International Awards Program for Telecentres and Telecentre Knowledge Workers

[Jimmy L. Calata]

If we were to implement an international awards program for telecentres and telecentre knowledge workers:
(a) what should its title be?
(b) what should its award categories be?
(c) what kind of prizes should we give?
(d) how should we implement it?
(e) should there be any relation between the awards programs of participating countries with the international awards program that we are thinking about (like the case between national and international beauty contests)?

[Jimmy L. Calata]

What do you think about the following award categories?
Any alternative labels/names and categories that you wish to propose?
Which should be on a national or international level?

Telecentre of the Year
Telecentre Champion of the year
Best Telecentre Manager
Best Telecentre Technical Staff
Best Telecentre Finance and Administrative Staff
Best Telecentre Website
Best Telecentre in Education
Best Telecentre in Agriculture
Best Telecentre in eGovernance
Best Telecentre in Community Development
Best Telecentre in Networking and Linkaging
Best Telecentre in Health
Best Telecentre in Labor and Employment
Best Telecentre in Youth Development
Best Telecentre in Commerce and Industry
Best Telecentre in Promoting the Welfare of Indigenous Peoples
Best Telecentre in Promoting the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities
Best Telecentre in Promoting Environmental Protection and Conservation
Best Telecentre in Research
Others?

[Dr. Barbara Fedock]

Jimmy,

I have a few I wonder questions about the awards.

a) I wonder how you will define the word "best."

b) Will you establish a rubric on which to judge each category?

c) Who will be involved in creating the rubric?

d) Will you ask nominees to include artifacts and data to support and verify nominations?

e) How will you make sure that the awards are not political or become a personality contest?

f) Will you create a special category to make sure that females are equally represented?

g) How will you make sure that all Telecentres, both small and large, have an equal opportunity to be "best"?

h) How will the awards help sustain efforts in other Telecentres? In other words, will winners have a designated responsibility that will ask them to play a major leadership role?

Barbara Fedock

[Jimmy L. Calata]

You have good questions too Barbra. Just like Niranjan's, they too are leading to the details and giving shape as well to our awards system proposition that's still abstract at this point. Let's see the pulse of the entire community.

[Francis Mwathi]

Hi Jimmy,

I would also advocate for an innovation award. This award should be given to a Telecentre which has developed an innovative idea with a proven potential to make a significant contribution to socially, economically or environmentally sustainable development amongst Telecentre users. As we all know Telecentres are unique and different though their common focus is on the use of digital technologies to support community,an an ward presented in honour of any innoivative programs should be inluded.

[Jimmy L. Calata]

I agree with you Francis - Innovation, and also Creativity and Resourcefulness - all these should be part of the awards system. Innovation leads to the creation of value-adding services and features for our telecentres. Innovation could be part of the criteria for each of the different award categories, or as a separate category in itself.

[Sulah Ndaula]

What an innovation... :) - I know many have been thinking about it.

The name and categories should be able to stimulate solutions to the creation of a successful telecentre environment. And should pick out the key components of the ideal telecentre eco-system of the next decade and fomulate them into award categories.

Example, the telecentre community may be seen in terms of "it impact and social appropriation", which comes as a result of "appropriate services, physical access, acumen leadership and management" - key telecentre embedded success actors and "infrastructure availability, local and national political will, enabling policy, training for telecentre managers and content sharing from NGOs, government and others" - key external environment. But if the eco-system has to succeed, there should be much selflessness that is seen through knowledge sharing and idea exchange - and this is mainly promoted by networks.

The above said; the award should be able to reward, telecentres, governments and other external support entities and networks depending on how they perform on the above said key component. But, because it is unlikely that each of the three awardees can't reasonably compete for the same award, then three different award categories have to be created. But the temptation to have too many awards should also be resisted, otherwise the awards meaning and values will be lessened...

[Sandra Nassali]

Hello Jimmy, good discussion here :-)..i am going to dwell more on that kind of prizes that should be given.

I think ICTs should be given out to telecentres for instance. These can include among others computers, digital cameras, photocopying and faxing machines, memory sticks and mobile telephony. Since most telecentres are usually in shortage of such equipment, this would be a good boost to their existence and social sustainability

Certification is another form of award that works well for individuals and organisations as it is empowering. This can be inform of an award; like those given at the noble international awards :-)

Since most telecentres are struggling with sustainability, i guess an award inform of financial support lets say for a year would not be bad. This has to be accounted for however to access impact.

Also staff exchange programs amongst different successful telecentres around the globe is another way telecentre operators and staff can be awarded. This enables them to learn new skills, better ideas and also allows them to make comparisons of whats best and whats not with the telecentre movement. Staff exchange programs can be national, regional and international.

Those were my few cents;

Thanks

[Jimmy L. Calata]

Great suggestions Ms. Sandra! Some of the prizes that you mentioned can aptly be given at the local levels, and some at the international level. But the most rewarding prize is the recognition for a job well done and the belief that one has contributed something good for humanity!

[Jimmy L. Calata]

I go with the notion that an award system should be viewed not as a mere activity for competition but more on stimulating and promoting the spirit of excellence and relevance among our telecentres.

[Jimmy L. Calata]

I also agree that the award system must evolve with the times in the interest of our telecentres and the communities that they serve. Recognizing remarkable contributions and outstanding performance among key players in the telecentre ecosystem is a good idea.

[Jimmy L. Calata]

There are indeed several award categories that we can think about, but we'll certainly not adopt all of them. Some may necessarily fall under local or national levels of competition.

[Jimmy L. Calata]

I agree with you Sulah. One of the ends of an award system should be "knowledge sharing and idea exchange".