Preface

Log onto the Internet! Gain unlimited access to information! Communicate with colleagues and funders in other countries without worrying about high phone charges and time differences! Showcase your products and services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

Wait a minute....

True, the Internet can bring these benefits and more to your organization, but only if you use it to your advantage. Getting there can be confusing. You must decide whether you need new computers or telephone lines and how much these items will cost. You must ensure that your staff feel comfortable with the technology and make efficient use of their time in front of the computer. And with an array of Internet tools available to retrieve and disseminate information, you must understand which applications are most relevant and cost-effective for your organization.

Equally as important as the technical aspects, you must be able to plan how your organization can take advantage of the Internet to achieve its goals. This manual, Making the Internet Connection Count, takes you, your organization, your work team, or any groups you intend to collaborate with through a process of examination and discovery. You will think about how you use information now, how you could use it in the future, and how you plan to introduce or expand the use of the Internet in your organization consistent with your organization's needs.

Making the Internet Connection Count is intended for decision makers and staff of NGOs, educational institutions, and government agencies that currently do not have, or have very limited, access to the Internet. Chances are, if you are reading this book, you have decided that you want to introduce or expand the use of the Internet in your organization. You may be a senior manager who is giving this book to someone on your staff to make it happen. Or you may suddenly find yourself in a lead role as your organization's "Internet champion," getting your organization online.

The information and exercises in this manual are adapted from a series of hands-on workshops conducted throughout Africa by the Leland Initiative. The Leland Initiative is a five-year, $15 million U.S. government effort to extend full Internet connectivity to 20 or more African countries. Administered through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Leland Initiative supports policy reform; facilitates low-cost, high-speed Internet access; and helps build networks of users working toward sustainable development in Africa.

The Internet is not an end in itself but a tool to help you accomplish your organization's goals as you work toward sustainable development. This manual will streamline the process to help you and your colleagues connect to the Internet to send and receive information in a way that furthers your organization's goals and objectives.

The Internet has proven to be a great help to many organizations, but it cannot serve as the only means to communicate with others. Consider it a new tool--but only one of many that you have and will continue to use. Tools that range from posters to street theater to informal meetings will always play a vital and irreplaceable role in the work of development organizations.

In fact, after reading this manual and working through some of the exercises, you may decide that the Internet is not a technology that your organization needs at this time. You may find that the benefits to your organization will not outweigh the costs associated with setting up Internet access and training the staff to use it. No matter how you proceed, this manual will enable you to make an informed choice.

One publication cannot teach everything there is to know about the Internet, a technology that is changing every day. This manual does not cover specific instructions or training about how to access the Internet on your computer. Other resources provide that information, including many online that you can link to through the Leland Initiative Web site. We also provide some additional background in the appendices.

Rather, this manual will take you through a seven-step process to:

1. build awareness of how the Internet might benefit your organization;

2. assess your organization's information needs;

3. find answers to your technical questions about getting connected to the Internet;

4. train staff so they feel comfortable with the Internet and understand its potential;

5. create an action plan to define how the Internet will further your goals;

6. implement the plan; and

7. review what you have done and how you have done it so far and decide where you should head in the future.

Above all, we have tried to include exercises and examples that combine creativity with common sense. The Internet is an amazing way to communicate with people around the world, share information, and transact business. It can change the way your organization operates in big ways, in small ways, or somewhere in between. Be prepared for frustrations, since frustrations are associated with any change to the usual way of doing things. Learning about and using the Internet is an ongoing process for beginners and experts alike. One of the most important things that you will be called upon to do is to maintain your enthusiasm and encourage your colleagues to think big--not necessarily in terms of large amounts of money, but in terms of new, creative ideas.

Table of Contents | Overview: Effective Use of the Internet in Seven Steps