Telecenters of the Americas: A network of networks supporting, community development, access & management of assets and human resource capital development through telecenters

Agenda Community Telecenters (Kavita Singh, Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet)Community Telecenters (Kavita Singh, Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) TAP Vision and Mission (John Zoltner, CTCNet)TAP Vision and Mission (John Zoltner, CTCNet) How TAP assisting telecenters in low income communities can become a vehicle for community/national/regional developmentHow TAP assisting telecenters in low income communities can become a vehicle for community/national/regional development –Community Development, Access & Management of Capital, Klaus Stoll, President, Fundación Chasquinet, –SME's John Broomfield, Social Venture Partners –Education: Human resources capital development, John Villamil-Casanova, Executive Vice President & CIO, The Aspira Association Questions and AnswersQuestions and Answers

What is TAP? The Telecenters of the Americas Partnership (TAP) brings four leading networks of community technology centers, or telecenters, in the Americas and the Chasquinet Foundation of Quito, Ecuador together to form the largest organized network of telecenters in the world (a network of networks).The Telecenters of the Americas Partnership (TAP) brings four leading networks of community technology centers, or telecenters, in the Americas and the Chasquinet Foundation of Quito, Ecuador together to form the largest organized network of telecenters in the world (a network of networks). The goal of the TAP is to develop collaborative cross-border initiatives, which can scale to make telecenters throughout the hemisphere more effective, and to implement projects that would be unlikely for individual networks to accomplish alone.The goal of the TAP is to develop collaborative cross-border initiatives, which can scale to make telecenters throughout the hemisphere more effective, and to implement projects that would be unlikely for individual networks to accomplish alone.

Telecenter Assets Telecenters are key to international development strategies today Community gathering placesCommunity gathering places Paid or volunteer staffPaid or volunteer staff Power and computersPower and computers Usually, an Internet connectionUsually, an Internet connection Skilled at training novice usersSkilled at training novice users

Complementary to Other Efforts Telecenters are able to achieve outcomes that schools and libraries cannot. Telecenters can help other social interventions be more effective

Telecenter Effectiveness Depends on: Model of organizationModel of organization Capacity of staff and volunteersCapacity of staff and volunteers Community participationCommunity participation Ability to market & implement servicesAbility to market & implement services Level of resources and ability to use resources efficientlyLevel of resources and ability to use resources efficiently

Metcalfe’s Law The usefulness or utility of a network equals the square of the number of users.

TAP Members Aspira Association, Inc. (established in 1961): a network of 155 telecenters serving Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico; ( Association, Inc. (established in 1961): a network of 155 telecenters serving Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico; ( Community Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet, established in 1989): a network of more than 1,000 independent telecenters throughout the United States ( Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet, established in 1989): a network of more than 1,000 independent telecenters throughout the United States ( Fundación Chasquinet (established in 1997 in Quito, Ecuador): an operating foundation devoted to promoting the strategic use and development of the Internet in the social sectors of developing countries ( Chasquinet (established in 1997 in Quito, Ecuador): an operating foundation devoted to promoting the strategic use and development of the Internet in the social sectors of developing countries ( Pacific Community Networks Association (PCNA, established in 1993): an organization of 28 local networks consisting of over 1,000 telecenters in British Columbia and the Yukon, Canada. ( Community Networks Association (PCNA, established in 1993): an organization of 28 local networks consisting of over 1,000 telecenters in British Columbia and the Yukon, Canada. ( a knowledge and learning community based network of 2,232 telecentres in Latin American and the Caribbean Region. a knowledge and learning community based network of 2,232 telecentres in Latin American and the Caribbean Region. (

TAP Goals Supporting Network and Center SustainabilitySupporting Network and Center Sustainability Sharing Network ResourcesSharing Network Resources Supporting Public PolicySupporting Public Policy Engaging in Cross-border WorkEngaging in Cross-border Work

TAP and Community Development Hemispheric Telecenters and Cybercafes Network The term “telecenters” refers to all points of public access of the Internet;The term “telecenters” refers to all points of public access of the Internet; TAP Assets: Information from throughout the hemisphere regarding the number, location, structure and function of the telecenters and their user’s information priorities is a critical set of inputs for planning TAP international, regional or national initiatives;TAP Assets: Information from throughout the hemisphere regarding the number, location, structure and function of the telecenters and their user’s information priorities is a critical set of inputs for planning TAP international, regional or national initiatives; TAP Network: over 4,000 community public access centers from Canada to Chile and the Caribbean.TAP Network: over 4,000 community public access centers from Canada to Chile and the Caribbean.

Community Development, Access & Management of Capital Attention should be focused on remittance receiving countries' financial and telecommunications regulatory norms that facilitate or inhibit lower cost remittance transfers and communications among families allowing for the adoption of state of the art digital technologies.Attention should be focused on remittance receiving countries' financial and telecommunications regulatory norms that facilitate or inhibit lower cost remittance transfers and communications among families allowing for the adoption of state of the art digital technologies. The administrative information systems and software employed by participating telecenter and the cost, licensing rules, security and privacy aspects, plus open source software options suggest the need for a multi- stakeholder portal that synthesizes these data and their respective training programs to enhance awareness and their effective use.The administrative information systems and software employed by participating telecenter and the cost, licensing rules, security and privacy aspects, plus open source software options suggest the need for a multi- stakeholder portal that synthesizes these data and their respective training programs to enhance awareness and their effective use. Incentives must exist to catalyze the considerable training of relevant personnel that must occur among all those telecenters participating in any lower cost configuration of diverse institutions using available and emerging digital tools.Incentives must exist to catalyze the considerable training of relevant personnel that must occur among all those telecenters participating in any lower cost configuration of diverse institutions using available and emerging digital tools. Additional services may be linked to a generic transfer platform/infrastructure system and the institutional network created thereby.Additional services may be linked to a generic transfer platform/infrastructure system and the institutional network created thereby. These actions should be embedded in a comprehensive development strategy, rural and urban, that optimizes remittance resources, migrants’ social capital and the political will of countries’ administrative and telecenters leadership.These actions should be embedded in a comprehensive development strategy, rural and urban, that optimizes remittance resources, migrants’ social capital and the political will of countries’ administrative and telecenters leadership.

TAP, Telecenters and SME Development

Key Challenges Revenue generationRevenue generation Access to capitalAccess to capital Cost reductionCost reduction Skills and knowledgeSkills and knowledge TC financial sustainabilityTC financial sustainability Platform sustainabilityPlatform sustainability ComplexityComplexity For SMEs For TCs For the platform

Key activities: revenue generation Provide access to new markets AND provide active business development services (sales, marketing and product identification).Provide access to new markets AND provide active business development services (sales, marketing and product identification). Move beyond the shopfrontMove beyond the shopfront Actively marketing in new marketsActively marketing in new markets E-commerce platform and electronic paymentsE-commerce platform and electronic payments

Demand Generation Local/National Markets SME TC SME NA & European Markets Local Environment SME Support Platform Infrastructure LevelLogistics and Distribution Partnerships

Key activities: cost reduction leverage the buying power of the network to negotiate cheaper prices from suppliers.leverage the buying power of the network to negotiate cheaper prices from suppliers. Make it easier for SMEs to do businessMake it easier for SMEs to do business –Reduced time to source products –Make comparison shoping easier –Incease choice Make it easier for suppliers to sell to SMEsMake it easier for suppliers to sell to SMEs

Supplier Management Local/National Suppliers SME TC SME National/ International Suppliers Local Environment SME Support Platform Infrastructure LevelLogistics and Distribution Partnerships

Local Environment SME Support Platform Infrastructure Level Distribution Partnerships SME GovernmentPotential customers Potential Suppliers Cost Reduction Activities SME Telecenters SME SME & Local TC Training Skills and knowledge transfer SME Training Revenue Generation Activities Macro Micro The Platform

SME Support Platform SME GovernmentPotential customersPotential Suppliers Local Environment Product Identification Demand Generation SME TC SME Infrastructure Level B2B & B2C Europe & N. A. Affiliate Program Web based Franchise SME & TC Training SME & TC Training SME & TC Training Logistics and Distribution Partnerships Order Aggregation Affiliate Programs SME & TC Training Legal and Regulatory Framework Import/Export SME Support Programs and funding Supplier Management Suppliers

TAP Educational Initiatives: Human Resources Capital Development TAP will enable social, and economic development of communities by providing a technological infrastructure, capacity to manage financial resources;TAP will enable social, and economic development of communities by providing a technological infrastructure, capacity to manage financial resources; The above requires organizational capacity development (governance, technical, & managerial) of local, regional and national organizations;The above requires organizational capacity development (governance, technical, & managerial) of local, regional and national organizations; TAP network members have proven capacity (decades of experience) in delivering educational programs through their networks;TAP network members have proven capacity (decades of experience) in delivering educational programs through their networks; The synergistic effect of the combined educational programs of TAP members provides an unsurpassed capacity to develop human resources capital in low income communities throughout the hemisphere.The synergistic effect of the combined educational programs of TAP members provides an unsurpassed capacity to develop human resources capital in low income communities throughout the hemisphere.

TAP Educational Initiatives: Human Resources Capital Development Post-secondary Education Programs Technical Training TAP Members & Technical Infrastructure Organizational Capacity Developement Financial Education