Mainstreaming ICT into Human Development

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Mainstreaming ICT into Human Development

• The Role of ICT Volunteering

International Symposium on Volunteering
2003 Dakar 23 October 2003 Manuel Acevedo
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Contents of the presentation

• ICT Volunteering and Capacity-Building on ICT4D
• Mainstreaming ICT into Development Organizations
• Volunteer Networking
• Volunteering in the Information Society WSIS

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ICT as tools for human development

• Health or computers?
• Human development is about expanding choices
• Choices depend on freedoms, opportunities
• Opportunities a function of capacity, and
  empowerment
• Information and knowledge are key for the
  generation of opportunities, and for the
  attainment of freedoms
• ICT feasibility and utility depends on the value
  of information
• ICT are enablers of human development

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What is ICT Volunteering?

• Range of volunteer action whose common
  characteristic is the targeted use of ICTs
  (particularly digital technologies)
• Actions by volunteers resulting in the practical
  use by development actors of relevant ICTs
  supporting a community telecenter
• Use of ICT (particularly the Internet) to enable
  and facilitate volunteer collaboration eg.
  Online Volunteering
• Volunteerings niche in ICT4D capacity building
  on the uses (ie. applications) and opportunities
  (ie. outreach, awareness) of ICT across
  development areas

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Why ICT Volunteering?

• Massive needs around the world
• Many people willing to contribute
• Mechanisms already exist
• UNITeS, NetCorps Canada, VITA, PeaceCorps, Red
  Cross, etc.
• Volunteer added-value
• they accompany a specific development process
• powered by solidarity
• youth as a under-utilized development asset
• Internets culture is (still) a culture of
  solidarity and volunteering
• Volunteering may be essential to respond to
  capacity-building needs in the Information
  Society

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Capacity building in bridging the digital divide

• Capacity is at the basis of the structure
• ... and ICT Volunteerings niche
• Capacity building goes beyond training
• deep knowledge (Stiglitz)
• Longer term process
• 1. Capacity building on ICT4D
• awareness raising on possibilities
• applications of ICT4D
• networking
• 2. ICT for human resource development (including
  education)
• basic e-literacy
• e-learning
• online training

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Ten key types of ICT Volunteering functions

• Provision of basic technological literacy
• Information brokering the human last miles of
  connectivity
• Creation of local digital content
• Inclusion of marginalized and disadvantaged
  groups into the Information Society
• Awareness raising of decision-makers on the
  possibilities of ICT4D
• Integration of ICT into the educational system
• Involvement in community telecenters
• Establishment/support to online cooperative
  networks
• Incorporation of ICT into the battle against
  HIV-AIDS
• Application of ICT to disaster management and
  post-conflict situations

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United Nations Information Technology Service
UNITeS

• Special UNV initiative aimed at reducing digital
  divides
• One of the Digital Bridge programmes of Kofi
  Annan (Millennium Report)
• Volunteers building human and institutional
  capacity on uses/opportunities of ICT for human
  development

• Global programme (65 of vols from South, intl.
  and natl. volunteers)
• Close to 200 volunteers onsite, about 100 online,
  in over 50 countries.
• Involves volunteers from other organizations (not
  only UNV), also online
• UNITeS Community Network, Knowledge Base

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Online Volunteering

• Innovative modality of volunteering for
  development cooperation
• Translations, content editing, proposal writing,
  web-site programming, online research, graphics
  design, technical assistance mentoring,
  e-moderating...
• The Net is the medium
• Flexibility, adaptability
• Interesting possibilities of online/on-site
  collaboration among volunteers
• Facilitates continued engagement by former
  on-site vols
• Online Volunteer service through NetAid
  (www.netaid.org/OV)
• Partnership between NetAid Foundation and UNV
• Largest listing of OV opportunities for
  development cooperation
• In 3 yrs., 14,000 OV applicants, 5,000 OV
  assignments, 270 host institutions

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Mainstreaming ICT into Development Organizations

• Development orgs. as catalyzers for wider
  absorption of ICT in overall developmental
  processes
• Need to lead by example !
• The main challenge is to achieve the proper
  levels of internal capacity in an agengy
• ICT Volunteers can be instrumental in
  mainstreaming ICT into development orgs.
• They can assist in both aspects of mainstreaming
• Internal integration of ICT into administrative
  and operational processes
• External widespread application of ICT in field
  projects and initiatives supported by an agency

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Networking Development Cooperation

• Development cooperation practices need to adjust
  to the new context and dynamics of the Network
  Society
• Connected development nodes
• individuals, projects, organizations
• Knowledge generation from connections rather than
  rather than collections
• New project architecture
• establishing/managing networks to maximize
  generation and application of knowledge for
  development
• Enabling involvement of the global citizen to
  achieve the Millennium Development Goals

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Types of Volunteer-based Networks

• Action networks connecting individual
  volunteers to development orgs. stakeholders
  (eg. NetAid/UNV Online Volunteering service)
• Knowledge network created within a
  Volunteer-involving org. (eg. UNV or the Red
  Cross)
• Institutional networks formed by volunteer
  organizations (eg. IAVE, NetCorps Canada
  Coalition)
• Volunteer-to-Volunteer networks (independent or
  institutional)
• The Open-Source approach to development (eg.
  Linux)
• Virtual Communities of Practice
• Human Metadata Networks

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A project network, Powered-by-Volunteers
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Volunteering in the Information Society

• Basic message the role of Volunteering must be
  included in analysis and policies of the
  Information Society
• 1. How does Volunteering shape the Information
  Age?
• It helped to create it! (UNIX, Internet, the Web,
  etc.)
• Helping to bridge the digital divide (eg. UNITeS)
• Establishing of a networked civil society
  (global, regional, national, local)
• 2. How does the Information Age shape
  Volunteering?
• Using the Internet as cooperation channel (eg.
  Online Volunteering)
• Networking volunteer action
• Extending ICT use within volunteer-based orgs

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A Volunteer Plan of Action for WSIS (I)

• Development-wide proposals
• Support to national and international university
  volunteer networks in ICT for Develoment
• Creation, expansion and support of
  national/regional online volunteering services
• Coordination under UN of a Hackers Without
  Frontiers programme
• Support to ICT Volunteering programmes (UNITeS,
  NetCorps Canada, etc.
• Support to Diaspora volunteers networks in ICT4D
• Promotion of corporate volunteering initiatives
  on ICT4D
• An international Telecenter Volunteer Exchange
  facility
• Establishment of/support to of basic computer
  literacy training programmes.
• Support to volunteer-involving orgs, like NGOs,
  that are involved in the social appropriation of
  ICTs.

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A Volunteer Plan of Action for WSIS (II)

• Thematic proposals
• Establishment of national "University
  ICT-for-education Volunteering" schemes
• to build teacher capacity (secondary schools) for
  ICT integration
• ICT Volunteering initiatives for digital
  inclusion of people with disabilities
• ICT Volunteering support to HIV/AIDS initiatives,
  like the programme underway in Southern Africa
• Promotion of networks to assist people affected
• Creation of telework and e-learning opportunities
• Teacher-to-teacher, doctor-to-doctor mentoring
• Volunteer initiatives in telemedicine
• Facilities for ICT volunteers in disaster
  situations
• ICT Volunteer programmes in refugee camps

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Conclusions

• ICT Volunteering is a powerful new resource for
  Human Development
• Capacity-building as the niche for ICT
  Volunteers, with possibilities across entire
  development spectrum
• ICT Volunteering can make important contributions
  to development organizations intent on
  mainstreaming ICT (into operations and
  portfolios)
• Network dynamics calls for a re-architecture of
  development cooperation
• Volunteer networking will provide significant
  added value to the contributions of Volunteering
  for Human Development
• Volunteer action, and ICT Volunteering in
  particular, need to form part of adequate
  analysis and policies about the Information
  Society
• We have much to do! ?

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• Merci beaucoup pour votre gentillesse!