Community Information Centers Cambodia Bridging the Divide Workshop April 23 rd 2005

The Asia Foundation’s ICT Program: The Development Context for CICs CIC Project -Overview -Best Practices -Evaluation and Lessons Learnt Content

Brief History of ICT Program 16 Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam Program Areas:eGovernment, eCivil Society and eLearning ICT Program

ICT Program: A Comprehensive Approach GOOD GOVERNMENT eGovernment eAdministration, eServices, eSociety STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY eCivil Society ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR ICT ENGAGEMENT

CIC Project: Challenges in Cambodia Weak Governance -An inefficient and expensive bureaucracy -Low quality of government services, with high levels of corruption -Lack of government transparency and accountability Weak Civil Society -Limited information or communication outlets in the provinces Weak infrastructure -No domestic postal system -Limited phone coverage (primarily wireless) GOALS: 1. Promote good governance by encouraging fairer elections through voter education and access to neutral information 2. Strengthen civil society to increase public participation ACCESS IS A MEANS, NOT THE GOAL

CIC Project: Principles from Best Practices 1.Part of bigger agenda for development: - ‘wiring up’ is not enough: technology is a tool not end goal - national strategies - concrete goals 2.Project Design/Implementation: - not one-size-fits-all: complexities of situation - localized, participatory process - simplest, local technology - local partnerships 3.Sustainability - long-term - beyond financial - institutional, technological, cultural

Challenges/Lessons Learnt - Technology Hardware Desktop vs. laptop Brand vs. Clone Connectivity; satellite, wireless “broadband”, dial up, cell phone (locally available) Electricity Regular, backup and stabilizer Physical environment; dust, heat, humidity, lightening Software Open Source or MS Registering XP Khmer fonts Lack of universal standardized font Pirated software Anti-virus Tired and tested over latest and greatest

Challenges/Lessons Learnt – Project Environment Policy environment Telecom regulations Service/reselling regulations Infrastructure environment Domestic ISP providers International backbone connections

Challenges/Lessons Learnt – Non-Technology Government resistance Low capacity of Local Partners Lack of demand/Low capacity of Users Lack of Competitiveness of local businesses Corruption Content Sustainability - Market Research - Costs - Early private sector involvement - Business plans

Lessons learned Server/Client set ups Dependence on local ISP, try to establish VPN and share Internet connection Donated computers Face to face meetings Leap frog – technology yes, human capacity no Students early adopters English vs. local language

CIC Project: Usage Statistics Total number of visits: 540,000 Number of unique users: 38,000 (February, 2003 to February, 2005)

  Khmer language website with development information Health Environment Agriculture Gender Human Rights Economic Development Education Tourism  Ability to post information CIC Project: Web Content

CIC Project Web Portal Accessible content: Lack of Khmer language information available on the Internet Solutions Develop project web portal Embedded font Promote Khmer Unicode Challenges No standardized Khmer font or keyboard Lack of word spacing Unable to search or sort Results Over 30,000 pages views per day Connection with Khmer Diaspora community (50% of hits are from abroad)

Community Information Centers A Brief Photo Journey

CIC Large Centers 10 computers, 64k access, Staff of 4 Medium Centers 6 computers, 64k access (3 centers), Dial-up access (6 centers), Staff of 4 Small Centers 3 computers, Dial-up access, Staff of 4 CIC February 18 CIC Feb 19-22March 3 CIC March 10-14March CIC Locations CIC

CIC Project: 22 Community Information centers

 Computers and printer  3-4 support staff CIC Project: Equipment

 Posters and Other Information Sources CIC Project: Other Information Sources

 Library of newspapers, magazines and printed reference material CIC Project: Other Information Sources

 Library used as a civic space CIC Project: Civic Space

Access to computers and the Internet Training on how to use computers accounts Library with resource materials Meeting space CIC Project: Services Offered

 New project  Bringing education from the capital to the Provinces CIC Project: eLearning