Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators

1. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators 5th Convention of Grameen Gyan Abhiyan (Mission 2007) 3-5 October 2008 Basheerhamad Shadrach

2. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • Current scenario • 113,000 common service centres in the making • 8000 VRCs in the making • e-Choupal 3.0 is evolving • Many private sector organisations interested • Social entrepreneurship initiatives march on • All NGO initiatives continue their journey • The concept of Gyan Choupal is practiced, if not consciously known

3. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • Multiple challenges facing the operators as well as the managers • Hub and Spokes model continue to be the format – for all models • ICTs are used extensively to track results and monitor progress • Demand for services unmet; scope for now is highly limited • Plethora of experimentations continue • Not many applications scaled-up

4. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • Sustainability is key; but understood in broader terms • The common agenda is appealing, but difficult to practice in day-to-day situations • Support systems are weak, even within individual telecentre networks • Local ownership vary according to models • The 5C approach continues to form the ecosystem

5. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • The Operators • Four types of skills and many more • Computer operational, maintenance skills; maintenance for other gadgets • Functional skills, mostly relating to telecentre operation including soft skills • Training skills to become allies in skills development • Service delivery skills for specific services • And, many more… such as skills to deal with power relations

6. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • The Operators • Four types of skills and many more • Many of these training modules available • Language based training modules are not yet visible • Need felt to collate these material for years now • Attempts to collate material have yielded little or no results • The Jamshedji Tata Training School should find solutions

7. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • The Operators • Four types of skills and many more • Many of these training modules available • Language based training modules are not yet visible • Need felt to collate these material for years now • Attempts to collate material have yielded little or no results • The Jamshedji Tata Training School should find solutions

8. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • The Manager • Vary in their operational scope; but by and large, the duties correspond despite models • Layers are management found as per the size of networks • The skills are very specific to the situation • Most often, skills relate to business partnerships and negotiations • HR skills are key for high quality performance

9. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • Recommendations • Telecentre.org-Jameshedji Tata Training School is the answer to challenges • Clearly defined plans of the School shall respond to challenges • School’s leadership should intensify efforts • IGNOU’s support shall take the School a long way • Collation of modules key to achieving results faster

10. Capacity needs of telecentre managers and operators • Recommendations • Three types of courses to address the operators needs • Appreciation course for the practitioners • Certificate course for the beginners • Diploma course for career move • Vertical mobility is important for operators • Face to face blended with self-learning methodologies work well