SDNP BDP Report

1. Division:	BDP Directorate, SDNP Unit
2. Name of the Programme:	Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP)
3. Year of starting the Programme	1992 with SPR funds, 1997 with BDP Global Programme funds
4. Year of Completion:	End of 2000 but depends on available funds/planned fund raising efforts
5. Key objective:	To promote access  and information exchange on SHD resources to key decision makers and civil society organizations from all sectors in developing countries (DCs) via the use of IT tools and the Internet in particular , by fostering local connectivity and networking, local capacity building (technical and non-technical) and content provision and aggregation of national information resources.
6. Number and name     of countries     involved:	48 countries for SDNP as follows: Africa: 13 , Arab States: 5,  Asia: 11, EE & CIS: 6; Latin American and Caribbean:  13 Plus over 40 SIDS currently under SIDSNet.  Form a detailed list of all country and country programme info please see:  http://www.sdnp.undp.org/countries
7. Partners:	UNDP: TCDC, RBA Internet Initiative for Africa, RBLAC Hemispheric Network,  SEED/Capacity 21, SEPED/GIPD, BDP/Global Hub, BDP/ITDP, UN: UNDAW, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNESCO, ITU, World Bank Others: IDRC, SIDA, CIDA, IUCN, various local organizations within countries Private Sector: Hewlett Packard, Red Hat Linux, O'Reilly and Associates, OneWorld, Muscat
8. Total Programme      Budget:	US $ 9,400,000
9. Funding sources:	BDP Global Programme Funds:   US $ 4,4000,000 SEED/Capacity 21: US $ 2,100,000 (since 1995) UNDP TRAC (various countries): US $ 1,000,000 Cost-sharing (various countries): US $ 750,000 SU/TCDC: US $50,000 Hewlett Packard (equipment): US $ 1,100,000
10. Key indicators         of success:	In 1995, SDNP, given its rather innovative approach, developed, jointly with Capacity 21, a set of specific indicators of results/success for SDNP programmes.  The set of indicators has a) been distributed to all SDNP country projects and b) posted in SDNP's web site since then. Please check http://www.sdnp.undp.org/guides/indicat.html SDNP is currently revising the list of indicators and will produce a new document within the first quarter of 1999.
11. Outputs (specifically  highlight the outputs in  relation to the best  practices and policies):	Delivered: SDNP grew from 23 sites in 1996 to serving 39 developing countries  by the end of 1998.  By mid-1997 the emphasis of the new programmes has shifted from connectivity to content provision and aggregation, with capacity remaining a common thread to all projects.    SDNP continue its capacity building effort and by the end of 1998  has helped over 13,000 institutions, organizations and private persons from all sectors, including key government ministries. In addition, SDNP staff paticipated for the 4th time in a row as trainers in the Internet Society Workshop for Developing Countries.   SDNP has either created or help create over 1,500 web sites and in addition provided the necessary training and tools to allow the owners of the information to maintain it themselves.   The SIDSNet programme was successfully launched and has already received direct financial support from the Japanese government (contribution of US $ 200,000 for training). In addition,  ties with AOSIS  have consolidated.   SDNP secured support via donations from Red Hat Linux and O'Reilly and Assoc.. (Discussions with Nortel , Corel are on-going)   SDNP help launched at least 3 RBA/Internet Initaive for Africa projects.   SDNP is hosting the Web server for  RBLAC's Plaza 21 project (Hemispheric Network).   At least 5 more SDNPs started to generate revenues by selling specific Internet/IT services   Expected:  Finalize "distillation" of  experinces for at least 10 operational SDNPs to produce best practices, additional lessons learned, and IT policy implications for developmental purposes.   Capture all exisiting SDNP "business" plans and produce "boiler-plate" plans for projects requiring them.    Launch at least 3 "public cabin/training/community centers" in exisiting SDNPs (Guatemala, Jamaica, Benin) in cooperation with other partners (CIDA, ITU and BDP/ITDP).   Distribute Internet applications (Calendars, Groupware, Poll, Database to Web, Fax to web, Intranets, etc.) to SDNP operations requiring them.   Deploy at least two regional SDNP centers (Central America and West Africa) serving as regional "facilitator" nodes with portal services to the region and beyond.   Develop and install protoype Internet portal  site based on SHD issues and information.   Start operating the HQs unit on a cost-recovery basis by providing specific technical and managerial services to projects and other partners (including selected UNDP divisions/units).   Launch fund raising initiative in the first quarter of 1999 with fresh materials/success stories compiled from the project sites.
12. Finances:	Allocated: US $9.400,000 Committed: US $8, 800,000
13. Major lessons learned:	Even though global Interet connectivity has expanded at a very rapid pace, still the majority of the population in DCs do not have access and/or cannot afford to pay for it. In many DCs the result of the privatization of the telecommunications sector has entailed higher costs for local phone calls (and relatively lower costs for international calls) thus  making it more difficult  for organizations to use the Internet locally Those sectors who do have access do not use IT tools for professional purposes. The Internet in particular is seen as an entertainment tool. In addition, key stake holders do not make use of computers and/or IT tools in their daily work. In many DCs, Information sharing has "political" connotations which prevents extensive use of  IT tools and free information flows within the country  and between the different sectors. In addition, no "culture" of information sharing and/or IT use exists or is actively promoted by the government. In most countries, civil society is more receptive to use of IT tools and/or information  sharing/dissemination that national governments. Few UNDP COs still do not see the relevance/importance of IT within their current programmes. Most IT projects are thus handled by technical people and are not related to UNDP's main areas of concentration. The same can be said about UNDP HQs. There is lots of competition between donors, bi-laterals and multi-laterals in implementation of IT projects in DCs. Cooperation between them at the field/implementation level has proven to be difficult to coordinate/organize Few SDNPs have been able to succeed in terms of obtaining autonomous financial sustainability and should be used as "role" models for the new ones. Local alliances between SDNPs and similar initiatives/organizations has increased and given additional leverage to the former and larger presence in remote cities/towns.    In many countries, SDNPs not only serve connectivity, but also information and content needs since much of the urban connectivity challenges have been met by private Internet service providers. The scope is beyond technological connectivity to content -- enabling the community to use information to further their development activities.  In addition, a few SDNPs are now starting to cater connectivity needs of partners and stakeholders in remote areas.

 

Annex I: Global Cooperation Framework: Activities and Indicators

 
 
 

1. Number of Users:	15,000
2. Types of organizations:	Government, NGOs, Academic and Private Sector
3. Number or persons trained:	20,000
4. Number and type of Web sites created	1,500, Web sites for national ministries, NGOs and private sector
5. Frequency of use	Daily basis for most users
6. Participants in listserv discussions	over 3,000
7. Topic of information accessed	Socio-economic, environmental, technical and/or Internet, SHD in general

| About SDNP | Backgrounder | 1998/1999 Highlights | 1999 Report to BDP | Country Status Table | Partners |