1. Presented by: Abdulilah DEWACHI Hazim B. ASAD Marc KHAYAT Crown Plaza, Beirut, Lebanon 5-6 September 2007 ESCWA ICT in Education Projects for Iraq Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of UN-ESCWA

2. Agenda UNAMI modes of partnership Project briefs and objectives Projects partners Projects success stories Projects lessons learned Conclusions ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 2

3. Partnership at the programmatic level ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 3 UN DG ITF UNAMI SCSO Cluster ACluster CCluster B GOI MOPID Line Ministry ISRB Project UN agency Donors Strategic framework Project

4. Partnership at the operational level ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 4 Cluster B (Education and Culture) Line Ministry Project Lead UN agency UN agency Other Government partners NGO’s Contractors Consultants

5. ICT Projects Two main projects are being implemented, by ESCWA, in Iraq: Iraqi Networking Academies Project (INA) ICT in Education for Iraq Project (ICTEI) ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 5

6. INA Project Goals ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 6 The establishment of: – 5 Regional Networking Academies (RNAs) – 39 Local Networking Academies (LNAs) Educate, train, and certify Iraqi youth with basic and advanced networking skills according to the Cisco Networking Academy Program (CNAP)

7. BeneficiariesInstitutionalHuman DirectIraqi universities and institutions Iraqi university and institution students IndirectIraqi ICT sectorIraqi professionals INA Project Overview Duration: August 2004 – December 2007 Funding:Iraq Trust Fund (5 Million USD) Location:Throughout Iraq Main Iraqi Counterpart:Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) 7 ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq

8. NameRoleWin Situation ESCWABeing the arm of the UN in the region, ESCWA provides the overall project management, ensuring smooth implementation and operation of the project. Effective contribution to the rebuild of Iraq. Ministry of Higher Education Responsible for selecting universities and institutions as well as following up and monitoring the project implementation. Enhancing and strengthening the ICT curriculum. Iraqi Universities and Institutions Responsible for site preparation, conducting classes, and managing the academies. Reputable name of academy, and international exposure. ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq INA Project Partners 8

9. INA Project Partners (cont’d) ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 9 NameRoleWin Situation CiscoProvides the necessary curriculum required to conduct classes based on the CNAP. Control the networking market in Iraq. Lebanese American University (LAU) Provides training facilities and advisory services. Conduct instructor classes at LAU premises, and advertise university name. UNESCOProviding background information on the state of the education sector in Iraq. Effective contribution to the Iraqi education sector.

10. Facts and Successes 5 RNAs and 21 LNAs have been established; remaining LNAs will be established soon; More than 30 instructor classes have been conducted, for more than 250 instructors; More than 75 student classes have been conducted, for more than 750 students; The project received the “Cisco Against All Odds” during the Cisco Academy Conference in 2005; Newsletter published on Cisco’s website; 10 ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq

11. Lessons Learned Address the gender initiative through proper media attention; Customs exemption letters should start being processed 2 months prior to any shipment to Iraq; Proper training-of-trainers (ToT) should be done outside Iraq, accounting for the language barrier (Arabic - English); Ensure correct international exposure is disseminated to benefit other countries; Effective communications through the Internet, email and messaging; Displacement of Iraqis due to sectarian violence and job opportunities abroad and the impact on staff turnover; Address language barrier issue for clear communications; 11 ESCWA I.T Projects in Iraq

12. ICTEI Project Goals ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 12 The establishment of – 1 ICT Development Centre (ICTDC) in Baghdad – 5 ICT Centres (ICTC) in 5 governorates in Iraq – 5 E-caravans in 5 governorates in Iraq – 10 pilot schools (for boys and girls) in 5 governorates in Iraq The project is designed to build sustainable capacity in Iraqi Ministry of Education for the continuing quality improvement of teaching and learning, focusing on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

13. ICTEI Project Overview Duration: May 2007 – November 2008 Funding:Iraq Trust Fund (4 Million USD) Location:Throughout Iraq Main Iraqi Counterpart:Ministry of Education (MoE) 13 ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq BeneficiariesInstitutionalHuman DirectMoE, training centres, pilot schools Iraqi MoE staff and teachers IndirectIraqi educational curriculum Iraqi school students

14. ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq ICTEI Project Partners NameRoleWin Situation ESCWAESCWA, the leading agency, provides the overall project management, ensuring smooth implementation and operation of the project. Also, ESCWA is responsible of procurement all hardware required for the building of the centres, pilot schools, and E-caravans. Effective contribution to the rebuild of Iraq. UNESCOProvides E-learning packages, workshops, training, and certification of MoE instructors. Effective contribution to the Iraqi education sector. 14

15. ICTEI Project Partners (cont’d) ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 15 NameRoleWin Situation Ministry of Education Provide coordination between UN agencies and the trainees, monitoring of project implementation, authority over the instructors. Improve the ICT literacy and skills of the MoE staff, teachers, and students. NGOsProvide services, products, and expertise in both hardware and software solutions, as required by the project. Advertisement of NGO names in project documents and promotional material.

16. Expected Obstacles Focus attention of MoE staff and school teachers on project objectives Lack of motivation for cooperation from the MoE staff members; Introducing E-learning in school curricula; Communications difficulties due to the language barrier; Unavailability of competent local contractors for site preparations and maintenance support; Selection of appropriate locations for E-caravans; Safety of E-caravans during transportation and operation; 16, setting up ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq

17. Expected Obstacles (cont’d) Non-response of focal points; Communications difficulties between different sites in Iraq; Curfews and increasing security risks; Travel risks within and outside Iraq; Travel restrictions to Iraq on UN staff ; Electricity cuts and slow and/or unreliable internet connection; 17 ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq

18. Conclusions The vague definition of “partnership”; The distinction between contractors and partners; Motivation and the difficulty of attaining a “win-win” position for all partners; The issue of seed capital; The weakest link in partnerships; Assessment, monitoring and reporting Bureaucracy; Security issues in some countries; Overhead of partnerships. ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 18

19. ESCWA ICT Projects in Iraq 19