Telecentres

Introduction

A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies which enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. While each telecentre is different, their common focus is on the use of digital technologies to support community, economic, educational, and social development — reducing isolation, bridging the digital divide, promoting health issues, creating economic opportunities, and reaching out to youth, for example.

Telecentres exist in almost every country, although they sometimes go by a different name: public internet access center (PIAP), village knowledge center, infocenter, community technology center (CTC), community multimedia center (CMC), multipurpose community telecentre (MCT), Common/Citizen Service Centre (CSC), school-based telecentre, etc. Telecentres are operated as business entities by themselves or in connection with other businesses; they are operated by public authorities with public objectives, or they can be community telecentres. For more on the telecentre movement, its origins and development see: [1]

The Community Telecentre allows even the most remote village to communicate and exchange information with the rest of the world, and to locally manage, produce and access information for development. With training courses and the presence of facilitators, many people, and not only the best-educated, can use the ICT resources individually or in small groups. The use made of the telecentre by teachers, health workers and NGOs directly benefits students, patients and citizens.

Community Telecentres share many common traits in connection with other community media as, at the core, they are entities owned, managed, run and used by the given community.

Evaluation and Assessment of Community Telecentres

While evaluation and assessment of Community Telecentres can take many possible forms, as described in the general M&E, it would be strongly recommended to carry out a fully-fledged assessment of a Community Telecentre and its environments as proposed below, due to the special community-based nature.

• Enabling Environment
  • legal environment for community media and community ownership
  • supporting media organisations
  • networks of community media
  • availability of potential funding partners and sources

• Ownership, Management and Organisational Performance
  • the internal organisation,
  • the level of community ownership,
  • community involvement
  • internal democracy
  • management routines and procedures.

• Technical Facilities and Operations
• Production
• Content
• Sustainability Assessment
• Reception and Usage
• Community Impact