USAID/AFRICALINK
INTERNET CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
REPORT TO SETA CORPORATION
Prepared by: J Chenje Harare
A Mapurisa Zimbabwe
J Holland 15 December 1997
1. Introduction
In August this year IUCN-ROSA entered into an agreement with USAID’s AfricaLink Program through the SETA Corporation for the provision of an initial connectivity assistance program, to provide backup technical support for partners and to implement a partner training program. The purpose of this was to improve communications between IUCN’s Regional Office for Southern Africa (IUCN ROSA) and its members and its partners of the Southern African Development Community Natural Resources Management Programme (SADC NRMP). This final report is presented in compliance with the terms of Subcontract No 97080701/1106.
2. Initial Internet Connectivity Assistance
2.1 Objectives
The overall objectives of this program were:
- To ensure that as many as possible of the IUCN members and SADC NRMP partners were connected to the Internet
- To ensure that the above users were capable of using the Internet effectively for communications and research.
2.2 Strategy
The strategy used to achieve the above objectives was:
- Carry out a survey of members and partners to determine their current state of connectivity
- Offer selected members and partners the means of being connected to the Internet and a 3 month subscription to their selected service provider
- Ensure initial training for users to get started
- Provide additional follow-up training and technical support
Letters (see samples at Attachments 1 and 2) to assess the members and partners’ electronic communications capacities were sent to approximately 70 member organisations and 30 partners in July with questionnaires which these organisations were required to complete and return to IUCN ROSA. We received a total of 22 replies, with the responses providing information for us to update the Internet connectivity status of the members and partners. At this stage we found that 60% of our members (70 in all) and 90% of our partners (30 in all) had Internet connectivity.
Following the signing of the contract with SETA we faxed a letter (Attachment 3) dated 28 August 1997 to all IUCN members and NRMP partners that did not have a full Internet connection offering to pay for the cost of providing a modem, initial connection charges to a local ISP, three months’ fees to the ISP, and an introductory training course on the Internet. It also detailed the technical backstopping support and Partner Training Program that would also be provided. A further follow-up letter (see Attachment 4) was sent on 15 September 1997 to those that had not responded, as it was felt that there could have been a problem with a lack of appreciation of the potential benefits of the use of the Internet to assist them in their work.
Contact was also made with ISPs in the region so that information on their services and prices could be made available to the participants.
When the members had received the letters, each one of them approached at least three service providers for pricing information covering the "basic connectivity package" of initial setup, 3 months’ connection, a modem, and basic training. With the three quotations from service providers, they made their choice of the best supplier of Internet services. Those who did not have any technical expertise at all consulted IUCN for advice and we did advise them accordingly.
Having decided on an Internet service provider (ISP), we made out bank drafts in foreign currency for members and partners outside Zimbabwe and cheques in Z$ for those in Zimbabwe. These cheques were sent to the members who then presented them to the ISPs before getting connected. It was arranged that the new users should obtain initial training through their ISPs.
2.3 Achievements
As a result of the above exercise we received a total of 19 requests for connection and were able to ensure that all of these were in fact connected and provided with the initial training by their ISPs. The following deliverables are attached:
- Schedule of 18 IUCN members and 1 SADC NRMP partner that were connected. The Department of National Parks & Wildlife in Botswana is the SADC NRMP partner connected. The rest are IUCN ROSA members (Attachment 5)
- Copy of Microsoft Access database listing details of IUCN members (filename members.mdb on diskette 1)
- Copy of Microsoft Access database listing details of SADC NRMP partners (filename partners.mdb on diskette 1)
- Copies of invoices -- Initial Internet Connectivity Assistance Invoices (see separate Finances Report)
- Statement of disbursed funds (see separate Finance Report)
2.4 Problems and Constraints
The major problems and constraints experienced in this exercise were:
- Lack of responsiveness to the initial offer of connectivity
- Financial constraints of potential participants worried about the long term costs of Internet accounts
- Resistance to the new technology by people used to traditional forms of communication and worried about retraining implications etc
- Delays by ISPs in providing the necessary quotations required under this program
Lack of computers or phone lines was not found to be a constraint as far as we could determine. However in the case of Malawi there was no established ISP that could provide a full Internet service (only e-mail services being available).
2.5 Recommendations
It is recommended that in future in such programs there should be an initial awareness-creation phase to sensitise key personnel in concerned organisations to the potential benefits of the use of the Internet.
3. Technical Support for Partners
3.1 Objectives
Recognising that mere connection to the Internet is not sufficient for people to be able to make use of it effectively, provision was made for technical support to be made available to partners through the establishment of a Help Desk. Its key objectives are:
- To demonstrate to members and partners use of the Internet as a medium for research and communication
- To provide participants with technical backstopping services in relation to the use of the Internet
- To respond to and handle enquiries and fault reports from participants
- To organise training programs to upgrade the Internet skills of participants
3.2 Strategy
IUCN’s Information Technology specialist Andrew Mapurisa was contracted by IUCN ROSA to establish the Help Desk. He was sent on attachment to SANGONeT in South Africa for one week to obtain intensive training. This provided an opportunity for training on how to establish a Help Desk for IUCN members and partners and what benefits the Desk would provide. Various aspects on the operations of a Help Desk were covered at SANGONeT (see the SANGONeT trip report -- Attachment 6).
An Internet account was opened by IUCN ROSA to provide full Internet connectivity to the Help Desk. Dial-up connections to the service provider are made once an hour so that partners are able to contact the Help Desk with minimal delay. A letter (see sample at Attachment 7) was sent to the partners to advise them of the establishment of the Help Desk and the services it offers.
3.3 Achievements
The Help Desk has been successfully established for the purpose of assisting IUCN members and SADC NRMP partners in the use of the Internet. It has always been the intention that users should contact their local providers in the first instance in the case of problems, as most problems are best solved at that level. This seems to have been the pattern that most users are following, and it seems likely that the major function of the Help Desk in future will be more in the development of information materials than in direct end-user support.
The following specific results have been achieved under this program:
- The Help Desk has been established with the e-mail address help@iucnrosa.org.zw and staff put in place and trained to operate it.
- Partners have been notified of the existence of the Help Desk.
- A database of partner connectivity has been established (see files on diskette as for item 2.3 above)
- The Help Desk has played a major role in the Initial Internet Connectivity Assistance program
- Technical support has begun to be provided to partners having problems with using the Internet.
- A list of useful Web sites has been developed and is being made available in the form of an HTML file that has been distributed to partners (see resource.htm on diskette 6 and printout at Attachment 10).
- The first of two training workshops has been held (see section 4 below).
3.4 Problems and Constraints
No problems have arisen to date with this facility.. The majority of the members and partners we connected have not encountered any serious problems with their internet connections.
3.5 Recommendations
It is necessary to become more pro-active, with the Help Desk distributing relevant material on a regular basis. This will be done by the establishment of a listserv mailing list at IUCN ROSA’s ISP for use by partners as a forum on the use of the Internet.
4. Partner Training
4.1 Objectives
The key objectives of partner training are:
- To ensure that after obtaining initial connectivity, partners can start to use the Internet for e-mail and accessing the World Wide Web.
- To advance partners from being Internet novices to being able to use Internet services effectively to advance their own organisation’s objectives.
4.2 Strategy
It was a condition of the initial connectivity program that new users be able to be given initial training by their service providers. This was carried out at the time.Subsequently, additional training has been provided by the Help Desk by the preparation and distribution of appropriate training material on diskette (diskette 6) , by e-mail tutorials and by an add-on workshop.
A list of participants for on-line training in the use of the Internet was prepared, based on those who were provided with initial connectivity, as well as a few existing users that opted to join in. A series of e-mail messages have been sent out dealing with issues from initial connectivity through to the use of the Internet for research. (see Attachment 8).
4.3 Achievements
The following materials have been prepared and distributed:
- Training material on the Internet in HTML format was issued to newly connected partners on diskette (diskettes 2 and 3). This format was used on the assumption that they would all have a Web browser that could display the material.
- An ongoing e-mail tutorial programme has been started, aimed at the new users
One add-on workshop has been held – at the University of Namibia, on 25 November. This took place over one afternoon using the computer laboratory, which has 40 terminals connected to the Internet, and dealt with the theme of using the Internet for research. The PowerPoint presentation materials are included (diskette numbers 4 and 5) and the training notes provided on ‘Using the Internet for Research’ (Attachment 9).
Feedback from participants has been very positive in relation to the usefulness of the on-line training material being sent out to them.
4.4 Problems and Constraints
The major problem with add-on workshops is the different levels of expectations of participants who have come to attend another workshop arranged for a different purpose. This means that participants cannot be selected on the basis of having similar prior skills levels. For the more experienced participants the type of training provided was not very useful as they already knew the material being covered. However they benefited from the list of useful Web sites, and some had not previously thought of the concept of creating your own HTML page for organising Web links on your own hard disk. The major beneficiaries were clearly the novice Internet users, for whom it provided both an encouragement to get more active and to give them an overview of the Internet and the way it can be used for researching environmental information.
Preparation for a second workshop to be held in Mozambique in early December began in October, but we experienced many organisational problems -- both in terms of obtaining feedback from the location selected for holding the workshop (the Universidad Eduardo Mondlane) and in contacting potential participants from Mozambique to invite them to the workshop. Due to the low number of final acceptances, and the fact that the University had still not confirmed final arrangements and costs, it was decided to cancel the workshop rather than proceed with holding one under such circumstances.
5. Conclusions
The programme began under conditions of severe time constraint, as the contract was not signed until the end of August, so work effectively began at the beginning of September and was due to be completed by the end of the following month. This made the planning of training workshops particularly difficult. No timeous responses from SETA Corporation were received on queries submitted especially those related to finance and whether or not an extension of time would be approved. Fortunately an extension was finally authorised to allow the activities to be continued through to mid-December.
As a result of the programme, all except 2 of the IUCN members are now connected to the Internet and have been provided with basic training in its use. The Help Desk has been successfully established and has begun ongoing activities, particularly the distribution of Internet training materials and the organisation of training workshops. A list of Internet resources has been prepared that are of relevance to environmentalists in Southern Africa, and this should be built on over time.
J Chenje
Environmental Information and Communications Programme Coordinator
IUCN-ROSA
Harare
Zimbabwe
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