PROJECT DOCUMENTS

Telecentre Management and Self-Sustainability (July 26-28, 2000)

By: Klaus Stoll

• Situation so far
• Challenges for the Future
• Errors identified
• Challenge
• Establishing the real costs
• This results in
• The telecentres average use per week
• Looking for possible models of self-sustainability
• Decisions taken
• Establishing the costs of a self-sustainability option
• Services to be implemented in the future
• Finance needed for implementation
• Running costs
• Analysis
• Plan of Implementation

Telecentre Management and Self-Sustainability (July 26-28, 2000)

Situation so far:

The physical establishment of the telecentre and the technical installation is completed:

• The work with the children is proceeding in an organised way. 20 hours formal training and 26 hours open access to street children and educators per week.
• The training of the telecentre staff, co-workers and educators is undertaken on a regular basis. (four courses in four month so far)
• Chasquinet and CEFODI provide a continuous support service (including technical support) at the telecentre.

For further detailed information please see the relevant documents at: www.chasquinet.org/niñosdelacalle/

project money has been set aside for the purchase of additional computer equipment in the near future.

Remarks:

Despite the fact that every possible due care has been taken, after only a short period of operation the telecentre encountered the same problems as other IT based projects in the region. The province of Esmeraldas is simply a "pC Graveyard". Due to the climatic conditions (humidity and head) and the infrastructure (the electrical installations encountered even in schools are often simply dangerous and for the telecentre a total re-installation was needed to ensure at least basic security standards, the electric power supply is reliable but delivers also high variations in voltage) already 2 pC’s and voltage regulators had to replaced. The situation is made worse by the fact that no qualified Computer maintenance staff can be found in Esmeraldas. (many middle and large size companies working with computers fly in their technicians to Esmeraldas from Quito). For the moment Chasquinet is providing technical support through its technical department but a more efficient solutions has to be found. The problem was addressed in the meeting and a solution implemented. (see below)

Staff:

1 Administrator/teacher(full time)

1 Manager (half time)

5 Educators

Users:

Regular weekly courses for 50 Street Children and 18 educators (Typical 2-3 hours per week, per person). 350 children and 50 educators are on a waiting list for formal courses. These cannot be served at the moment due to lack21 of space, time, staff and equipment.

Informal users, children of other Ninos de la Calle sections, on a drop in basis: 150

Challenges for the Future:

During a workshop held at the telecentre it became clear that whilst the telecentre did valuable work and had despite his short history already an huge impact it was also becoming was facing huge challenges in the future and drastic steps to address these had to be taken.

1. Due to the character of the project, only very short term funding is available (Until Jan 2001) and the project has to implement steps to reach self-sustainability immediately in order to continue its work in 2001.
2. The demands towards the telecentre by far excided his capacity and no plan for improving and expanding the service existed.
3. Whilst all attempts are made to document the experiences made with the telecentre, no methology exists to register, measure and analyse the impact of the telecentre. An Evaluation strategy and concept has to be implemented.
4. The street children currently involved in the project very easily adopt the use of computers and ICT’s. The same is the case with the majority of the educators but the problem is that they are lacking experience in modern teaching methologies (Ecuadorian teaching methologies are totally "top down" and consist of pure lecturing and the children are expected to memorise unquestioning. The self-esteem workshop held with the educators showed that this is not simply solved by introducing new teaching methologies but the project has also to work with the educators on all aspects of personal development.
5. Whilst the educational concepts used in the telecentre are sufficient and effective for the moment an expanded, more structured and targeted educational concept with a clear vision for the future has to be implemented.
6. The telecentre does not reach enough children outside the existing Niños de la Calle project.
7. Lack of efficient technical support.

Errors identified:

The main error of the project so far had been identified as that the project was totally mission driven by the goal achieving the best for the children but not keeping in the implementation of the project in mind the basic rules of self-sustainability and development vision for the future.

In order to provide a secure environment for the children and the telecentre itself the decision was made to place the Telecentre in a school near the centre of Esmeraldas but the telecentre itself is located 200 meters from the main road inside the school grounds. This choice resulted in two main disadvantages: no direct access to the telecentre for street children that are not already involved in the Niños de la Calle project and also no access for the general public to the telecentre. The first disadvantage is in contradiction to the goals and vision of the project and the second restricted the options of self-sustainability considerably and also the social function of the telecentre.

Technical capacitation and the introduction of new teaching methologies without also taking care of the self-esteem and personal development of the educators is short sighted and affect negatively the project outcome and effectiveness. This process has to be accompanied by strategies of measuring and evaluation.

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