UNDP ICT Programme Officer/Focal Point

ICT Programme Office/Focal Point A

Full Name

Daniel Dexiang

Designation/Position

Poverty Reduction Specialist

Station (UNDP Country Office)

UNDP China

Email Address

Daniel.wang@undp.org

Telephone Number

0086-10-65323731 ext 318

Fax Number

0086-10-65322567

International Donors of ICT for Development

Please list (in order of total contributions for 2002) the top five donors who have invested in ICT for Development.  DO NOT include UNDP.

Donor

Specific Area of Support

Amount (USD)

1

DFID

Distance Learning

5.2 million

Please list (in order of priority) the five top areas of ICT for Development for the donor community.  E.g. e-Government, e-Commerce, e-Learning, ICT policy, etc.

1

ICT Policy

2

e-Learning

3

e-Government and e-Governance

4

ICT and e-service in last kilometre

5

e-Public services

Please list and describe the three primary ICT for Development areas of focus for your UNDP Country Office.

NOTE: Please DO NOT list actual projects/activities, there is another section for this information.  Please describe the general focus areas (e-policies, e-government, e-commerce, e-learning, etc.) instead.

Area One
ICT for governance

Area Two
e-Policy

Area Three
e-Learning

Check List: Please provide additional comments where applicable.

UNDP has played or is playing a crucial role in assisting the national government with ICT policy formulation.

YES

Through polit projects and policy recommentations to the governement to formulate an e-policy, related to universal service.
 

ICT for Development is a well established programme area within your UNDP Country Office.

YES

Important pilot projects are launched at central and grassroots level to apply ICT for development, i.e. poverty reduction through access of poor to ICTs and distance learning programme for school teachers from poor regions. Ministries and local governments, important donors, private sector partners are participating in the programme.
 

The UNDP Country Office requires assistance in identifying UNDP’s potential niche in ICT for Development interventions in the country.

YES
 

The UNDP Country Office is in partnership with the local government in ICT for Development initiatives/projects/activities.

YES

Ministry of science and technology;
Ministry of Education;
Ministry of Agriculture;
Ministry of Information Industry;
and etc.
 

Please share with us some UNDP County Office success stories, lessons learned, etc., with respect to the work that you have done in ICT for Development.

Partnership and resource mobilization for the UNDP project CPR/01/403 (Using Distance Education and ICT to improve Teacher Quality in Poor Areas of Western China).

Partnerships were strengthened with the Government of China (Ministry of Education) and British Department for International Development (DFID). So far, the government has committed US$ 3 million (as cost sharing) and DFID has committed US$ 5.2 million (as cost sharing) to support the project, while UNDP input to the project will be US$ 1.2 million. The project has been successfully launched since October 2002 for seven years to 2007.
 

What are the major external obstacles in delivering ICT for Development outputs, thus far?  And how has the Country Office overcome these obstacles?

Although the project idea was very well accepted by DFID, the strategy for formulating the project document was quite different between DFID and UNDP. UNDP would like the document to focus more on the overall framework and strategy and key results to be achieved, while DFID required that much detailed information be included in the document. Finally, the issue was solved through compromise of both agencies, i.e. the main project document focuses on the overall framework and strategy and key results to be achieved, while all the detailed information and arrangements appear in the annexes (currently, there are sixteen annexes to the main project document). These issues took a long time and much energy to resolve.
 

Project/Activity Information

Project Title

Using Distance Education and ICT to Improve Teacher Quality in Poor Areas of Western China

Start Date

October 2002

End Date

September 2007

Objectives

This project aims at increasing educational equity and improving teachers’ quality at the primary level in three western provinces of China through delivering high-quality, distance teacher training for 20,000 in-service teachers in poor rural communities within the nine selected counties of Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The project design and implementation will meet the particular learning needs of the target group of teachers including subgroups such as female teachers, dai ke teachers and ethnic/language minority teachers.

Description (200 words maximum)

Key elements of the project strategy include:

1) Thoughtful application of the best international and national practices in distance teacher education for Large-Scale Teacher Training;

2) Utilizing flexible distance-learning mechanisms, including information and communication technology (ICT) to create a teacher professional development network and a cost-effective model for distance teacher education;

3) Customizing the design and delivery of teacher training according to baseline data and needs analysis, focusing on the least-qualified teachers serving children in the poorest communities;

4) Producing policy recommendations on cost-efficiency and cost-recovery strategies in the application of ICT for teacher education, particularly in the context of poor rural areas.

UNDP Project Officer

Ms. Wang Xiaojun

xiaojun.wang@undp.org

National Project Officer

Partners (National)

Partners (International)

Cross-Cutting UNDP Themes

Poverty Reduction

Geographical Scope

9 counties in 3 western provinces, i.e. Yunnan, Sichuan and Gansu

Target Beneficiaries

teachers and pupils in rural schools (mainly primary schools) in western China

Expected Outputs/ Results

Output 1: The quality of primary school teachers is improved in terms of their professional knowledge and skills through piloting and implementing new models for teachers’ professional development

Output 2: The number of primary teachers with the requisite qualifications is increased through their achieving required certificates/diplomas. In particular, dai ke teachers as well as female, and minority language teachers (if any) will be targeted.

Output 3: A cadre of primary backbone teachers and school heads able to lead and support curriculum reform and professional development in schools is developed.

Output 4: The capacity of teacher trainers is strengthened, particularly in the design and use of ICT and distance education for teacher education at the levels of normal university, county and school.

Output 5: Access to learning opportunities and materials is increased for all primary teachers and networks of professional development and resource centres at township central primary schools are established. Primary teachers working in remote areas are provided with assistance in accessing the resource centres.

Output 6: Cost recovery mechanisms of distance learning services for primary teacher education piloted involving innovative public- private partnership (PPP) and partnerships with the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)/Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Output 7: Experience and materials from the project are shared beyond the project and evidence-based policy recommendations on the use of ICT and distance mechanisms for primary teacher education, with special reference to poor rural areas, are produced and disseminated nationally.

Project URLs (websites)

not available yet

Budget (USD)

UNDP Contribution (USD)

UNDP Contribution (USD)

UNDP Contribution (USD)

1,200,000

3,000,000

5.200,000

Keywords

distance education improving teachers quality

Additional Comments

Project/Activity Information

Project Title

Poverty Reduction through Access to Information, Communication and Technologies

Start Date

Feb. 2001

End Date

January 2004

Objectives

The project aims to contribute to the poverty reduction efforts in China by demonstrating viable models of PA through ICTs in selected rural poor counties. It is expected to provide valuable inputs and recommendations to the formulation of national policies and programmes, which integrate the use of ICTs as an effective means to reduce rural poverty and the disparity between developed and underdeveloped regions, rural and urban, rich and poor and men and women.

Description (200 words maximum)

It is expected to provide valuable inputs and recommendations to the formulation of national policies and programmes, which integrate the use of ICTs as an effective means to reduce rural poverty and the disparity between developed and underdeveloped regions, rural and urban, rich and poor and men and women.

UNDP Project Officer

Daniel Wang Dexiang

daniel.wang@undp.org

National Project Officer

Bai Qiyun

guoyong5449@sina.com

Partners (National)

Partners (International)

Cross-Cutting UNDP Themes

Poverty Reduction

Geographical Scope

five counties in Central and Western China

Target Beneficiaries

Rural Poor

Expected Outputs/ Results

Major elements of the project to  strategy:

1) Building ICT network in rural areas on existing ICT facilities;
2) Identification of mechanisms to generate, deliver and exchange information to improve livelihoods of rural poor households;
3) Capacity building for management of information services meeting the needs of rural poor;
4) Policy recommendations

Project URLs (websites)

www.CSTAP.org.cn

Budget (USD)

UNDP Contribution (USD)

UNDP Contribution (USD)

UNDP Contribution (USD)

650,000

1,850,000

Keywords

Poverty Reduction through ICT

Additional Comments