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DOT-COMments Articles by Issue |
- March 2007, Issue 19
- January 2007, Issue 18
- September 2006, Issue 17
- June 2006, Issue 16
- February 2006, Issue 15
- December 2005, Issue 14
- October 2005, Issue 13
- July 2005, Issue 12
- May 2005, Issue 11
- March 2005, Issue 10
- January 2005, Issue 9
- Fall 2004, Issue 8
- Spring/Summer 2004, Issue 7
- Winter 2003, Issue 6
- Fall 2003, Issue 5
- Summer 2003, Issue 4
- Spring 2003, Issue 3
- Winter 2002, Issue 2
- Fall 2002, Issue 1
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| March 2007, Issue 19 |
Title: Digital Freedom Initiative: Public/Private Sector Roundtable of February 20, 2007
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: The President's Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI) aims to harness the
strengths of the U.S. public and private sectors to help the developing
world utilize information and communication technologies (ICTs) to
resolve development challenges. The initiative involves multiple
federal agencies, the private sector, non-profit organizations, and
universities.
View Article
Title: Engaging the Private Sector
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Public/private partnerships can work. Understanding the exact nature of the partnership and
leveraging potential is key as it helps to keep track of Return on Investment (ROI) related to such
partnerships and to focus efforts on the types of partnerships that have the highest leveraging
potential rather than focusing on specific types of partners.
View Article
Title: Expanding the Market for ICT Services Through Competitive Tendering and Subsidies
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: A good project design must include plans for long-term sustainability. For ICT projects, in
particular where the private sector is involved, sustainability usually requires the right mix of
competitive tendering and subsidies to ensure that 1) the incentives exist for the private sector
to extend ICT services where it would otherwise not provide services; and 2) end-users are
encourated to test those services and acquire the skills needed to use those services effectively.
View Article
Title: Last Mile Initiative in Paraguay - Connecting Underserved Areas
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: The LMI Paraguay project currently brings connectivity to nineteen schools and other local
institutions in two underserved communities of Paraguay. With local partnerships in place, the
project is poised to expand its reach to up to 100 connections by the end of April 2007.
View Article
Title: Yemen’s Public and Private Sectors Look Ahead Together
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: At a recent gathering in Tai’z, Yemen, leading members of the public and private sectors, and the
international donor community met to discuss ways of propelling Yemen’s education system forward
through the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The Looking Forward Summit:
Harnessing ICT to Build the Future of Yemeni Education was presented by the Prime Minister and
facilitated by EDC. The summit was a culminating event for the dot-EDU project Internet in Yemeni
High Schools (IYHS) and the Instructional Leadership in Schools Initiative (ILSI) projects funded
by USAID and the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), two projects that have been working in
Yemen to integrate appropriate technologies in schools and grow capacity within its education
system.
View Article
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|
| January 2007, Issue 18 |
Title: Improving Project Design (I) -- Tipping Points and Thresholds
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Tipping points and thresholds are the triggers that signal critical changes. Identifying tipping
points and critical thresholds that can serve as short and medium term targets within a longer-term
project can help to ensure rapid results and long-term success.
View Article
Title: Improving Project Design (II) - Keeping Scale in Mind
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: “Scaling up” is more than just about increasing the geographic range of a project, increasing the
number of beneficiaries or sites. It is about doing things on a larger scale but that implies
doing thing differently. In other words, scaling up is not the same as replicating on a larger
scale.
View Article
Title: Improving Project Design (III) -- Designing Projects for Rapid Results
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: The short-term nature of most projects requires that projects achieve measurable results within
short timeframes. Projects need to plan for rapid results that become essential stepping-stones
towards longer-term development impacts.
View Article
Title: Learning New Approaches to Teaching in Southern Sudan: One Veteran Teacher's Experience
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: Part of USAID’s effort to improve education in Southern Sudan, Learning Village uses the radio to
reach learners, broadcasting daily lessons in local language literacy, English literacy, and
mathematics. The program, called SSIRI (Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction), is part of
the USAID funded dot-EDU initiative led by EDC. dot-EDU focuses on the innovative use of technology
to support teaching and learning.
View Article
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|
| September 2006, Issue 17 |
Title: ICT for Teacher Professional Development in Uganda – Findings from an Impact and Scalability Assessment
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: At the request of the Ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda, USAID funded an impact and
scalability assessment of ICT for teacher professional development” under the dot-EDU Leader Award
managed by the Education Development Center (EDC). This article synthesizes the findings.
View Article
Title: ICTs without the Internet
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: It is often assumed that all ICT initiatives must have Internet components. However, in resource
challenged environments such as the D.R. Congo (DRC) and Macedonia, experience has shown that much
can be done with interactive technologies to support education without access to the Internet.
View Article
Title: Innovative Combinations of Energy and ICT
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Winrock International is implementing three pilot projects that take an integrated approach to
expanding ICT and energy access under its subagreement with the dot-ORG program.
View Article
Title: Last Mile Initiative Innovations - Research Findings from the Georgia Institute of Technology
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In the fall of 2005, thirteen students from the Georgia Institute of Technology came together as
USAID Last Mile Initiative (LMI) Innovation Fellows. The results of the students'activities are
contained in a volume titled "Last Mile Initiative Innovations: Research Findngs from the Georgia
Institute of Technology".
View Article
Title: Lessons Learned: Knowing How Much it Really Costs - Total Cost of Ownership
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: All projects with an ICT component should consider the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to ensure
that appropriate measures are taken to 1) budget necesssary resources; and 2) maximize the
benefits of technology use. While TCO is not a new concept, it has not yet been integrated fully
into project design and implementation.
View Article
Title: LMI Mongolia: Building a Sustainable Business Model for Rural Telcos
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: USAID’s Last Mile Initiative (LMI) in Mongolia supports the efforts of private telcom operators to
bridge the gap in local access to communications in primarily rural, underserved areas of the
country. Ultimately, the goal of the Last Mile Initiative is to achieve a sustainable approach –
both technically and commercially – to providing rural communications in Mongolia and elsewhere.
View Article
Title: Teaching innovations: Using new technologies to improve learning in remote regions of Peru
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: Lucina Lola Felix Chacon is an elementary school teacher in rural Peru. Lucina is spread pretty
thin and has a variety of school-related responsibilities both in and out of her classroom.
Effective ongoing professional development is hard to come by for Lucina, even though she is
interested in continuing to improve her skills as an educator and has a personal interest in
integrating technology in her work.<
View Article
Title: Transforming Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: The dot-ORG e-BIZ Project in Macedonia uses ICT to stimulate the growth of the country’s small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a context of high unemployment (35%+) and low GDP annual growth
(just over 1%). Although the project did not aim to serve women-owned businesses exclusively, nor
even differentially, it demonstrates an extremely effective approach to using ICT to improve the
competitiveness of women-owned businesses.
View Article
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|
| June 2006, Issue 16 |
Title: eCenters Pilot Project One Year Anniversary - Innovations for Sustainability and Impact
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In 2005, the eCenters project began with a simple premise - to empower rural residents in
Kyrgyzstan by
connecting them to high-speed Internet and knowledge skills training. A year after the launch of
the project, the eCenters are
showing great promise.
View Article
Title: Going the Extra Mile in Namibia: The Importance of Supports
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: In Namibia, USAID has been supporting the integration of information technology in education since
2001, with a succession of projects that have provided teachers and Primary Teachers' College
instructors with the ongoing human, technical and curricular support necessary to help teachers
effectively use and integrate ICTs into instruction. This article provides an overview of the
types of human, educational and technical support that has been provided in recent years through
the earlier LearnLink project and more recent dot-EDU projects.
View Article
Title: Producing Learning Gains in India with the Group Teaching and Learning (GTL) Multimedia Hybrid in One-Computer Classroom
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: In many countries around the world where computers are being introduced in the classroom or in
computer labs, the ratio of students to computer remains very high. In such contexts, teachers
often have to devise solutions that are less than optimal since most educational software is
designed for a user-to-machine ratio of one-to-one or two-to-one. In response to this challenge,
dot-EDU's Technology Tools for Teaching and Training (T4) project in India has created a method of
using educational software that adresses many of the conditions typical of developing country
classrooms. The result is called the Group Teaching and Learning (GLT) Multimedia Hybrid.
View Article
Title: Reflections Emerging from the 2006 Technical Advisory Group Meeting
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the DOT-COM Alliance advises Alliance partners on
programmatic and technical issues concerning ICT for development. On March 13, 2006, the DOT-COM
Secretariat convened the annual TAG meeting in Washington, D.C. This article highlights key
reflections that emerged from the meeting.
View Article
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|
| February 2006, Issue 15 |
Title: Deploying Low-Energy ICT – A technical overview
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: This article is a follow up to a brief article that appeared in the December DOT-COMments, "Low-
energy
Internet for Education - Where Electricity is a Challenge", which described an effort to set up a
low-power rural technology lab in Uganda. This article responds to requests from readers for a
technical overview of the project.
View Article
Title: Impact Assessment Baseline Study in Peru Yields Interesting Findings
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: This article highlights the findings of the baseline research assessment undertaken in Jauja,
Peru, the site of the Last Mile Initiative in Peru.
View Article
Title: Last Mile initiative Mongolia – Connecting Rural Communities
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In December 2005, USAID dispatched a Last Mile Initiative (LMI) team to test a Voice over Wireless
Fidelity (VoWiFi) phone network in rural Mongolia. The pilot project focuses activities at the
small village level with average populations around 2,000 persons. This article discusses initial
plans for deploying innovative technologies and leveraging existing and upcoming private sector
investments.
View Article
Title: Radically Improving Macedonia's Job Application System for Civil Servants: Introducing e-Gov applications to serve all
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: The introduction and deployment of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the
Macedonian Government Services is radically changing the way society and government benefit from
each other. The Macedonian Government successfully launched the Apply Online System for
Employments in State Employment in Administration in late December 2005. Only two weeks after the
system went live, the number of applications doubled. Furthermore, approximately seventy four (74)
percent of the job applications were received via the Apply Online system.
View Article
Title: Schools are Wired, Teachers Innovate: E-School Makes an Impact
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: The goals of the E-School project are to install computers in every primary school and high school
in Macedonia and to train teachers to use technology to support student-centered and project-based
pedagogy. Two years into the project, E-School has installed more than 5000 computers and trained
more than 2500 teachers. These efforts are starting to pay of in terms of impacts as this article
indicates.
View Article
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|
| December 2005, Issue 14 |
Title: A Unique ICT Development Project in Cambodia: Provincial Business e-Learning
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Cambodia is a country undergoing rapid changes, including a keen demand for access to higher
education among rural youth. The major centers for post-secondary school education are mainly
located in the capital city, Phnom Penh. Although recently there has been a proliferation of
private universities these programs are lecture-based and require students to attend regular
scheduled classes. Distance education and/or independent study options are hard to find in
government or private universities. To jump-start on-line learning in rural areas, The Asia
Foundation (TAF) (www.asiafoundation.org) proposed using as
an access point
for virtual learning five Community Information Centers (CICs) created by USAID in all Cambodian
provinces.
View Article
Title: Africa’s e-Learning Program in ICT Policy and Regulation
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: The Network for Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange (NetTel@Africa) has created a truly
unique on-line learning program that is changing the way policymakers think about ICT policy
reform. NetTel is an African Network created for capacity building and knowledge exchange in ICT
(information and telecommunications technology) policy, regulation and applications. NetTel is a
successful example of an USAID Global Development Alliance program, where partners from Africa and
the U.S. work toward establishing sustainable processes that allow the Network to grow beyond U.S.
partnerships and funding.
View Article
Title: Community Education Facilitators in DRC Build on Local Strengths
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, dot-EDU’s Improving Basic Education/Stratégies Intégrées
pour
une Education Equitable et de Qualité (SIEEQ) project has been working to 1) improve the
quality of
basic education through innovative teacher training; 2) provide teachers and students with
increased access to learning materials, textbooks, and kits; 3)increase community participation in
education, management and outreach activities; and 4)increase and improve girls' participation in
school. A previous
article brought attention to the issue of women's empowerment. This
article focuses on activities supporting community involvement in children’s education and the
role of community education facilitators.
View Article
Title: dot-ORG Supports USAID at WSIS and Related Events in Tunis
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: dot-ORG supported both the World Summit on the Information Society and the USAID Asia Near East
Regional Information Communication and Technology program in Tunis in November 2005.
View Article
Title: Low-energy Internet for Education – Where Electricity is a Challenge
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: On December 8, 2005, dot-EDU set up a low-cost, low-energy using lab in rural Uganda that may be
just the solution for places where electrical problems (surges, brief cuts, and brownouts) tend
to damage ICT equipment.
View Article
Title: Overview of Last Mile Initiative Activities Managed by dot-ORG
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Over the past year, dot-ORG has become increasingly involved in USAID’s Last Mile Initiative.
Last Mile Initiative keys to success are innovative technology solutions that extend connectivity
from the edge of existing networks to the underserved, innovative business models that make the
extensions of connectivity profitable and the development of innovative content and applications
for users to turn their connectivity to strong advantage. dot-ORG is now implementing LMI
projects in four countries (Macedonia, Paraguay, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia) and undertaking an impact
assessment activity with an initial assessment in Peru.
View Article
Title: The Yemeni High School Internet Pilot Project
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: The Yemeni High School Internet Project is a three-year initiative funded by the Middle East
Partnership Initiative, through USAID’s dot-EDU project. This article provides an overview of the
project's progress towards reaching its objective of improving teaching and learning through ICT,
with a strong emphasis on increasing girls' access to ICT.
View Article
|
|
| October 2005, Issue 13 |
Title: From Voter Registration to Health Monitoring - Handheld Computers for Development - dot-ORG
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In developing country contexts, handheld computer applications are starting to show their benefits
across development sectors. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and other types of handheld
computers offer considerable advantages over desktops or even laptops. Read more to learn about
specific projects dot-ORG has been involved in...
View Article
Title: Local eGovernment Applications - An Example from Romania - dot-ORG
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Under the RITI-Access project, dot-ORG has been implementing a number of eGovernment initiatives
in local governments across Romania. This article focuses on one such initiative undertaken with
the Giurgiu Local Council.
View Article
Title: Pushing the Envelope on eGovernment - dot-GOV
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: eGovernment is changing the very nature of government interaction with citizens. Read more and
learn how USAID is involved in eGovernment through the dot-GOV mechanism and where there are
significant new opportunities.
View Article
Title: Radio Instruction in India - dot-EDU
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: The Indian state government of Chhattisgarh has expanded an EDC-developed interactive radio
instruction initiative (IRI) to reach approximately one million children. The program is part of a
two-state radio initiative that involves 7 million children in more than 80,000 schools.<
View Article
Title: What's New in the Digital Library?
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: This is a list of new interesting documents in the digital library, with short extracts.
View Article
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|
| July 2005, Issue 12 |
Title: Broadband Connectivity in Macedonian Schools by September 2005
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: At the beginning of the upcoming school year, all elementary and secondary schools in Macedonia
will have broadband internet access. This will be achieved through the efforts of the Macedonia
Connects Project, managed by dot-ORG. The project was designed initially to complement the E-
Schools project managed by dot-EDU. E-Schools would bring the computer labs to the schools and
Macedonia Connects would bring internet connectivity to these computer labs in at least 496
primary and secondary schools as well as University sites throughout Macedonia. Yet there is more
to the project than school connectivity. dot-ORG designed this project to broaden its impact to
the entire country of Macedonia, not just schools, and to ensure sustainability.
View Article
Title: Exploring the DOT-COM Digital Library
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: A short article about the DOT-COM library highlighting the search options and some recently added
documents.
View Article
Title: Improving Public Management and the ICT Industry in Macedonia through e-Government Applications
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Implemented by the dot-GOV/Internews, the e-Gov Impact Project has the mandate to develop and
implement e-Government applications in the Republic of Macedonia for public institutions. e-gov
Impact is designed to strategically solicit the Macedonian private sector in development of
dynamic software applications for public institutions. This article
View Article
Title: Knowledge Product Highlights: The Energy Solutions Toolkit for ICT Projects
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Developed in collaboration with Winrock International, the Energy Solutions Toolkit for ICT
Projects is a web-based interactive toolkit that helps users select the most cost-effective mix of
ICT and energy systems for projects across sectors.
View Article
Title: Last Mile Initiative Team Assesses Central Asian Republics & Starts eCenters Project
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In April 2005, Last Mile Coordinators Michael Tetelman and Steve Rynecki of AED’s dot-ORG team
conducted assessments in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The focus of this regional assessment was to
examine the condition of telecom access in rural areas and small towns, the usage of e-services
(such as e-procurement and e-tax systems by small businesses) and to determine the potential for
new LMI projects in the region.
View Article
Title: Moving Beyond the Computer Lab: E-Schools.mk, Macedonia
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: E-School.mk is a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s
(USAID) dot-EDU initiative, which is using the computers donated by the Government of the People's
Republic of China, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) of the
Republic of Macedonia, to introduce a new concept of information and communication technology
(ICT) use in education. The goals of E-School.mk are to install computers in every primary school
and high school in Macedonia and to train teachers to use technology to support innovative student-
centered and project-based pedagogy.
View Article
Title: USAID/Macedonia's e-Biz Project: An Innovative Approach to Building Competitive Industries
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: A year ago, industry experts pronounced the Macedonia apparel industry virtually dead in five
years. The report was shocking – the apparel industry is one of the largest employers in the
country. Today, these same experts have credited USAID’s e-BIZ project with breathing new life
into the industry and positioning apparel manufacturing SMEs to save and/or generate thousands of
jobs over the next three years. The e-BIZ project is providing a similar job-development lifeline
to other industries. Through strategic use of “high impact” ICTs, synergies with standard
competitiveness activities, and creative links between universities and businesses, the e-BIZ
project provides a new model for building SME competitiveness.
View Article
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|
| May 2005, Issue 11 |
Title: Editorial: A Gender Perspective
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: The articles in this May 2005 issue of the DOT-COMments eNewsletter provide some answers to this
question. The Gender and ICT study of 2001 quoted above highlighted five key ingredients that
would increase women’s ability to take advantage of IT opportunities. For each of these five
ingredients, reference is made to specific articles in the newsletter that provide answers in
terms of what the DOT-COM Alliance has done. Women continue to face many challenges and the DOT-
COM Alliance will continue to strive to address these challenges through its activities around the
world.
View Article
Title: Gender Strategies in dot-ORG Projects
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: What do dot-ORG projects in Mali, Brazil, Macedonia and Uganda have in common beyond the fact that
they all involve the provision of some form of information technology? They have all designed
strategies that take gender into account, strategies that ensure that women have the same
opportunities as men to access and utilize information technology.
View Article
Title: Marching for Gender Equity in Peru
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: High in the Peruvian Andes a grassroots movement supporting gender equity has taken hold. Led by a
group of primary school students and their teachers, the community of Cerro de Pasco is taking a
closer look at the implications of equal treatment and rights for men and women in the public
and private spheres.
View Article
Title: Women and ICT Policy
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Focusing efforts into increasing women’s participation in policy, regulatory and advocacy issues
is
an effective and powerful way to achieve competitive and fair levels in the ICT sector. This has
the potential to increase the role of women in community decision making, where they can influence
policy issues at any government level. With increased participation, women can then ensure that
gender issues are taken into account in ICT resource planning and administration.
View Article
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|
| March 2005, Issue 10 |
Title: Cybercrime Bilateral Workshop and Official Meetings in Peru supported by dot Gov
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: As field support to assist with the prevention of cyber crime in developing nations, dot-GOV
helped the Department of Justice with a joint APEC/DOJ workshop on “Cyber Crime Legislative
Drafting Training”, held at Santa Clara near Lima, Peru 9-11 December 2004. The workshop was
delivered by a team of DOJ experts from the Intellectual Property and Cyber Crimes Unit and an
APEC representative from Canada.
View Article
Title: Editorial: Reformulating Basic Questions
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: As the field of ICT for Development evolves and matures, the questions and issues that were the
focus of our attention a few years ago are becoming increasingly irrelevant. Is it time to
rethink the basic questions that drive our activities?
View Article
Title: ICTs for Participatory Health and Livelihood Skills Training for Mon Migrants - dot-EDU
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: ICTs for Participatory Health and Livelihood Skills Training is a pilot project designed to
harness new digital camera technologies to help cross-border migrants learn basic health and
livelihood skills that can improve their well-being even under the harsh realities stateless
migrant experience.
View Article
Title: ICTs, Decentralization and Local Governance: Exploring the Potential (dot-ORG)
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In a context of decentralization, local authorities face increased responsibilities, limited
resources, and at times, limited human resource capacity. In such environments, strategic
investments in ICTs can really pay off.
View Article
Title: Mali: Selected Snapshots of the 12,000 CLIC Clients (dot-ORG)
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: After 10 months of operation, most of the Community Learning and Information Centers that were
established under the dot-ORG pilot funded by USAID/Mali are taking off. Early challenges in
building a client base and establishing reliable Internet connections have been overcome, yet
other challenges remain ahead.
View Article
Title: They Counted Money in the Basket: Exploring Electronic Payment Options in Nepal (dot-GOV)
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: USAID/Nepal asked dot-GOV to provide two experts who could speak from practical experience about
the challenges faced by businesses and NGOs under the current Electronic Transaction Act of Nepal,
and what other measures might be needed to create a more enabling policy environment.
View Article
|
|
| January 2005, Issue 9 |
Title: Editorial: Focus on Sustainability
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: This editorial introduces each of the articles of the December 2004 issue of the DOT-COMments
newsletter in the context of this issue's theme of sustainability.
View Article
Title: Enlace Quiché: Metamorphosis from dot-EDU Project to Guatemalan NGO
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: If USAID, the Ministry of Education, and everyone else is so happy with the Enlace Quiché
project, why is it ending so soon?
That was the topic of discussion in mid-2003 among local
staff and key stakeholders who had watched the project grow over three years into a respected
local player in educational development, pushing the envelope of educational technology as a cross-
cutting tool for improving educational quality in Guatemala. Moreover, they asked what could be
done to build on and scale up the pilot experiences. The answer was to create a local NGO . This
article presents an overview of the transition, highlighting critical decisions and windows of
opportunity.
View Article
Title: ICT Policy and Sustainability: Experience from the dot-GOV Program
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: This article highlights two perspectives on ICT policy and sustainability. First, it outlines key
elements of a sustainable approach to ICT policy reforms, with examples based on dot-GOV’s
experience in making ICT policy reform sustainable. Second, the article looks at the impact of
ICT policy and policy reforms on the support of efforts to bridge the digital divide and to make
effective use of ICT to help tackle development challenges.
View Article
Title: Local Entrepreneurial Skills & Sustainability in Rwanda’s Community Internet Centers
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: This article describes entrepreneurship training that was provided to the managers of Community
Internet Centers (CICs) in Rwanda. The purpose of the training was to ensure that the CIC
managers had the skills to run the CICs as profit-making enterprises.
View Article
Title: Rwanda: The Power to Succeed
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: An unreliable power supply can result in loss of revenues and loss of clientele for telecenters.
In Rwanda, dot-ORG has asked Winrock to establish battery back-up solutions for the three
Community Internet Centers established under the ICTs for Elections and Community Access project.
View Article
Title: Technology Centers in Ugandan Teacher Training Colleges Take Major Step toward Sustainability
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: The second phase of the Connect-ED project which started in October 2003 had a strong emphasis on
ensuring the sustainability of computer labs. Until recent discussions and the decision of the
Ministry of Education and Sports to allow the Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) to charge student
fees for the labs, the PTCs alternative means for funding recurring costs once project funding
ends were very limited.
View Article
Title: The Global Knowledge Development Forum: A unique learning community and DOT-COM partner
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: The GKD Forum, hosted by the DOT COM Alliance and moderated by EDC, is a unique virtual learning
community that brings together NGOs, government agencies, international development organizations,
commercial firms and technology specialists from every region of the world. Together, they explore
and exchange experience and innovative practices using information and communication technology
(ICT) for development. In a rapidly evolving field in which all are concerned with
sustainability, GKD plays a key role in allowing exchanges of experiences and field-based
knowledge about both the challenges and solutions of sustainability.
View Article
|
|
| Fall 2004, Issue 8 |
Title: Editorial: Documenting Results and Capturing Lessons Learned
DOT:
DOT-COM
Summary: This 8th issue of the DOT-COMments eNewsletter is the first being produced since I took over the
position of Information and Dissemination Coordinator for the DOT-COM Alliance. This appears to be
as good an opportunity as any to introduce myself as well as some changes in the newsletter itself.
Many of you have probably been in contact in the past with my predecessor, Siobhan Green. Siobhan
continues to work closely with me in a consulting capacity, in particular in the redesign of our
DOT-COM Alliance web site and intranet.
View Article
Title: EVENT: Speaker Series on Cyber-Security Issues in International Development Environments
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: On September 16, the DOT-COM Alliance and InterAction co-hosted the fourth Speaker Series on ICTs
and Development. The topic was Cyber-Security Issues in International Development Environments.
A panel of four cyber-security experts provided a rich learning experience and opportunities for
discussions.
View Article
Title: Helping Small Thai Businesses Make the Most of the Internet for e-Commerce
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: A seminar on "e-Commerce solutions for Thai SMEs was convened in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2004.
The objective of the seminar was to impart practical skills and to share lessons learned from
successful companies that faced challenges similar to those faced by Thai SMEs.
View Article
Title: Launching into Action - Interactive Radio Instruction in India
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: The dot-EDU T4 India project and the State government of Karnataka added to India’s Independence
Day celebrations with the launch of the Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) series Chukke Chinna
(choo-kee chin-na), on August 16, 2004 in Bangalore.
View Article
Title: Macedonia Takes Initiative With New e-Government Strategy
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: A workshop to refine the e-government strategy of the Government of Macedonia was convened in
March 2004. The workshop, sponsored by the USAID/Macedonia in cooperation with the Macedonian
Commission for Information Technology (CIT) and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of the
Government of Italy (I-MIT), took place on 15-16 March 2004 in Skopje, Macedonia.
View Article
Title: Mali – CLIC Regional Training to Build on Sustainability Efforts
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In order to strengthen the network of Community Learning and Information Centers (CLICs), regional
training has taken place to ensure that the CLIC managers and staff have the necessary tools to
collect and analyze data that will enhance sustainability.
View Article
Title: Pre-School Education Prevails in Honduras
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: Preschool age children have the chance to learn in their communities through Interactive Radio
Instruction (IRI)
View Article
Title: Project Results and Lessons - ICT and Employability Training for Poor Brazilian Youth
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Programa para o Futuro's innovative curriculum, integrating information and communication
technology (ICT) and employability training has taught 50 disadvantaged Brazilian youths the
workplace readiness and computer skills they needed to succeed in the technologically driven
workplace of the 21st century.
View Article
Title: Reducing Cyber Crime within the APEC Region through Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Since 2002, dot-GOV, with funding from USAID, has provided field support to a number of events to
promote cyber security. The latest of a series of seminars and conferences on cyber security
supported by dot-GOV was the “Second Conference of Experts and Training Seminar”, organized by the
APEC e-Security Task Force and US Department of Justice.
View Article
Title: Supporting Regional Telecommunication Associations: Interview with Brian Goulden
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: The SIPRS project provided technical assistance and capacity building to the Telecommunications
Regulators Association of Southern Africa (TRASA). Brian Goulden, former SIPRS project director,
spoke with DOT-COM about the role of TRASA as a regional regulatory association...
View Article
Title: Technology is Making Life a Little Easier for Low-Income Residents of Romania's Sibiu County
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: The Social Services Assistance Integrated System (SSAIS)Project, implemented within the broader
context of dot-ORG's Romania Information Technology Initiative (RITI) Access project. In Sibiu
County, the SSAIS project is facilitating increase efficiency and speed in the processing of
financial assistance requests from citizens.
View Article
Title: Testing Hand-held Computers for Voter Registration in Rwanda
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: dot-ORG has been working with the Rwandan National Electoral Commission (NEC) to strengthen the
capacity of the NEC via information and communication technologies (ICTs). This support has
included working with the NEC to create and maintain a national voter database, print fraud-
resistant voter registration cards, network regional Commission offices, and pilot hand-held
computers to collect and validate voter registration information. This article focuses on the
field testing of the hand-held computers for voter registration.
View Article
Title: Using ICTs to Develop Educational Materials for Rural Tribal Classrooms in India
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: In selected areas of India’s Jharkhand state, dot-ORG has begun implementing a pilot project to
explore the use of digital ICTs, such as computers and digital cameras to promote culturally
relevant educational content in the local language. Project Manager, Kelly Morphy headed to
Jharkhand in August along with local consultant Aich Paramita Choudhury to meet with prospective
project partners, visit schools and meet with teachers and other education leaders to begin
project implementation plan.
View Article
Title: Volunteers Advance Management Skills of Vietnamese Software Companies
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Thirteen Vietnamese software companies located in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi benefited from
intensive, hands-on training provided by four Geek Corps volunteers (www.geekcorps.org) over the
period of April-September 2004. This focused technical assistance has been extended to the wider
ICT sector in Vietnam.
View Article
Title: Women's Literacy and Technology in Vanga - A New World of Opportunities
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: Women in the community of Vanga, in the Bandundu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo are
coming to the Community Resource Learning Center to enhance their literacy skills and learn how to
use the Internet with the help of a local trainer and ICT champion, Marie-Jeanne wa Musiti.
View Article
|
|
| Spring/Summer 2004, Issue 7 |
Title: Call Center Breathes New Life into Jiu Valley, Romania
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: dot-ORG's Romania Information Technology Initiative (RITI) Access project has collaborated with the
not-for-profit Jiu Valley Association (JVA) and one of Romania's leading software developers and
call center operators (Softwin) to establish a business support call center at University of Petrosani.
View Article
Title: Digital Satellite Radio Helps Overcome Rural Isolation
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Every day, tens of thousands of Nepalese tune into the radio drama, Khura Khasra Mitha, (Let's Talk
Straight) to be entertained by the stories of life in the village of Sundapur centered on the elder
woman, Thuldidi. This program, part of Equal Access' Digital Broadcast Initiative, delivers more
than entertainment - the characters discuss critical issues such as HIV/AIDS and women's
empowerment. These discussions continue after the broadcast in hundreds of village community groups
organized under this Initiative.
View Article
Title: E-school.Mk: Improving ICT Quality and Promoting Tolerance in Macedonia
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: The E-school.Mk activity
is a product of the current focus by the Macedonian
government to alleviate ethnic tensions and to create
economic opportunities for young people. Using ICT-informed
education programs, this USAID/Macedonia funded
project is preparing Macedonian youth for employment
and improving quality and relevance of instruction
at the secondary level.
View Article
Title: Enhancing Democratization in Rwanda through New Voter Registration Cards
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: USAID/Rwanda has contributed significantly to the democratization process in Rwanda through a
two-year dot-ORG project to strengthen the capacity of the Rwandan National Electoral Commission
(NEC) via information and communications technologies (ICTs). Implemented by the Academy for
Educational Development (AED), dot-ORG is working with the NEC to create and maintain a national
voter database, print fraud-resistant voter registration cards, network regional Commission offices,
and pilot hand-held computers to collect and validate voter registration information.
View Article
Title: EVENT: Online Professional Development for Educators
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: On May 6th, 2004, DOT-COM and InterAction co-hosted the
third session in its speaker series on ICTs and Development,
focusing on Online Professional Development for Educators.
Over 60 participants attended the session held at AED's
conference center in Washington, DC.
View Article
Title: Groundbreaking Collaboration Between Middle Eastern Regulators and ICT Companies
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Unprecedented
exchange and collaboration among high-powered Middle
Eastern telecommunications officials and public/private
sector representatives occurred this past March
2004. During a series of USAID-funded meetings and
workshops in Jordan, telecommunications leaders
from five Arabic countries expressed a willingness
to cooperate on promoting growth and development
of the most important technology issues of the 21st
century.
View Article
Title: Halls of Knowledge Open to Communities in Three Malian Cities
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: May 5th - 7th, 2004 saw the official inaugurations of three new Community Learning and Information
Centers (CLICs) in Bougouni, Kadiolo and Segou, Mali. These three centers are part of a USAID/Mali
funded initiative to open 13 public access telecenters across Mali.
View Article
Title: Harmonization of E-Commerce Legal Framework for Southern Africa
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the USAID-funded dot-GOV Southern African ICT
and Policy Reform Support ("SIPRS") Project are collaborating to harmonize the legal framework for
Electronic Commerce. Working closely with the Southern African Transport Communications Commission
Technical Unit, SIPRS is helping the Southern African countries address core e-commerce issues, such
as cyber crime, intellectual property rights, and privacy concerns.
View Article
Title: Improving the Quality of Vietnamese Software Development
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: As part of the dot-GOV USAID/ANE-funded
efforts in the ASEAN region to create an enabling environment
for ICT policy reform, Internews, collaborating with the
Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative (VNCI), held two workshops
for software companies in Vietnam on software engineering
and management.
View Article
Title: IT College Scholarships for Disadvantaged Brazilian Youth
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Programa Para o Futuro, the IT training for employability program for disadvantaged Brazilian youth,
established a partnership with IBRATEC, the best 2-year private technical college in the North East
of Brazil. Under this partnership, IBRATEC offered all 50 of the program's youth free scholarships
to their IT degree program. Since eight youth are still in high school, only 42 youth were able to
accept these scholarships to attend IBRATEC.
View Article
Title: Media Production Studio Opens in India
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: On December 22, 2003, dot-EDU and the Government
of Karnataka, India, inaugurated a new media production
studio in Bangalore. The state-of-the-art studio,
located in the Bangalore office of the Education
Development Center (EDC), will provide digital editing
suites for local producers to create educational
materials for primary schools across the Indian
state of Karnataka. The digital studios are located
at the Directorate of State Educational Research
and Training (DSERT) office in Bangalore.
View Article
Title: NetTel@Africa Offers Online ICT Policy and Regulation Courses
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: NetTel@Africa has launched its first offering of eLearning courses for a postgraduate diploma and
Masters programme in ICT Policy and Regulation in March 2004.
View Article
Title: Online Professional Development Changing Education Perceptions and Practices in Namibia
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: Through the USAID/Namibia-funded Initiative for Namibian Education Technology (iNET), dot-EDU is
providing professional development to Namibian teachers using online education. Via access to the
web-based Teaching to Standards with New Technologies (TSNT) course and asynchronous communication
with instructors and peers, Namibian teachers in the National Institute for Educational Development
(NIED) are learning how to use technology to improve their education abilities.
View Article
Title: Piloting PDAs to Improve Data Collection and Monitoring of Health Projects in Nepal
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: USAID/Nepal and USAID/Asia and Near East Bureau (ANE) are funding the dot-ORG Nepal Health
Monitoring Pilot Project to explore the use of ICTs for health monitoring. With SATELLIFE and other
dot-ORG partners, the project is testing hand-held computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs)
and global positioning systems (GPS) to be used by community health workers to quickly and
accurately collect important survey data on vitamin A distribution.
View Article
Title: Primary Teacher-Training gets Connect-ED in Uganda
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: Through the Connectivity for
Educator Development (Connect-ED) project, USAID/Uganda
is supporting the reform and expansion of the primary
teacher-training program by providing computer access
and training at eight core primary teacher colleges throughout
Uganda.
View Article
Title: Protecting the Rights of African Telecommunications Consumers
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Through the support of dot-GOV, under the USAID/Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA) funded
Southern African Development Community (SADC) ICT Policy and Regulatory Support Program (SIPRS)
project, TRASA is developing an African Consumer's Bill of Rights to help protect African consumers.
View Article
Title: RITI-Policy Helps Romania Fight Cyber Crime
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: To combat the pressing problem of cyber-crime, the Government
of Romania passed a series of laws in
April of 2003. While the enactment of these laws
is essential to fighting cyber crime, their enforcement
has been very challenging, in part due to the fact
that these crimes are relatively new types of criminal
behavior.
View Article
Title: Semi-Literate Mekong Women Learn Using Video Compact Discs
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: dot-EDU is using low-cost video compact discs (VCD)
to help reach at-risk youth in South East Asia in
this core-funded pilot activity. The project is
designed to gauge the success of applying this versatile
and ubiquitous technology to meet critical learning
needs of young women who cross the Mekong in search
of a more exciting and financially rewarding life
in Thailand.
View Article
Title: Universal/Rural Access Moves Forward in Nigeria
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: Nigerians
are plagued by lack of access to affordable telephones,
especially in rural areas. To resolve this problem,
dot-GOV, through the National Telecommunications
Cooperative Association (NTCA), is helping support
policy development and implementation of a regulatory
framework for private sector-driven telecommunications
systems in rural and underserved areas.
View Article
Title: Using Cellular Phones in Uganda for Rural Income Generation and More
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Under the Village Phone Uganda (VPU) Project, Grameen Foundation USA has
teamed up with MTN Uganda to extend cell phone coverage
throughout rural Uganda. dot-ORG is working with
Grameen on strategic planning, training and monitoring
and evaluation of the program.
View Article
Title: Women in Technology Cisco Scholarship Program Proving Popular
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: With several weeks remaining
until the deadline, more than 2000 women from Asia
and North Africa have initiated or submitted applications
for the Women in Technology (WIT) Scholarship Program.
These women are competing for an estimated 450 spaces
in the Cisco Networking Academy.
View Article
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|
| Winter 2003, Issue 6 |
Title: Building Municipal Government Capacity in Central America
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: The dot-ORG project of the Academy for Educational Development (AED) recently initiated the
Promoting CONnEctivity among Local Governments in CenTral America (CONNECTA) program, in
collaboration with Federación de Municipios del Istmo Centroamericano (FEMICA), and NetAssessment.
View Article
Title: Community Internet Centers Give Rwanda Access to Information
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: Two community Internet centers (CIC) in Rwanda are providing their local communities vital access
to information for both professional and personal uses. These telecenters in Nyanza and Gitarma were
opened in partnership with USAID/Rwanda, dot-ORG and local entrepreneurs. They are privately
operated, using a sustainable for-profit model to ensure they remain active after the startup
project funding ends.
View Article
Title: Community Resource and Learning Center (CRLC) Inauguration in DR Congo
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: July 2003 -- "This is inauguration fever" commented
one excited staff member of the newly-opened Community
Resource and Learning enter (CRLC) in the Vanga
Mission, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
After much anticipation, the Community Resource
and Learning Center was inaugurated on July 12,
2003. This Center is located in Vanga, a rural community
of approximately 3000 people on the banks of the
Kwilu River in
Bandundu Province.
View Article
Title: Connectivity and Low Resource Environments
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: On September 24th, 2003, DOT-COM and InterAction co-hosted the second session in its speaker series
on ICTs and Development, on Connectivity and Low Resource Environments: DOT-COM. Over 80
participants attended the session held at AED's conference center in Washington, DC.
View Article
Title: dot-GOV Provides Low-Income Women with Technology Skills
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: ot-GOV recently awarded a subcontract to the Institute for International Education (IIE) to
implement a collaborative project with CISCO Networking Academies that provides information
technology training to low-income Asian and African women. Over 430 scholarships will be provided
to women in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Sri Lanka. The women will be
trained at CISCO's Networking Academies located in each country. For every $1 USAID invests in the
networking academies, CISCO invests $8.
View Article
Title: Multiple Learning Channels to Attain Education For All in India
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: USAID/India, the Education Development Center and resource partners have developed a three year
project to improve the reach and quality of primary school education in Chhattisgharh, Karnataka and
eventually Jharkhand State. The Technology Tools for Teaching and Training (T4) in India project
will provide teachers with in-service training to improve content and methods, and multichannel
instruction in English, Math and Science using media ranging from interactive radio to a mobile
video unit.
View Article
Title: NetTel@Africa Publishes AfricaDotEdu: IT Opportunities and Higher Education in Africa
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: As part of its mission to share research on ICTs, the NetTel@Africa project recently published a
book, AfricaDotEdu: IT Opportunities and Higher Education in Africa (India: Tata-McGraw Hill, 2003).
The edited volume highlights the impact ICTs have on educational institutions, systems, content and
processes in Africa, with case studies illustrating the role higher education has on developing
local capacities in pedagogy, research, publishing, healthcare, e-commerce, and cyber law.
View Article
Title: Powering ICTs and the Internet in Hard-to-Reach Places
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: On Wednesday, October 1st, over 40 professionals met at the USAID Ronald Reagan Building for a panel
of informative presentations and discussions on this topic. The session was organized by USAID's
Office of Energy and Information Technology in collaboration with Winrock International and Academy
for Educational Development (AED), part of the DOT-COM Alliance/dot-ORG.
View Article
Title: Supporting Regional Collaboration on Cyber-Security
DOT:
dot-GOV
Summary: The dot-GOV program helps support government efforts to encourage new telecom operators and ISPs
while providing confidence-building regulation that prevents abuse of greater ICT access. Issues
arise because the transborder nature of cyber crime crosses the territoriality of national law
enforcement authorities.
View Article
Title: Technology for the Little Ones: Enlace Quiché Busy in Guatemalan Primary Schools
DOT:
dot-EDU
Summary: As a part of the efforts in support of bilingual/intercultural education and educational
technology, Project Enlace Quiché/USAID has installed eight (8) mini technology centers or as they
are called in Spanish- CETEBITOS (Centros de Tecnología Educativa Bilingüe Intercultural para Niños)
in the communities of Nebaj, Sacapulas, Ixcan, Santa Cruz del Quiché, and Joyabaj, all located in
the department of El Quiché.
View Article
Title: Using GIS for Analysis and Research in Central America: dot-ORG
DOT:
dot-ORG
Summary: In July 2003, the US Geological Service (USGS) through the EROS Data Center has invited dot-ORG to
participate in the new Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA). This initiative seeks
to increase the use of geographic information systems (GIS) through compatible mapping standards
among mapping resource organizations in Central America.
View Article
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Issue
19: March 2007