Corporate Experience

Vietnam-Canada Information Technology (VCIT) Project, Vietnam, 1995-2001.
The purpose of this five-year project was to assist the Government of Vietnam with the implementation of their 1995-2000 IT Policy and Master Plan. The project was designed to build the capacity of the Government of Vietnam (GoV) to plan and coordinate the management of the National Program on Information Technology (NPIT) implementation, which included an expected result of enhanced (IT) policy-making. NPIT's goal was to "leapfrog" Vietnam's use of IT from none to globally contemporary by the year 2020

The expected outcomes of the project were:

• to improve the government's ability to develop and manage IT policy so that it improves the socio-economic environment of the country,
• develop effective coordinating agencies and mechanisms throughout government,
• improved capacity to implement IT projects in all government departments and agencies,
• increase the participation of women in the management, technical, and training elements of the national program,
• increase the capacity of the educational and training community to deliver IT training,
• improve the environment for IT industry development
• improve the capacity of the government to develop and implement a system of national databases and computerization of state management.

VCIT was a five-year (1996-2001) ten million dollar CIDA-sponsored project. The project had activities grouped into six major areas to influence the direction of the project; policy, education, project management, IT industry, computerization of state management, and gender. Main GAIA consultants: Murray Doehler, Gaylen Duncan, Patricia Glenn, Garth Graham, Margaret McDonald, Katherine Peart, Warren Wong.

The VCIT Final Report can be accessed here.

Rural Telecentre Project in Thailand. The purpose of the project is to conduct a planning study and to test the most promising concepts under actual field conditions for the delivery of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services in a commercially sustainable manner in the rural and remote, as well as underserved and unserved, areas in Thailand. The general approach is to promote "Universal Access" to ICT services in villages by locating several phones and computers with internet access at a single location that is easily accessible to the community. This one location is often referred to as a "telecentre". The Thailand Rural Telecentre project covers a two-year period and is funded by a contribution from CIDA. GAIA is the lead firm, in association with the TeleCommons Development Group (TDG), Canada, and Loxley Public Company Ltd., Thailand. Main Consultants: Warren Wong, GAIA; David Barr, GAIA; Dr. Jingjai Hanchanlash, Loxley; Naranuj Chintakanond, Loxley; Dr. Don Richardson, TDG; Galin Kora, TDG.

Philippines Information Infrastructure Project (PIIPs), Manilla, 1997-1998. This project was a year in duration and aimed to encourage the government, civil society and the private sector to implement and manage the Philippines Information Infrastructure in an integrated fashion. Specifically, it is supporting the Department of Transportation and Communications' (DOTC) capacity to coordinate, delegate and manage the development of the information infrastructure in the Philippines, encompassing both the physical infrastructure (telecommunications, broadcasting, cable television and wireless) and the content (information and entertainment programming). A significant component of the project was to assist in interpreting existing legislation and regulations, assessing the impact it has had on service and industry development and recommending changes or new legislation. Main GAIA consultants: Katherine Peart and Bill Jackson.

Technical Assistance and Training Program (TATP) on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Indonesia, 2000-2003. TATP is providing US $3.5 million in cost sharing grants to SMEs to offset the cost of engaging ICT consulting and training services. The SMEs pay 25%, and TATP provides a grant worth 75%, of the total cost of the project. TATP is reaching out to micro and small enterprises by encouraging them to form groups in order to spread the cost of IT consulting and training services over a larger number of firms. There are also a small number of telecentre development grants designed to increase access to ICT services by micro and small enterprises. TATP is a three-year, $2 million project funded by a World Bank loan to the Government of Indonesia. Main GAIA Consultants: Warren Wong.

Framework and Strategy for National Information Systems Development in Indonesia. The project is intended to improve the management of investments in Information Technology by the Government of Indonesia. The five policy measures that the project is designed to support include: 1) improving the management of information systems which are capable of increasing the efficiency and productivity of development, together with the creation of a culture of information awareness; 2) improving the capabilities of information technology industries, aimed at national self-sufficiency in the information area; 3) improving the utilization and dissemination of information both inland and abroad, for creating added value; 4) qualitative and quantitative improvement of human resources in the field of information technology; and 5) developing and managing institutional information systems. (World Bank assignment undertaken by GAIA Corporation, March 1999 to February 2001). Main GAIA Consultant: Patricia Glenn.