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Microsoft has launched a nongovernmental organization (NGO) academy in Africa that will focus on regional scalability, long-term sustainability, information and communication technology skills development, support services and e-readiness.

NGOs and private entities that work with grassroots organizations and citizens' groups are key to economic development, but their management and technology resources often fall short, according to Michael Rawding, Microsoft's vice president of the Unlimited Potential Group. That's why the company decided to launch the NGO ICT4D Academy, which stands for Information and Communication Technology for Development.

"NGOs are critical partners in Microsoft's objective with Unlimited Potential to bring the benefits of relevant, accessible and affordable technology to the next 5 billion people," Rawding said. "The more technology and business best practice we can share from our 16 years' experience in Africa, the better we can equip our NGO partner's social and economic development efforts."

 

Technology and skills development will help bridge the skills shortage among many NGOs, Rawding said. Microsoft will deliver information, resources, tools and training on topics such as IT management and ICT products at regional Centers of Excellence. The first such Center of Excellence will open in partnership with local NGOs in South Africa, serving as a venue where NGOs could network in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal, he said.

Microsoft will provide IT support to assist with the development of technology plans and facilitate access to NGOs' technical assistance providers, technical service packages, help-desk access with escalation to Microsoft, and online and offline support resources, Rawding said.

 

Andrew Olea, director of the Informal Business Sector Institute (ISBI) in Nairobi, offered himself as an example of why that is necessary. "Like so many of my colleagues who work for NGOs, I'm an expert in technology's transformative power in communities and economies, not operational or IT efficiency," he said. "The NGO ICT4D academies will help us build our business and operational expertise. They also free up valuable resources for us to focus on what's most important, which is improving the livelihood of our people."

 

The NGO ICT4D Academy will also launch the NGO Connect Web site and portal, where access to news, resources and events in the NGO community will provide a forum and virtual workspace to share ideas and best practices across Africa. The NGO Connect Web site will launch in June and be publicly accessible at http://ngoconnectafrica.org.

 

"We must become full, and even leading, participants in the knowledge society of the 21st century," said the Aga Khan about the academy launch. "That will mean embracing the values of collaboration and coordination, openness and partnership, choice and diversity, which will undergird the knowledge society, learning constantly to review and revise what we think, learning how to go on learning."

 

Asked whether Microsoft is imposing technology on Africa, Aflrilinks Director Aminata Maiga, based in Mali, said Africa comes from an oral tradition. That's why most telecenters in Mali have been set up next to radio stations, so information from the Internet can be broadcast to the community, she said.

 

"If the people do not know the technology, how can they make a choice? It is important for the people to be aware of what technology is before they can make a choice," she said.