Telecenters of the AmericasTelecenters of the Americas::

A network of networks supporting, community A network of networks supporting, community development, access & management of assets and development, access & management of assets and

human resource capital development through human resource capital development through

telecenterstelecenters

AgendaAgenda

• Community Telecenters (Kavita Singh, Community Telecenters (Kavita Singh, Community Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet)Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet)

• TAP Vision and Mission TAP Vision and Mission (John Zoltner, CTCNet)(John Zoltner, CTCNet)

• How TAP assisting telecenters in low income How TAP assisting telecenters in low income communities can become a vehicle for communities can become a vehicle for community/national/regional developmentcommunity/national/regional development– Community Development, Access & Management of Capital, Community Development, Access & Management of Capital,

Klaus Stoll, President, Fundación Chasquinet, Klaus Stoll, President, Fundación Chasquinet, – SME's John Broomfield, Social Venture PartnersSME's John Broomfield, Social Venture Partners– Education: Human resources capital development, Education: Human resources capital development,

John Villamil-Casanova, Executive Vice President & CIO, John Villamil-Casanova, Executive Vice President & CIO, The Aspira AssociationThe Aspira Association

• Questions and AnswersQuestions and Answers

What is TAP?What is TAP?

• The Telecenters of the Americas Partnership The Telecenters of the Americas Partnership (TAP) brings four leading networks of (TAP) brings four leading networks of community technology centers, or telecenters, community technology centers, or telecenters, in the Americas and the Chasquinet in the Americas and the Chasquinet Foundation of Quito, Ecuador together to form Foundation of Quito, Ecuador together to form the largest organized network of telecenters in the largest organized network of telecenters in the world (a network of networks). the world (a network of networks).

• The goal of the TAP is to develop collaborative The goal of the TAP is to develop collaborative cross-border initiatives, which can scale to cross-border initiatives, which can scale to make telecenters throughout the hemisphere make telecenters throughout the hemisphere more effective, and to implement projects that more effective, and to implement projects that would be unlikely for individual networks to would be unlikely for individual networks to accomplish alone. accomplish alone.

Telecenter Assets Telecenter Assets

Telecenters are key to international Telecenters are key to international development strategies todaydevelopment strategies today

• Community gathering placesCommunity gathering places

• Paid or volunteer staffPaid or volunteer staff

• Power and computersPower and computers

• UsuallyUsually, an Internet connection, an Internet connection

• Skilled at training novice usersSkilled at training novice users

Complementary to Other Complementary to Other EffortsEfforts

Telecenters are able to achieve outcomes Telecenters are able to achieve outcomes that schools and libraries cannot. that schools and libraries cannot.

Telecenters can help other social Telecenters can help other social interventions be more effectiveinterventions be more effective

Telecenter EffectivenessTelecenter Effectiveness

Depends on:Depends on:

• Model of organizationModel of organization

• Capacity of staff and volunteersCapacity of staff and volunteers

• Community participationCommunity participation

• Ability to market & implement servicesAbility to market & implement services

• Level of resources and ability to use Level of resources and ability to use resources efficientlyresources efficiently

Metcalfe’s LawMetcalfe’s Law

The usefulness or utility of a network The usefulness or utility of a network equals the square of the number equals the square of the number

of users.of users.

TAP MembersTAP Members

• Aspira Association, Inc. Aspira Association, Inc. (established in 1961): a network of 155 (established in 1961): a network of 155 telecenters serving Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico; telecenters serving Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico; ((www.www.aspiraaspira.org.org).).

• Community Technology Centers’ NetworkCommunity Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet, established in (CTCNet, established in 1989): a network of more than 1,000 independent telecenters 1989): a network of more than 1,000 independent telecenters throughout the United States (throughout the United States (www.www.ctcnetctcnet.org.org););

• Fundación ChasquinetFundación Chasquinet (established in 1997 in Quito, Ecuador): an (established in 1997 in Quito, Ecuador): an operating foundation devoted to promoting the strategic use and operating foundation devoted to promoting the strategic use and development of the Internet in the social sectors of developing development of the Internet in the social sectors of developing countries (countries (www.www.chasquinetchasquinet.org.org););

• Pacific Community Networks AssociationPacific Community Networks Association (PCNA, established in (PCNA, established in 1993): an organization of 28 local networks consisting of over 1993): an organization of 28 local networks consisting of over 1,000 telecenters in British Columbia and the Yukon, Canada. (1,000 telecenters in British Columbia and the Yukon, Canada. (www.www.pcnahelpdeskpcnahelpdesk.ca.ca););

• Somos@TelecentrosSomos@Telecentros a knowledge and learning community based a knowledge and learning community based network of 2,232 telecentres in Latin American and the Caribbean network of 2,232 telecentres in Latin American and the Caribbean Region. (Region. (www.www.teletele--centroscentros.org.org))

TAP GoalsTAP Goals

• Supporting Network and Center Supporting Network and Center SustainabilitySustainability

• Sharing Network ResourcesSharing Network Resources

• Supporting Public Policy Supporting Public Policy

• Engaging in Cross-border WorkEngaging in Cross-border Work

TAP and Community TAP and Community DevelopmentDevelopment

Hemispheric Telecenters and Hemispheric Telecenters and Cybercafes NetworkCybercafes Network

• The term “telecenters” refers to all points of The term “telecenters” refers to all points of public access of the Internet;public access of the Internet;

• TAP Assets: Information from throughout the TAP Assets: Information from throughout the hemisphere regarding the number, location, hemisphere regarding the number, location, structure and function of the telecenters and structure and function of the telecenters and their user’s information priorities is a critical their user’s information priorities is a critical set of inputs for planning TAP international, set of inputs for planning TAP international, regional or national initiatives;regional or national initiatives;

• TAP Network: over 4,000 community public TAP Network: over 4,000 community public access centers from Canada to Chile and the access centers from Canada to Chile and the Caribbean.Caribbean.

Community Development, Access Community Development, Access & Management of Capital& Management of Capital

• Attention should be focused on Attention should be focused on remittance receiving countries' financial and remittance receiving countries' financial and telecommunications regulatory normstelecommunications regulatory norms that facilitate or inhibit lower cost that facilitate or inhibit lower cost remittance transfers and communications among families allowing for the remittance transfers and communications among families allowing for the adoption of state of the art digital technologies.adoption of state of the art digital technologies.

• The The administrative information systems and software employed by participating administrative information systems and software employed by participating telecentertelecenter and the cost, licensing rules, security and privacy aspects, plus open and the cost, licensing rules, security and privacy aspects, plus open source software options suggest the need for a multi-stakeholder portal that source software options suggest the need for a multi-stakeholder portal that synthesizes these data and their respective training programs to enhance synthesizes these data and their respective training programs to enhance awareness and their effective use.awareness and their effective use.

• IncentivesIncentives must exist to catalyze the considerable training of relevant personnel must exist to catalyze the considerable training of relevant personnel that must occur among all those telecenters participating in any lower cost that must occur among all those telecenters participating in any lower cost configuration of diverse institutions using available and emerging digital tools.configuration of diverse institutions using available and emerging digital tools.

• Additional services may be linked to a Additional services may be linked to a generic transfer platform/infrastructure generic transfer platform/infrastructure systemsystem and the institutional network created thereby. and the institutional network created thereby.

• These actions should be embedded in a These actions should be embedded in a comprehensive development strategy, comprehensive development strategy, rural and urbanrural and urban, that optimizes remittance resources, migrants’ social capital , that optimizes remittance resources, migrants’ social capital and the political will of countries’ administrative and telecenters leadership.and the political will of countries’ administrative and telecenters leadership.

TAP, Telecenters and SME TAP, Telecenters and SME DevelopmentDevelopment

Key ChallengesKey Challenges

• Revenue generation Revenue generation • Access to capitalAccess to capital• Cost reductionCost reduction• Skills and knowledgeSkills and knowledge

• TC financial sustainabilityTC financial sustainability

• Platform sustainabilityPlatform sustainability• ComplexityComplexity

For SMEs

ForTCs

For the platform

Key activities: revenue Key activities: revenue generationgeneration

• Provide access to new markets AND Provide access to new markets AND provide active business development provide active business development services (sales, marketing and product services (sales, marketing and product identification). identification).

• Move beyond the shopfrontMove beyond the shopfront

• Actively marketing in new marketsActively marketing in new markets

• E-commerce platform and electronic E-commerce platform and electronic paymentspayments

Demand GenerationDemand Generation

Local/NationalMarkets

SME SME

TC

SME

NA & EuropeanMarkets

Local Environment

SME Support PlatformInfrastructure Level Logistics and Distribution Partnerships

Key activities: cost Key activities: cost reductionreduction

• leverage the buying power of the leverage the buying power of the network to negotiate cheaper prices network to negotiate cheaper prices from suppliers.from suppliers.

• Make it easier for SMEs to do businessMake it easier for SMEs to do business– Reduced time to source productsReduced time to source products– Make comparison shoping easierMake comparison shoping easier– Incease choiceIncease choice

• Make it easier for suppliers to Make it easier for suppliers to sellsell to to SMEsSMEs

Supplier ManagementSupplier Management

Local/NationalSuppliers

SME SME

TC

SME

National/ InternationalSuppliers

Local Environment

SME Support PlatformInfrastructure Level Logistics and Distribution Partnerships

Local Environment

SME Support PlatformInfrastructure Level Distribution Partnerships

SME

GovernmentPotential customers Potential Suppliers

CostReductionActivities

SME

SME

Telecenters

SME

SME & Local TC Training

Skills and knowledge transfer SME Training

Revenue Generation

Activities

Macro

Micro

The PlatformThe Platform

SME Support Platform

SME

GovernmentPotential customers Potential Suppliers

Local Environment

Product Identification

Demand Generation

SME

SME

TC

SME

Infrastructure Level

B2B & B2CEurope & N. A.

Affiliate Program

Web based

Franchise

SME & TCTraining

SME & TCTraining

SME & TCTraining

Logistics and Distribution Partnerships

Order Aggregation

AffiliatePrograms

SME & TCTraining

Legal and RegulatoryFramework

Import/Export

SME Support Programs and funding

Supplier Management

Suppliers

TAP Educational Initiatives: TAP Educational Initiatives: Human Human Resources Capital DevelopmentResources Capital Development

• TAP will enable social, and economic development of TAP will enable social, and economic development of communities by providing a technological communities by providing a technological infrastructure, capacity to manage financial resources;infrastructure, capacity to manage financial resources;

• The above requires organizational capacity The above requires organizational capacity development (governance, technical, & managerial) of development (governance, technical, & managerial) of local, regional and national organizations;local, regional and national organizations;

• TAP network members have proven capacity (decades TAP network members have proven capacity (decades of experience) in delivering educational programs of experience) in delivering educational programs through their networks;through their networks;

• The synergistic effect of the combined educational The synergistic effect of the combined educational programs of TAP members provides an unsurpassed programs of TAP members provides an unsurpassed capacity to develop human resources capital in low capacity to develop human resources capital in low income communities throughout the hemisphere.income communities throughout the hemisphere.

TAP Educational Initiatives: TAP Educational Initiatives: Human Human Resources Capital DevelopmentResources Capital Development

Post-secondary EducationPrograms

Technical Training

TAP Members &Technical Infrastructure

OrganizationalCapacity

Developement

Financial Education