Low-Cost IT Centre for the Philippines
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Grant Amount: US$ 9,000
Keywords: CAPACITY BUILDING, EMPLOYMENT, INTERNET, TELECENTRE, PHILIPPINES
Geographic coverage: Philippines
Objective
The objective of this project is to help bring low-cost Information Technology (IT) and services to communities throughout the Philippines.
Research context
In the Philippines, many IT centres offering computer literacy courses and other services are emerging in urban areas. However, these are often unaffordable for poor Filipinos, and inaccessible for rural Filipinos. In 2001, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Lingayen approached Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to seek support in setting up a low-cost IT centre that would offer affordable IT training to local residents. The centre was completed in August 2002. This project follows on the success of that initiative by studying its impact, replicating it in three additional locations and by creating a guide on how to set up a low-cost IT centre.
Target beneficiaries
The three IT centres can provide IT training for approximately 1,500 people over three years. The research findings and training components also benefit TESDA, EWB, the province of Sarangani and other partners, thus enabling the project to progress to phase three and to ensure low-cost access to IT training for thousands of poor Filipinos.
Outputs
Research results and outcomes
In the process of implementation this project evolved its approach to setting up a low-cost IT centre. The evolution was based on the finding of studies on the Lingayen ICT centre. Initially the project established three principles that would ensure positive development outcomes, sustainability and replication. These three principles are: low initial cost borne by the centre, so the centre is not forced to charge high fees to recoup the capital investment, innovative programming that offers targeted services for the local community based on a pay-what-you-can principle, and build local skills to maintain and repair the ICT centre after the implementing organization has departed.
Following the analysis of the Lingayen centre after one year of operation, the project defined three additional research principles to improve its model. These are: monitoring to allow efficient follow-up and ensure the stability of the centres; impact assessment to help target the programming and follow the centres development; and last, a holistic approach that addresses the social and employment needs of target beneficiaries. The project therefore shifted its focus slightly to develop the tools, training programmes and structures to embrace these new principles.
The project went on to develop a model that incorporated the needs and socio-economic reality of underprivileged communities in the Philippines. The new model and research findings were then applied to the development and successful implementation in four ICT centres. Overall, the most significant research finding is the new definition of the model. Based on the experience of the four ICT centres, the project created a scalable, low-cost, appropriate and sustainable ICT resource centre solution. With changes to the model and programming, the ICT centres from the first two phases of this project - 45 computers in all – offered training to over 500 beneficiaries including ‘out-of-school’ youth and persons with disabilities. The project accomplished this for less than US$35,000. Based on the investment of time, effort and funding, the project was considered to be successful in improving the model for the development of ICT resource centres and integrated ICT training for the Philippines.
Awards
This project was recognized by the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) Youth Award 2003, which aims to reward and bring international recognition to the outstanding work of young people who have used ICT for the promotion of development around the world. See: http://www.globalknowledge.org
Duration
Start Date: May 2003
End Date: November 2003
Total Duration: 7 Months
Contact information
Nabeel Al-Kady
Engineers Without Borders
5650 Yonge St. Suite 207
Toronto M2M 4G3 Ontario, Canada
Telephone/Fax: +1 514 816 8463
Email: nabeela@ewb.ca; parker@ewb.ca
Website: http://www.ewb.ca
Keywords: CAPACITY BUILDING, EMPLOYMENT, INTERNET, TELECENTRE, PHILIPPINES
Geographic coverage: Philippines
Objective
The objective of this project is to help bring low-cost Information Technology (IT) and services to communities throughout the Philippines.
Research context
In the Philippines, many IT centres offering computer literacy courses and other services are emerging in urban areas. However, these are often unaffordable for poor Filipinos, and inaccessible for rural Filipinos. In 2001, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Lingayen approached Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to seek support in setting up a low-cost IT centre that would offer affordable IT training to local residents. The centre was completed in August 2002. This project follows on the success of that initiative by studying its impact, replicating it in three additional locations and by creating a guide on how to set up a low-cost IT centre.
Target beneficiaries
The three IT centres can provide IT training for approximately 1,500 people over three years. The research findings and training components also benefit TESDA, EWB, the province of Sarangani and other partners, thus enabling the project to progress to phase three and to ensure low-cost access to IT training for thousands of poor Filipinos.
Outputs
- Three new IT centres serving the rural poor in Sarangani Province, Mindanao;
- New programming for the Lingayen and Sarangani Province IT centres, based on a research paper evaluating the IT training centre and training methodology implemented in Lingayen in 2002;
- A research paper evaluating the impact of increased availability of low-cost IT training on members of a local community, particularly those marginalized in society;
- A guide to setting up a low-cost IT centre and running low-cost training programmes;
- A Policy paper on the role of western non-governmental organizations in facilitating the set up of low-cost IT centres and training programmes;
- A set of training programmes in English for basic computer literacy;
- A series of technical appendixes on computer/LAN set-up; and
- A plan for phase three of the project to help less well off Filipinos gain access to technology that can help them improve their lives.
Research results and outcomes
In the process of implementation this project evolved its approach to setting up a low-cost IT centre. The evolution was based on the finding of studies on the Lingayen ICT centre. Initially the project established three principles that would ensure positive development outcomes, sustainability and replication. These three principles are: low initial cost borne by the centre, so the centre is not forced to charge high fees to recoup the capital investment, innovative programming that offers targeted services for the local community based on a pay-what-you-can principle, and build local skills to maintain and repair the ICT centre after the implementing organization has departed.
Following the analysis of the Lingayen centre after one year of operation, the project defined three additional research principles to improve its model. These are: monitoring to allow efficient follow-up and ensure the stability of the centres; impact assessment to help target the programming and follow the centres development; and last, a holistic approach that addresses the social and employment needs of target beneficiaries. The project therefore shifted its focus slightly to develop the tools, training programmes and structures to embrace these new principles.
The project went on to develop a model that incorporated the needs and socio-economic reality of underprivileged communities in the Philippines. The new model and research findings were then applied to the development and successful implementation in four ICT centres. Overall, the most significant research finding is the new definition of the model. Based on the experience of the four ICT centres, the project created a scalable, low-cost, appropriate and sustainable ICT resource centre solution. With changes to the model and programming, the ICT centres from the first two phases of this project - 45 computers in all – offered training to over 500 beneficiaries including ‘out-of-school’ youth and persons with disabilities. The project accomplished this for less than US$35,000. Based on the investment of time, effort and funding, the project was considered to be successful in improving the model for the development of ICT resource centres and integrated ICT training for the Philippines.
Awards
This project was recognized by the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) Youth Award 2003, which aims to reward and bring international recognition to the outstanding work of young people who have used ICT for the promotion of development around the world. See: http://www.globalknowledge.org
Duration
Start Date: May 2003
End Date: November 2003
Total Duration: 7 Months
Contact information
Nabeel Al-Kady
Engineers Without Borders
5650 Yonge St. Suite 207
Toronto M2M 4G3 Ontario, Canada
Telephone/Fax: +1 514 816 8463
Email: nabeela@ewb.ca; parker@ewb.ca
Website: http://www.ewb.ca
Last modified 2006-08-07 03:03 PM
