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One Laptop Per Family

Guyana

One Family - One Community - One Internet

One Connected Country


Guyana

One Family – One Community – One Internet

One Connected Country

Project Plan – Draft v2.0

April 1, 2010

Produced by:

Project Management OfficeOffice of Climate Change Government of GuyanaGeorgetown, GuyanaSouth America

This Project Plan is being developed by the Project Management Office to support and foster Guyana's community and

economic development within the Low Carbon Development Strategy, LCDS, adopted by the Government of Guyana.

Cover: The satellite image of the earth is reproduced from Google Earth, a free Internet resource.

One Laptop Per Family Guyana

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the One Laptop Per Family Guyana to provide Internet connected mobile computers to families throughout Guyana to foster community and economic development, support computer education in primary and secondary schools and increase Guyanese technology awareness, knowledge and skills through a family focused community based project model to prepare individuals for ICT related work.

Earned Laptop – Families receiving laptops will be required to repay the investment in their family through community service. Each OLPF community project will include community projects that will benefit the entire community as repayment for the laptop.

Internet Connected – Every laptop provided through OLPF will have Internet connectivity provided for the first year. Connectivity and communication is the primary value of a public technology deployment and will create more Internet service demand.

Project Partners – Each OLPF project will be jointly developed and run through a community group and Project Partner. Project Partners are aid and donor organizations and GoG Ministries working in communities on development projects.

Family Focus – A family team, learning and earning a laptop together. Family members, especially teen males, participating in community groups focusing on economic development, capacity building and education, collaborating with Project Partners is the primary target of OLPF laptop distribution. This primary OLPF participant is expected to bring the computer experience and learning to their family.

Community Originated Projects – Communities working with Project Partners will develop, manage and execute their own OLPF project. Communities will submit an application to OLPF requesting laptops for their projects. OLPF will review requests from communities based on alignment with OLPF mission and principles for laptop support.

Trained Support Community Every OLPF project will have two trained Support Technicians selected from participating families. OLPF Support Techs will be commercially trained and certified to support OLPF hardware, software and Internet. Training will include the building of a Guyana OLPF support community on the Internet for Support Techs interaction and collaboration across Guyana.

Renewable Energy – In keeping with the Low Carbon Development Strategy that Guyana has adopted, OLPF projects needing new power sources will make every effort to use renewable energy sources for the powering of laptops and networks.

Table of Contents

1. Confluence of Events – An Opportunity to Leap Forward....................................................9

2. Key Differentiators – One Laptop Per Family Guyana.......................................................11

3. Community & Economic Development Focus...................................................................17

4. Pilot Project Development................................................................................................19

5. Network: Innovative Solutions..........................................................................................25

6. Laptop: Small and Connected...........................................................................................27

7. Power: Renewable Energy................................................................................................29

8. One Laptop Per Family Guyana Organization ..................................................................31

9. Internet Connectivity Challenges & Opportunities............................................................33

10. Lessons Learned from One Laptop Per Child ...................................................................35

Table 1: Potential Project Partner Organizations....................................................................15

Table 2: Proposed Pilot Projects ............................................................................................23

Table 3: OLPF Organization Chart...........................................................................................32

Table 4: Comparison of Traditional OLPC and Guyana OLPF..................................................37

Reading list of recent news reports on laptop projects and relevant technology: http://twitter.com/internetproject


1. CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS – AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAP FORWARD

One Laptop Per Family, OLPF, is modeled on experience, the experience of how technology originally spread when the personal computer was new to everyone. Then, only human nature drove the adoption of computers. Those who saw an opportunity and took risks, moved ahead. Many teen males found a home in computers and technology, a new interest that drove their lives. There were no governments pushing adoption, just companies saying they have this new device that will revolutionize the world. Today we know the value of computers. OLPF is about making computers and Internet accessible to Guyanese families so they can propel themselves and the country into the information age. The world has revolutionized around the computer, now it's Guyana's opportunity.

The goal of OLPF is not a computer in every home, the goal is economic development, a competitive workforce and businesses able to transact globally via the ecommerce digital infrastructure. All Guyanese can benefit from increasing knowledge of and access to technology. The challenge is driving adoption faster, attracting more and better trained youth into technology careers where their energy can be utilized to drive the economy. The tech economy in Guyana is growing slowly, mirroring the slow growth of computer adoption and small market for slow Internet access. Without customers and a market, Internet Service Providers, ISPs, will not make significant capital investment in infrastructure. 50,000 new Internet connected computers will change the Internet service provider market in Guyana. Guyana currently ranks second lowest in the number of computers per capita. A laptop initiative of 50,000 computers will raise Guyana to the second highest level of households with computers, just behind the most developed countries.

This is an interesting moment in Guyana's history, there is a confluence of events that are creating a unique opportunity. Two high capacity fiber optic cables are about to connect Guyana to the Internet unlocking huge potential. The new fiber optic undersea cable and Brazilian cable will bring Internet access to all Guyanese who choose and can afford to get connected. The challenge is making the last mile connection to each home. Making an investment in technology with Guyana's youth will drive technology adoption ahead by a decade by vastly increasing the market size for ISP. Guyana leaped over the developed world's older land line telecommunication technology to cellular phones. Guyana now has a cellular network that covers two thirds of the population. That same network offers limited Internet access. With upgrades, Guyana can again leap froward to the current technology for Internet access, broadband wireless. The basic infrastructure of towers, backhaul and power is already in place.

Technology is youth focused and driven, only they have the openness to adopt technology and make it their own. It is the unfettered imagination of the youth that has lead the technology sector. Given the same tools and opportunity, Guyana's youth can do the same. It is not easy and it is not inexpensive, but there is no

Project Plan Draft v2.0 April 1, 2010


choice. Being left behind will imperil Guyana's development and growth. Technological innovation is accelerating. What took us ten years to achieve today will take two years tomorrow. The gap grows wider faster. But with this growth comes economies of scale. Technology is now cheaper and easier then it has ever been. Low cost netbooks offer full featured commercial computers at price levels low enough to make affordable mass distribution of laptops to families. It is a unique moment to prime the youth of Guyana to bring us on par with the technology leaders.

The opportunity and challenges are both commercial and governmental. The Internet supply problem will be resolved in months. National network upgrades require demand from the market and investment from Government and private enterprise. Guyana needs more ICT professionals and ICT savvy workers. Every graduating student needs to leave school with the ability to sit down at their first job with a computer in front of them and get to work. This project plan proposal is an innovative back to the future approach to priming the ICT economy in Guyana. As capitalism relies on human nature for it vibrancy, One Laptop Per Family relies on the energy and imagination of Guyana's youth to drive technology adoption for economic development.



2. KEY DIFFERENTIATORS – ONE LAPTOP PER FAMILY GUYANA

There are several key recommendations in this project plan that are essential to the overall projects success and sustainability These points significantly differentiate this plan from traditional One Laptop Per Child, OLPC, efforts. The core principle of focusing on older students and families avoids the normal delay in implementation while the educational system integrates computers and computer learning into the curriculum. This integration has proven immensely challenging in both developed and developing countries. It is often cited as one reason for OLPC projects not meeting goals. Older students will lead the drive to promote and integrate computers and computer learning through their example. An older student and family focused deployment brings forward the time when large numbers of students will be graduating from secondary schools and colleges with computer skills. Computers in the home will support and supplements Ministry of Eduction computer curriculum and teaching. Schools with labs typically have one computer per ten students. Students have limited access to labs and little free time to use computers outside of class. Computers in the home will allow students to apply computer class learning and complete homework assignments on a computer. This will significantly enhance the learning of computer skills and knowledge as lessons are reinforced with daily computer access and use. Students will bring pressure on schools to more rapidly adopt technology in the classroom. Only interaction with a computer will allow youth to own the computer experience. Like a boy with a football, constant access and practice will enable Guyana's youth to gain the proficiency to join the ranks of ICT professionals.

Return On Investment

The payback on One Laptop Per Child young children laptop distribution is at least a decade. Further, students require additional computers as they move through their school years to continue leveraging and learning technology. This is a huge future cost while receiving no immediate return. By providing computers to older students and other family members engaged in economic development projects ensures a better prepared secondary, high school and University graduating population within a few years and immediate community benefit from computer availability. Providing computers to secondary and high school students today ensures that within a couple of years students graduating have markedly improved ICT skills and knowledge. It is easier to push computers down into the lower grades as the educational system adjusts and is prepared to incorporate computers into the classroom and curriculum. Such programs are already underway at the Ministry of Education within the National Center Education Resource Development, NCERD, but it will be years before large quantities of multimedia material is available in schools.

Providing computers to teens who have elementary skills, can leverage peer learning and self learning to produce a better ICT prepared workforce faster. This will allow the education system more time to prepare for technology in primary schools and avoid gaps in students who miss computers or grow beyond a



learning computer and do not have access to commercial computer. A commercial computer also offers value to the entire family of a student who has their own computer. The entire family can use and learn about technology. Parents can ask their children to look information up or show them how to find information and set up e mail for family members. A dedicated learning computer cannot offer the family this unique opportunity to have access to the latest technology.

Internet Connected

Two new fiber optic cables will end the limited Internet access Guyana suffers today. This new capacity will enable all Guyanese to have access to high speed Internet. The challenge facing Guyana now is distributing this new Internet capacity across the country and ensuring it is affordable. The technology infrastructure selected to connect all Guyanese to the Internet will determine if Guyana leaps forward to come even with the most developed countries in Internet access.

Current stateoftheart Internet access is provided by broadband wireless delivering 10 to 30 megabits per second data speeds. The history of technology adoption by developing countries is one of leap frogging many iterations to the latest stable technology. A single broadband wireless tower can provide coverage to large areas ensuring universal Internet access verses millions of copper wires to every home and office who can afford the initial investment for phone service and DSL modem then a fixed monthly recurring expense.

Cellular phone service demonstrated how technology put in the hands of individuals can ignite unexpected innovation to propel individuals and drive economic development. Once cellular technology was offered through prepaid service, cell phone use exploded across developing countries. No one could predict how the cell phone would change developing countries. Individuals used their own creativity and followed the example of others. That is the model of innovation that OLPF is modeling.

The computer has become little more then a tool to communicate whether it by voice, e mail, instant message, video or social network. Computers without Internet connectivity are isolated islands. Connected computers provide information and knowledge access for research and personal communications that has come to define the computing world. Communicating across town, country and the world is the cornerstone of electronic commerce and education. The challenges of providing Internet access in remote areas are significant but it is this basic infrastructure that must be built for integration all of Guyanese into the Caribbean and South American regions and the rest of the world.

Commercial Hardware

Low cost full feature netbooks are a commercially available computer that is the foundation of OLPF. The use of commercial technology ensures Guyana is current with existing computer technology used around the world. Netbooks are already popular in Guyana, used by individuals, government and the private sector. A full function computer ensures that every member of the family can use and benefit from a laptop. Commercial computers allow families to upgrade their OLPF computer to add functionality, additional capacity and access support services from many sources.



The use of commercial hardware will ensure general availability of equipment and a ready supply of parts and service in Guyana. The ability to chose from a number of manufactures will ensure price competition and availability of the latest technology. Commercial hardware supports industry standards so new networking and peripherals will continue to be available to OLPF laptop owners. Using a commercial computer will spur immediate economic development in ICT related support and service business within Guyana.

Earned Laptops

What one earns, one values. This lesson has been learned repeatedly by donor/aid agencies and governments but often not applied. It is easier to give away resources but the record of failure demonstrates the futility. One never appreciates the value of something until they have had to exchange their own labor to obtain it. With that principle in mind, OLPF will require project plans to include a means for the recipient families of the computer to contribute an equal value of their efforts within their community to repay Guyanese society for the laptop investment in their family. This model will ensure that all members of the community and Guyana in general, will benefit from the OLPF whether they receive a computer or not. This ensures economic, community and educational development across the country for all members of society.

Family Centric

Providing families with a computer will create an opportunity for every member of the family to have access to a computer and the Internet. Family plans for computer utilization will be encouraged so every member of the family increases their computer literacy. Primary school students can access basic language and math learning software. Secondary school students can submit papers researched on the Internet and written on a word processor. Students preparing for CXC can access software to support their preparation efforts. Teens can assist their parents in learning and understanding how the computer can be used in their work or business.

Youth Focus

The early adopters of technology tend to be teen males. This is a huge opportunity to leverage a group that typically starts to lose interest in traditional school learning and provide them a medium to continue their learning and express their growing independence. This phenomenon of high dropout rates of teen males is often referred to as “the lost boys.” Book and lecture learning no longer hold young male’s attention. They start to question the value of school learning for their future work life. Computers have proven to be effective at keeping boy’s interest in learning about technology and other subjects that they can explored through the Internet. A computer offers hands on experience that is uniquely a teen’s exclusive domain that they can become the expert within their family and community and share with friends. The computer and technology offers interesting future career opportunities with high income potential.

The children will lead us, we need to enable them to release their energy and enthusiasm in each community. Teachers can not lead in technology. They don’t understand it and they are afraid to use it. Teens will adopt computers and Internet faster than any other age group. Guyana can leverage this potential. Youth have repeatedly demonstrated that they are the leaders in technology adoption and



integration. We must leverage this basic fact to facilitate the technology evolution of Guyana. The natural evolution of adoption is from teens to younger children then adults. Young children will follow their older siblings and school mates. If computers are adopted by college and secondary school students, primary school children will naturally want to follow. This is a natural process of adoption Guyana can leverage. Laptops in the home will ensure that every member of the family has access and opportunity to explore and learn. Adults will also become interested as they see their children spending more time using computers and accessing the Internet. Adults will start to ask how they might use computers in their lives and work.

It is the young that can grasp the value and contribute their imagination to the application of technology and computers in their communities. The young are the bridge between what a community is struggling with today and how technology might help overcome these challenges. It is that free thinking without preconceived notions that drives technology innovation. The challenge is coopting that initiative and energy to adopt computers as a way for the young to differentiate themselves and contribute to their communities and their own success. Not all of the young will adopt the computer but if a core group can be established and fostered, the use and understanding of technology will spread rapidly.

Project Partners

OLPF will focus delivery of computers on young adults and parents who are part of a community based organization with a demonstrated capacity building record partnering with outside support, aid or donor organizations. Community project focus will enable multiply agency involvement to ensure maximal coordination and collaboration of resources to support the many aspects of a OLPF initiative, including planning, management, Internet, support and training.

Project Partners are organizations already in Guyana working in communities on development, social and education projects. One of the first steps of the OLPF project will be to engage these organizations. OLPF will need their support and input for ensuring the best integration and synergy between OLPF, Project Partner and Community. There are hundreds of volunteers throughout Guyana who can be the troops on the ground supporting computers in communities and families. We need to engage these organization to ensure a best possible outcome. Making presentations to the heads of these organization in Georgetown about the OLPF and enlisting their supporting in jointly approaching communities will provide OLPF solid insight and understanding of issues within the communities we will provide laptops. It is the volunteers from these organizations that have the on the ground experience and daily working knowledge of how to approach and work in a particular community. Many of these organizations lack the resources to provide capital equipment in their projects. By working jointly we create a stronger initiative by combing human resources with capital resources. No capital focused donor can remain in communities for months and years to ensure success. This is exactly what the volunteer organizations do best. By leveraging these different missions we make one strong project.

Today there are many ICT community projects supported by many different organizations. Rather then attempt to create a new and disconnected program to implement OLPF, OLPF offers another source of support to provide computers to families. Any community project that meets the basic mission and goals of OLPF can request laptops for their project. This cooperation will ensure the greatest collaboration between



GoG and the many volunteer and donor organizations working in Guyana. Communities already have the knowledge of the issues they face. The act of creating a community project to address these challenges demonstrates an initiative within the community that OLPF can tap to ensure that computers will be put to good use and not becoming a freebie that everyone will accept but no one will value. Many community projects already have the support of outside agencies that can assist and support the process of assessing, planning and implementing community projects. By integrating into existing community project processes, OLPF will build on the existing synergy of community lead development with volunteer and project organization support.



TABLE 1: POTENTIAL PROJECT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Organization Type Resource

GoGMin. of Education Government, Education Labs, SchoolNet

Min. of Culture, Youth and Sports Government, Cultural, Youth Sports

Volunteers, Existing Groups, Educational Infrastructure

Min. of Amerindian Affairs Government, Amerindian Project Development, Community Groups

United Nations Volunteers I'ntl Donor & Project Human Resource

World Teach Volunteer Teachers Education Resource

Volunteer Service Org. Volunteer Professionals Project development

Peace Corps Volunteer Health & Ed. Long Term Project Support

Youth Challenge Volunteer Guyanese Youth ICT support, Cultural Awareness

Project Trust Volunteers

Sustainable Livelihoods Volunteer Local Community Members

Cultural Awareness



3. COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS

In order for Guyana to successfully implement the Low Carbon Development Strategy, LCDS, new industries with many new jobs need to be created. We cannot save the rain forest at the cost of Guyanese livelihoods. Clean industry is based on knowledge workers able to use computers. Whether that is outsourced telemarketing, customer service centers and ICT offshore development facilities, all of these clean opportunities require a technology savvy work force. Computer use must be second nature to all Guyanese.

Providing computers with Internet connectivity is a basic infrastructure that can within the context of an appropriate community project drive local development. Communication and knowledge access is the key to business development and increasing family and community income. Community producers need to learn of customer demand and markets to sell their goods. With knowledge of demand and access to information, communities are able to start and run businesses that will bring in outside income. This new source of outside income will support and drive further development projects within the community and foster community independence.

The value of communication doesn't end with economic and business development. Medical Centers can be connected to Public Hospital in Georgetown. Medical Center staff can easily and readily confer with colleagues at Public Hospital on patient care. Telemedicine offers the ability for doctors in Hospital to see and hear patients in remote communities. With more sophisticated equipment actual patient telemetry can be transmitted via the Internet. Small cameras can probe with images displayed in Hospital and stethoscope sound relayed to doctors. Electrocardiography, EKG, can be viewed by doctors to diagnosis heart ailments. Today, many radiological reports are sent to doctors around the world to review for both cost saving and availability of expertises. These same capabilities can come to Guyana's remote areas with broadband Internet.

Multimedia distance learning is an initiative the Ministry of Education has already started preparing materials for to teach remote students. With high speed Internet availability students throughout Guyana will be able to participate in classes at the best institutions in Guyana, the Caribbean and the world. Many schools, colleges and universities offer on line classes. With high speed Internet, individual students and classes can participate in online courses through video, audio and text based interaction with teachers and between students. This is already happening today for individuals but Internet capacity limits the number of students who can participate. General education can extend beyond the young to the general public on national health and safety issues. Adults can be reach quickly with vital information that is reviewed and controlled for quality and accuracy.



The distribution of computers in remotes areas off the power grid will require community centralization of both power and Internet access. This need can be leverage to create a collaborative sharing environment. If we create a place for the young to congregate, interact and learn together in a community setting, one where the entire community can participate and monitor computer use and learning. A tech park under a solar array could be a community center to facilitate the young and old talking and learning together about how the computer can be used by the entire community constructively to improve conditions and create greater economic, health and education opportunities.



4. PILOT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

Piloting is essential for success, reports on laptop projects prove this out repeatedly. The basic concept behind pilot programs is a powerful means to approach the entire laptop deployment. It is essential that each community develop and run their OLPF. The computer and Internet are a means to an end, development. This is not a road that the government can build and communities will adopt. Technology needs to be learned, adopted and integrated into daily life for it to become a tool and stimulus for develop. Using several geographically, socially, culturally and economically diverse pilots provides a means to learn and understand the unique issues that communities will face during a OLPF project to help the OLPF create a best practices profile to provide communities and Project Partners for planning OLPF project. This will be especially critical in isolated and remote communities where technology adoption may be resisted and needs to be linked directly to community development and increased opportunities. Deployments near urban centers will require less customization but will face other unique challenges that careful monitoring and study can identify and mitigate. A continuous feedback loop of small projects of 30 laptops and families ensures all stakeholders can learn from the experience of other projects.

Reviewing news reports on One Laptop Per Child, it is clear that unique success factors need to be identified for each community. Leaders and supporters need to be identified and enlisted in the process to maximize the transfer of ownership of technology into the community. Technology is a facilitator, if clear economic value is not demonstrated the computer will become another miracle that is used until it fails. Computers, more than other technology are fragile and damaged easily. Culturally relevant training is important to ensure that new ideas and concepts about technology are successfully communicated and understood so community members can make the most of a laptops, appreciating economic value and the delicate nature of a computer.

Building on Success

The selection of the initial pilot project sites is important for both the long term success of OLPF and knowledge gained to support future community laptop distributions. It is important to select a cross section of communities first by geography. These initial communities should have a record of success working with outside aid organizations on community projects. OLPF is a significant investment in a community. Communities with experience doing development and implementing economic and community projects will be better prepared to manage the project and will have existing relationships with Project Partners. Creating a track record of OLPF success and building a knowledge base, will create a momentum that will support communities will less experience in development projects. Project Partners will have more experience with the project to better support communities and expand the project to more diverse



communities. As the project roles out innovation will widen the potential approaches and diversity of community projects.

Guyana society is spread across three primary regions: urban, coastal and hinterland. Each of these areas will present unique challenges by culture, infrastructure and technological awareness. Within the two largest population areas, urban and coastal, it will be important to subdivide into smaller segments based on infrastructure, culture and development goals. At this finer segmenting of communities it will be important to identify OLPF Project Partners and interested community leaders on which to initiate a pilot projects. This community assessment, leader identification and Project Partner recruiting is part of the initial pilot project effort. Part of the goal of the pilot projects is to make communities and potential Project Partners aware of the OLPF, create a basic project road map, identify success factors and risk factors so communities and Project Partners can take the lead on future OLPF implementations. In the beginning OLPF involvement and documenting efforts will be a significant requirement to ensure project mission and values. Remaining intimately involved will ensure that weaknesses are quickly discovered, remedied and communicated to other projects and included in future project planning. Focusing on the most marginalized populations, rural afro and Amerindian communities, yet seeking the most capable ones will enable OLPF to gain critical experience and best practices to approach other communities. Here again our Project Partners will be able to lead us. Project Partners will have experience working in these communities supporting development projects.

Support Training

The challenge with most ICT efforts is training and support. The cost is high, there is no tangible asset and the return on investment is hard to quantify. Lack of support is however one of the risk factors in ICT projects. Building a support community is a central element of OLPF, turning a risk into an asset. The focus of OLPF is economic and ICT development. The year long project process is about supporting and training a community to use, care for and integrate technology into their daily lives. While Project Partner training is central to the general training of communities, high level technical software and hardware support will be required to ensure long term sustainability. Project Partners will not have this technical support capacity.

To build this capacity into every project and community each OLPF project will identify two individuals from the 30 families who have an interest and show aptitude for technology. These two individuals will participate in a computer software, hardware and networking training either in Georgetown or local regional center with other OLPF Tech Support persons. These individuals will forms Guyana's OLPF support community. As each laptop will be Internet connected, these individuals will be able to remain in constant contact with one an other, OLPF and Project Partners. Internet access will also ensure that these OLPF Tech Support persons are connected to the larger open source software community and hardware manufactures for assistance and collaboration on any technical issues that arise. This is the beginning of opening up Guyana to the greater technical community around the world. Interested individuals will be able to explore all aspects of computer technology from their support responsibility to contributing software development to open source projects. As the year long OLPF project winds down in a community, these OLPF Tech Support persons will be able to continue their support efforts within their community and surrounding community as a business. The training they received will be the first level of certification as a computer



support technician. This will qualify them to work in organizations around Guyana in ICT support with both certified knowledge and a year of work experience supporting a OLPF project.

Establishing a core group of computer experts in a community that are responsible for maintenance and support is a basic economic foundation for a successful income producing business. Computer support is a valuable service that both community, business and government can utilize. We cannot expect free service and we cannot provide free services. Free is not a development strategy, it is dependence. Creating a young support and repair service within communities is a model that has proven very successful in the Dominican Republic, a leader in ICT in the Caribbean. Government sponsored technology adoption initiative fostered the development of the Dominican Republic as an ICT outsourcing hub in the Caribbean.

Technology Ambassadors

Most Hinterland and rural coast secondary school students must board at distant schools. These centralized schools can be a hub of OLPF Support Tech training. Computer adoption can spread back to remote communities through returning students. This will require the creation of OLPF projects focused around these schools for students to participate. This will permit an extended period of learning and integration with computers and technology by students. These students can then become computer ambassadors to their communities when they return during holidays and summer break to assist and support the setting up new OLPF projects. Project Partners can recruit and support these individuals in creating and planning new projects in more remote areas. Students are then returning home with a new job as OLPF project lead and Support Techs.

This same approach can be used at Georgetown Colleges. Student groups can be formed with the specific goal of supporting students who have come to Georgetown to attend college. Project Partners can engage these students in projects to use computer in their daily school actives and plan how the technology can be brought back to their communities. These new computer ambassadors can lead the computer adoption in their home communities. Leveraging these young leaders would be a means to employ peer teaching and integrate technology into communities by way of graduates. Students attending Georgetown colleges can be sponsored to attend Support Training to prepare them for a future role working with a Project Partner.

Innovation Board (Global Tech, Digicel, GT&T, MOE, Min of CYS, OLPF, Min of Telcom, UG, GLUG, DevNet)

OLPF will maintain a board of individuals from across Guyanese society to review, provide input and evaluate project plan innovations that fall outside the mission and principles of OLPF. It is the over arching objective to support innovation and experimentation rather then stifle community and individual ingenuity. By focusing on smaller community projects, each community effort is its own pilot project. While success in reaching project objectives is paramount, failure avoidance will not become the second objective. Fear of failure by OLPF will not stop those who are willing to take greater risks to find unique solutions for their community. Nor will a community need to demonstrate that their plan will create a reusable model to other communities. If a community can demonstrate that they have a unique set of conditions that a particular



project approach addresses, it is within the communities power to attempt a unique innovative project. Smaller projects will ensure that failures will be beneficial to the entirety of OLPF. Small set backs can be learning experiences as opposed to financial and publicity damaging to OLPF and Project Partners. This is a means for building failure in into the process so we can learn from mistakes. While a project may not fully succeed that does not mean that different aspects can not be reused to create successes in other communities.

Initial Pilot Projects

After final identification of initial pilot project sites a project team will be formed around the primary stakeholders, community members, Project Partner and OLPF. During the community identification process community members and Project Partners will be identified to start the community assessment and meet to discuss the OLPF project, coordinate and collaborate adding or starting a new project around laptops. Based on community meetings and elections, a steering committee will be formed from the community with representation from the Project Partner and OLPF. This committee will be responsible for determining the project focus, ensuring it is within the OLPF framework and determining additional resources required for implementation and sources of support.

The OLPF will provide an application that will serve as a basic outline or framework for a OLPF project. This framework will raise the issues that a project needs to addressed. The goal of the application is to serve as a working document for planning, implementing and operating a OLPF project. Community and group brainstorming sessions are envisioned as a process to ensure community wide participation. It is essential to ensure the distribution of benefits of the OLPF project across the community. Benefits will come in two basic forms, first is for the families receiving a laptop and second is from the community service provided by the family receiving the laptop in return for the investment made in their family. While one group of families in a community may receive a computer to pursue economic development project, the entire community will participate in the process of determining community service projects that families will return to the community. The outcome of the OLPF project within a community should be broadly two fold, one, the economic project that the OLPF is directly supporting and the secondary labor projects within the community that will immediately provide benefits to the community. For example, a women's group or teen group receives computers for their families to support communications and market development project to sell local goods. The father or husband of these families my repay the investment in his family by assisting in constructing a community center or clearing drainage canals. Participants may be asked to put a down payment of service prior to receiving their laptop.

The OLPF project office will assign a project manager to each of the initial pilot projects. This individual will be responsible for educating communities about the OLPF program, facilitating the planning and implementation and primary data capture agent for cycling to project partners and future OLPF community project planning. Initial presentations and meeting to Project Partner organizations will identify organization interested in participating in the the pilot project phase. While the OLPF project has identified initial pilot project geographies further narrowing of pilot project sites will continue in conjunction with Project Partners. Final selection will be made between all three stakeholders, OLPF, Project Partner and Community. At that point the actual formal planning process will begin. Final decisions on projects within a community can



commence. Community meetings will ensure the entire community involvement to determine OLPF project and community repayment projects. Community discussion will start with the facilitation of Project Partners, community leaders and existing community project teams. This entire OLPF process is intended to be a capacity building effort. The process should be devised, captured by Project Partner and community for use in future initiatives. Formal community structures to plan, implement and run the OLPF project, the development project and the repayment projects will be required to ensure fulfillment of OLPF mission and objectives.

The goal of using three distinctly different organizations, OLPF, Project Partner and Community is to leverage the experience and expertise of each. Each organization brings unique skills, experience and knowledge to the process. Ensuring that each is fully heard and considered in the process is essential. A process of meetings with stake holders will ensure that all input is heard, evaluated and decided upon for the OLPF.

TABLE 2: PROPOSED PILOT PROJECTS

Geographic Location Type Groups Pilot Team

Georgetown Urban School, Sports MOE, Teachers, Students, VSO, Youth Challenge

Essequibo Coast Coastal Rural Anna Regina Sports Retired Head Teacher, ICT Teachers, Students, Peace Corps

Annai Bina Hill Hinterland Bina Hill Institute, Women's Group, Secondary school

NRDDB, IIC, Head Teacher, Amerindian Affairs, Students

Georgetown Disabled Urban Deaf Deaf Ministries, Deaf Association, VSO, Kitty Deaf Club Members

Kuru Kuru Institutional 16 25 olds at vocational training center

Min of Culture Youth & Sports Faculty at Kura Kura Training Center



Dr. Deseray Fox Amerindian Heritage Memorial

There is one national project that we might enlist Amerindian children to work on leveraging and fostering their computers skills in the process. Much of Amerindian heritage and culture is being lost as the memories of older members of the communities fade. As new technology is introduced the young will become less interested in learning and sharing their ancestor's oral history. This is not only a tragedy for each family, community and tribe but a huge loss for Guyana. The computer could be a tool to help capture this heritage in words, pictures, videos, audio and art. The work to earn a computer for many Amerindian children could be to capture their family and community traditions on their computers. These stories and visuals could then be gathered on a web site so everyone could have access and interaction with a living history of South American Amerindians. Older members of the community may become interested in using computers to add their own ideas and memories directly to a Amerindian Heritage online Library.



5. NETWORK: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

The computer is no longer the central component of technology but now a peripheral devise. It is the Internet that makes the computer valuable. Guyana is in a unique position as Internet capacity will be increasing significantly in 2010. The country will have a reliable high capacity connection to put all Guyanese on line. The next critical step will be building out the capacity throughout the country to close the last miles from Georgetown to other coastal communities and find innovative solutions to bringing remote and isolated communities on line. Today a network is in place that can start to meet this requirement. The current cellular network has data capabilities that cover most of urban and coastal communities. This is an opportunity for Guyana to again leapfrog developed countries and jump past wiring the country for a data network and move directly to wireless broadband Internet. This puts the primary capital intensive burden of connectivity on large organizations in the business of providing communications network services, GT&T, Digicel and GoG. We don't all need to get DSL service to have high speed Internet. Upgrading existing cellular towers and backhaul capacities will upgrade Internet capacity for all users. This serves all Guyanese from students, businesses and government.

The advantage of wireless cellular service is its 20 mile diameter coverage. This approach is much less expensive then providing Internet access by running wires to every community and house in rural communities. In more isolated areas satellite connectivity can continue to be the backhaul for cellular towers. One cell tower can service many communities with both phone and Internet access. Some cooperation and coordination between the two major providers could go a long way to getting Guyana better coverage rather then duplicating coverage in high density population areas and none in lower density areas. We do not need two providers in many small communities. A single provider could more cost effectively enter a small market if they knew they would not have to split the market with their competitor. This is an opportunity for government private enterprise cooperation to support and manage rural service.

More remote areas will not have populations sufficient to economically support the investment in a cellular network. These areas could use more innovative approaches using pointtopoint radio or microwave transmissions to connect community centers. Using innovative network topologies that focus on linking communities centers on a data network will have lower capital investments. Internet access within a community can support all communication and data needs. Using data networks rather then cellular networks is a way to build one network that supports all data types so voice, video and data combine on a single high capacity network. This is the current approach being adopted in advance ICT countries. Each community would then use a low cost WiFi distribution. This would provide a data network within the confines of the community center. WiFi phones would provide very local phone services within the community center. Communities could expand coverage with their own investment as demand rose.



High speed all data wireless networks are referred to as 4G or fourth generation. There is no precise definition of what each generation of network entails but 4G is a completely data network with speeds in the range of 10 to 30 megabits per second. All traffic is sent via an Internet Protocol, IP, voice, data and video. Voice calls are converted to data and sent as data in exactly the same way as voice over Internet protocol, VoIP, calls are placed on computers. Wireless broadband is the latest technology being deployed around the world. This will require the local phone company to accept VoIP originated calls at local tariff rates so VoIP users are not penalized with higher costs to make local and national calls. Today all International calls are transmitted in digital or VoIP.

Providing high speed Internet access for the full population of Guyana's remote regions will require the collaboration of the Government of Guyana, large communications companies and Aid Agencies. Once basic telecommunication infrastructure is in place communities can build on that network. It will be possible to develop both large and small Internet Service Providers, ISPs, along the e Gov telecommunication backbone that can reach out into the most remote areas. This is not the domain of small community projects. In many areas the costs of providing service will be much higher then in population centers yet the people it serves have lower incomes. A balance of equity, access and cross subsidy will need to be struck so all Guyanese are provided an opportunity to gain from technology access.



6. LAPTOP: SMALL AND CONNECTED

Distributing a commercial computer is key to focusing on and leveraging young adults to lead the technology initiative. We want to focus on preparing the next group of students for the connected world. This requires commercial computers with Internet access. The computer industry is again going through a rapid transition from desktop computing to laptop, to netbook and smartbook computing with tablet computers on the horizon. The technology market is changing at light speed. What two years ago was a decade long WinTel monopoly is rapidly winding down. No longer does Microsoft control the the computer software market. As the Windows monopoly unravels, users realize computing is less about a specific operating system and application software but about accomplishing tasks when and where they happen to be. As the computer further integrates into our lives it moves from a specialized machine for work tasks to a personal convenience and social status symbol. That demand for technology and social inclusion drives adoption. Profiles on Facebook and Hi5, e mail and Instant Message accounts are technology status symbols. The young are most susceptible to pursuing and adopting such status symbols. This basic human nature can be leveraged to drive the OLPF objectives. The popularity of the new laptop category, netbooks, is driven by its small size, mobility, low cost and Internet connectivity.

OLPF will evaluate netbooks for durability of both hardware and software. One of the most delicate parts of a computer is the hard drive. The hard drive is a series of disks or platters that spin at high rpm. These platters are read by heads on arms that move across the platters to read or write information for long term storage. Dropping or harsh motion, environmental factors and general wear will cause the hard drive to fail. A new type of storage device called solid state storage eliminates many of the frailties of older spinning hard drives. This change will greatly enhance the durability of the computer hardware.

Software durability is as important as hardware durability. Connecting laptops to the Internet, using e mail and download files and sharing files through memory sticks transfers malicious software applications known as viruses, malware and adware. These unwanted software programs can damage data, slow and even stop computers from operating. Virtually all of these unwanted software programs affect only Microsoft Windows operating systems. In order to maintain a Windows operating software an antivirus software must be used and maintained. These antivirus software packages must be regularly updated to defend against the latest virus threats. Maintaining antivirus software is resource intensive in both human terms and financial.

The recommendation of OLPF is to use the Linux Ubuntu operating system. Most Windows users will be very familiar with the look and feel of the Ubuntu operating system. Linux software packages fall into a category of software called open source software. Open source software is distributed freely to users and the source code is available to developers to change and alter in any way they choose. The user



community is not locked in by a single commercial company that controls all aspects of support and development. This approach ensures greater freedom and typically lower initial acquisition cost.

Beyond the operating system basic office software called Open Office will be loaded onto the laptop for word processing, spreadsheets, data storage and presentations. Additional software can be considered based on the needs and requirements of the project. Because open source software has no cost to license projects can select software that is required for their projects. Other developers may provide licensed applications that can be purchase for CXC test preparation and other specialized needs.



7. POWER: RENEWABLE ENERGY

In keeping with the Government of Guyana's commitment to the Low Carbon Development Strategy best efforts to use renewable energy will be expected when communities require new power sources for running their laptops and networks. This is a likely area where communities will need to seek additional project partners to support an OLPF project. OLPF envisions the use of renewable energy as a means to draw the families to the community center for power and Internet access. Laptops will provide many hours of battery life for families to work and use their computers away from a power source. Providing power and Internet access centrally will fulfill several objectives. First the community will be aware and involved in how technology is being used. Parents and community leaders will be able to monitor usage and Internet site access. A centralized power supply will enable efficiencies that will provide excess power for other projects and uses in the community. This basic infrastructure has the opportunity to become a community power company not only providing power for computer users at a small fee but also selling power to existing organizations like GOG and local businesses.

The world is becoming wireless in more then communication technology, renewable energy is a form of decentralization that reduce the need for wires to carry power long distances. Renewable energy can put small communities on their own grid. Building a power system and computer support system can create new jobs in each community and power new small business that need basic infrastructure. Power and support are services that the community needs and has real value. The costs to support these functions by community members can be paid positions.

This challenge can become an opportunity to build a renewable energy system in a communities to support ICT and create jobs. Many communities have experience with renewable energy. In many cases these efforts have been project specific to power a water pump or radio. In other cases solar panels have been distributed to many homes to provide lighting. These small scale efforts that support specific projects fail to capture the efficiencies of scale and do not enable capacity building. Power is an infrastructure that enables development. A large solar array properly managed and maintained can produce excess capacity for other uses beyond ICT in the community. A large solar array’s output can be utilized maximally. A single panel to run a light in a home isn't efficient use of the power creation potential of the panel or battery storage. Power is a valuable product in a community that can be sold for recharging batteries for home equipment and suppling new, existing businesses and government offices in the community. For example a community power company could run a battery exchange.

A single large solar array can be situated in the center of a community to provide power and create cover from sun and rain. This outdoor facility will provide a new modern technology park community center. Community members will be able to use this center for communication and business. The young will have



an opportunity to start support and training groups to earn extra income teaching other community members how to use and apply information technology.

All of these projects, laptops, community repayment projects, power supply and Internet all have the benefit of becoming businesses, creating jobs and income for community members. The less a community starts with the more opportunity that is available. This will require several project partners and careful coordination but with careful planning and vigorous community participation everyone in the community can gain.



8. ONE LAPTOP PER FAMILY GUYANA ORGANIZATION

A centralized top down planning and implementation of OLPF will never be able to know, address and implement programs in each community in Guyana that will most effectively address the specific development issues of each community. Using the donor/aid model of community initiated, developed and implemented projects will ensure that community issues are at the center of each OLPF community project. This will also enable communities to collaborate with any organization that they are currently working with in their communities and to reach out to new organizations that can support a OLPF project. Community based projects also enable the inclusion of other organizations to address different aspects of a OPLF project from Internet access, power availability, training and support. A community can create their own collaborations to address many issues of development as they see the needs.

OLPF organization will basically consist of four positions that will be staffed as required based on the volume of projects and complexity of support. The project will be managed by a Project Director responsible for the over all project execution and high level relationship between the numerous groups, organizations and agencies. A technical manager will be responsible for all hardware, software and networking issues, support and coordination. Two liaison managers will manage the two primary groups interfacing with OLPF, Project Partners and Communities.

The organization will manage project development process through an application that will be provided to Project Partners and Communities for requesting laptops. The application will be a framework for Project Partners and Communities to use a basis to develop their OLPF project plan. The application will be the basis for granting laptops to requesting Project Partners and Communities. By using the basic aid/donor grant process most participants will be familiar with the process and reduce overhead.



TABLE 3: OLPF ORGANIZATION CHART


Project Director

GoG LiasonVendor Relations Project DevelpmentApplication Approval

Project Partner Mgr Technical Mgr Community Liason Mgr

Project Parter Contact Computer Vendors Community ContactSupport Project Request Networking Community ResearchBest Practises Support Community OurreachProject Devleopment Warranty Community PartneringPartner Support Repairs Community SupportApplication Review Local Suppliers Application ReviewPartner Reporting Web Site Community ReportingPartner Training Application ReviewPartner Recruiting Technical EvaluationPartner Reporting


9. INTERNET CONNECTIVITY CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

When making available virtually all of human information online, one is availing a country to both the good and the bad. Some degree of oversight and community awareness must be built in upfront in the project so families are aware and prepared for the information access that they are about have to the World's knowledge base. With wonderful research archives comes pop music, games, video and pornography. Small close knit communities will have many new ideas entering their lives through the Internet. All manner of dissenting view and alternative lifestyle is Internet available.

One of the strengths this brings is the sense of a larger community. The selection of open source software is partially driven by the nature of the open source community coming together to work on projects that are of value to everyone and no one gets paid for their contributions and no one gets charged for their usage. These communities continue to support their users by actively recruiting users to join the community in whatever capacity is appropriate. This is the ultimate ICT learning experience, access to the world community of users and developers all working together on a common project to develop and support computer software.

The experiences that can be had on line are as diverse as the people who make up the online community, that is to say, as diverse as all humanity. A go slow and learn together ensures that families and communities are able to provide context and limits on Internet experience. Just the ability to community easily and regularly between friends and family will change social interaction. Every member of the community needs to be aware of the changes that laptops will bring.

We know from developed countries that a child using a computer by themselves in an unsupervised setting can lead to unsafe situations and access to material that is inappropriate. While that will never entirely be eliminated as is the case with the young when they have free time off on their own, reducing unsupervised access and providing opportunities for community intervention ensures that everyone is aware and participating in the learning and adoption process.



10. LESSONS LEARNED FROM ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD

It is clear from news reports on One Laptop Per Child deployments that flexibility is one of the keys to a successful One Laptop Per Child deployment, integration and adoption within a community. To that end this project plan is a framework to guide the community planning of an OLPF deployment. Success will be determined by the execution of teams working within communities. An OLPF program cannot distribute a mass of computers to an unprepared population and expect positive results. Guyana's population and geography is too diverse to create a single or even several specific project plans. Coastal and urban users will be able to leverage existing public switched telephone network, PSTN, for dial up and digital subscriber line, DSL, and cellular data network infrastructure for Internet access. It is likely this infrastructure will require increased capacity and upgrading to support OLPF users. Remote Hinterland communities will take the most effort, creativity and resources to deploy OLPF successfully. Each community will need to be evaluated for basic infrastructure, technology as a means to address development and community acceptance. Costs associated with providing larger numbers of users Internet access in remote areas will need some sort of subsidy model to ensure competitive pricing and access to the most remote areas. This is a common requirement and used in the United States for rural electrification and telephone service. Fees on high population density service areas subsidize the additional costs of service in remote areas of the country.

A traditional One Laptop Per Child program focuses on younger children by distributing specialized educational laptops to primary school age students. This demographic focus utilizes the computer as a teaching aid for early childhood learning. This approach requires extensive redevelopment of the educational curriculum, a process that can take years if not a decade to complete. In instances where this redevelopment has not been done, computers find limited use in the classroom, sometimes only being used a couple of times a day. An alternative is to use computers with limited teacher guidance and skills. This requires computers installed with software designed to lead students through tutorials or lessons. This approach is a teacher augmentation or replacement strategy. This is similar to the current Ministry of Education use of SuccessMaker. This type of system is designed to lead a child through an educational program. The amount of development to create this type of educational software is very significant and even leveraging existing projects, would still take years to implement and many more millions of dollars in software licensing costs.

This model uses the computer less as a tool to facilitate school work but as a teacher. That is an important distinction between an One Laptop Per Child computer project for younger students and OLPF computer project for older students and families. Young students cannot use a computer as a tool, it is a learning aid or teaching tool. Older students have basic computer skills, maturity level to self teach and social networks for collaboration and learning. Technology adoption has been driven by this mechanism and is a critical



leverage point to drive Guyana's computer adoption and increase technical skills. Older students can be expected to leverage the value of a computer to write papers and conduct research on the Internet. The Internet is a communication platform, from social groups, e mail and instant messaging. Older students will connect with other students around the country and the world to share experiences and knowledge. This is how adoption will spread as young people adopt and make popular Internet social groups and communication. A review of the popularity of the social networking sites Facebook and Hi5 proves that Guyanese will leverage the Internet if computers and access are available. Even simple economic incentives such as low cost or free international calling through voice over Internet protocol, VOIP, over Skype has lead to increasing use of computers by older Guyanese. There are benefits for all age groups that will drive adoption and learning when computers with Internet are available.



TABLE 4: COMPARISON OF TRADITIONAL OLPC AND GUYANA OLPF

One Laptop Per Child One Laptop Per Family Advantage

Goal Teaching/Learning AidEconomic Development & Technology Adoption

Great Impact on Community

Target Population Primary School AgeTeen Groups and Community Development Groups

Focus on Projects and Motivated Individuals

Participation Required Voluntary Community Lead Community based solution

Cost of Laptop Free Earned through Service Creates Sense of Value

HardwareSpecialized/Custom Educational

Commercially AvailableGreater value across business and eduction

Primary Network Student networks InternetCommunication and Research access

Distribution Center Schools Community, FamilyDevelopment focus for entire community

Distribution Scale Large scale through schoolsLimited through community based projects

Individual Community Focus

Distribution Approach Standardized Customized to community Flexibility and Innovation

Support Schools & GovernmentCommunity, Commercial & Internet

Job creation and better service

Training SchoolsCommunity, Schools & Internet

Learning from all sources and collaboration across community and family


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