Introduction

AjialCom in Morocco led to the creation of over 50 youth community access centers, with all related management and IT training, and with the development of sustainable business models for the centers. A new phase of the project has been agreed on which calls fort the creation of 100 new centers by the end of 2007. As part of this initiative, one of the centers will be equipped with hardware, software, and content for the visually-impaired, as a pilot center in Morocco under ICTDAR’s ICTARB initiative

Partners

ICTDAR/ UNDP Morocco

Prime for the project coordination and implementation

Hire a Country Programme Coordinator

Utilize experience & tools from other regional implementations

Provide logistical support for translation of training material.

Promote AjialCom nationally, in collaboration with local partners.

Mobilize resources to support Community access centers

Develop a strategy for AjialCom

Monitoring and evaluation of the project

Le Secrétariat d’Etat charge de la Jeunesse (SECJ)

Identify youth centers that can be used as Community access centers

Rehabilitate and furnish space for Community access centers

Provide 2 persons per CACs to manage the operations .

Microsoft Corporation

Activities & Outcomes

The main implementation activities that took place in Morocco are:

Locations.

Activity: Determine the locations for community access centers

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: 50 locations were selected. Original agreement called for 10 locations.

Remarks: Bernoussi & Moulay Rachid in Casablanca; Ibn Khaldoun in Mohammedia; Bouznika in Ben Slimane; Al Amal in Rabat; 9 Juillet in Tiflet and Hay Essalam in Khemisset were among the first selected as they are located in very poor areas and/or rural area

Hardware Installation

Activity: Install 1 server, 12 PCs, 1 printer, 1 surge protector in each center

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: All were purchased and installed

Software Installation

Activity: MS software package and 1 Management Kit SW (CIEL) in each center

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: All were purchased and installed

Remarks: The Management kit is composed of modules of Accounting, Inventory, and Stock Management & Business Management

Network Installation

Activity:LAN & Internet connectivity

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: Routers were purchased, configured and installed. Internet access was provided.

Remarks: All 7 centers are connected

Multi Media

Activity: Provide a selection of 62 Multi Media kits

Prime:SECJ

Outcome: Provided

Remarks: Contents were based on a need assessment study. They included educational, entertainment and other subjects.

Community access centers Furnishings

Activity: Provide 12 PC desks, 25 chairs, 1 office desk and 1 white board

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: Provided

2-Capacity Building - Institutional

Strengthen the capacities of the Secretary of State in charge of Youth by training the centres’ managers and planning a strategy to enlarge the project vision and making it a national program. Develop a business model for the Community access centers In all training activities, women participation was particularly encouraged and facilitated.

Management Structure - CACs

Activity: Establish a Follow up Committee

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: Monthly status reports and work plans

Remarks: Headed by the National Director, it includes SECJ focal points and an IT coordinator and a National coordinator.

Management Structure – Task force

Activity: Establish a task force in every Community access centers

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: Advisory group for the Community access centers

Remarks: The task force ensures the participatory approach in involving end users in the decision making process; determines priorities based on surveys and needs assessment; requests new services

Management Structure - CACs

Activity: Hire managers to run the centers

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: SECJ provided 2 managers for each location

Remarks: One National Director was hired responsible for the Community access centers operations

Management Structure - CACs

Activity: Hire managers to run the centers

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: SECJ provided 2 managers for each location

Remarks: One National Director was hired responsible for the Community access centers operations

Training of Trainers

Activity: Train 80 people – management training

Prime: Microsoft

Outcome: 100 managers completed their training.

Remarks: 5 days course per session.

Management Information Kit

Activity: Provide Information kit to centers’ management and train managers on Community access centers and AjialCom objectives

Prime: Microsoft

Outcome: Information kits provided Sept 27 th. 2005 and 30 trainees completed a one day training session

Remarks: Management Information kit includes :

Guide on how to manage the Community access centers,

Resource management,

Membership forms,

Community access centers Services,

Internet training

Internet research

IT basics

Office procedures

Language training (French & English)

Management courses

Literacy programs

Roles and responsibilities,

Suggested fees,

An Excel model for statistics records

Trainers’ manual on Excel, Word & Outlook.

Unlimited Potential - UP

Activity: Provide UP in French to train the Trainers

Prime: Microsoft

Outcome: Provided in October 2004-July 2005

3-Capacity Building - Individual

Train and educate the youth on the use of IT to afford them new opportunities.

Train the Beneficiaries – IT Classes

Activity: Provide basic IT training for students, workers and unemployed

Prime: Community access centers

Outcome: 200 trainees registered per month and completed basic IT training.

Remarks: Starting October 2004, 10 groups consisting of 12 trainees each, received a total of 4 hours of training per group per week for a 3 months period. Each graduate receives a certificate upon completing the course.

Train the Beneficiaries – CD ROM kits

Activity: Provide basic IT training for students, workers and unemployed

Prime: Community access centers

Outcome: CD ROM kits were made available to students who did not want to/ could not attend regular classes. To date, 5 000 students have used this service.

Train the Beneficiaries – Language lessons

Activity: Provide French Language training

Prime: COMMUNITY ACCESS CENTERS in Bouzknika

Outcome: 100 students completed French language

Train the Beneficiaries – UP Training

Activity: Provide UP training upon request

Prime: Community access centers

Outcome: Trainees who were interested in gaining deeper knowledge of the IT, UP kit was made available.

Awareness raising – MDGs

Activity: Raise awareness on AIDS and Gender issues

Prime: SECJ

Outcome: General campaign to raise awareness on AIDS. Community access centers raised awareness through the use of IT and multi media (CD ROMS, internet access to AIDS related web sites and articles).

Web site

Activity: Develop a web site for AjialCom

Prime: ICTDAR and partners

Outcome: A needs assessment was completed. Due to limited funding, a decision was taken to postpone it to 2006 along with the development of the youth portal

4-Promotion and New Partnerships

In order to raise awareness of AjialCom and to seek new partnerships with public, private, NGOs and local communities, the following activities were undertaken:

Publication of an AjialCom brochure highlighting the program

Production of a AjialCom film presented at the launching ceremony of the CACs

UNFPA & UNESCO. Coordinated activities with their Young for Young program

Meeting with Talbi-Alami Minister of Economic and General Affairs, in charge of the IT Sector. Presented a report on « AjialCom ». Another report was presented to the Prime Minister who provided support.

5-Business Model

ICTDAR led, in collaboration with the SECJ, the development of a business model, including evaluation indicators, for establishing and managing the Community access centers. The focus of this model is to ensure the financial viability of the Community access centers and allow them to function as a real micro-enterprise