Community Skills Technology People Plenary Session 3: Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Anthony David Manager, People & Organizational Networking, Telecentre.org Foundation 14 October, Budapest, Hungary

Community Skills Technology People Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Multi-stakeholder Partnerships (MSP) Multi-stakeholder partnerships pursue a shared vision, maintain a presumption in favour of joint problem-solving, promote a work ethos that exploits mutual self-interest, and adds value beyond that achievable by the principal alternatives

Community Skills Technology People “MSPs are creating lasting and meaningful impact at all levels of action, meant to promote a more holistic approach to development & better governance” “MSP can be seen as an instrument for achieving development goals as stakeholders with unique complementary strengths or core competencies add value to development efforts and pool their resources and assets in solving problems” “the central challenge seems to revolve around the nurturing of a working relationship based on trust, mutual respect, open communication, and understanding among stakeholders about each other’s strengths & weaknesses” Stakeholders from each sector bring their own organisational mandates, interests, competencies and weaknesses to partnerships, without open acknowledgment of these factors, and without processes in place to facilitate negotiations among stakeholders for optimal outcomes, effective MSPs will not emerge. Multi-stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs)

Community Skills Technology People Telecentre.org as a MSP case study

Digital revolution swept across the globe in the late ‘80s Large segments of society were excluded from its benefits especially in rural and underprivileged urban areas

Telecentres came into existence when these excluded communities tried to gain access and information jointly. Initially it was not in a very coordinated manner but with time, the promise that Telecentres held for the developing world came to be realised with international bodies like the UN WSIS and ITU endorsing their benefits. A central role for Telecentres to bring digital skills and tools to the underserved and the poor was acknowledged

Community Skills Technology People Telecentres: the evolution In the mid-80s, personal computers were extremely expensive Sharing access helped people The first Telecentres started appearing in Europe and N America Soon, Governments, community organizations, Private sector, grassroot technology activists joined in and thousands of Telecentres emerged Source: From the ground up (a publication of Telecentre.org)

Community Skills Technology People The common commitment: Help communities enter the information age, embracing the knowledge economy on their own terms Now no longer about just access and skills: Improving public health, broadening the education base, strengthening democracy From a modest goal Giving people a chance to access and learn about technology: A telephone, a photocopier, a computer, the internet

Community Skills Technology People Telecentres empower communities in a myriad ways Brings the community together and these interactions help to: Platform for Civic engagements Youth rehabilitation Capturing Community history New opportunities Community services Links across social and economic divides Adapt technology for local needs Build social capital

Community Skills Technology People Challenges that Telecentres have to face High cost, limited fundingLack of use within communityDifficulty in finding and keeping trained staffGovernments or donors pulling funds

Community Skills Technology People Who are we Telecentre.org was the new face of the telecentre movement worldwide What did we produce/offer? Telecentre.org helped to promote an ecosystem conducive to sustaining telecentres. Developed national networks as means to advocating the same Which and how many customers? Worked globally with some 80 nations; with over 200 partners; thousands of telecentres affecting millions of people First five years turnover Leaveraged USD 5M in favour of the telecente networks Spent over USD 22M in programs Transition into Phase 2 Telecentre.org Foundation, an independent NGO takes over the legacy, functions and the work program with greater flexibility First five years of achievement Networks in some 45 nations of which 15 are vibrant; Telecentre repository; Websites in 4 languages; a robust system for the Academy; One global community * Source: Florencio Ceballos 1 Global Community 45+ national networks 60+ f2f workshops 70+ countries involved 200+ organizations members 80,000+ telecentres 80,000,000+ users

Community Skills Technology People

Programme Strategies ( )

Community Skills Technology People works with various stakeholders that are committed in harnessing the potential of digital opportunities for poverty alleviation at the grassroots via Telecentres globally. Telecentre.org & its MSP approach Telecentre Networks Bilateral Donor Agencies Governments Private Sector Companies Multilateral/ International Institutions Civil Society Organisations

Community Skills Technology People Telecentre.org’s Operational Framework

Community Skills Technology People Shifting from ‘networks’ to ‘MSPs” CharacteristicsNetworksMSPs PurposeJoint value creation by all members, identification of strategies to engage with decision-makers Advocacy for change, implementation of change Area of FocusResearch, Information sharing, implementation of strategies Advocacy, policy-making and implementation Management & Governance Network manager or sponsoring institution, self- governing, self-regulating, dependent on informal leadership Tend to be managed by CSO, development agencies, organisations that play a facilitating role. Generally have a name and identity, presence of a secretariat to facilitate the functioning of the partnerships MembershipInstitutions with somewhat similar core objectives and agendas and those with shared interest in exchanging ideas, generating knowledge or mobilising capacity for collective action Institutions that may have different agendas but are brought together because of a perceived common purpose

Community Skills Technology People Benefits of MSPs to telecentres Promote inclusivity and equity in policy and implementationExpand the analytical capability to address policy issuesPromote grassroots mobilisation and participationPromote the development of focused and holistic action plansFoster sharing of skills and innovationEncourage good governanceEnable participants to leverage their financial resources Help to develop trust among groups that are usually suspicious and hostile towards each other

Community Skills Technology People Dealing with the challenges of MSPs Different groups of stakeholders are likely to compete with each other External funding resources may be limited and not always easy to identify and access Finding common ground between various stakeholders requires strong negotiation and facilitation skills

Community Skills Technology People MSP process is not straightforward : Too much talk & no action (continual meetings and discussions and no recognisable and tangible result being achieved) + Enlist all key stakeholders + Reach an agreement on a shared vision + Establish procedures for accountability and measuring progress (checks & balances) for MSP process to succeed:

Community Skills Technology People Concluding Note “Knowledge about MSPs as reflected in my presentation is not perfect. It is meant to trigger debate and to serve as an open invitation for all stakeholders with MSP experiences in the area of ICT4D especially in telecentre arena to share their perspectives and knowledge on the subject” Thank you!

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