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Evaluation of UNESCO's Community Multimedia Centres: Final Report

Heather Creech

Paris: Evaluation Section Internal Oversight Service UNESCO (2006), 61 pp.

"Since 2001, UNESCO has established more than 87 Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in over 22 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean with major funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The evaluation describes the initiative's ma ... in achievement: 'The CMCs are accepted by and fully integrated into the communities and can in many cases be sustained beyond the pilot phase without core operating grants. The effort and funding that UNESCO has channeled into this transformative initiative have been exceeded by the hard work and commitment of the CMC staff and the communities where they are based. Among other key findings, the evaluators clearly acknowledge the contribution of CMCs to local development, noting that longer term benefits are already being realized within individual communities, such as the gradual removal of barriers to social inclusion, the stimulation of poverty alleviation through access to knowledge of better health, resource management, agriculture practices and the creation of new livelihoods opportunities. CMCs are also recognized as critical tools for local communities to mediate changes brought on by globalization and the advent of new technologies: The CMC role in fostering cultural resilience. The capacity of a community to retain critical knowledge and at the same time adapt to external influences and pressures - is particularly remarkable. In addition to an extensive review of documentation, the evaluation used field research, interviews, questionnaires, an online survey, and case studies to review the CMC initiative, a flagship activity of UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector. Equitable and expanded access to ICTs is promoted in many ways, such as subsidized training for those with special requirements and/or marginalized groups; close work with schools, small businesses and the independent sector; or the provision of information to more remote communities through radio, says the evaluation report. The evaluation also points out challenges faced by the CMC initiative, including the strategic use of CMC networks as delivery mechanisms for development services, from projects and programmes of UN agencies and national governments to those of local civil society groups. Many challenges relate to sustainability of local facilities in low-income and least-developed localities. As CMCs depend on volunteers for the delivery of training, radio programming and other services, they face difficulties in finding appropriate incentives for volunteers and struggle with managing volunteer turnover. Another challenge consists of opportunities for networking and staff development, which to date have been limited. Evaluators point out the need for CMCs to learn from and access expertise more easily and systematically from each other in order to be sustainable. Enabling national policy environments are very important for the development and sustainability of CMCs. Sudden changes in national policies on connectivity charges can destabilize CMCs and broadcast licensing restrictions or restrictions on press freedom can prevent CMCs from being able to broadcast freely and to a broader constituency, says the report." (UNESCO website) more

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Evaluation of the Multi Media Training Kit Project (MMTK)

Jackie Davies

UNESCO (2005), 102 pp.

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Desarrollo rural y tecnologías de información y comunicación: Experiencias en el Perú. Lecciones aprendidas y recomendaciones

Juan Fernando Bossio, Javier López Velarde, Miguel Sarvia, Peter Wolf

Lima: Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG); Ministerio de Agricultura (MINAG); Programa Desarrollo Rural Sostenible GTZ (PDRS) (2005), 52 pp.

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Community Empowerment Through Non-Formal Education: Experiences from Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uzbekistan

Bangkok: UNESCO (2005), 34 pp.

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Informática comunitaria: Manual de capacitación para capacitadores de telecentros

Marcelo Galarza

Quito: Fundación ChasquiNet (2005), 117 pp.

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Cyber Cafés: A How-To Manual

Alex Franka, Jessie Gilliam

Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth (2005), 89 pp.

"This manual is divided into nine easy-to-read chapters. The chapters build so that those readers who feel less able to use a computer can increase their base of knowledge as they read each chapter. This first chapter talks about the benefits of a cyber café and its potential for a positive impact ... more

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Supporting the Democratic Voice Through Community Media Centres in South Asia

3CMedia: Journal of Community, Citizen's and Third Sector Media and Communication, issue 1 (2005), pp. 25-36

"This paper considers the potential of community based information and communication technology (ICT) centres to support and promote the democratic voice. It does so through presenting comparative research findings from eight ICT centres in South Asia. The research uses a methodology that combines e ... more

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Telecentres, Access and Development: Experience and Lessons from Uganda and South Africa

Sarah Parkinson

Burton-on-Dunsmore; Ottawa; Kampala: ITDG Publishing; International Development Research Centre (IDRC); Fountain Publishers (2005), xxiii, 148 pp.

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Community Multimedia Centres Around the World: A Global Directory

Stella Hughes, Ian Pringle (eds.)

UNESCO (2005), 156 pp.

"Inspired by innovations that emerged from the Kothmale Community Radio and Internet project, Sri Lanka, in 1999 and 2000, UNESCO has since established some fifty CMCs in a wide range of contexts in some twenty countries on three continents. In addition to new facilities and increased local capacity ... more

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Lessons from the Field: An Overview of the Current Uses of Information and Communication Technologies for Development. A Digital Dividend Report

John Paul, Robert Katz, Sean Gallagher

World Resources Institute (2004), 59 pp.

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ICTs for Democracy: Media and the Post-War Reconstruction of Angola

Chris Armstrong

Amsterdam: Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NIZA) (2004), 64 pp.

"Describes the work of Rádio Ecclesia (Luanda) and the ANGONET Wireless Internet Access Project in Huambo." (commbox)

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Manual práctico para telecentros comunitarios sobre políticas públicas y regulaciones en materia de tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC)

María de Lourdes Acosta Cruz (ed.)

Quito: ChasquiNet (2004), 109 pp.

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Mondialisation et technologies de la communication en Afrique

Annie Chéneau-Loquay (dir.)

Paris: Karthala (2004), 322 pp.

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Cyber Communities in Rural Asia: A Study of Seven Asian Countries

Kavita Karan (ed.)

Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Academic; Asian Mass Communication Research and Information Centre (AMIC) (2004), vi, 293 pp.

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Cómo comenzar y continuar: Una guía para los centros multimedia comunitarios
Key Guidance

Stella Hughes, Sucharita Eashwar, Venus Easwaran Jennings (eds.)

Paris: UNESCO (2004), 144 pp.

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A Guide to Community Multimedia Centres: How to Get Started and Keep Going

Paris: UNESCO (2004), 141 pp.

"There are growing numbers of grass-root communication and information service providers in the developing countries today. They are operating community radio stations, multipurpose telecentres, information centres, community learning centres and – in a few cases – community multimedia centres ( ... more