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MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY
TELECENTERS (MCT)
www.barangayconnect.ph
Ms. Merlita M. Opeña
DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
PROJECT NOTES
EVALUATION
INDICATORS, objective-based
PROJECT SHIFTS, LEARN AS YOU RUN – midway, exit
REFLECTION, and probing, one can extend observations to gender analyses
EVALUATION, an ongoing process; hence, No one-time COST
What is MCT?
MCT piloted in four Philippine villages (barangays) the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for rural developmentMCT aims to contribute to people’s empowerment and development by providing access to community and partners’ information and communication resources and services.
What MCT expects to achieve?
To set-up a one-stop information resource center for the people in the barangays (villages), by giving them access to information, people, and organizations, with the use of simple and state-of-the-art communication tools that can provide answers to the communities’ concerns.
What MCT expects to achieve?
To serve as a venue for learning, interaction, creating content and ICT-based applications, relevant to the needs of the communities (e.g., health, education, agriculture/fisheries/natural resources, rural enterprise development)
MCT Services
Public Calling Office
Internet Access
Computer Processing Center
Library and Reading Center
Training Resource Center
Content and ICT-based Applications
MCT Development Strategies
build on existing programs
work with partners
create local content/application
ensure long-term viability and sustainability by strengthening local capability
Project implementer´s evaluation
Lessons learned from
- site visits/occasional stay-in, observations; at times with donor
- talking with individuals, groups (FGDs)
- learning caravan with the community, from one site to the other
- field reports (staff and partners)
- logbooks
Lessons Learned
Barangays have the capability to solve their own problem; they have resourcesThe people in the rural community are not always waiting for free services; they have the capability to pay
Lessons Learned
MCT is a relationship project, one works within a web of relationshipsBottom-up governance is viable; there is a need to shift from the traditional top-down view
On management and operation…
Each MCT is different from the others, strongly dependent on leaders
There should be a balance between giving public and commercial services
Voluntarism is valuable, especially when the MCT is just starting
On community mobilization…
Project ownership by the community is essential
Active community involvement, sectoral formation and participation are very important
On community mobilization…
Persons with strong leadership, with the right ability and orientation, encourage active community participation and help ensure a strong and sustainable MCT
Easier if community has undergone community organizing; or, if there is an existing organization
On content development...
Information need is an evolving concern
Content/resources/applications available in the MCT should respond to the community’s information needs
On content development...
Community itself generates its own content – a major source
Networking with content generators enriches information resource at MCTs
On content development...
Use of local dialect hastens understanding and results to action
Use popular/appropriate language and format
Communicate proactively
On technical infrastructure...
Use appropriate, stable, and robust technology for connectivity, computing, and communication
MCT operators should be trained on equipment maintenance and basic troubleshooting
Evaluation by a third party (engaged by donor)
External evaluator´s report not well received (matter of language), though well-meaning; his observations were used though in refining project activities, e.g., community mobilization, and providing information that people need in their daily lives
Based on evaluation, revise midstream
Engaged a partner-NGO (eDI) who stayed and worked with the community, especially to --
mobilize the community, by ``puroks,`` by sector
conduct training++ (beyond ICT, including gender sensitivity) and PRA
Evaluation from close engagement
Lessons learned from close engagement with community showed observable improvements
- site visits/occasional stay-in, observations
- talking with individuals, groups (FGDs)
- field reports (staff and partners)
- logbooks
Evaluation with APC-WNSP (GEM)
Provided opportunity for more focused evaluation, using more tools (4th year of project, looking for exit strategies)
Evaluation with APC-WNSP (GEM)
- logbooks, seriously now
- FGD by GEM - observation by GEM (e.g., gender
composition of volunteers, local government council, Management Board)
- interview (3rd party)
+ diary (volunteers)
+ storytelling (3rd party)
Evaluation with APC-WNSP (GEM)
From reports generated by all tools used, TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY (in a workshop), analysed the resultsall tools, aside from storytelling, generate STORIES, e.g., stories behind numbers in logbook
only the COMMUNITY can explain better the stories behind figures or situations
Why stories
for monitoring, both the volunteers and the telecenter
for determining what specific action(s) to take
to serve as basis for planning to provide input in decision making for expression of feelingto learn from oneself and other
volunteers
Why stories
to develop writing skillsto serve as a record of events and
project’s history (milestones)to learn the stories behind user
statisticsto serve as a reflection of people
who work at the telecenter, i.e., their beliefs, culture, values, perspectives, and dynamics
Why stories
to reflect/record changes in community participation and governance
to look into gender/family relations in the communityto contextualize social and power structure/relations within the community
Why stories
Learning went beyond answers to question of access to services; can also be used to probe gender awareness, gender considerations in designing applications and services, equity in accessing services
On evaluation and monitoring...
Storytelling, by itself, and in combination with other tools, is a potent way to evaluate projects
Looking into the views and needs of non-users is important
On evaluation and monitoring...
a critical appraisal, not meant for donors only; importantly, for the community
documentation of failures as well as successes
should this be a neutral process?
Overall, what we learned
Setting MCTs, more than technologyService convergence, online-offline complementationConnecting: down-up & up-downCapacity building for all participantsSustainability, more than financials
Overall, what we learned
The primacy of the COMUNITY
Codifying what we learned
A Manual