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MODULE 2: Locating Premises and Establishing your Centre

Online/Offline Resources

Readings

  1. The case study on Computers for Schools Kenya (CFSK) describes an excellent model for a technical service centre. It contains all aspects of a technical service centre that has been in operation for approximately 18 months. The importance of creating partnerships is highlighted in this case study.
  2. The extensive case study on SchoolNet Namibia is also an excellent resource to read to gain further understanding of what is required in order to establish a technical service centre. This organization has been operating fro approximately four years.
  3. There are various factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a location for your technical service centre. These factors, including adequate space and security requirements, are discussed in this document called premises and facilities.
  4. Electricity is an important issue that needs to be dealt with appropriately. Uneven power supply is common in Africa and this document looks at various mechanisms to minimize or alleviate this problem.
  5. Telephone and Internet connections are fundamental for a technical service centre. The different telecommunication options are discussed in this document.
  6. Setting up a local area network (LAN) and the Internet in a technical service centre is described in the document called IT in the organisation. Firewalls, viruses and virus protection are also covered.
  7. It is important to acquire non-profit status in order to receive donations from businesses. NGO (non government organization) status also entitles the organization to various benefits. Page 2 of the CFSK case study describes how to go about acquiring this status.
  8. International Volunteer Organizations (IVOs) offer assistance to NGOs by providing human resources. Page 2 of the CFSK case study discusses the service provided by these organisations and names of some of them that can be approached.
  9. Here are some tips for keeping in touch with the market.

Back-up resources/Additional Info

www.schoolnetafrica.org
www.openknowledgenetwork.net
www.schoolforge.net mission is to unify independent organizations that advocate, use, and develop open resources for primary and secondary education
www.digitalpartnership.org
www.seedsforchange.org.uk
www.bridges.org
www.sustainweb.co.uk/centre.htm (case study for solar power supply)

Trade communities

  1. Trade communities and the Ministry of Trade and Industry can assist with the relaxation of import duties. Trade communities also assist in various ways with trade between countries.http://www.intracen.org/iatp/regional_economic.htm is a link to an extensive list of trade support institutions in Africa.
  2. ORION is a suite of software modules designed to leverage the power of cargo clearance operations. http://www.orion.ecowas.int/
  3. The East and Central Africa Global Competitiveness Hub supports poverty reduction in East and Central Africa by increasing trade and investment flows with the rest of the world and providing expertise to reduce trade barriers. http://www.ecatradehub.com. http://www.ecatradehub.com/customs.html looks at customs issues.
  4. The Southern African Customs Union aim is to maintain the free interchange of goods between member countries. http://www.dfa.gov.za/foreign/Multilateral/africa/sacu.html

ICT Policy Making

Information and communication technologies (ICT) policy decisions affect anyone who wants to use opportunities offered by new technologies. We depend on our governments and policy makers to make ICT policy choices that will make these technologies affordable and accessible to all.

This section provides resources and studies to support policy development on ICT integration in education with an insight to Education Systems in African schools.

  1. ICT Policy: A Beginner's Handbook
    APC's new book lays out the issues and dispenses with the jargon to encourage more people to get involved in ICT policy processes. This book is for people who feel that ICT policy is important but don't know much about it, e.g. a government official worried about a gap in her technical knowledge of how the internet works, a human-rights worker concerned that his need to send secure email is being challenged by national government policy, a citizen fed up with paying exorbitant rates for dial-up internet access and ready to organise.
    http://www.apc.org/books
  2. The ICT Policy for Civil Society training course builds the capacity of civil society organisations to understand policy and regulation related to information and communication technologies (ICT) so that they can begin to engage and influence policy processes affecting ICT adoption and implementation at national, regional and global levels.
    www.apc.org/english/capacity/policy/curriculum.shtml
  3. Involving Civil Society in ICT Policy
    This book is aimed at people who want to advocate for more just and enabling policy environments and is designed to build awareness of and capacity to engage in ICT policy-making spaces at international, regional and national levels, including the WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society)
    policy_wsis.pdf
  4. Global Policymaking for Information and Communications Technologies
    Enabling Meaningful Participation by Developing-Nation Stakeholders.
    roadmap_report.pdf
  5. Making the Internet Count
    A Manual for African Policy Makers. UNECA. A manual to help individuals and organisations to connect to the internet to send and receive information in a way that furthers rganisational goals and objectives.
    http://www1.oecd.org/dac/ictcd/docs/matrixdocs/UNECA_paper2.pdf
  6. Broadband Driving Growth; Policy Responses
    Broadband connectivity is a key component in ICT development, adoption and use and is strategically important because of its ability to accelerate the contribution of ICTs to economic growth in all sectors.
    Broadband_statement.pdf
  7. Bringing the benefits of ICT to Africa
    In choosing its priority programmes, NEPAD focused on the importance of information and communication technologies(ICT) both in helping to extend and raise the quality of education at all levels in African education systems and also in imparting ICT skills to the African population in the workforce and in the communities at large.
    Bringing_the_benefits_of_ICT_to_Africa.pdf
  8. An Information Policy Handbook for Southern Africa
    A Knowledge Base for Decision-Makers
    http://www.apc.org/books/ictpolsa/index.htm
  9. Louder Voices
    Strengthening Developing Country Participation in International ICT Decision-Making.
    Louder_Voices.pdf
  10. Regulation and Internet Use in Developing Countries
    Policymakers are simultaneously concerned about the consequences of a worsening “digital divide” between rich and poor countries and hopeful that information and computing technologies could increase economic growth in developing countries. But very little research has explored the reasons for the digital divide beyond noting that it is strongly correlated with standard development indicators, and no empirical research has explored the role of regulation.
    policymaking_and_internet.pdf