Community Information CentersCambodia

Bridging the Divide WorkshopApril 23rd 2005

• The Asia Foundation’s ICT Program: The Development Context for CICs

• CIC Project- Overview- Best Practices- Evaluation and Lessons Learnt

Content

Brief History of ICT Program

16 Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam

Program Areas: eGovernment, eCivil Society and eLearning

ICT Program

ICT Program: A Comprehensive Approach

GOOD GOVERNMENT

eGovernment

eAdministration, eServices, eSociety

STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY

eCivil Society

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR ICT

ENGAGEMENT

CIC Project: Challenges in Cambodia

Weak Governance- An inefficient and expensive bureaucracy - Low quality of government services, with high levels of

corruption - Lack of government transparency and accountability

Weak Civil Society- Limited information or communication outlets in the provinces

Weak infrastructure- No domestic postal system- Limited phone coverage (primarily wireless)

GOALS: 1. Promote good governance by encouraging fairer elections

through voter education and access to neutral information

2. Strengthen civil society to increase public participation

ACCESS IS A MEANS, NOT THE GOAL

CIC Project: Principles from Best Practices

1. Part of bigger agenda for development: - ‘wiring up’ is not enough:

technology is a tool not end goal- national strategies- concrete goals

2. Project Design/Implementation: - not one-size-fits-all: complexities of situation- localized, participatory process- simplest, local technology- local partnerships

3. Sustainability- long-term

- beyond financial- institutional, technological, cultural

Challenges/Lessons Learnt - Technology

Hardware•Desktop vs. laptop•Brand vs. Clone•Connectivity; satellite, wireless “broadband”, dial up, cell phone (locally available)•Electricity

•Regular, backup and stabilizer

•Physical environment; dust, heat, humidity, lightening

Software•Open Source or MS•Registering XP•Khmer fonts

•Lack of universal standardized font

•Pirated software•Anti-virus

Tired and tested over latest and greatest

Challenges/Lessons Learnt – Project Environment

Policy environment• Telecom regulations• Service/reselling regulations

Infrastructure environment• Domestic ISP providers• International backbone connections

Challenges/Lessons Learnt – Non-Technology

• Government resistance• Low capacity of Local Partners• Lack of demand/Low capacity of Users• Lack of Competitiveness of local businesses• Corruption• Content• Sustainability

- Market Research- Costs- Early private sector involvement- Business plans

Lessons learned

• Server/Client set ups• Dependence on local ISP, try to establish VPN and share Internet

connection• Donated computers• Face to face meetings• Leap frog – technology yes, human capacity no• Students early adopters• English vs. local language

CIC Project: Usage Statistics

Total number of visits: 540,000Number of unique users: 38,000

(February, 2003 to February, 2005)

CIC users

10%

5%

10%

1%

37%

37%

NGOs staff:

Business and PrivateSectors:

Government Agencies:

Political Parties:

Students:

Other people:

www.Cambodiacic.org

Khmer language website with development information

• Health• Environment• Agriculture• Gender• Human Rights• Economic Development• Education• Tourism

Ability to post information

CIC Project: Web Content

CIC Project Web Portal

Accessible content: Lack of Khmer language information available on the Internet

Solutions•Develop project web portal•Embedded font•Promote Khmer Unicode

Challenges•No standardized Khmer font or keyboard•Lack of word spacing•Unable to search or sort

ResultsOver 30,000 pages views per dayConnection with Khmer Diaspora community (50% of hits are from abroad)

Community Information Centers

A Brief Photo Journey

CIC

CIC

CIC

Large Centers10 computers, 64k access,Staff of 4

Medium Centers6 computers, 64k access (3 centers),Dial-up access (6 centers),Staff of 4

Small Centers3 computers, Dial-up access,Staff of 4

CIC

February 18

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

Feb 19-22March 3

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

March 10-14March 20-21

CICCIC

LocationsCIC

CIC

CICCIC

CIC

CIC

CIC

CIC Project: 22 Community Information centers

Computers and printer

3-4 support staff

CIC Project: Equipment

Posters and Other Information Sources

CIC Project: Other Information Sources

Library of newspapers, magazines and printed reference material

CIC Project: Other Information Sources

Library used as a civic space

CIC Project: Civic Space

• Access to computers and the Internet

• Training on how to use computers

• E-mail accounts

• Library with resource materials

• Meeting space

CIC Project: Services Offered

New project

Bringing education from the capital to the Provinces

CIC Project: eLearning