Linkage between ICT applications and meaningful development

The joumey in developing the Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders Mode Series has truly been an inspirational eye-opening experience. The Academy has not only served to fit a gap in ICT capacity building, but has also paved a new way for curriculum development-through people's participation and ownership of the process. The Academy is the flagship programme of APCICT, which has been developed based on: results of a comprehensive needs assessment survey involving over 20 countries in the region and consultations with government officials, members of the international development community, and academics and educators; in-depth research and analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of existing training materials, feedback from participants in a series of APCICT organized regional and sub-regional workshops on the usefulness and relevance of the module content and the appropriate training methodology, and a rigorous peer review process

by leading experts in various ICT for development (CTD) fields. The Academy workshops held across the region provided an invaluable opportunity for the exchange of experiences and knowledge among participants from different countries, a process that has made the Academy Alumni key players in shaping the modules.

The national roll-out of eight initial Academy modules marks the beginning of a vital process of strengthening existing partnerships and building new ones to develop capacity in ICTD policymaking across the region, APCICT is committed to providing technical support in rolling out the National Academies as its key approach towards ensuring that the Academy reaches all policymakers. APCICT has also been working closely with a number of regional and national training institutions that are already networked with central- state-and local-level governments. to enhance their capacity in customizing, translating and delivering the Academy modules to take national needs and priorities into account. There are plans to further expand the depth and coverage of existing modules and develop new ones.

Furthermore, APCICT is employing a multi-channel approach to ensure that the Academy content reaches wider audiences in the region. Aside from the face-to-face delivery of the Academy via regional and national Academies, there is also the APCICT Virtual Academy (AVA), the Academy's online distance learning platform, which is designed to enable participants to study the materials at their own pace. AVA ensures that all the Academy modules and accompanying materials, such as presentation slides and case studies, are easily accessible online for download, re-use, customization and localization, and it encompasses various functions including virtual lectures, learning management tools, content development tools and certification.

The initial set of eight modules and their delivery through regional, sub-regional and national Academy workshops would not have been possible without the commitment, dedication and proactive participation of many individuals and organizations. would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and achievements of the Academy Alumni and our partners from government ministries, training institutions, and regional and national organizations who participated in the Academy workshops. They not only provided valuable input to the content of the modules, but more importantly, they have become advocates of the Academy in their country, resulting in formal agreements between APCICT and a number of national and regional partner institutions to customize and deliver regular Academy courses in-country.