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Participation of Women at Management Levels: Lessons Learned from the Thailand Canada Telecentre Project

Participation of Women at Management Levels: Lessons Learned from the Thailand Canada Telecentre Project. Empowering the Poor through Rural Information Centers: What Works and What is Sustainable? The World Bank, Washington DC 2 December 2002 Warren Wong. Agenda.

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Participation of Women at Management Levels: Lessons Learned from the Thailand Canada Telecentre Project

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  1. Participation of Women atManagement Levels:Lessons Learned from theThailand Canada Telecentre Project Empowering the Poor through Rural Information Centers: What Works and What is Sustainable? The World Bank, Washington DC 2 December 2002 Warren Wong

  2. Agenda • Overview of the Thailand Telecentre Project • Planning and establishing telecentres • External factors: regulatory • Internal factors: including women mgrs • Profile of types of telecentres • Why are some telecentres doing better? Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  3. Overview: Primary Objective • To demonstrate that valuable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services can be delivered to people in rural and remote, as well as unserved and underserved (poor urban), areas in a financially sustainable manner Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  4. Overview: Secondary Objectives • That the utilization of ICT services: • Can create jobs in rural and remote areas that are status free and not marked by gender cues, particularly for the individuals operating the telecentres • Allows end-users to make informed choices, reduces their transaction costs • Is an effective way to enhance rural development efforts • Helps promote the adoption of a supportive policy and regulatory environment Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  5. Overview: Basic Facts • Project Period: April 2001 to June 2003 • Review & Set-Up 6 T-centres: April 01-March 02 • Operate & Monitor: January 02-March 03 • Evaluate: April 03-June 03 • $300,000 contribution from CIDA-INC • In-kind contribution from some communities and the implementing firms • Implementation by: • Hickling (int’l development consulting: ICT) • Loxley (communications & information technology) • TDG (people side of ICT) Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  6. Overview: General Approach • TCTP covers capital (one-time) costs • E.g., phone services installation, computers, printer, modem, fax machine • Telecentre covers operating (recurring) costs • E.g., salary, electricity • Except – monthly ISP charge covered by TCTP • Telecentre covers all operating costs, including monthly ISP charge, after one-year Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  7. Market Surveys Planning: Summary of Activities Long list of Potential communities Availability of Telephone Lines Short list of Potential communities Community workshops Community Action Plan Telecentre Business Plan Share Experience Increased usage Update & Refresher Training Telecentre Telecentre Trains Community Promote Usage Training & Equip Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  8. Planning: Community Workshops • Eight communities • 20 People: Community Leaders, Potential Telecentre Managers/Champions, Gender, Age, Cross-Section • Day 1: information needs assessment, past, present, future; role of telecentre and community development; financial and other support from project • Day 2: Community decision; ownership; manager; review of MOU between community and the project; planning for market surveys, business plan, initial training Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  9. Planning: Market Surveys • Telecentres in 6 communities • 200 respondents/community out of population of 2000 in cachment area • 80% within 3 km of proposed telecentre site; 20% from 3-10 km • All organizations/businesses (40); balance individuals (160) • Results of market surveys used by the telecentre manager to develop her/his business plan • Initial training: all telecentre managers and operators @ Chiang Mai University • IT: internet, word, excel • Small business: financial • Telecentre management, reporting Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  10. External Factors • Initially poor, but improving performance • 3 telecentres making an operating profit • 3 telecentres – loss, lowering average • Failed to get revenue sharing agreement, particularly important for inward calls • Inward calling 3-4 times outward • Approx. 25-40% young people (<25) living and working outside the village • Revenue share simulation: • 20% commission on outward • 10% commission on inward Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  11. External Factors • Revenue share simulation adds approx. THB 40,000 ($1K) to the telecentres • And approx. THB 120,000 ($3K) in new revenue to Thai telephone companies • Cellular cheaper than fixed line, but can’t use it if there is a fixed line • Can’t use cellular and fixed line in the same establishment/telecentre • Price of cellular is less than the cost of fixed line charged by TOT, can’t match price • Result: phone usage @ telecentres low Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  12. -$0.5K -$1K -$1.5K -$2K -$2.5K Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  13. Internal Factors • Women tend to be better telecentre managers and operators: • Better retailers • Better at financial management, reporting • More sensitive to privacy concerns of women customers • More women will use a telecentre if its run by women • Community selected their managers • Four of the six managers are women • Two-thirds of the operators are women Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  14. $250 -$250 -$500 -$750 Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  15. Internal Factors • Best Performers (profit): Non Formal Education Centres/Community Libraries (female managers) • Next Best (profit & almost break even): Coops/Firms (female managers) • Third (loss): Local Government/Tambon (both), however, no more govt. • Worst (loss): NGOs (both) Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  16. $500 -$500 -$1K -$1.5K -$2K Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  17. Pong T-centre Non Formal Education Centre/Library Staff (most dedicated): 2 managers: both F 2 operators: 1 F, 1 M 2 trainers: 1F, 1M Community (strongest): 5 PCs, 2 printers 1 scanner, air-con Constructed t-centre 1 phone line Project: 2 PCs, printer, 4 TOT +2 PCs after 3 months Financials: Cum Profit: 5,000 ($125) Computer training Mae Hong Sorn (was govt): Cum Profit: 7,400 ($185) Best prospects. Participatory community ICT needs workshops Pong T-Centre Signage Community donated 5 PCs Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  18. Ban Mae T-centre Coop/Firm: Women’s Woodcarvers Assoc Staff (entrepreneurial): 5 managers: 3 F, 2 M 2 operators: 2 F 2 trainers: 1F, 1M Community: 3 PCs Constructed t-centre Project: 2 PCs, printer, 3 TT&T +2 PCs, 2 lines Financials: Cum Loss: -10K (-$250) Rev share: break even Phone regulations / prices, trainers PT @ school key factor for losses Huathanon (firm): 2 mos. Cum Profit: 1,200 ($30) Participatory community ICT needs workshops Community Construction Community donated 3 PCs Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  19. Jakraj T-centre NGO: Population & Community Development Assoc Staff (community): 1 manager: 1 M 1 operator: 1 F 1 trainer: 1F Community (strongest): 1 PC, 1 digital camera 1 scanner, Refurbished t-centre PDA: 6 PCs, 2 trainers Project: 4 PCs, printer, 3 TOT +2 PCs if -- Financials: Cum Loss: -22K (-$550) T-centre not integrated with PDA activities Hang Hung: Cum Loss: -50K (-$1,250) Mini-payphone regular phone Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  20. Internal Factors • General inclination by communities was to have their telecentres owned/run by govt. • Two communities ended up choosing the Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO). • Both TAOs later realized that they were not the best organization to operate a telecentre • After 4 months: Mae Ram TAO  Mae Hong Son NFE (3 months operating) • After 4 months Huatanon TAO  Huatanon firm (2 months operating) Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  21. $1K $500 -$500 -$1K -$1.5K Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  22. Business; School Boys <12 Legal Documents Business Youth <25 Youth <25; School; Some business Legal Documents School; Business Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  23. Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  24. Why are some doing better?Pong, Mae Hong Sorn, Ban Mae • Strong Community Support • Active support from village chief and other community leaders • Community donated computers, printers, scanners, etc. and constructed/refurbished the building to house their telecentre • “Donated” a line and/or lobbied TOT Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  25. Why are some doing better?Pong, Mae Hong Sorn, Ban Mae • Stronger champions / managers tended to be women • Involved in community workshop, market survey, business plan, initial training • Tended to be the most ICT literate in the community • Committed to the community Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  26. Why are some doing better?Pong, Mae Hong Sorn, Ban Mae • Non Formal Education Centres / Community Libraries / Private • Teachers / better IT trainers • Satisfy major demand for IT training • Introduction of educational software to gently push children, mainly boys, away from games • Researchers, so better able to respond to demand for information Hickling-Loxley-TDG

  27. Thank you TCTP web: www.t-centre.com Warren Wong, Partner, & David Barr, P.Eng., Senior Associate, Hickling Corporation 150 Isabella Street, Penthouse Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 1V7 Tel: 1-613-237-2220. Fax: 1-613-237-7347. Email: warrenw@hickling.ca; dave.barr@sympatico.ca Dr. Jingjai Hanchanlash, Executive Vice President, & Vasoontara Chatikabvanij, Director, Technical & Economic Cooperation, Loxley Public Company Ltd. 102 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Tel: 66-2-240-132. Fax: 66-2-240-3286. Email: jingjai@loxley.co.th; vasoonta@loxinfo.co.th Dr. Don Richardson, Director, & Galin Kora, Sr. Consultant, TeleCommons Development Group 361 Southgate Drive, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 3M5 Tel: 1-519-822-8385. Fax: 1-519-836-2493. Email: don@telecommons.com; galin@telecommons.com Hickling-Loxley-TDG

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