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Using the Program
What is the ICT Skills Building Program?
The ICT Skills Building Program empowers and supports professionals within the humanitarian community to develop expertise in IT, telecom, and business communications skills. The program offers:
- Low-cost courses for NGO technology and office staff in Networking, Technical Support, Telecommunications/Satellite Technology, IT Project Management, and Office Productivity
- Flexible training options, including classroom training at local facilities, live online training, and self-paced training
- Expert instructors and resource support from technology and learning industry leaders
The program is rolling out with a pilot running from June — December 2007, offering a core set of classes to IT Professionals and Program worker staff of NGOs who are members of the Emergency Capacity Building Project and NetHope. This pilot will provide feedback that will enable the program to be extended to the wider NGO community at a future date.
How do I find classes? How do I register for a course?
The Quick Start Guide provides you with step-by-step directions on how to find and register for classes. If you're not sure where to start, we recommend you consider your learning options in the context of what you need to do for a particular job, by first viewing Program Worker Training Objectives by Job Role or ICT Professional Training Objectives by Job Role.
What kind of training is offered?
The program focuses on two key audiences: Program Workers who use computers and the Internet as part of their work responsibilities, and Information and Communications Technology Professionals. The ICT Skills Building Program is designed to offer training in the technologies most commonly used and valued among NGOs. See the Course Schedule for Program Workers and for ICT Pros to view the class offerings for the pilot. As the pilot program feedback rolls in, we will refine and expand the course offerings. If you want to request a specific topic or class for the future, please e-mail us at .
How much does the training cost?
The ICT Skills Building was developed to keep costs as low as possible for participating organizations, with key program costs covered by funders and supporters. For the pilot phase, online courses will be offered free of charge, with a fee charged for instructor-led classes online and at classroom locations in order to cover costs. Note that fees are set at a substantial discount to participants — for example, a five-day technical training course through the ICT Skills Building Program is offered at a discount of 75% off the estimated average worldwide value. NGOs will be billed for the instructor-led courses their employees sign up for, with billing delivered as part of a regular monthly reporting process.
What languages are classes available in?
We will provide classes in as many language options as possible, depending on availability of curriculum and instructors, to address the needs of a diverse set of regions. For current language availability, please view the Course Schedule for Program Workers and for ICT Pros.
How does this fit with the other offerings that my agency has for IT skill building?
The goal of the ICT Skills Building Program is to complement learning solutions that are already in place and working well. As part of the pilot program feedback process, we will work closely with pilot participants to identify best practices currently in use and blend those solutions into the program. We are also asking participants to share their recommendations for learning resources such as courses, curriculum, white papers and other learning materials, which will be communicated via the program website's Resources for ICT Professionals and Resources for Program Workers.
Who is eligible to participate in the ICT Skills Building Program?
During the pilot phase (June — December 2007) participation is focused on IT Professionals and Program worker staff of NGOs who are members of the Emergency Capacity Building Project and NetHope. The program is designed to be extended to the larger community of humanitarian organizations at a future date.
What are the requirements to participate in the program?
Participation in the program is voluntary; the main prerequisite for pilot participants is that they commit to providingfeedback and input that will help us refine the program and prepare for a broader rollout in the future.
About the ICT Skills Building Program
What is the origin of the ICT Skills Building Program?
In March 2006 a report from the Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB), a collaborative effort of leading international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), identified the vital importance of technology tools such as e-mail, cell and satellite phones, radios, and more to enable a more effective response to security and emergency situations. The report also identified critical ICT skills gaps within many NGOs, particularly at the field level, and to address and reduce this gap ECB and NetHope joined forces to develop a targeted training solution. Planning began in October 2006, aiming to combine NGO best practices with training that addresses the highest priority skills gaps as identified by the NGO community itself.
How was the Program developed?
Interviews with ten different NGOs were conducted to develop a comprehensive needs analysis and address real-world scenarios that NGOs face today. With that input, the NetHope team set to work developing a scalable program that responded to real-world training needs and was designed to leverage curriculum and delivery modes (instructor-led training, e-learning, self-paced learning, etc.) that the organizations were already accustomed to using. The program launches with a pilot that will engage NGOs who are members in NetHope to test the model and adjust it with feedback and lessons learned, then expand the program to support the entire NGO sector.
How is this program different from other training opportunities?
The ICT Skills Building Program pilot has the support of a variety of organizations to make training as inexpensive as possible for participating NGOs. The program was developed with the collaborative input of the NGOs themselves, with a focus on a flexible learning through a variety of training solutions to best meet their needs as they fulfill their humanitarian missions. The program also has built-in tracking mechanisms to measure success and adjust the program as needed.
Who is managing the program?
NetHope is implementing the ICT Skills Building Program through funding from the Emergency Capacity Building Project. Wright Robbins, Inc., a Seattle, Washington-based firm which specializes in Learning and Technology program management, is managing the program.
How can I learn more about the program?
Send e-mail to .
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