IATP News

Joint IATP-USAID-Ministry of Education Project in Moldova Improves Quality of Library Services

Moldovan librarians improved the quality of their work by introducing modern technology into library services with the help of IATP. The ICT4Librarians project co-implemented by the USAID-funded IATP program and the Ministry of Education of Moldova improved the skills of 50 librarians from Chisinau, Cahul, and Soroca between March 24 and May 24. Many of the librarians that attended the training used a computer for the first time in their life, and learned not only how to use technology to improve their institutions, but also to connect with colleagues and establish new partnerships.

During the training, the librarians also applied their new skills, creating MS PowerPoint presentations on their libraries for use in conducting public outreach, websites on their libraries based on easy-to-update wiki platforms (bibl-gcalinescu.wikidot.com, bibl-sulac.wikidot.com, biblioteca-traian.wikidot.com), and blogs on shared interests (it4librarians-gr2.blogspot.com, tib-n.blogspot.com). Two participants from Chisinau, Elena Cortac and Nadejda Pruteanu, demonstrated their new skills to their director, who immediately recognized the use of their skills and procured a computer to incorporate into their library’s services. Cortac and Pruteanu are currently planning to create a database of the library’s books and readers.

The Cahul City Education Department Director Vladimir Calmic remarked, “I would like to thank IATP, especially the trainer, Denis Colta, for organizing such a useful project and for paying attention to Moldova’s libraries, which are in a very difficult situation at the moment. We do hope that in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we will be able to bring at least one computer to every library in the region.” With the new resources, including 40 MS Power Point presentations, 40 wiki sites, and four blogs, these libraries are now equipped to reach out to the public, attract new clients and provide them with new services. The resources developed during the training can be found at it4librarians.blogspot.com.

Turkmenistan Ministry of Energy Officials Learn to Work More Efficiently Online

Officials from the Turkmenistan Ministry of Energy learned how to use computers and the internet at the IATP center in Ashgabat to conduct low-cost but effective online marketing research.

After the Turkmen Ministry of Energy was computerized and all its departments were connected to the internet in 2008, it requested IATP to train its employees in ICT skills since most of them had neither experience nor skills in using ICT in their work.  In January and February, 15 employees from the Ministry’s departments, including mechanical engineering, power-supervision, petroleum-based fuels and transport, and instrument construction became familiarized with the internet for the first time.

Since the training, the officials have begun using the internet to learn more about the electric power industry in the other countries, established contact with international suppliers, and began using the internet as the primary means of communication with international partners, saving money for their departments.

For example, engineer Shageldy Karajayev got in touch with a number of suppliers in Russia through online communication.  Karajaeyev remarked, “Conducting market research online and receiving business offers via the internet is very fast and convenient, as compared to making expensive international calls and using postal services.  Beginning in February, I stopped making international calls and using postal services for marketing purposes, which has saved a lot of my work time and money for the Ministry.”

As a result of the Ministry’s employees’ ability to conduct marketing research online and follow up with international suppliers, the Ministry is now acquiring better quality electricity supply meters from a factory in Nizhgorod, Russia.  IATP has expanded its cooperation with the Ministry – more staff members are awaiting training this spring.

ICT in College Classrooms Leads to Improved Student Performance

Russian and English professors from International Relations Department of the Turkmen State University are reporting increased student performance as a result of incorporating ICT in the classroom.  Fifteen professors completed training at the IATP center in Ashgabat and began integrating visual presentations and other modern teaching techniques into their standard lectures.  The training is a part of ongoing cooperation between IATP and the Supreme Council on Science and Technology of Turkmenistan (SCST).

Turkmen State University was recently equipped with computers and multimedia projectors, but most of its lecturers did not know how to use the new technology resources.  IATP and SCST offered its assistance to the educators, and from November to December 2008, the first group of university trainees learned to use computer and internet applications, converted their curricula into electronic formats using additional materials from the internet, and created MS PowerPoint presentations for their students.

As the educators mentioned, the integration of ICT into their lesson plans resulted in better class attendance, student performance, and interest in the lectures.  Russian language teacher Nadejda Maksimova commented, “I never used or was interested in computer technologies.  I thought they were irrelevant for the education sphere.  But we live in the 21^st century, and now I understand the importance of ICT in education.  I already witnessed the results of ICT usage in my lectures.   Students’ understanding of material covered improved and they seem more attentive and interested in my course now.”  Last year, 115 teachers across the country took part in intensive ICT training provided by IATP centers in Turkmenistan.

ICT Skills Speed Up Administration, Facilitate Adoptions

After completing ICT training for government officials in January, Senior Officer of Zaporizhya, Ukraine Family Issues and Adoption Department Irina Voloshko is using new skills to streamline her workplace.  Earlier, the city administration asked IATP to train eight government officials as part of its e-Government initiative in Ukraine.  Voloshko was the delegate from Family Issues and Adoption, the office that cares for neglected or abused children and facilitates their adoption.

Once she incorporated ICT skills into her work, Voloshko’s department began working more efficiently, quickly compiling and sending reports to the main office in Kyiv.  Thanks to Irina’s efforts, the department accelerated adoption procedures, especially in cases involving adoptions by foreign nationals.  The process used to take six to twelve month; now it is between three and five.  Paper letters were replaced with email, facilitating communication with potential parents.  The office has a more productive relationship with prospective adopters from abroad who speak different languages because of online language resources that allow them to translate correspondence and documentation.

Currently, Irina is planning to develop a more advanced project with IATP.  She commented, “I am eager to create a website or a blog of the department’s activities to share information about our services among our clients.”  She hopes to use the blog to better promote department services and convey adoption procedures and regulations to families interested in adopting a child.  Powered by a sense of purpose and guided by IATP training, IATP, Irina aims to significantly streamline her work while improving the lives of orphans in Zaporizhya.

Social Services Become More Accessible for Vulnerable Groups in Ukraine

Economically disadvantaged families with members having disabilities now more easily can access social services thanks to an online resource developed by government officials, who were participants of ICT training in October and November as part of IATP’s ongoing e-government initiative in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.

The official site of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Center of Social Services for Family Children and Youth was presented in late October at a press conference for 17 local mass media representatives, organized by the USAID-funded Ukrainian Reform of Education Program (UREP). The website is being currently promoted by local TV and newspapers through public service announcements, as well as by city social services, and IATP’s NGO and library partners in Dnipropetrovsk. UREP facilitates the development of civil society and a market economy in Ukraine (urep.cure.org.ua/).

Since October, the website has been upgraded with new information on the organization and the social services it provides. The online resource is a hub of important information for people living in remote towns and villages and for people with disabilities. Website visitors can view the network of city, district, and village centers of social services for the Dnipropetrovsk region. It offers tools for interactive communication between visitors and social workers, already being capitalized on by the community at the IATP center. Handicapped IATP participant Dmytro Krasniuk asked social workers about state support services for handicapped children in Ukraine. The social workers gave him detailed descriptions of the state services offered and links to official websites to access them. Krasniuk commented, “The development of online resources of this type proves the effectiveness of e-government projects. State bodies are becoming more open and transparent, which allows for better communication with community members.”

Blogging from Baku: Azerbaijani Parliament Gains New Online Presence

Five officials from Azerbaijan’s Parliament created blogs and posted them online in December as part of a good governance initiative. In cooperation with USAID-funded Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) and the Media Advancement Project, IATP is implementing this professional education project. Thus far, IATP has assisted members of Parliament and their staffs in Baku, Shirvan, Imishli, and Sumgait in mastering ICT skills and creating their own blogs.

IATP volunteer Samir Yahyayev, who had completed IATP training several years ago, taught the Parliament members and their support staff about creating blogs, posting articles, uploading pictures, internet etiquette, and increasing online visitor traffic. As a result of the training, the Azerbaijani officials’ blogs are appearing online, providing their constituents with more information about government activities, and they can be found at kamranramazanov.blogmilli.com, mmehdi.blogmilli.com, mmfirdovsi.blogmilli.com, rafikismayilov.blogmilli.com, and vuqarqaracayev.blogmilli.com.

Women Learn to Use the Internet to Access Domestic Violence Support Networks, Support Political Campaigns in Georgia

Georgian Women Access Domestic Abuse Support Networks
Originally uploaded by iatp_eurasia

Thirty-six female leaders gained Internet skills in a series of IATP-sponsored trainings that will allow them to access information to improve their quality of life and effectiveness in political activism. The IATP network hosted trainings for women in Tbilisi, Khashuri, Telavi, and Kutaisi during August in conjunction with policial parties and a local women's NGO partner.

• Thirteen women staff members of a number of Georgian political parties, including the Republican Party, the National Movement, the New Right and the Conservative Party of Georgia received basic computer and Internet training at the IATP center in Tbilisi in August. The training focused on using e-mail, spreadsheets and the Internet. At the conclusion of the session participants created their personal e-mail accounts and exchanged their first messages. “Thanks to the IATP training, I gained skills that I will apply in my daily work: I need to use e-mail to contact the main office and send reports every month. Since we are carrying out the national census currently, it is also necessary for me to utilize Excel to manage our increasing database effectively,” reported Natia Chabukiani, staff member of the National Movement of Georgia.

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• Twelve Georgian women, members of different political parties, NGO officials, and teachers learned about national legislation protecting women’s rights and learned about progress in the country in the sphere of gender equality and combating violence in the family as a result of a seminar sponsored by IATP in Tbilisi on August 7. The trainers, Rusudan Pkhakadze, head of the Sakhli rehabilitation center, and Tamar Romelashvili, leading expert of the State Gender Equality Department, exposed attendees to the latest research on Georgian gender issues online and addressed the problem of violence in Georgian families. Attendees browsed the Web portals of the Georgian Women NGOs Coalition at www.wcg.org.ge/geo/patniorBDIPCH.php, and WomenAid International at http://www.womenaid.org/caucasusnow/ to learn more about their activities directed toward combating violence in families and other sensitive issues. The women were also provided with contact information of rehabilitation centers for the victims of domestic violence in Caucasus. “I gained interesting and useful information, since I know women who are the victims of violence in the family, but because of the shortage of information on this issue, they become prisoners of circumstances and do not know how to help themselves. Such seminars on this painful theme should be continued, since they will help each person recognize this problem and try to solve it,” commented Khatuna Ghavtadze, staff member of the Republican Party of Georgia.

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IATP Empowers Government Institution Employees with ICT Skills

A new partnership launched between IATP and the Supreme Council on Science and Technology under the President of Turkmenistan (SCST) took its first steps to empower educators and officials with the technologies to improve education quality and government efficiency.

A new, high-tech IATP internet center for Interactive Multimedia Learning (ICIML) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, was opened in SCST’s Turkmen Language and Literature Institute on October 15. The official opening ceremony, featuring a ribbon cutting by USAID Country Representative Ashley Moretz and SCST head Akjeren Allanurova, attracted over 50 government officials and representatives of local media outlets, NGOs, the USAID mission and the US Embassy. The center is equipped with nine modern computers connected to the high-speed Virtual Silk Highway internet network and an array of cutting-edge education technologies, including the interactive Smart Board, a large touch-controlled ‘whiteboard’ screen working with a projector and a computer. The event, along with interviews of USAID officials and IATP staff, was broadly covered by Turkmen press and television, including the national TV channels Miras, Altyn Asyr, TV4 and newspapers “Neutral Turkmenistan” and “Ashgabad.”

  Since October, over 40 local government officials, educators and medical professionals advanced themselves as professionals by learning computer and Internet technologies at the center. The list of the first center trainees included officials of the USAID-funded project Economic Reforms to Enhance Competitiveness (EREC), doctors from an oncology clinic, and employees of Turkmen State University and the National Conservatory.

Secondary and high school educators were trained to use computer-based technologies and interactive, student-centered methods. They also learned how to establish professional contacts with colleagues abroad. Malika Atayeva, employee of the Turkmen National Institute of Economic and Strategic Planning commented, “IATP training provided me with a unique opportunity to study experience of my colleagues from the other countries. Browsing the Internet, I found out about the Institute of Strategic Planning in Belarus and its activities, and this website was a huge assistance for my analytical articles on economy which is an important part of my job.” In November, eight employees of the Institute opened e-mail accounts and contacted colleagues abroad. They plan to integrate Internet research into their work while planning for the future development of Turkmenistan.

In December, these trainees will continue utilizing the ICIML center to create digital lessons, join online discussions, and practice their newly acquired ICT skills. More institutions have applied for training at this center, including the Ministry of Energy and National Institute of Education.