Soros Foundation - Moldova

1. Soros Foundation - Moldova Dumitru Chitoroagă

2. InformationProgram Priority Directions: • Information policy and resources for implementing e-Democracy and e-Governance • Extending Access to Information • Information Resources Development • Community Network and information culture

3. InformationProgram Extending Access to Information Goal: to provide access to information for rural area by offering new services based on ICT and training regarding ICT use. Program priority areas: • establishing Access to Information and Training Community Centers (AITCC) in rural area • supporting public libraries initiatives in improving information services for different categories of users (until December 2005)

4. Public Library Initiatives Implementation Data: Total financial support offered by Soros Foundation-Moldova for diversifying information services within 81 public libraries– $377 561

5. Extending Access to Information Access to Information and Training Community Centers Objectives : • to facilitate access to information and new forms of communication of community members; • to promote new concepts about information, access to information, ICT and training; • to provide ICT training for community members.

6. Extending Access to Information Implementation Data: Total financial support offered by the Foundation – $761 672

7. Extending Access to Information Eligibility Criteria: • applicant’s and community’s contribution - 30% - 35% • services offered by grantee - free of charge: 60% - 70% / fee based: 30 % - 40% • main budget lines supported by the Foundation - equipment and Internet connection • qualified local team • selfsustainability for the second year • eligible organizations: NGO, libraries, secondary school educational institutions.

8. Soros Foundation Moldova Context (2000-2005) • insufficiency of transparency of normative acts and decision making at national and local levels that reduces the possibilities of citizens, NGOs, and media to influence this process; • insufficient quality of information resources in Moldova • gap in access to information resources between rural and urban areas • shortage of free and unlimited access to information for all social categories of people • shortage of qualified specialists who could ensure access to information • no on-line services and on-line payments

9. Extending Access to Information Main issues in 2000-2005: • Low number of IT specialists in rural area • High turnover of IT specialists • Low speed of Internet connection • High price for Internet connection • Exclusive use of Microsoft Software • Language (interface, content)

10. Soros Foundation Moldova Context (2012) • low quality of information resources in Moldova • shortage of qualified specialists • few on-line services are available in Moldova • about 90% of the country is covered by internet 3G+ and wired internet offered by Moldtelecom • growing number of free WiFi areas • dramatic increase of the number of PC’s & notebooks in rural area • smartphone is becoming a “must have” • Skype – cheapest communication channel with relatives working abroad

11. Extending Access to Information Main issues in 2012: • Internet cafe – low profit business • Smaller target groups • On-line payments in Moldova are not developed • Low number of IT specialists in rural area • High turnover of IT specialists • Language (interface, content)

12. Soros Foundation Moldova Key factors for future growth • Increasing the number of on-line services (e-government) • Developing of on-line business (on-line bank transactions - widely available for citizens, PayPal in Moldova, on-line auctions [including agricultural products], …) • Diversification of business (NGO activities, IT training & consulting, software & hardware support, WEB advertising, …) • AITCC Network development (joint projects, effective exchange of information, …)

13. Thank you for your attention!