Internet Access and Training Program (IATP)

Web Design for Political Parties in Baku

In May, over 100 government officials of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine received basic computer and Internet training at IATP centers across Eurasia. Developing better computer skills among government officials has a direct impact on the services provided to citizens and diminishes many bureaucratic steps in the process. One the other end, IATP also delivered workshops to citizens of these countries on how to find and access information about their governments which has created a base of knowledgeable customers for e-government resources.

• Throughout May, 30 representatives of five of the main political parties in Azerbaijan attended a series of courses on photo editing and Web design at the IATP center in Baku to obtain necessary skills to create and maintain their parties’ websites. The trainings are part of IATP’s joint project with the National Democratic Institute aimed at improving the work of political parties through knowledge of and access to information technologies. At the moment, political parties in Azerbaijan either do not have an online presence or their staff lacks the skills to update and maintain their websites effectively.

IATP Center Administrator Azer Kerimov taught the trainees how to create and edit Web pages, add links, optimize images for the Web, create a user-friendly layout, and post resources to the server. In June, participants plan to finish their websites and attend IATP trainings on database development to create simple databases of their members and voters.

IATP workshop in Kapan, Armenia.

• Residents of Armenia learned about the status of e-government development in the country thanks to an IATP-initiated workshop. On May 17, Gevorg Zakaryan, an ICT specialist from Kapan Teachers House, a local nonprofit organization, led a seminar on Armenia’s progress in development of e-government for eight students and teachers from two schools at the IATP center in Kapan, Armenia. Zakaryan introduced the participants to the importance of e-government and its contribution to the civil society development, including the establishment of a transparent and less-bureaucratic bridge between citizens and government agencies. Zakaryan described one of the most significant achievements this far, an online visa application system at the website of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA). Armenia is the only country in the former Soviet Union that offers an online visa application service, which decreases paperwork, saves time, and reaches applications who do not live near a consulate.

Vinnytsia councilmembers communicate
online with colleagues from other regions
of Ukraine

• On May 15, the IATP center in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, hosted seven delegates of the Vinnytsia Regional Council for a countrywide online conference dedicated to annual results of the council’s activity. Twenty-seven council members of the Regional Councils of 14 regions of Ukraine took part in the discussion. Hryhoriy Zabolotny, head of the Vinnytsia Regional Council, introduced the participants to a list of decisions of the council, implemented projects, and priorities of its activity. Participants the discussed the most urgent issues facing the regional councils and shared their experience in implementing various projects. Natalia Shervchuk from Odesa asked, “Are there any measures for encouraging municipal improvements except for creation of special bodies such as the Environmental Commission and community courts controlling these improvements, I mean – to encourage the best? We, in Odesa, have such experience, for instance, we organize contests among the local towns and villages for the best municipal improvements.” Valentyn Hryschuk from Khmelnytsky Regional Council answered, “Over the last three years we have held contests for the best municipal improvements among the local villages. A village government winning the contest gets a car, computer and office equipment.” The council members also discussed the role of information technology (IT) in work of local governments, problems of rural development, and cultural issues. The participants agreed to participate in online conferences on a regular basis; “Euro-Integration of the Regions” is to be the topic of the next discussion. By sponsoring this conference, IATP supported initiatives of local governments for IT use in their work and contributed to development of e-government in Ukraine.

• Nine local government officials from Kutaisi and Khashuri, Georgia completed IATP-sponsored computer and web design trainings in May to create or enhance the websites of their municipalities. Two trainees in Khashuri, who work in the information technology department of the local government, created the official website of the city government, where they will publish regular news and updates for local citizens, as well as provide comprehensive information about the structure, employees, services, working hours, and political parties of the local government.

Local government workers in Khashuri,
Georgia take computer and web design
trainings to create the website of their
municipality.

Seven government officials from Kutaisi learned how to enhance and update the website of their city government as well as create and distribute electronic newsletters, and post photos and other media reports online. “Previously we had to send emails or faxes to the central government about every event that took place in our region. Now such information will be posted on our website and will be available for everyone online, and it’s important that we are now capable of updating information on the Web by ourselves,” reported Nino Khachidze, a staff member of the city government.

• Over 70 employees of government agencies in Kazakhstan learned to use the Internet and explored the country’s developing e-government resources. Throughout May, judges and employees of district and city administration offices learned to use text and spreadsheet editors, Internet searches, and e-mail at the Independent Internet Center (IIC) in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan from IIC Administrator Janna Tsenova. They browsed Kazakhstan’s e-government resources. The employees learned to effectively perform their duties and find new e-government resources, including Kazakhstan’s Legal Portal , Supreme Court’s website, and Kazakhstan’s e-government portal.

The IIC Administrator Janna Tsenova
shows participants how to use
Kazakhstan's e-government services at the
Independent Internet Center (IIC) in Ust-
Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan

• Almaty residents explored Kazakhstan’s e-government resources and posted questions online for Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev after completing an alumnus’s workshop. On May 23, Pavel Morozov (IV 04) introduced 10 participants, including journalists, staff of local nonprofit organizations, and librarians, to Kazakhstan’s e-government portals. They browsed Kazakhstan’s main e-government resource, which explains procedures and offers downloads of necessary forms for many services, including tax registration and social welfare services. Participants posted questions to the country’s President. Vera Barishnikova, a department director of State Children’s Library in Almaty, asked “Does the government plan to devote more financial resources to educate youth by upgrading libraries in Kazakhstan?” Lastly, participants browsed US e-government’s site, comparing its offerings with Kazakhstan’s.

• On May 14, seven employees of Nookat city employees completed a two-week course in computer and Internet basics and learned about e-government at the IATP center in Nookat, Kyrgyzstan. Tansuluu Mirmahmudova, a social welfare services specialist, developed templates for her monthly and statistical reports and prepared draft of narrative report for April she will submit to the mayor. Abjalil Kulbaev, an Economics specialist of Registry Department, prepared electronic version of data of small, medium, and large business enterprises in Nookat using spreadsheet editor software and plans to transfer all Department’s statistical data into electronic version. After he talks with the mayor, Kulbaev would post the e-version online to make their data available to local residents via the Internet, which is a part of e-government strategy in Kyrgyzstan. The participants studied the Kyrgyz government’s online services and plan to propose to the mayor that they create a Nookat city website by summer’s end.

• Twelve representatives of six political parties of Tajikistan completed a series of specialized trainings on computer basics and advanced word processing at the IATP access site in Khujand, Tajikistan from September 27 to October 27. Volunteer Ruslan Mustae conducted the training as part of IATP’s contribution to the US Embassy’s Democracy Commission-funded project Internet Club for Political Parties of Tajikistan, implemented by the Center of Democratic Transformations (CDT), a nonprofit organization working to promote democratic transformations through research and training projects dealing with human rights, the environment and efficient public administration. Read the full story

• Six civilian management staff of the regional military office on the border with Afghanistan learned how to use technology to streamline their work at the IATP center in Khorog, Tajikistan from September 11 to 16. Private Jovid Pisarijev from the Badakhshan Regional Military Commissariat (BRMC) conducted a five-day technology training course for five staff members of the BRMC, so that they might utilize technology to support the military’s efforts to secure the troublesome border with Afghanistan, one characterized by conflict, terrorism, and drug trafficking. Read the full story