TAD Consortium December 1999 Information Update 3

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS
--- Flamme! is the African women on-line meeting space

PROFILED ORGANIZATIONS
--- The South African Women's Empowerment Foundation
--- TAO Project - Manila, Philippines
--- Introducing MELISSA - An African Initiative with Multi-Donor Sponsorship

ONLINE RESOURCES
--- Daly, John. A Conceptual Framework For The Study Of The Impacts Of The
Internet
--- Independent report on World program released!
--- UNDP's IT for Development Programme - web-publication
--- Links to online guides for designing and implementing online learning
programs
--- Reports/summaries that ETS has recently provided
--- Ask Asia
--- "Effective Techniques for Keeping Web Discussions
--- "On-line Pedagogy Distance Learning Portal."
--- Mathematics Lessons That Are Fun
--- Website about the pedagogy, technology, and practice of "distance
education".

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NEWS

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Over two million people tune into to community radio

African Eye News Service (South Africa)

November 16, 1999

by Nomsa Shongwe

Nelspruit - More than two million listeners tune into community radio

stations each day, proving the need for relevant and constructive rural

programming, said National Community Radio Forum chairman, Khanyi Mkhonza,

on Tuesday. Mkhonza said rural stations such as the Moutse Community Radio

Station in the outback of the former KwaNdebele homeland in Mpumalanga was

especially a success.

"The Moutse radio station has proven that it is not location of the station

that matters but how the station serves its community," she explains.

According to the Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS), the station's

listenership has risen by 5 000 people in just four months.

Between May and June, 115 000 listeners tuned in each week, while in August

to

September, this had risen to 120 000.

It's followed closely by the Bushbuckridge Community Radio Station in

Northern Province which reaches about 100 000 people.

"The National Community Radio Forum attributes this growth in listenership

to the relevant programming and the increasing participation of communities

in these stations," Mkhonza explains.

"Programming in community stations reflect the aspirations, desire and even

frustrations of the communities they serve," she says.

A recent survey by a leading industry magazine also indicates that community

stations are a seedbed for talented DJs.

The Barberton Community Radio Station in Mpumalanga has one of the youngest

trained DJs in South Africa.

Veronica Bunce is a 15-year-old Grade Nine pupil at Barberton High School

and has produced her own music show, More of the Best, every Saturday from

6pm to 7pm for the past year.

After completing school, she wants to be a full time DJ, write books and

compose her own CDs.

"With this kind of growth and impact that community radio is making on the

broadcasting industry, the National Community Radio Forum is proud of it's

contribution towards the diversification of the airwaves," says Mkhonza. She

says the NCRF will continue to lobby for the support of communities,

government, the private sector as well as international funders such as

Communication Association Foundation and Danish evangelists.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS

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Flamme! is the African women on-line meeting space celebrating the Beijing+5

process in Africa and will run from December 1999-June 2000. Flamme aims to

gather experiences and views, to promote networking and action through

electronic discussion around: 'How information and communication

technologies can and will help us to implement the recommendations of the

Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action?' For info on the list, e-mail:

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PROFILED ORGANIZATIONS

(This component of the TAD Consortium Newsletter kindly sponsored by Times

Media Limited - www.tml.co.za)

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

AN INTRODUCTION

SAWEF empowers disadvantaged women to create a better life for themselves,

their families and their communities. Genuine empowerment results in the

transfer of skills and economic benefit; it offers choices to the

disadvantaged, it generates opportunities for new development and growth; it

transforms society into a winning nation.

SAWEF pursues this goal by facilitating multi-sponsor social investments in

integrated community development. SAWEF works in partnerships with

community-based women, co-sponsors, and many others who give generously of

their time, talents and money. Our partners include local and provincial

authorities, foreign donors, South African corporations and parastatals,

tertiary teaching partners, women's groups and volunteers, NGOs and CBOs.

Project delivery is accompanied by regular diagnostic progress reporting,

auditing and management support.

Our project portfolio covers job and life skills training programmes;

medium, small and micro-enterprise development; community development

centres; infrastructure development and social support services.

SAWEF's business approach is explained in our Funding and Project

Facilitation Guidelines. Our results are making a critical, material

difference to the lives of thousands.

Join us today. Become a partner in creating a better present and future for

all South Africans.

---

SAWEF's FUNDING AND PROJECT FACILITATION GUIDELINES

SAWEF facilitates integrated community development projects -

FOR DISADVANTAGED WOMEN

which are intended for the upliftment, advancement and benefit of

disadvantaged women, their families and their communities;

COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE

which are accepted by the community as advancing its safety, well-being,

security and interests, while recognising the community's sense of values,

achievement and ownership;

ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY

which are ecologically friendly, and promote the conservation of our common

natural heritage;

APOLITICAL

which are apolitical and pragmatic in their objectives;

MULTI-PARTY SPONSORSHIP

which are co-sponsored by a combination of credible and acceptable third

parties, including local, provincial and central government, community-based

organisations, corporate and individual sponsors, other funding agencies and

non-governmental organisations - and by disadvantaged women and their

communities themselves;

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM

which are managed by credible, viable, apolitical project management teams,

with proven track records, comprised of such volunteers and professionals as

may be required, who enjoy the acceptance, support and respect of the

communities in which they operate;

AUDITS

whose project management teams execute their functions through established

and acceptable methods of project accountability in terms of financial,

progress and market research audits;

SKILLS TRAINING

which, in the case of skills training projects, will result in :

--- economically viable, employment-creating business ventures with good

prospects and identified, feasible markets for their products and services;

--- empowering individual trainees and/or the community to become

economically productive; and/or

--- material benefits to the community as a whole.

SELF-SUSTAINABLE

which are geared towards economic, feasible and viable end results that

should become self-sustainable over a reasonable period of time;

FUNDING METHOD

the funding for which will be paid over in tranches, subject to:

--- the project's authorised budget and business plan;

--- satisfactory, verified project performance and progress, based on the

terms and conditions of a formal co-operation agreement between SAWEF, the

implementing agency, co-sponsors and all other project stakeholders;

--- which funds will be applied and utilised within a reasonable time after

being allocated and/or paid over to the project.

SUNSET CLAUSE

which are subject to a definite sunset clause concerning SAWEF's involvement

in the project, save in instances where the nature and performance of the

project and its benefits to the community at large, render financial and

technical support on an on-going basis appropriate and sustainable;

TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL SUPPORT

subject to SAWEF and/or a credible, acceptable third party being in a

position to competently render whatever technical and managerial support

the project requires;

RESOURCE AVAILABILITY

subject to the availability of financial and other resources; and

BOARD DISCRETION

subject to the sole discretion of its Board, which may include any

additional terms and conditions as may be deemed appropriate and necessary.

 ***Back to Contents***

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I would like to share with you some information about an exciting project,

the TAO Project, that we have been conducting at SEAMEO Innotech, in Manila,

Philippines. Just for background purposes, Innotech is the Regional Center

for Educational Innovation and Technology of the Southeast Asian Ministers

of Education Organization. We aim to help SEAMEO member countries, as well

as nonmember states, identify and solve common or unique educational

problems though innovation and technology. We serve: Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,

Thailand, and Viet Nam. Nonmember countries served include: Bangladesh,

Iran, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, and Tanzania.

GOALS OF THE TAO PROJECT

Project TAO (Teacher Amelioration for Optimum Welfare) is an on-going

project in the Philippines. Run as a cooperative effort between the

Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), SEAMEO Innotech, the

Philippine Senate, as well as all teachers and schools in country, TAO is

working to improve education by improving teacher welfare. (TAO is a nice

acronym for the project, as "tao" means "person" in Tagalog.) The Senate of

the Philippines felt that priority for funds should be for teachers, the

rationale being that if teachers are cared for, they will be better able to

care for the students. TAO is therefore setting up a database of all

teachers in-country, approximately 500,000 people. The data will be

analyzed and the teachers' needs will be identified. The data will be used

to support required legislative changes in the Philippine Senate.

TAO PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The TAO project is divided into two phases. In Phase One, a questionnaire

was formulated in consultation with the Department of Education, Culture and

Sports (DECS). This was fielded to all schools and, through the school

principals, all teachers were asked to provide personal and professional

information. (There are approximately 500,000 teachers in 146 divisions

across the Philippines). The questionnaire also asked principals to provide

school information. We had an absolutely outstanding return rate of 92% on

the questionnaires. The information we collected was analyzed to generate

teacher, school and division profiles. At the same time, meetings were held

with division and regional planning officers to orient them on computer

basics and the project.

In Phase Two: Each division and regional office will be provided with a

computer for the project. Staff will be trained on Computer skills and on

how to use project data in formulating teacher welfare and development

programs. Thus, we will be able to get input of both data, and insights

about current conditions and needs, from the local areas. In addition, the

division and regional offices will build skills that can help determine and

provide feedback on policies and programs in the future, and will help plan

and implement activities more effectively.

CURRENT STATUS

Phase One has been completed, and we are continuing with Phase Two.

The survey is completed, the database has been set up and a first analysis

has been finished. The database is now able to provide indicators of

teacher welfare, such as maternity and housing benefits, for the national

and divisional levels. One result is that the data show that most teachers

are young women of child-bearing age. This indicates the need to provide

legislation to guarantee maternity benefits to the teachers and substitute

teachers for the schools.

At the division level, computers are scheduled for deployment in a month or

so, with the corresponding training. This includes working with staff in

the divisional planning units, teaching them to use the hardware and

software, as well as teaching them how to use the data for planning

purposes.

LESSONS LEARNED

Difficulties in using ICTs:

Setting up a database for 500,000 teachers required a massive effort and the

cooperation of all concerned: DECS, the schools, the teachers, SEAMEO

Innotech, and the Senate. Teachers and principals had to be trained in

filling out questionnaires to be processed by computers. Not all

questionnaires were answered well, so that a period for validation of

responses had to be allotted in the project (which was not anticipated).

The tremendous amount of time and energy required to complete each stage

with a high level of quality was, perhaps, not fully appreciated before we

started. It takes considerable time to collect the data, analyze it,

identify appropriate legislative measures to take to improve teachers'

welfare, install that legislature and to see the results. As a result,

there is sometimes impatience on the part of various individuals and

organizations for immediate results.

Benefits associated with using ICTs:

In addition to the anticipated benefits of this project, we encountered

unintended benefits. Planning Officers from the divisions who attended the

meetings and training sessions all agreed that the computer skills they

acquired enriched them professionally. As part of Phase Two, a position of

MIS Officer will formally be setup in each division of the DECS, and each

division will receive a computer for the Project TAO database. The staff of

the division will be trained in computer skills and how to use the database

to determine the status and needs of each teacher in their divisions. These

skills will doubtless have spin-off benefits in other areas as staff become

more proficient in using the computers. Importantly, the Senate legislative

committee now has data that serve as basis for legislation.

The data, while still preliminary, have themselves already proved

beneficial. One important example: the results have debunked the myth that

teachers are "old maids." Data showed that teachers are mostly young,

married women; hence the need to provide maternity benefits and substitute

teachers.

Due to the size and complexity of the data in this study, this project would

not be feasible if we did not have access, and do not continue to have

access, to computer technology. The database and the computerized

questionnaire forms have allowed us to analyze a huge amount of data, to do

so relatively quickly, and to already have concrete proposals to take to the

Senate. This would not have been possible without computer technologies.

We anticipate that as people at various levels of the educational system

grow more skilled in using computers and in analyzing data, we will be able

to rationalize and improve legislation and programs to meet the needs of

teachers, and of students.

Best regards,

Priscilla Cabanatan

SEAMEO Innotech

 ***Back to Contents***

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Introducing MELISSA

An African Initiative with Multi-Donor Sponsorship

The goal

Launched in 1996, the MELISSA Program (Managing the Environment Locally in

Sub Saharan Africa) has the goal of supporting and facilitating the

improvement of the local environment through partnership development and

knowledge management. In this way, the Program contributes to finding the

balance between social equity, economic advancement and sustainable

development to ensure improved living conditions and a better quality of

life for urban, peri-urban and rural citizens.

The Strategic Intervention Framework

To achieve successful facilitation and support, the Strategic Intervention

Framework outlines the principles, clients, themes, activities, products and

services of the MELISSA Program. The three principles of the Program are:

* Selectivity,

* Synergistic partnerships, and

* Demand responsiveness.

While the main clients of the MELISSA Program are local governments, the

principle of partnership development implies that the Program collaborates

with national governments, academic and training institutions,

non-governmental and community based organizations, international support

organizations and the private sector. As an African network, the MELISSA

Program has members in most countries in Sub Saharan Africa and strives to

capitalize on the ecological, political, institutional, socio-cultural,

technical, economic and financial diversity of the countries. Considering

the broad scope of environmental issues, the three main themes of the

Program are defined as:

* Local environmental governance,

* Integrated environmental management strategies, and

* Participatory environmental evaluation and monitoring.

The MELISSA Program strives to achieve its goal through a number of key

activities, such as:

* Action learning for knowledge acquisition in partnership with

specific local authorities,

* Networking for knowledge dissemination with a range of

stakeholders, and

* Building capacity to facilitate knowledge absorption.

The key products and services of the MELISSA Program are:

* Advisory services to the network members which includes technical

assistance, a helpline and the provision of the clearinghouse function,

* Partnership facilitation for environmental improvement through

participation, policy dialogue and advocacy, and

* Development of knowledge resources, through the website, staff

exchange, thematic working groups, case studies, publications, study

tours, training and databases.

Learning by doing in partnership

Since inception, the MELISSA Program has collaborated actively with local

environmental action plans (LEAP) and participatory action learning projects

in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria,

Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe among

others. Supported by capacity building, the country-specific activities

range from waste management strategies and water service provision to the

development of biosphere reserves and indigenous knowledge for sustainable

development.

Building knowledge resources

The MELISSA Program facilitates and supports the development of knowledge

resources through the LEAP workshops and the Knowledge Expertise Resource

Network (KERN) Forum. To build and strengthen a knowledge and expertise

database, the KERN Forum encourages the collection and dissemination of

valuable knowledge amongst the network members. Through interactive

communication, the network members learn from one another and the base of

African expertise is strengthened.

Effective networking and communication

Generating awareness of sustainable development is an essential networking

activity of the MELISSA Program. A specialized Network of Information,

Education and Communication experts for the Environment (NIECE) in Sub

Saharan Africa provides the impetus and focus to achieve a greater

consciousness about the role of sustainable development in poverty

alleviation and improved living conditions at the local level.

Program management

A compact Coordination Unit manages the MELISSA Program, supported by a

Steering Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee that consist of

individuals and organizations from the network. The European Commission and

Governments of Norway and Sweden fund the MELISSA Program with

administrative support received from the World Bank. The Council for

Scientific and Industrial Research hosts the Program in Pretoria, South

Africa.

Contact:

Tel: (+27 12) 349 2994 Fax: (+27 12) 349 2080

Email: melissa@melissa.org

Regards

Bridget McBean

Communication and Information Specialist

The World Bank - MELISSA Programme

c/o CSIR - Environmentek

PO Box 395 - Pretoria 0001, South Africa

Tel. 27-12-349 29 94

Fax. 27-12-349 20 80

email: bmcbean@csir.co.za OR bridget@melissa.org

 ***Back to Contents***

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ONLINE RESOURCES

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Daly, John. A Conceptual Framework For The Study Of The Impacts Of The

An appendix summarizes many of the published frameworks for studying the

effects of the Internet and information in developing countries, including:

-Internet Counts Framework

-Technology Transfer Model

-Acacia Telecenter Evaluation Framework

-IDRC Framework

-Press Framework

-Pimienta Model

-The Lanfranco Meta-Level Framework

-Michael Graham Study

-Framework for the Study of Civil Society Organizations: Fundación

Accesso

-The Lefebvres' Framework

-The CTA Model

-Life Cycle Model: Baark and Heeks

-The Economic Internet Toolkit Model: Rob Schware

-Barton-Bear Framework: Cliff Barton and Marshall Bear

-The Stages Theory

also,

Daly, John. A Comparison: Leland versus non-Leland Countries

This paper suggests that policy is more conducive to penetration of the

Internet in African countries in which the Leland Initiative is working than

in other African countries. It does not draw conclusions as to causality.

John Daly is a scholar with the Center for International Development and

Conflict Management (CIDCM), located at the University of Maryland.

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Independent report on WorLD program released!

The first independent outside evaluation of the impact of the WorLD program,

done by SRI International, is now available online! Information from this

report will help to guide the future information technology investments in

education in many developing countries. It will also contribute to the

larger body of knowledge about the impact of information technology on

learning and teaching across the world. To read the full text of the report,

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In mid-October, UNDP's IT for Development Programme - together with UNCTAD,

IICD (Netherlands) and the World Bank's infoDev - organised a workshop

during Telecom99 in Geneva, that examined key issues related to e-commerce

and developing countries. This event was linked live via video to 10

locations worldwide.

I am pleased to inform you that we have just completed a web-publication

with the documents presented at this workshop. The publication can be

accessed on UNDP's Info21 website at:

I would also like to draw your attention to a related website on regional

e-commerce workshops by UNCTAD, which was conducted in collaboration with

UNDP's IT for Development Programme. You can find it at:

I hope that you find this information useful. If you have any questions or

suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Hans d'Orville

Info21

UNDP

hans.dorville@undp.org

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There are several links to online guides for designing and implementing

online learning programs available at Distance Learning Dynamics' Web site

at:

"Designing Online Courses."

One in particular is a Web-Based Instruction Resource Site

"Form Follow Function: Designing Web Pages to Support Educational Projects"

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You might be interested in a couple of reports/summaries that ETS has

recently provided! Many of you have already read "Does It Compute?" I

expect. These are somewhat interesting also.

Computers and Classrooms: The Status of Technology in U.S. Schools -

Technology in the Classroom -- 10 Tips -

Dr. Roy M. Bohlin

 ***Back to Contents***

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Ask Asia is a rich resource for teachers and students doing a unit on Asia.

Be sure to check out the "Instructional Resources" link in the "For

Educators" section. You'll find over 50 lesson plans (e.g., on China,

India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam), online readings, downloadable

images and maps, a teaching workbook on Japan, information on how to

exchange classroom 'culture boxes', and more.

There's plenty here for your students as well. Click on "Asian Topics" In

the Instructional Resources section to access a collection of short

multi-media discussions on topics concerning China and Japan. Or, have them

go to the "Adult Free" zone where they'll find activities, links to e-pal

organizations, a virtual gallery of student art, links to other Asian

resources, a kid message center, and an ask an expert link.

Ask Asia is hosted by the Asia Society and is suitable for Social Studies

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Please point your browser to

an article on "Effective Techniques for Keeping Web Discussions

Running Smoothly".

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Cable Green, a doctoral student in Communication at The Ohio State

University, has created an "On-line Pedagogy Distance Learning Portal." The

site includes information on distance learning research, bibliographies and

clearinghouses, philosophies and theories of learning in an on-line

environment, development and design of on-line courses, tutorials and

orientations, course examples, issues of plagiarism, assessment and

evaluation.

The site is available on-line at:

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Distributed via Network Nuggest Listserv

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Mathematics Lessons That Are Fun

Cynthia Lanius, a math teacher currently working at Rice University, offers

16 of her lessons on a variety of mathematical topics. High school

students will benefit the most from these, but quite a number of the lessons

can also be used with students as low as grade 5. The topics covered are:

Calculus, Data Collection/Analysis, Exponential Growth, Fractals, Fractions,

Geometry, Graphs, Mathematics of Cartography, Pre-Algebra, Puzzles, Series,

Slope, and Transformations.

The type and extent of each lesson varies but within the collection you'll

find a variety of student activities, teacher guides, exploration or thought

questions, links to associated materials on the web, and assignments.

There is no one standard approach to the content - you really need to go in

and see each lesson. Be sure to look at the link to "Geometry Online" -

it's a collection of about 10 lessons/activities and there's enough there to

keep you busy for a while.

Mathematics Lessons That Are Fun is hosted by Rice University and is

suitable for math students in grades 5-12. It is located at

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Wow! Here's a Website that is tightly organized, easy to navigate and

richly packed with information about the pedagogy, technology, and practice

of "distance education".

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