CONTENTS

Preface

Abbreviations

Chapter

I.       Introduction

A.      Challenges of the digital divide

B.      Purpose of the guidebook

C.      Target audience

D.      Overview/structure of the guidebook

II.       Community e-centres

A.      Types of approaches for CeC projects

i.       Top-Down approach

ii.       Down-Up approach

iii.      Top-Down-Up approach

B.      CeCs’ critical success factors

III.      Planning

A.      Identification of community and CeCs site

B.      Mobilization of the community

i.       Establishing rapport

ii.       Identification the community’s needs: Felt and unfelt

a.   Situation analysis: Identifying the community’s needs

b.   Baseline socio-economic survey: community audit

C.      Designing the CeCs

i.       Types of CeCs

a.   Basic CeC

b.   CeC franchise

c.   Civic CeC

d.   Cybercafe CeC

e.   Multipurpose CeC

f.    Phone shop CeC

ii.       Goals of CeCs

iii.      Choice of technologies

a.   Services provided by CeCs

b.   Connectivity

c.   Power supply

d.   Hardware configuration and peripherals

e.   Network architectures

f.    Software

g.   Peripherals

iv.      Operational model

a.   How to choose the right partner

b.   Partnership framework

c.   Legal framework

v.       Business plan

a.   Expenditures

b.   Income

c.   Public goods

vi.      Funding

vii.     Sustainability model

IV.     Implementation

A.      Management structures

i.       Steering committee

ii.       Management committee

iii.      CeC coordinator

B.      Operations

i.       Identifications of services offered by the CeC

ii.       Human resource

a.   Training of CeC staff

b.   Training the community

iii.      Marketing activities

iv.      Monitoring

a.   Computer usage

b.   Financial details

c.   Service availability

v.       Maintenance and repairs

a.   Technical support staff

b.   Non-technical maintenance

vi.      Rules and regulations

vii.     Problems faced during operations

V.      Evaluation

A.      Overall goals

B.      Knowledge/skills gained

C.      Improvement in livelihood

D.      Sustainability measures

i.       Financial sustainability

ii.       Human resource sustainability

iii.      Social sustainability

E.      Stories: Impact on the quality of life

VI.     Summary

References

Appendix I:        Descriptive summary of the three cases

Appendix II:       Questionnaire for a baseline socio-economic survey

Appendix III:      Connectivity choices available

Appendix IV:      Examples of a business plan

Appendix V:      Duties and roles of a typical CeC manager/coordinator

Appendix VI:      Budget items 

Appendix VII:     Rules and regulations for the CeC