Curriculum Development for the Telecentre Academy in East Africa
Presentations of challenges faced by telecentres and telecentre managers for the East African Telecentre Academy meeting held at Kyambogo University
Peter Balaba- Nakaseke Community Multimedia Centre
Location; Nakaseke CMC is located at Nakaseke Sub-County Headquarters, Nakaseke District, 75 km North of Kampala (16 km off Kampala –Gulu road). The CMC was established in 1997 as part of the series of a pilot initiative to introduce, test, disseminate and assess the impact and viability of CMCs in Africa with funding from International Telecommunication Union (ITU) UNESCO and IDRC and executed by Uganda National Commission for UNESCO on behalf of the Government of Uganda.
The centre provides telecommunication and information services including telephone, library, internet, educational videos, daily newspapers, photocopying, typesetting, printing, computer training, video coverage, phone charging and a community radio among others.
Challenges
- Content development and packaging ie most of the content (on-line and off-line) is packaged in English, a language which is not familiar to the local community.
- Since ownership of the CMC isn't specific and legal, this affects the flow of business and management in case of breach of contract.
- Shortage of skilled labor for repair and maintenance of I.T equipment, for financial accounting, records keeping and marketing, for networking and trouble Shooting, radio web browsing and script development, radio presenters, general management skills and also business entrepreneurship.
Paul Barera- Nyamata Telecentre
Location: Established in 2004 with the support of USAID, Nyamata is located in semi-urban area and runs on Entrepreneurial basis. The telecentre provides diversified services, with ICT facilities being the core of the business and about15 staff are employed by the telecentre.
Challenges
- High illiteracy levels among telecentre users affects the work of the managers
- Growing competition in ICT business for instance with Internet cafes
- Lack of Technical skills in ICT is increasing the cost of running Telecentre (maintenance of equipment)
- Lack of managerial skills such as financial management, Marketing e.t.c is Killing daily performance of Telecentre
- Lack of team work spirit and also the unwillingness of skilled community members to volunteer is another challenge
Dr. Karorero Barnabe- Burundi Telecentre Network
- Conflict of interest between the government and private investors in the ICT industry affects the works of telecentres in the country
- Load shedding i.e since power is on/ off, telecentre activities don’t run smoothly
- Marketing the product is a big problem since people don’t understand the need of ICT skill and services in their communities.
- Poverty. Initially, training was free in telecentres but later, people were required to pay a small fee to learn. However, this greatly affected turn up as most people are poor.
- Management and maintenance of the equipment is another challenge
- Adaption of the internet/ ICT culture is a big challenge in the local communities
- The youth are more interested in entertainment facilities such as face book, webcams, chat rooms e.t.c. Also, teachers at the telecentres are more interested in teaching foreign courses rather than those that appeal to the interests of their communities
Cleopa Otieno Timon- Kenya Telecentre Network ( KenTel)
The telecentre is a rural based CeC which was established as a Community Based Organization (CBO) in 1980 but later registered as an Non Governmental Organization (NGO).
Challenges
- Community members don't feel attached to the telecentre since they don't own it and this affects operations.
- Sustainability
- Maintenance of I.T equipment is hard
- The telecentre lacks clear knowledge of what its community needs to develop socially and economically
- Lack of a clear vision, objectives and strategic business plan is also a challenge at the telecentre
- Poor management and accountability of resources
- Shortage of labor/ under-staffing
- There isn't a spirit of voluntarism from the community
- Lack of Government support and goodwill
Curriculum development; John Maani (Curriculum Expert, Kyambogo University)
In his presentation, he defined the curriculum as ''sum total of all experiences a learner undergoes under the guidance of the school, institution or academy''. Therefore, the specific and formal knowledge and skills that the learners or managers will acquire from the Telecentre Academy should constitute a core curriculum.
Synthesize materials for management module
He pointed out that the main components of a curriculum should constitute its aims and objectives, content/subject matter, methods of how skills, knowledge and values will be developed and an evaluation.
Also, important facts and figures must be established first before developing the curriculum. This is done through baseline surveys/or Needs Assessment
Therefore, the situational analysis for the development of the management module should involve:
- Identifying tasks and problems and seeking possible solutions.
- Identifying difficulties and possible areas of resistance
- Clues to planning for the resources and the organizational changes that will be required.
NOTE: Due to the ever changing society, both local and international, there is needed to select from the abundance of generated knowledge and skills. Also, The need to remain current by replacing content that may be outdated is paramount.
Quality: There is need to ensure quality
Quantity: There is need to gauge how much to cover on a particular course.
Scope: helps in demarcating or deciding on the breadth and depth of what to cover
Click here for more information on this presentation on curriculum development by John Maani- Curriculum Expert Kyambogo University Kampala Ugandra
Peter Balaba- Nakaseke Community Multimedia Centre
Location; Nakaseke CMC is located at Nakaseke Sub-County Headquarters, Nakaseke District, 75 km North of Kampala (16 km off Kampala –Gulu road). The CMC was established in 1997 as part of the series of a pilot initiative to introduce, test, disseminate and assess the impact and viability of CMCs in Africa with funding from International Telecommunication Union (ITU) UNESCO and IDRC and executed by Uganda National Commission for UNESCO on behalf of the Government of Uganda.
The centre provides telecommunication and information services including telephone, library, internet, educational videos, daily newspapers, photocopying, typesetting, printing, computer training, video coverage, phone charging and a community radio among others.
Challenges
- Content development and packaging ie most of the content (on-line and off-line) is packaged in English, a language which is not familiar to the local community.
- Since ownership of the CMC isn't specific and legal, this affects the flow of business and management in case of breach of contract.
- Shortage of skilled labor for repair and maintenance of I.T equipment, for financial accounting, records keeping and marketing, for networking and trouble Shooting, radio web browsing and script development, radio presenters, general management skills and also business entrepreneurship.
Paul Barera- Nyamata Telecentre
Location: Established in 2004 with the support of USAID, Nyamata is located in semi-urban area and runs on Entrepreneurial basis. The telecentre provides diversified services, with ICT facilities being the core of the business and about15 staff are employed by the telecentre.
Challenges
- High illiteracy levels among telecentre users affects the work of the managers
- Growing competition in ICT business for instance with Internet cafes
- Lack of Technical skills in ICT is increasing the cost of running Telecentre (maintenance of equipment)
- Lack of managerial skills such as financial management, Marketing e.t.c is Killing daily performance of Telecentre
- Lack of team work spirit and also the unwillingness of skilled community members to volunteer is another challenge
Dr. Karorero Barnabe- Burundi Telecentre Network
- Conflict of interest between the government and private investors in the ICT industry affects the works of telecentres in the country
- Load shedding i.e since power is on/ off, telecentre activities don’t run smoothly
- Marketing the product is a big problem since people don’t understand the need of ICT skill and services in their communities.
- Poverty. Initially, training was free in telecentres but later, people were required to pay a small fee to learn. However, this greatly affected turn up as most people are poor.
- Management and maintenance of the equipment is another challenge
- Adaption of the internet/ ICT culture is a big challenge in the local communities
- The youth are more interested in entertainment facilities such as face book, webcams, chat rooms e.t.c. Also, teachers at the telecentres are more interested in teaching foreign courses rather than those that appeal to the interests of their communities
Cleopa Otieno Timon- Kenya Telecentre Network ( KenTel)
The telecentre is a rural based CeC which was established as a Community Based Organization (CBO) in 1980 but later registered as an Non Governmental Organization (NGO).
Challenges
- Community members don't feel attached to the telecentre since they don't own it and this affects operations.
- Sustainability
- Maintenance of I.T equipment is hard
- The telecentre lacks clear knowledge of what its community needs to develop socially and economically
- Lack of a clear vision, objectives and strategic business plan is also a challenge at the telecentre
- Poor management and accountability of resources
- Shortage of labor/ under-staffing
- There isn't a spirit of voluntarism from the community
- Lack of Government support and goodwill
Curriculum development; John Maani (Curriculum Expert, Kyambogo University)
In his presentation, he defined the curriculum as ''sum total of all experiences a learner undergoes under the guidance of the school, institution or academy''. Therefore, the specific and formal knowledge and skills that the learners or managers will acquire from the Telecentre Academy should constitute a core curriculum.
Synthesize materials for management module
He pointed out that the main components of a curriculum should constitute its aims and objectives, content/subject matter, methods of how skills, knowledge and values will be developed and an evaluation.
Also, important facts and figures must be established first before developing the curriculum. This is done through baseline surveys/or Needs Assessment
Therefore, the situational analysis for the development of the management module should involve:
- Identifying tasks and problems and seeking possible solutions.
- Identifying difficulties and possible areas of resistance
- Clues to planning for the resources and the organizational changes that will be required.
NOTE: Due to the ever changing society, both local and international, there is needed to select from the abundance of generated knowledge and skills. Also, The need to remain current by replacing content that may be outdated is paramount.
Quality: There is need to ensure quality
Quantity: There is need to gauge how much to cover on a particular course.
Scope: helps in demarcating or deciding on the breadth and depth of what to cover
Click here for more information on this presentation on curriculum development by John Maani- Curriculum Expert Kyambogo University Kampala Ugandra
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Evans MACHERA on -
I am still agonizing on how to establish a workable telecentre in my rural place and all the challenges raised herein are real and similar or common.
MY take is that telecentres need to be owned so as to be appreciated to see success.
We must all observe that technology ignores MYTHS,STEREOTYPES AND BELIEFS SYSTEMS that are hallmarks of our societies culture and traditional practices.
Therefore,to succeed,we need to do lots of civic education so that the people understands the direction we are going to emulate the same.
Certainly,technology is unstoppable,and telecentres are the way out in the rural areas.
Evans MACHERA.
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Permalink Reply by Jan Herder on -
Dear Evans, I would be delighted to discuss an alternative strategy if you are so inclined.
Best,
Jan
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Barbara Fedock on -
Evans,
You noted that you are still "agonizing on how to establish a workable telecentre." Do you want to serve the youth of your community? If so, what is your plan? Is one of your goals to better the education of the students in your community. If so, it seems that a telecentre would be an idea place to begin to make changes in the myths and belief system.
Barbara Fedock
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Permalink Reply by Jan Herder on
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Thank you for the posts an very interesting content. it is my belief that for the Telecenter initiative to succeed it must embrace the paradigm shift occurring in society and education and model the curriculum on an emergent basis, one that is not top down as has been the case in traditional educational (European, industrial, colonial) systems. But I disagree with the comment below by Evans. The answer is cultural resiliency and evolution, beginning with a knowledge base construction of the local biome. Put ICT to the service of the local needs in order to have ownership by local people. Demand side, not supply side. This is the way to go. Until curricular discussions embrace this strategy there will be slow progress and competition from internet cafes.
So, I would disagree with the definition of curriculum that the good speaker John Maani (Curriculum Expert, Kyambogo University) used: curriculum as ''sum total of all experiences a learner undergoes under the guidance of the school, institution or academy''.
And I would switch the focus to the curriculum is the totality of the sustainable systems of the biome, including its culture. Thus the school, institution and academy step aside in their dominance and allow for an emergent, organic and truly local curriculum to evolve.
Additionally, reviewing some of the comments I wanted to reiterate something about the volunteer model. While certainly serving a purpose, it is not sustainable. Internships are the way to go. This values all parties concerned, builds team work and provides incentives for students to further their studies.
Regards,
Jan
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Permalink Reply by Wangchuk Chungyalpa on -
I have listed my feedback into 3 general areas 1) operations 2) marketing and 3) financial management.
(1) Operations
Based on the services provided, there seems to lack a clear direction and objective on the part of the management. Therefore, I think the management should first evaluate and map out its “service portfolio” – all the services it provides - into defined sectors. This will help identify similar services while prioritizing services to ensure optimal and efficient use of resource. Some of the most popular and well known sectors are :
• technology & education
• healthcare
• agriculture / farming
Secondly, management must evaluate target customer group and their needs. This is vital to ensure local relevancy. One of the best methods includes conducting customer survey and field observation. Management must have a clear concept of functional areas to survey. If possible, the management should define their target market using geographic, demographic and psychographic variables as it will aid them in developing marketing strategy. Management should also research software for developing content in local language – niche market if none exists.
Third, management should evaluate the organizational structure. It is crucial to clearly list the organizational hierarchy and define functions and roles accordingly. Tasks and responsibilities must be assigned along traditional business functions such as marketing, operations, accounting, human resource etc. The organizational structure must also be communicated to all the staff.
Fourth, management must evaluate and analyze the work flow process creating various work scenarios and identifying the decision making process and highlighting the underlying assumptions, weaknesses and bottlenecks existent in the process. Management should employ team brainstorming sessions and implement monitoring and feedback controls to ensure “audit” of the work process.
Lastly, labor is one of the primary costs in any business ventures. The challenge for the management is ensuring optimal use of labor. In a micro or small enterprise, few personnel’s perform multiple tasks within various business functions. For example, the sales clerk serves as the customer service dept., also performs sales and marketing functions including bookkeeping and operating sales register, also provides inventory assistance and more. As a result, the quality of the work tends to be poor and performance is below par. Since cost is a big limiting factor, the management must make do with the available resource. The following are some tips for the management:
• Management must identify key functional areas such as sales, customer service and clearly define functions and tasks within these areas.
• Management must provide adequate training to staff to ensure they can satisfactorily perform all their tasks. Management should standardize tasks and functions and develop training manuals for their employees/staff.
• For technical matters, management should develop a manual highlighting all the technical issues encountered and how to resolve it. Staff must be trained on how to utilize and compile such manuals.
• Management must promote volunteerism. They must develop volunteer manuals aimed at optimally utilizing volunteers while providing them with value added training. Some areas where volunteers can actively perform are: research, surveys, customer service etc... Management must be creative and must provide incentive for volunteers to continue over a period of time.
(2) Marketing and information dissemination
Regarding information and material packaging and dissemination, I have listed a summary of the process highlighting steps in one of the prior discussions. It will provide some general framework for the management team to work along.
http://www.telecentre.org/forum/topics/telecentres-should-find?page...
(3) Financial Mgt
Financial management is a must for any business venture. Namely, a manager must have the ability to do the following:
o Budgeting – refers to the practice of setting a benchmark to which actual expenses must be compared. Budgets are generated to enable management to evaluate and assess their financial performance anytime over lifetime of the project. Budgets should be drawn upon conservative projections and estimation however, it should be realistic and must reflect the actual costs.
o Cost benefit analysis – enables managers to compare the cost and benefits of any undertaking – be it a new service, or a marketing plan etc. There are no hard and fast rules and usually managers develop criteria applicable to their business.
o Cash flow stmt – exhibits a businesses cash flow at any given point. It shows the actual cash balance business has on hand or “working capital” at any given point in time.
o Break even analysis – enables a manager to estimate at what point the business will start earning profits and cover its costs in relation to its overall costs.
o Income statement – shows the net profit or loss the business has incurred over a specific accounting period, usually issued at the end of every quarter.
o Balance Sheet – shows the businesses overall assets, liabilities and equities as of a specific time period.
Resources:
For a list of management concepts, methods and tools:
http://www.12manage.com
Internet Cafe Business Guide:
A Practical Business Framework for a Internet Cafe Business Start Up
http://www.1chu.info/publications.php
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Introduction:
The participants of the 2008 international telecenter workshop may recall their visit to Chinyunyu Community Telecentre. Located approximately 80 kms east of capital Lusaka, Chinyunyu telecentre offered a platform for a field study v…
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