IATP Monitoring and Evaluation Report - IREX

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H. Analysis of ICT “Adaptors” and “Laggards” Although IATP centers are packed with visitors, the priority remains to expand centers’ reach to a wider range of talented, active, and concerned citizens to help prepare them to become leaders in their communities’ development. On the other side of the spectrum, focus groups discussions were not only conducted with IATP users who had successfully incorporated ICT in their daily lives, but also with “laggards,” or those who had yet to do so. IATP was interested in learning what still held these outliers back from using ICT in their lives. The problem does not seem to be that laggards had not heard about the internet. Even in the most remote mountainous regions, most had some basic idea about the internet and at minimum knew it was a means of communication and way to access information. But for one 61-year-old engineer named Dorobsho Zurobekov, who works in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, he believed the internet had no use for him and was not really serious, “All the information on the internet is useless for harvesting or for mental processing – it is not serious—it’s more like playing games…I work in the electrical engineering sector— we don’t need the internet.” 69 Nina Yurchenko is a 55-year-old lab assistant at a tuberculosis hospital in Balkanabat, Turkmenistan, who was a laggard before coming to the IATP center but nevertheless desired to learn ICT. She shared her experience when she tried to talk someone else into going with her to the training, “She said, ‘Are you crazy! We’re too old to learn!” But Yurchenko was not disheartened and replied, “I know if I will show her something interesting she can do with the internet, then I think she will come with me to the center. We all will use ICT in our lives, I am sure.” 70 Even Olga Rudenco a 62-year-old librarian from Chisinau, Moldova, said, “Nowadays life cannot be imagined without computers. This means of communication is very developed. Internet ensures access to information as well as a lot of other services. You can do so much with it—even call someone without a phone!” She went on to explain that the problem was a lack of access. “In our library there is only one computer connected to the internet, but there are a lot of us.” 71 Another librarian in Moldova, Anna Pnevscaia, noted their problem was a lack of equipment, “Internet is a very necessary tool. At present, we remain behind because we don’t have computers at our library.” There were focus group laggards who clearly understood the benefit of ICT. Irina Aghenosova, a 46- year-old librarian from Chisinau, Moldova, said, “If you can use the internet, you have the key to all kinds of information.” 72 Nazokat Alokhgerdyeva, a 47-year-old gallery worker from Shirvan, Azerbaijan, said, “The internet is a window to life.” 73 Some participants explained their problem was having no access to quality ICT training—or any training for that matter. Irina Aghenosova, a 46-year-old librarian from Chisinau, Moldova, talked about her failed attempts to learn computer skills,”We tried to study the computer by ourselves, but we couldn’t do it, even though there are special books. There is computer training at a library science school but there were only a few lessons. In effect, we only learned how to turn a computer off and on—that’s it.” 74 Others were discouraged in their early attempts to use the internet. In Tiraspol, Transnistria, Moldova, Lubov Raport, a 53-year-old librarian reported she attempted to use the internet once, searching for information in library collections on the Web, but failing to find what she sought. 69 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 20, 2008 70 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Balkanabat, Turkmenistan, November 28, 2008 71 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Chisinau, Moldova, April 2, 2009 72 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Chisinau, Moldova, April 2, 2009 73 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Shirvan, Azerbaijan, April 10, 2009 74 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Chisinau, Moldova, April 2, 2009 28
During the focus group she announced, “I don’t agree that there is plenty of information on the internet; it is limited.” After discussing the matter a little further she concluded, “Maybe, because I am not a very proficient user of the internet, I couldn’t find the information I wanted.” 75 Another distinct difference between IATP users and some internet laggards seemed to be their satisfaction with the media coverage available to them. For example, all of the internet laggards in the focus group in Tiraspol, Transnistria, Moldova, believed the information provided by the local mass media was unbiased and comprehensive enough for their interests. Focus group participant Irina Pogonya, a 25-year-old unemployed woman, noted, “For right now I do not need broad information—perhaps in the future I will have more free time and desire to seek broader information.” 76 Whereas in the same town, most of the opinions of IATP users stated that the information provided by local mass media was insufficient. David Kurashvili, a 34-year-old supervisor at an auto mechanic shop, said, “The information [from the media] is inadequate. We have nothing but a general picture of what’s going on in the world, and therefore would like to have a more comprehensive understanding of the situation based on information from different sources.” 77 we don’t have computer skills and are not capable of competing with young people on equal terms, because school and university students have computer training and are therefore in an advantageous position.” 79 Over the course of the focus group discussions with internet laggards, some that had no interest in the internet in the beginning began to see things differently. Nana Malashkhia, a 19-year-old fashion design student of Chavchavadze State University in Tbilisi, Georgia, commented, “I obtain information on design in magazines. However, it would be great if I had access to related online resources.” 80 Irina Pogonya, a 25-year-old unemployed lawyer from Tiraspol, Transnistria, Moldova, noted, “Now, that I know more of the opportunities the internet offers, I will do my best to learn how to use it much better.” Internet laggard from Tiraspol, Lubov Raport, a 53-year-old librarian, learned about Libris (a computer application for libraries) during the discussions and decided she wanted to introduce it at the library where she works. 81 After learning about services the IATP center offers, many expressed commitment to come for technical training. Irina Scorpan, a 52-year-old librarian from Chisinau, Moldova, said, “We just didn’t know about it; otherwise we would have come sooner!” 82 For some countries, traditional and religious values limit women’s participation in public life and education, including ICT training. Some participants in a focus group discussion in Garm, Tajikistan, suggested men should not allow their wives to be corrupted by the internet and their women need only be concerned with domestic issues. Most internet laggard focus group participants were unemployed and many of them realized not being able to use computers and the internet was one of their obstacles. Internet laggard Nana Shengelia, a 33-year-old post-graduate student at Chavchavadze State University in Tbilisi, Georgia ,said, “Looking for a job and not having computer skills is an ineffectual effort.” 78 Lyudmila Zlatova, a 57-year-old pedagogue at an Art Center in Comrat, Gagauzia, Moldova, added, “[Finding a job] is a particular problem for people our age, as 75 Midline focus group discussion report, Internet laggards group, Tiraspol, Transnistria, Moldova, April 6, 2009 76 Midline focus group discussion report, Internet laggards group, Tiraspol, Transnistria, Moldova, April 6, 2009 77 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Telavi, Georgia, April 15, 2009. 78 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Tbilisi, Georgia, April 13, 2009 79 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Comrat, Gagauzia, Moldova, April 7, 2009 80 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Tbilisi, Georgia, April 13, 2009 81 Midline focus group discussion report, Internet laggards group, Tiraspol, Transnistria, Moldova, April 6, 2009 82 Midline focus group discussion, Internet laggards group, Chisinau, Moldova, April 2, 2009 29
Page 1 and 2: INTERNET ACCESS AND TRAINING PROGRA
Page 3 and 4: Executive summary .................
Page 5 and 6: I. INTRODUCTION IATP aimed to spur
Page 7 and 8: IATP users coming to IATP centers i
Page 9 and 10: IV. OBJECTIVE 1: Citizens are Empow
Page 11 and 12: NGO Officials IATP also partnered w
Page 13 and 14: Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs have pr
Page 15 and 16: 6 Midline focus group discussion re
Page 17 and 18: Implementation of knowledge and ski
Page 19 and 20: Thanks to IATP’s assistance and r
Page 21 and 22: IATP center contacts where they can
Page 23 and 24: Libraries were also sometimes menti
Page 25 and 26: F. IATP Responds to Internally Disp
Page 27: G. IATP Empowers Youth in Turkmenis
Page 31 and 32: Year One : • 61 in-country online
Page 33 and 34: Natalya Polyakova, a 51-year-old do
Page 35 and 36: Objective 3 Outcomes : Year One:
Page 37 and 38: Living with HIV/AIDS (network.org.u
Page 39 and 40: ment. The deputy decided to provide
Page 41 and 42: Tajik.” Through IATP’s free tec
Page 43 and 44: VIII. CONCLUSIONS A.Summary of Find
Page 45: there still is a need for free, qua

IATP Monitoring and Evaluation Report - IREX

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