ICT for Development
12 November, 2008 - 13:09
There have been a number of really good discussions about ICT happening in the various discussion areas so we've created a new discussion area just for ICT.
Ask questions and share your experiences of IT and making positive change in developing countries.
Dear All,
I would be interested to know something
about VSO's current IT strategy. I have always thought that IT
should be a consideration in all VSO volunteer placements and
development projects because of its cross sector relevance. During
my four years in Guyana IT issues were discussed informally among
volunteers and programme office staff, very effectively in some
cases. However, I did wonder whether a mechanism existed that would
enable our experiences to be used to benefit other volunteers coming
after us in Guyana or in other countries. VSO's IT training courses
for outgoing volunteers are particularly important I believe, as they
have the potential to greatly increase the impact of overseas
placements. My own IT training course at Harborne Hall in 2001 was
very good indeed, but it did leave me unprepared in some areas,
particularly in relation to software licensing, piracy and the
availability of free alternatives to expensive proprietary products.
I would be interested to know if VSO's IT training has kept up to
date with the rapid developments in free and open source software
(FOSS) that have taken place in recent years.
Increasing access to IT in institutions
and among individuals can have a significant impact on a country's
development in all sectors if it is properly managed. However,
during my four years in Guyana I saw many expensive IT project
failures. In some cases new computers and proprietary software
systems, donated to schools or government departments by well meaning
organisations who assumed that good would inevitably follow, were
used primarily by bored staff for playing games. In other cases,
highly effective systems designed by overseas consultants proved to
be far too expensive for widespread adoption and ended up benefiting
only a lucky few. I am sure that the involvement of well informed,
well prepared VSOs in these projects could have prevented such
disasters.
Two of my four years in Guyana were
spent developing a model for low cost educational IT based on FOSS
and reconditioned hardware. After concentrating on software
licensing issues for the first few months of the project, I quickly
realised that a much greater barrier to widespread availability of IT
in education was the high cost of the hardware required to run up to
date Microsoft software and operating systems. The cost of the
software itself was largely irrelevant because of the lack of
effective copyright legislation in the country. I would be happy to
pass on the details of the FOSS based systems I demonstrated in
Guyana and all the related documents.
Regards,
Dan Bretherton
That certainly sounds interesting, Dan. Was that related to the role you originally had, or did it emerge?
I know that more and more organisations in the UK are using Open Source software - so I wonder if more IT volunteers will be going out with that sort of experience anyway (and, of course, the rise of the "netbook" means that more and more people are getting used to the idea of Linux as a viable alternative OS ...)
I developed my idea for the low cost computing project while working at the University of Guyana as a lecturer. I was introduced to Linux and Open Source by another volunteer at UG, who put me in touch with a local NGO called DevNet in Guyana who were working in this area. I started bringing Open Source software into my teaching material and did manage to generate some interest among the staff and students, carrying on that initiative from my VSO predecessor at UG. I realised how important the issue was to IT development in Guyana but didn't have the time to pursue it while lecturing.
I hope more VSOs do go out with a knowledge of Open Source than when I started in 2001. I have just read an article quoting industry sources, discussing the benefits of Linux from the point of view of hardware replacement costs:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/03/eco.myth.ewaste/index.ht...
I concentrated on the cost of hardware during my second placement in Guyana, because that was a much more immediate priority compared to the cost of software licenses.
Hi all!
I have just completed a one year role as an IT Trainer capacity building for The Ministry of Education in The Gambia.
I also agree with the previous comment and question VSO’s IT strategy. IT and the ‘digital divide’ is, and is becoming more and more, a critical issue in development. It can act as a huge driving force for change as I found not only in the education department but supporting village children, Orphan and Widow community organisations and agricultural farming groups and co-operatives.
Anyway, Without universal, cross program attention it will only increase the gap between the haves and have nots. And I also suggest VSO can do more to offer training to all Volunteers to be in a position to support this urgent need.
Not only from head office but rolling out programs in country offices supported by volunteers themselves. One very small example in the Gambia is that we took a Peace Corps constructed multimedia CD full of useful resources, specifically within education, such as free learning software, typing tutors, maths puzzles and an IT syllabus for schools etc. And made this CD available to all Volunteers. (This could also include anti virus, operating systems and libraries of white paper research papers where Internet is not available).
Also from my experience in The Gambia I can say almost every area and aspect of development on the ground is calling out for IT support, adequate resources, support and development and I certainly found my services in very high demand from my entire region extending way beyond the realms of my ‘placement’ within education. Therefore be aware the pressure/demand can be large.
If you are a new IT volunteer I would warn that many volunteers (as with many other aspects of development) have found a frustrating situation regard to resources where they are often a quick dump donation from ‘the west’ not fit enough for their own environment let alone an environment with many of the challenges developing countries see (rationed electricity, low level of component/equipment supply, low level of technical knowledge, very few resources of software and hardware). Its worth being aware there are specific NGOS working towards supplying correct resources and refurbishing them before they are donated, if your working in an area requiring resources you may be able to tap into these. (e.g. http://www.computeraid.org).
Other than that there are huge developments happening all the time such as the new Broadband Internet connection to East Africa (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8257038.stm) and only time will allow the cost to come down for majority of users but Mobile Phone technology will probably be the first utilising a technology which is already in the peoples hands.
Despite all of what I have said about the importance for volunteers to support this ‘Digital divide’ NOW, I would say that real change is dictated by the larger infrastructural changes that take place. For example I set up a patchy dial up internet connection several times in my office which was shut down from Head Office due to the departments payments and ever changing strategies on internet use and my efforts there had little effect. It wasn’t until the department got the resources and changed their payment policy, to send their own technicians to set up a wiresless modem that things kicked off.
There are always inspiring stories coming out about ICT in developmental change (Some recent ones: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/africa/2009/your_stories_and_connections/default.stm). The NGO story from that link is of particular interest. NoPC literally uses NO PC, just a wireless internet connection, keyboard, monitor and mouse, in a way to manage IT resources efficiently and I believe a concept like this is the way forward for organisations and departments such as education. For more information you can see http://www.nopc.org.uk.
Anyway thats a brief outline of my thoughts to suggest that ALL at VSO could do more to support IT needs. There doesn’t seem to be very good feedback systems in place (or one at all) to fuel future change and strategy. The only thing I have seen is this blog which is bare and the last post was 1st March. Improvements can be made.
Good luck volunteers, keep up the good work!
-Paul