and developing services is left to partners supported through telecentre.org investments. These are the people who will grow the ecosystem and make it thrive in the end. The small program team will handle only tasks that are necessarily linked to the operation of the social investment program: convening, partnership development, investment portfolio management and project monitoring. 10.1 Core program team Encompassing both a regional and global dimension, the core telecentre.org program team is focused on making social investments and developing partnerships that make the telecentre ecosystem stronger. Positions within the team include:

• Managing director: Overall management of the telecentre.org program, including strategic planning, team leadership and development of new social investment partnerships. (1 position - Ottawa)



• Program officers: Development and management of project level partnerships.

Three program officers lead regional program development for Africa, Asia and the Americas while one is focused on global projects and knowledge management across the program. (4 positions – Ottawa + Delhi)

• Communications officer: Development of communications about the social

investment program and coordination of communication amongst telecentre.org partners. (1 position - Delhi)

• Research officer: Gathering monitoring and evaluation data, and managing social

investment pipeline. (1 position – Ottawa)

• Project administrator: Program planning, logistics and coordination with other teams with IDRC. (1 position – Ottawa)

The people in these positions have extensive experience with telecentres, social enterprise, knowledge sharing and the creation of global networks amongst social purpose organizations. telecentre.org managing director Mark Surman (Canadian) has spent 17 years leading cutting edge community media and social enterprise initiatives in Canada and around the world. Senior program staff include: Basheerhamad Shadrach (Indian), Florencio Ceballos (Chilean), Meddie Mayanja (Ugandan) and Frank Tulus (Canadian), all of whom have extensive experience with either telecentre or knowledge sharing projects. 10.2 Extended team In addition to the core team, the telecentre.org program also draws heavily on the skills and networks of partner organizations. Key extended team roles include:

• IDRC programs and regional offices: telecentre.org works in close consultation and collaboration with IDRC regional ICT4D programs – ICT4D Americas, PAN Asia and Acacia. The program also works closely with IDRC's grant administration division and with regional office teams in Cairo, Dakar, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Montevideo and Singapore. This existing infrastructure and expertise represents a tremendous asset for telecentre.org.

• Microsoft and SDC program staff: Microsoft and SDC offer access to extensive

networks of grassroots telecentre projects, through the Unlimited Potential and UNESCO CMC programs. Program staff are involved in support, networking and information sharing roles at regional telecentre.org events.

• TakingITGlobal and other implementing partners: These partners engage in

activities that benefit the telecentre.org program and all of its partner organizations. TakingITGlobal, the Toronto based organization responsible for telecentre.org community web sites and knowledge sharing tools offered to partner networks. Other examples include NESsT (business planning for networks) and the Global Knowledge Partnership (convening events). A TIG representative attends all telecentre.org team meetings.

• Researchers and interns: A number of researchers and interns are funded

annually for targeted research on telecentre issues. These people are housed at IDRC and act as part of the telecentre.org team on a temporary basis.



The extended team also consists of the many partners that telecentre.org works with across the telecentre ecosystem. These organizations operate independently of telecentre.org and have their own priorities. However they are the most important players in our efforts to achieve the objectives of the telecentre.org program. 10.3 Program oversight Regular program investment oversight is provided by the telecentre.org Senior Working Group. This committee is made up of all social investors who have contributed resources to the telecentre funding pool. The Working Group meets on a quarterly basis to review progress of the program and provide input on investment plans. They also approve the telecentre.org annual budget and business plan. As telecentre.org operates as a program within IDRC's ICT4D division, overall governance is provided by the Centre's international Board of Governors. Programmatic and fiscal accountability are handled through IDRC's standard grant administration, management and evaluation systems. These systems are widely respected in the development sector for their balance of flexibility and rigor. 10.4 Advisory circles Constant input and engagement with telecentre practitioners from around the world provides telecentre.org with an ongoing source of program guidance. Additional program guidance is provided by two advisory circles: one drawn from the telecentre community and another drawn from the senior ranks of business, government and the non-profit sector. Unlike traditional committees, these advisory circles work on a flexible, as-needed basis. Members relate to the telecentre.org managing director primarily through one on one conversations about a particular issue related to the advisors expertise. Advisors are invited to attend at least one telecentre.org support event per year. There are no formal committee meetings for the advisory circles. The first slate of advisors will be announced by August 2006. Additional advisors will be added during the course of the program.



Appendix A – Monitoring and evaluation strategy Working within the context of IDRC's overall evaluation system, the telecentre.org program is committed to evaluation as a way to promote continuous learning and ensure program accountability. With these goals in mind, the program will implement a simple monitoring and evaluation strategy based around four tools:

Drawing on elements of IDRC's Outcome Mapping methodology, the first two elements – storytelling and evaluation studies – are focused exclusively on the goal of continuous learning. Learning from these evaluation tools will be applied to investment decisions and yearly program workplan development. Responsibility for these evaluation activities will be taken on by the telecentre.org Knowledge Management Program Officer and the Research Officer. Evaluation studies will be undertaken by contract researchers. The third element – program review – will look at the programs’ overall accountability record. A standard part of the IDRC evaluation system, the review is conducted by outside evaluators under the supervision of the IDRC's Evaluation Unit. IDRC approach to evaluation IDRC’s approach to evaluation mirrors the Centre’s approach to development research programming. IDRC-supported project evaluations consist of:

• Rigor and validity in our approach to evaluation; • Adopting an action-oriented approach to contribute to evidence-based decision

making; • Ownership of and participation in evaluation by constituencies; • Capacity building in evaluation as a way to build a more effective development

research community. IDRC sees evaluation as a central contribution of people effectively participating in learning and knowledge processes. Its evaluation system takes a decentralized approach to meeting both learning and accountability needs. It is based on multiple layers of monitoring and evaluation at the project, program, and corporate levels (overview chart available as attachment). Rather than through the use of indicator-based logframes, formal accountability for the results achieved using public resources comes through the rolling project completion reports (rPCRs), reporting by the Director of Program Area (DPA) and an external review conducted once at the end of each program’s cycle. As a corporate project of IDRC, telecentre.org is a part of this system.



Note: objectives and outcomes used for evaluation purposes are included in Section 3 and are summarized again in Appendix B. This evaluation plan should be read in the context of these objectives and outcomes. Storytelling (learning)

Building on a commitment to continuous learning, storytelling has been included as a part of the telecentre.org monitoring and evaluation strategy. The aim is to collect stories from the grassroots that demonstrate progress (or lack of progress) towards the program outcomes. As in IDRC's Outcome Mapping methodology, these outcomes provide examples of the social processes and behavioral changes the program hopes to contribute to, and that are observable by, program stakeholders. Additional outcomes are likely to emerge during the course of the program. telecentre.org plans to gather grassroots stories from its partners through three channels:

• Blogging: telecentre.org provides anyone in the telecentre community with the opportunity to create a blog – or online diary – to share their experience with others. These blogs have the potential to serve as a rich data source for stories related to the telecentre.org program objectives and outcomes.

• Online reporting: the telecentre.org web site will include a simple reporting tool

that collect stories related to the four program objectives / investment lines. Funded networks and other projects will be required to use this tool as a part of their regular grant reporting.

• Face-to-face events: Telecentre Leaders' Forums and other events regularly

include story-telling sessions. Stories from this source are particularly valuable as telecentre.org research staff can probe to learn more about how a story relates to a particular objective our outcome. Where possible, face-to-face storytelling will be captured in video or audio format.

Stories gathered through these channels are part of the broader telecentre.org 'learning loop', providing useful information to the program team and individual telecentres, network partners, program advisors and social investors. Raw stories will be shared widely with these groups via telecentre.org knowledge sharing channels such as e-mail newsletters and the web. These groups will have an opportunity to provide input on the most significant stories emerging over the course of a year. This input will help with the process of reviewing and analyzing data. The telecentre.org Research Officer will be responsible for yearly content analysis of the story stream to facilitate formal program learning. This will involve tagging stories related to program objectives and outcomes, and writing a report for the telecentre.org Senior Working Group and the broader community of stakeholders. The telecentre.org team will use this report to guide investments for the coming year and to review the list of outcomes. Outcomes will be updated or extended by the team when new elements emerge from the story stream. Evaluation studies (learning) Throughout the course of the program, telecentre.org will commission evaluation studies to provide insight on key social or process issues. For example, the program may want to



A collaborative initiative of

The external review is backed by a number of other IDRC reporting and evaluation mechanisms oriented towards accountability. These include regular reports by the Director of Program Area to the IDRC board of governors and the RPCRs that are completed for all projects funded through IDRC or the other social investors participating in telecentre.org.

The program review will use the standard methodology developed by IDRC's evaluation unit, drawing on program learning documentation, Rolling Project Completion Reports (RPCRs), interviews and case studies. The review will be conducted by a team of independent external evaluators under the supervision of IDRC's evaluation unit. (A sample review TOR is provided as an attachment.)

As a part of IDRC's overall accountability system, telecentre.org will be subject to an external review at the end of its programming cycle. All IDRC external program reviews are guided by the same set of four objectives:

IDRC, Microsoft and SDC

External review (accountability)

As noted in the table, studies like this are undertaken by researchers working on a contract basis under the guidance of a telecentre.org Program Officer.

investigate the effectiveness of funded networks as creators of social capital or telecentre cooperation. The following is an overview of proposed topics:

Issue Use + users Audience PO Timing Services marketplace

telecentre.org team / guide R+D fund

Networks, service providers, social investors

F. Tulus 2007

Social enterprise adoption

telecentre.org team + busplan partners / guide busplan services

Networks, social investors, social enterprise community

F. Tulus 2007

Network models

telecentre.org team / guide network investments

Networks, social investors, network researchers

F. Tulus 2008

• Assess the composition and functioning of the program team as it relates to its ability to meet the program’s objectives.

• Assess the extent to which the program is meeting its objectives and aims, as set out in a business plan or prospectus;

• Document the results of the program (i.e. outputs, reach and outcomes) and analyze their influence;

• Offer reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the program’s thematic approach and strategies in relation to the current state of the field;


Appendix B – Program overview tables

1. Build networks Objective Outcomes Build networks: increase the ability of networks to provide high quality training, technical assistance and other services that improve telecentre sustainability by making investments in network capacity and planning.

Outcome 2.1 - Telecentres consistently turn to networks for support and services as a way to solve problems, generate new services and make operations more efficient. Outcome 2.2 - Networks are operating as sustainable social enterprises, offering enduring support and service to local telecentres. Outcome 2.3 - Development funders and organizations turn to telecentre networks to guide and support their community ICT programming efforts. Outcome 2.4 - Governments work with networks to efficiently delivery e-government services, social content and opinion gathering via local telecentres.

Activities 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Outputs Who Business planning support for networks

Networks produce business plans. Social enterprise toolkit. NESsT

Start up - Mozambique (CMC Program)

Training, help desk and web site. CIEUM + CMCs

Network start up - Mali (+ West Africa)

Local partners currently in planning stage. Afrilinks + CMCs

Network start up - Sri Lanka Training, help desk, web site and revenue generation. Sarvodaya + ICTA

Network start up - Caribbean Partner meeting will produce network objectives. TBA Network start up - North Africa + Middle East

Research and partner meeting will produce objectives. TBA

Network capacity - South Africa Plan for entrepreneurship training program. Sangonet Network capacity - Uganda Training, help desk, web site and revenue generation. UgaBYTES Network capacity - Chile E-government and other services expanded. ATACH

Network capacity - USA Revenue generation plan and expanded membership. CTCNet Network capacity - East Europe Network services available in East Europe (and beyond?) EUTA

Reference desk services Networks have tools and method to offer demand driven reference desk service to telecentres.

Product and service warehouse Networks can offer low cost hardware, software and other products to telecentres. This generates revenue.

Other network capacity initiatives (Philippines, China, etc)

Additional networks in Philippines, Indonesia and Africa, Latin America, South East Asia.

TBA

Total



2. Create content and services Objective Outcomes Create content and services: improve the ability of telecentres to attract users, deliver valuable information and generate revenue by investing in services and content that can be easily offered at the local level.

Outcome 4.1 - Large numbers of telecentres have adopted new service offerings that help them increase community impact and generate revenue. Outcome 4.2 - Governments, companies and social enterprises regularly use national networks to distribute content and services to networks. Outcome 4.3 - Social entrepreneurs are actively developing, testing, distributing, scaling and profiting from their telecentre product and service ideas. Outcome 4.4 – New sources of financing are available to support the development and scaling of telecentres, networks and services.

Activities 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Outputs Who Telecentre services R+D fund

Pilot

Revenue generating services for implementation by telecentres.

Social entrepreneurs

Additional research and innovation investments

Methods, services and analysis with wide benefit to telecentres.

Partners

Content sharing networks and programs

End user and development content programs for adoption by telecentres

OKN

Total



3. Share knowledge Objective Outcomes Share knowledge: help telecentres learn new skills, adopt innovative social enterprise models and deliver better community training services by facilitating knowledge and materials sharing across the telecentre movement.

Outcome 3.1 - People running telecentre programs provide new entrepreneurs, staff and volunteers with formal training, drawing on courses from networks. Outcome 3.2 -Telecentre networks and their members regularly update, improve and share curriculum and content that could benefit the telecentre movement. Outcome 3.3 - Telecentres, networks and service providers actively participate in online communities to maintain collaboration and peer-to-peer support. Outcome 3.4 - Grassroots innovators are actively engage in action research as a way to document and share their practical experience.

Activities 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Outputs Who telecentre.org web site + network sites

Three global telecentre.org sites. Platform that allows any network to create a site.

TakingIT Global

Offline content distribution Yearly CD series shipped with best telecentre content. Partners Entreprenuership / leadership training (India)

Large numbers of new knowledge centre managers trained in India.

Mission 2007

Entreprenuership / leadership training (S. Africa)

Increased number of SA telecentres operating as social enterprises.

SangoNet + Enablis

Entreprenuership / leadership training (Americas)

Ongling leadership school for telecentre managers in the Americas.

Partners

telecentre.org publications Increased understanding of potential of telecentres. IDRC Research awards and sabbaticals

Publications moving field of telecentre research ahead as well as establishment of young researchers.

Telecentre leaders

Other knowledge sharing + curriculum projects

Training and management materials. Software modules for use by networks.

Partners

Innovation radar Pilot

Ongoing identification of tech and methods for telecentres. telecentre.org

Evaluation studies Interim and final program evaluation studies, as well as commissioned research.

Partners

Total


al Version – May 3 telecentre.org business plan Page 45


4. Connect people Objective Outcomes Connect people: build social capital, facilitate partnerships and sow the seeds of new networks by regularly convening telecentre leaders and champions.

Outcome 1.1 - Telecentre staff, volunteers and services providers in countries where telecentre.org is working have formed or joined a network. Outcome 1.2 - People working in telecentres regularly turn to their network of peers when they need support with business and technical issues. Outcome 1.3 - Telecentres and the networks they belong to regularly enter into partnerships to cooperate on projects and share knowledge. Outcome 1.4 - Telecentre networks are using participatory workshops and training to create strong peer-to-peer relationships and social capital.

Activities 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Outputs Who Global Telecentre Leaders’ Forum workshop and training (Tunis 2005))

All networks + service providers meet. Training provided. Planning input.

telecentre.org + GKP

Africa Telecentre Leaders’ Forum workshop and training (Benin 2006)

African networks meet. Ideas exchanged. Training provided. telecentre.org

Global Telecentre Leaders’ Forum workshop and training (Delhi 207)

All networks + service providers meet. Training provided. Planning input.

telecentre.org + GKP

Latin America Telecentre Leaders’ Forum workshop and training (2008)

LAC networks meet. Ideas exchanged. Training provided. telecentre.org + GKP

Asia Telecentre Leaders’ Forum workshop and training (2009)

Asian networks meet. Ideas exchanged. Training provided. telecentre.org + GKP

National Telecentre Leaders’ Forums run by grassroots networks

New networks and projects developed. Training provided. Partner networks

Exchange and travel program

Documented learning and knowledge transfer. telecentre.org + partners

Thematic convenings, workshops and trainings

Progress or skill sharing on specific thematic issue. Partners

Total

Fin

DRAFT telecentre.org business plan Page 46

Appendix C – Projects funded to date The following projects were funded during the telecentre.org start up year, from April 2005 and March 2006. Building networks Telecentre support network – Mozambique - Invested: $CAD 256,500 Objective: To create a help centre that develops, implements and coordinates telecentre training services, knowledge sharing networks and advocacy programs. The centre networks all national ICT development initiatives (approximately 25) supported by UNDP, OKN, UNESCO, and Microsoft UP. Telecentre support network - Sri Lanka - Invested: $CAD 291,900 Objective: To empower the community of telecentre operators and improving their skills and support services in the over 1000 telecentres expected to emerge nationally by 2007. A project of Sarvodaya in partnership with ICTA and support from telecentre.org. Telecentre support network – Uganda - Invested: $CAD 147,700 Objective: To support institutional strengthening of UgaBYTES to better perform as a national telecentre network. UgaBYTES supports its member telecentres with management, technical training, advocacy, proposal writing, and fundraising and information sharing. Network capacity – Chile (ATACH) – Pending approval: $CAD 103,500 Objective: To strengthen ATACH [200+] telecentre network. Phase 1 is a September 2006 workshop identifying future projects. Phase 2 will assess a strategic plan and a common innovative project including the 6 ATACH networks. Business planning for networks - Invested: $CAD 282,700 Objective: To provide institutional development and planning skills to telecentre networks in order to create sustainability models. Done in partnership with NESsT, support is provided to CDI (Chile), CTCNet (US), TAP (Americas) and UgaBYTES (Uganda). Phase 1 involves feasibility studies, training and business plan development. In Phase 2 free toolkits will be developed to assist telecentre networks in social enterprise planning. A group of telecentre leaders will become field trainers. Network scoping study - North Africa & Middle East - Invested: $CAD 88,300 Objective: To provide a comprehensive overview of projects, players and issues confronted by telecentres in this region. The publicized study will provide inputs for telecentre.org project development in the region. Knowledge sharing Leadership – Mission 2007 Curriculum Initiative - Invested: $CAD 242,800 Objective: To enable the training commons initiative to assess the feasibility of building a large, dynamic training program for the Mission 2007 partners. India's National Alliance for Mission 2007 hopes to train hundreds of thousands of people to run rural knowledge kiosks. Mission 2007 partners have undertaken a joint training commons initiative to increase their capacity to deliver this centre operator training.



Leadership - South Africa - Pending approval: $CAD 200,000 Objective: To deliver social entrepreneurship skills training to practitioners from 45 telecentres across Limpopo and Western Cape provinces. Practitioners will form a peer support group with telecentres nationally and throughout Africa. telecentre.org web site and network sites Invested: $CAD 230,200 Objective: To create of global web presence for telecentre staff and an online platform allowing telecentre networks to easily create their own websites. Toronto-based TakingITGlobal is managing the efforts, housing editors and technical staff. Distribution of Somos Sustainability Toolkit - Invested: $CAD 7,500 Objective: To support the reproduction and distribution of ChasquiNet / Telelac sustainability toolkit around telecentres in Latin America. 5,000 CDs were made and distributed through IDRC, Somos@Telecentros and Microsoft UP distribution network. Building Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships Case Study - Invested: $CAD 21,700 Objective: To explore the use of multi-stakeholder partnerships in Indian Information Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) initiatives. It studies the experiences of the National Alliance, OneWorld South Asia (OWSA) and Datamation Foundation. Dissemination of global and local ICT4D projects - Invested: $CAD 20,900 Objective: To leverage the popularity, effectiveness and visibility of i4D and PAN / telecentre.org supported projects and facilitate greater knowledge sharing in Asia. i4D is a print and online publication started by the CSDMS in India that shares the knowledge of ICT4D projects in the region. Research - Professional Development Awards (PDA) - Invested: $CAD 55,000 Objective: To develop a telecentre excellence awards program. A Professional Development Awardee (PDA) was hired to help with project start up, web content development and telecentre community engagement. Connecting people telecentre.org events at WSIS - Invested: $CAD 39,721 Objective: To launch the telecentre.org program, convene the Telecentre Leaders Forum, meet with the telecentre community and disseminate program information. Scholarship Program for Telecentre Leaders’ Forum - Invested: $CAD 59,300 Objective: To provide an opportunity for 16 telecentre practitioners, policy-makers and researchers to collaborate and participate in WSIS events. CTCNet's 14th Annual Conference - Invested: $CAD 12,000 Objective: To provided travel funds for four partners to attend the largest national gathering of community technology organizations in the United States. It targets the global field of practice harnessing technology to meet human and social needs. PacTOC website workshop - Invested: $CAD 11,800 Objective: To allow Pacific Islanders to participate in an international workshop building a Pacific Telecentre Online Community. The New Zealand workshop focused on refining and beta testing a website developed by telecentre.org for the Pacific.



Somos@Telecentros annual board meeting - Invested: $CAD 13,100 Objective: To develop team building and leadership skills, telecentre.org supported an in-person workshop for newly elected board members of Somos@Telecentros in Ecuador. Telecentre Practitioners Participation in ICT Events - Invested: $CAD 40,000 Objective: To dedicate resources sponsoring participation of telecentre actors in key workshops, meetings and events. These sponsorships help identify key telecentre players and issues rapidly emerging in the telecentre movement. The funds cover participant travel expenses. Village Computing consultation in Seattle - Invested: $CAD 12,700 Objective: To convene the second phase of a critical macro-level assessment of the global village computing space and the key trends affecting its development. This assessment is the initial event in a larger, on-going effort to assess trends shaping the village computing space. Telecentre.org supported the Grameen Technology Center, in partnership with the University of Washington. Eastern Europe telecentre network meeting – Invested: $CAD 34,360 Objective: To network and enhance connections among the relevant European telecentres and determine global cooperation possibilities. telecentre.org co-organized an "International Day" at the "Digital Opportunity for e-Inclusion" conference organized by the European Union of Telecottage Associations (EUTA). Support for Regional and National Meetings at PCNA - Invested: $CAD 48,910 Objective: To strengthen a national strategy for the telecentre movement by supporting the participation of members from the Community Access Program National Association (CANCAP) to the Annual Summit of PCNA. telecentre.org workshop in Cape Town - Invested: $CAD 28,060 Objective: To help strengthen the telecentre movement in South Africa, telecentre.org convened a stakeholders meeting in Cape Town on 23 August 2005. It was part of a series of "Information Society" events. Exchanges: Telecentres of the Americas Partnership - Invested: $CAD 72,200 Objective: To implement technical and management support through peering and internships. TAP received support to establish an exchange program for telecentre operators and leaders to travel, share resources and exchange experiences in the Americas. It also includes use of online collaborative tools to share learning. 3rd National Telecentre Networks Meeting - Invested: $CAD 3,000 Objective: To organize the 3rd national meeting of telecentres in Peru themed "Toward Digital Equity". The Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales (CEPES) gathered 30+ Peruvian telecentre leaders to exchange experiences/practices and strengthen their network. Network start up workshops/ scoping in Mali - Invested: $CAD 32,550 Objective: To initiate telecentre networking and support strategic development for telecentres in Francophone West Africa. Targeting telecentres in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali it uses a consultant intermediary to help define priority interventions and collaborative strategies for critical services.



Appendix D – Research and engagement inputs The following is an overview of research and consultation that played a major role in shaping the telecentre.org program and business plan. Primary research telecentre.org start up evaluation: 18 telecentre network leaders and partners globally provided feedback through an online survey and an in-depth telephone interview. It included questions on the investment priorities outlined in this plan. A. Pojman. March 2006. telecentre.org online needs assessment: A global survey of telecentre operators, network leaders, and activists on content and online service needs. The data assisted the knowledge sharing social investment line. C. Buré, M. Surman and J-A. Hoop. August 2005. CTLC Global Support Network scoping research: Global review of telecentre activities, opportunities and numbers by region as an input to the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Global Telecentre Support Network business plan. The GTSN was a primary input leading to the formation of telecentre.org. New Sector Alliance and World Links. January 2004. Consultation and meetings Meeting: With developing world telecentre activists at the UNESCO HQ. Sponsored by IDRC and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD). France, December 2001.

Workshop: Creating of a Telecentre Helpdesk and Knowledge Clearing House. France, April 2002.

Workshop: Establishing an African telecentres helpnet. Mozambique, September 2003.

Workshops: Telecentre Support Network Product and Services Planning Meetings. India, Ghana, Canada, December 2004 – February 2005. telecentre.org also participated in, and funded, an additional 10 telecentre workshops involving over 700 people after the program began active work in March 2005. Input gathered during these workshops played a significant role in shaping this plan.

Literature bibliography Initial Lessons Learned about Private Sector Participation in Telecentre Development: A Guide For Policy-Makers In Developing Appropriate Regulatory Frameworks. National Telephone Cooperative Association (January 2004). Badshah, A., Sarbuland Khan, S., and Garrido M., Connected For Development: Information Kiosks and Sustainability. UN ICT Task Force (2003).



Ceballos, F., Buré, C., A Rejuvenated Pulse for the Telecentre Movement. Public Service Review: International Development Incorporating Emerging Markets, 1:29 (2006). DOT Force, Digital Opportunities for All: Meeting the Challenge, Report of the Digital Opportunity Task Force (May 2001). Fuchs, R. ‘Little Engines That Did,’ Case Histories from the Global Telecentre Movement. IDRC Study/Acacia Initiative (June 1998). Fundación ChasquiNet, Estado del Arte de los Telecentros en América Latina y el Caribe. IDRC TELELAC (February 2004). Gómez, R., Delgadillo K.,and Stoll K., Telecentros… ¿Para qué? Lecciones sobre telecentros comunitarios en América Latina y el Caribe. IDRC CRDI (November 2002). Jensen, M., Esterhuysen, A., The Community Telecentre Cookbook For Africa: Recipes For Self-Sustainability, UNESCO (2001). Salvador, T., Sherry, J.W., and Urrutia, A.E., Less Cyber, More Café: Design Implications for Easing the Digital Divide with Locally Social Cyber Cafés, Information Technology and Development, 11: 77-95 (2005). Sarah Parkinson, Ed., Telecentres, Access and Development: Experiences and lessons from Uganda and South Africa. IDRC CRDI (2005).


Telecentre Org Business Plan Final Public Version

Business

overall telecentre ecosystem

director telecentre

telecentre noun

entire telecentre ecosystem

telecentres stronger

investment line

final version

sustainability of telecentres