1. Soros Foundation - Moldova
Dumitru Chitoroagă

2. Extending Access to Information Information Resources Development
Information Program
Priority Directions:
Information policy and resources for implementing e-Democracy and e-Governance
Extending Access to Information
Information Resources Development
Community Network and information culture

3. Extending Access to Information
Information Program
Extending Access to Information
Goal: to provide access to information for rural area by offering new services based on ICT and training regarding ICT use.
Program priority areas:
establishing Access to Information and Training Community Centers (AITCC) in rural area
supporting public libraries initiatives in improving information services for different categories of users (until December 2005)

4. Public Library Initiatives
Implementation Data:
Total financial support offered by Soros Foundation-Moldova
for diversifying information services within 81 public libraries– $
Year
Public Libraries
SFM support, $
1999 1
17 780
2000 5
29 500
2001 10
75 868
2002 7
17 062
2003 19
80 725
2004 25
98 570
2005 14
58 056

5. Extending Access to Information
Access to Information and Training Community Centers
Objectives :
to facilitate access to information and new forms of communication of community members;
to promote new concepts about information, access to information, ICT and training;
to provide ICT training for community members.

6. Extending Access to Information
Implementation Data:
Total financial support offered by the Foundation – $
Year
AITCC
SFM support, $
Community support, $
2002 10
67 904
30 260
2003 22
70 595
2004 30
2005 19
83 784
2006
41 250

7. Extending Access to Information
Eligibility Criteria:
applicant’s and community’s contribution - 30% - 35%
services offered by grantee - free of charge: 60% - 70% / fee based: 30 % - 40%
main budget lines supported by the Foundation - equipment and Internet connection
qualified local team
selfsustainability for the second year
eligible organizations: NGO, libraries, secondary school educational institutions.

8. Soros Foundation Moldova
Context ( )
insufficiency of transparency of normative acts and decision making at national and local levels that reduces the possibilities of citizens, NGOs, and media to influence this process;
insufficient quality of information resources in Moldova
gap in access to information resources between rural and urban areas
shortage of free and unlimited access to information for all social categories of people
shortage of qualified specialists who could ensure access to information
no on-line services and on-line payments

9. Extending Access to Information
Main issues in :
Low number of IT specialists in rural area
High turnover of IT specialists
Low speed of Internet connection
High price for Internet connection
Exclusive use of Microsoft Software
Language (interface, content)

10. Soros Foundation Moldova
Context (2012)
low quality of information resources in Moldova
shortage of qualified specialists
few on-line services are available in Moldova
about 90% of the country is covered by internet 3G+ and wired internet offered by Moldtelecom
growing number of free WiFi areas
dramatic increase of the number of PC’s & notebooks in rural area
smartphone is becoming a “must have”
Skype – cheapest communication channel with relatives working abroad

11. Extending Access to Information
Main issues in 2012:
Internet cafe – low profit business
Smaller target groups
On-line payments in Moldova are not developed
Low number of IT specialists in rural area
High turnover of IT specialists
Language (interface, content)

12. Soros Foundation Moldova Key factors for future growth
Increasing the number of on-line services (e-government)
Developing of on-line business (on-line bank transactions - widely available for citizens, PayPal in Moldova, on-line auctions [including agricultural products], …)
Diversification of business (NGO activities, IT training & consulting, software & hardware support, WEB advertising, …)
AITCC Network development (joint projects, effective exchange of information, …)

13. Thank you for your attention!