Project Title: The Lighthouse Project
Project Number: CCOHS File 991.5.4
Implementing Agency:
Population and Community Development Association (PDA) 6, Sukhumvit Soi 12 Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Type of Report: Final Report
Time Covered by PPR: March 2000 to March 2002 (24 months)
Project Team: Mr. Nutaporn Srisingha Project leader
Mr. Pichai Kositpantawong Project consultant
Mr. Luxchid Suvanit Project Technician
Mr. Samnarn Chaikot Project staff
Mrs. Keansri Chaikot Project staff
Ms. Rungrawan Ponalo Finance Officer
Date of presentation to IDRC: 20 March 2002
Contents
Basic Data
Part 1: Outcome
1.1 Synthesis
1.2 Research Problem
1.3 Research findings
1.4 Fulfillment of objectives
1.5 Project design and implementation
1.6 Project outputs and dissemination
1.7 Capacity building
1.8 Project management Impact Overall Assessment Recommendations
Appendix 1 – List of the purchased equipment
Appendix 2 – Cooperation Chart
Appendix 3 – List of participating groups
Appendix 4 – Timeline adjusted for the second year
Appendix 5 – Diagram of LAN
Appendix 6 – Photographs of Project Activities
Part 1 OUTCOME
In most countries of the world there has been interrogation about adapting system to the requirements of the global economy of the twenty-first century. The successful long-term prosperity of Thailand is inextricably linked to the development of education therein. Technology is developing very rapidly, with globalization, it is not possible that any society is isolated from these developments. Those nations left behind will be left out.
Deliberations by Thailand’s Officer of National Education and other institutions have led to the drafting of a new bill for the enhancement and modernization of the Thai education system. On the operational side, the Non Formal Education and the Primary Education Departments of the Ministry of Education have been providing physical sites for new approaches in education.
The Lighthouse Project is located at the Community Based Integrated Rural Development Center – Nang Rong (CBIRD – Nang Rong). The project was set up on the basis of the poor communication and information flow to Nang Rong, Buriram, Thailand. The Lighthouse Project is also a testing ground of even greater changes to the Thai curriculum, with the aim of finding mechanisms to bring knowledge of technological areas as well as a more global and environmental consciousness to the Thai people at all levels of education. The Lighthouse Project aims to provide assistance to local communities in rural areas by offering:
To fulfill theses objectives, the Lighthouse Project established a local area network for the CBIRD Nang Rong Center and equipped a training room with computers, which have access to Internet. This room has become a learning center for factory workers, farmers, cooperative staff and students working and living in the neighborhood where they can do research on the Internet and send and receive emails. Field staffs from the CBIRD Center use the Internet to research farmer’s problems, track market prices and develop training materials that will be printed out and made available to the farmers in the field.
In two years of operation, hundreds of rural people have been trained in Internet related computer usage and given the chance to do their own research on the Internet.
The overall objective of the research Project is to demonstrate, in the longer term, how digital technology, including the Internet, is an effective part of life-long learning and community-based integrated rural development, with the pilot site providing a model for other centers around Thailand to learn from, emulate, adapt, and improve.
The specific objectives of the project are as follows:
1. To research and develop a pilot model site for testing and documenting new educational methods based on cutting-edge concepts of life-long education and digital technology (including Internet) for learner support;
2. To improve the Internet access and technological capacity of the pilot site for communication exchange for a broad spectrum of user group (women, teachers, local government, NGOs and local communities; and
3. To disseminate widely research results relating to the experience of the model networked local community within and outside Thailand.
1.3 RESEARCH FINDINGS
The main research results showed that introduction of IT and Internet in rural areas can have a great impact on the life of the rural population. After only one year of providing Internet access and training courses to the villagers, a number of successful examples can show how the different target groups such as factory workers, farmers, cooperative staff and students benefited greatly from the project. Some of these examples will be given below.
1.4 FULFILLMENT OF OBJECTIVES
The original project proposal specified a number of objectives. After the approval of the proposal by IDRC, several external and internal circumstances made some changes in the project design and implementation necessary. The following objectives specified in the original project proposal had to be slightly changed due to the changes in the project environment:
The first objective of the PanAsia funding would be to improve the technological capacity of a pilot site in Nang Rong. Specifically:
1. Secure a two (2) year connection to CSInternet via Thaicom satellite
At the time of proposal writing, there was no fixed telephone line available at the project site at CBIRD Nang Rong. After phone lines were installed at the center and a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) from Buriram Province started serving the Nang Rong area, the Internet connection via satellite turned out to be unnecessary. The project is now able to connect to the Internet through a dial-up connection with a local telephone number. This is far cheaper than the satellite connection and thus contributes significantly to the long-term sustainability of the Lighthouse Project.
2. Establish a LAN (Local Area Network) at CBIRD and NFE (Non-Formal Education Center), Nang Rong
The LAN has been established at the CBIRD Center Nang Rong, connecting the computer learning center, office building, conference rooms and the mini market. A connection to NFE has not yet been established because of technical difficulties. See Appendix 5 for a schematic diagram of the LAN.
3. Acquire a server for the CBIRD LAN with capability to accept dial-up connections from local phone lines for access to LAN and Internet
The server at the CBIRD Center is not yet ready to accept dial-up connections from outside. Costs are considered as to high and other possibilities will be explored in a second project phase.
4. Acquire digital cameras to facilitate "Digital Camera Journalism" and "Pluto" courses
One digital camera has been acquired. It has been used to create a website for the CBIRD Nang Rong Center and the Lighthouse Project. The two training courses "Digital Camera Journalism" and "Pluto" could not been hold due to delays in the project implementation.
The objectives of the connection to the Internet, the LANs, and the dial-up are to:
Access to web-based information is provided now for the project staff and the target groups of the project.
Communication between the CBIRD Center Nang Rong and PDA headquarters in Bangkok has been greatly improved. Most important is the ability to exchange documents with Bangkok without delay by attaching documents as files to emails. Before, it took at least two days to send or receive urgent documents using postal services.
Since the original project partners NFE, Suksapattana and MIT are no longer participating, the second part of this objective is not applicable anymore.
Women benefited greatly from accessing information from the Internet. Approximately 63 % of the users of the Lighthouse computer center are women.
Improvements to communication with national and international development and research agencies were also significant. Farmers are using the facilities of the Lighthouse project now to tracking prices of rice and other cash crops. CBIRD staff responsible for developing the curriculum for PDA's Rice College at Lamplaimat uses the Internet to obtain updated information on training programmes on rice directly from the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos at the Philippines. They contact rice experts at IRRI using e-mail and download from websites technical documents used in the curriculum design.
Opportunities for on-line training courses are given. However, nobody has completed a distant education course yet.
Access to agricultural and market related information is provided to farmers in the project area through PDA field staff. For example, for the SKY Irrigation/Vegetable Bank project, PDA field staff is able use the Internet in tracking prices of various cash crops and share the trends of produce prices with farmers participating in the project. The farmers are then able to make astute and well-informed decisions on which crops to plant, and at what times to plant them, using the charts and tables downloaded from the Internet.
Field staff as well as farmers are using the Internet to obtain detailed and up-to date information about new products and marketing opportunities.
A school near the centre has established its own computer lab using a grant from the provincial government. It was one of only four schools in the province to receive the special allocation. One of the reasons why the school was awarded the grant was because its teacher had been trained at the Lighthouse Project on information technologies and the Internet. Students from the school are enthusiastic users of the Internet to help them with research for their assignments. Many of the students still visit the Lighthouse telecentre after school to log-on to the Internet.
These two objectives could not yet be fulfilled. The costs and maintenance work involved to be an Internet provider would be too high for PDA at the current stage. In addition, extra full-time staff would be needed to maintain the Network and ensure continued and uninterrupted services. If feasible, it is planned to test these services in a second phase of the project.
The second objective for the PanAsia funding would be to make the results of our work and learning experiences at Nang Rong related to the introduction of Internet connectivity more broadly accessible to the intellectual community of Thailand and the general public.
A website for the Nang Rong centre has been established in Thai language and advertises the many services and products available from the centre as well as surrounding cooperatives and organisations. The main purpose is to promote businesses in Nang Rong and to attract new investments to the area. A special web page has been made for the Lighthouse project to distribute experiences and other information about the results of the project.
The third objective is to improve channels of dialogue between the Lighthouse Project in Thailand and the international community engaged in enhancing the learning environment in developing countries.
After the website is available in English language, the international community will also gain from the experiences made by the Lighthouse project. Through the Lighthouse Project, dialogue between CBIRD Nang Rong and international agencies and organizations is already vastly improved.
The Memorandum of Grant Conditions for the Lighthouse Project was signed by Mr. Tavatchai Traitongyoo, Secretary General of PDA, on 8 March 2000.
Change of the project consultant
In April 2000, PDA and the CBIRD Nang Rong Center started the selection process for the technical consultant. Due to time restrictions and communication barriers, the original consultant, Mr. James Gray from Canada, who was the co-developer of the project proposal, has been busy with other jobs and intended to continue with the project in September. However, eventually he was no longer able to join the project and advised PDA to find a local consultant. Therefore, within the limited time, PDA tried to find a new consultant and established a good cooperation with King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT). As a result, Mr. Pichai Kositpantawong, who was also involved in the project development, was assigned as the new Lighthouse project consultant.
During this period, the project consultant and PDA staffs visited the CBIRD Nang Rong Center and had a meeting several times and started to plan details of the LAN system and hardware setup.
Change of the project partners and project proposal reviewing
At the same time, the project partners, Suksapattana Foundation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab (MIT), could not join the project, because they moved the computer laboratory to the North of Thailand, Lumpang province. As a result, the project proposal had to be reviewed, because the project implementation is related to the Constructionism Theory and the Micro Worlds program that was developed by MIT and researchers or experts are required from Suksapattana Foundation and MIT who can use and understand the Micro Worlds program. Therefore the project team started to review the project proposal in May 2000 and agreed to the following changes:
The project objectives had been slightly changed and the main project outcome will be installation of Internet and E-Commerce infrastructure such as computer network; and training facilitators for the digital Internet tools such as web pages, research and email. The greatest constraint for the current PDA led programs is poor communication and information flow to CBIRD Nang Rong Center in general. A direct outcome of the Lighthouse project will be a vast improvement in this flow. As one very promising opportunity a connection with the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) through e-mail and online chatting was defined. Since the greatest part of rural economic in Nang Rong is rice production, the exchange of information regarding IRRI’s latest research and technologies with farmers and extension workers in Nang Rong would be an invaluable. In addition, computer basic training courses should be provided for the people in project’s area.
In the reviewing of the project proposal, the budget and time line were also revised, because of the late start of the project and changes of the project objectives and outcome.
The first progress report and the reviewed project proposal approving
In October 20, 2000, PDA submitted the first progress report for the Lighthouse Project and the Reviewed Lighthouse Project Proposal to CCOHS. PDA and the CBIRD Nang Rong Center started to proceed with implementation of the project in January 2001 after the CCOHS agreed to the changes of the project.
All hardware and LAN equipment was ordered on February 2001 and has been installed early of March 2001.
1.6 project outputs and dissemination
Configure Network / Internet/Software
During the process of CCOHS approving the reviewed project, PDA, CBIRD Nang Rong Center and the project’s consultant started to survey for companies who could set up a LAN and Internet connection for the Lighthouse project both in the local province and in Bangkok and finally decided to choose the services of a local company.
PDA and the CBIRD center Nang Rong contacted 2 Internet installation Companies in Buriram, which are PT OA Center Company, the KSC internet service provider and Thongchai OA Sale and Service, the LOXINFO internet service provider to send their estimated cost and services for consideration. Thongchai OA Sale and Service Company was selected to install the LAN system and the Internet networks because its services capability was greater than PT OA Center Company and the price was reasonable.
On February 2001, there was a team meeting to review the list of hardware and equipment to purchase from the company and coordinated with Thongchai OA Sale and Service Company to set up the LAN system and Internet connecting at CBIRD Nang Rong Center. However, the installation was delayed because some hardware was unavailable and the network installation was finished in mid of May 2001. A diagram of the installed LAN system is provided in the appendix 5.
Finally, in February 2002 five more computer workstations had been purchased and installed at the computer training center. A total number of 10 computers are operating now in the learning center and 4 computers in the CBIRD office. All are part of the LAN. LAN connection is also available at the mini market and the conference rooms.
Training Activities
During the period of network configuration, the consultant and PDA staffs discussed and designed training courses for villagers, PDA staffs and others.
The training program could not started immediately due to the late installation of the network and connecting the system. However, the training programs were started in May 2001.
The training team from PDA’s Training Computer Center, KMUTT and project staffs conducted five certificate-training courses. There were 136 participants from 34 organizations attended the training.
The following table shows a list of conducted training courses:
In addition, the facilitators conducted three non-certificate-training courses for the target groups. There were 501 people requested for training but only 290 participants attended the training. The list of training courses is as follows:
Internet Providing Activities
The provision of access to Internet to the target groups has started at the end of May 2001 after the facilitators were trained. The computer center has opened from Monday to Friday between 11.30 am – 13.30 pm and 16.30 pm – 18.00 pm with two facilitators. However, Internet services are also provided on Saturday and Sunday if it is requested from the target groups.
A list of useful and necessary Web Sites is provided on a paper list. In addition, links to the best Web Sites are saved and available in each computer.
During May 2001 – February 2002, the Lighthouse Project provided Internet access for 1,000 users, 3 villager groups, 5 sub-district cooperatives, 7 schools, 6 companies under TBIRD Program, 2 CBIRD centers, and 6 groups of CBIRD Nang Rong project. The detail of the use of Internet access is given in the following table:
Approximately 63 % of the users of the Computer training center as well as participants of the training courses are women.
Information Providing and Supporting Activities
The Lighthouse project staffs worked as facilitators and extension workers. Therefore, they provided and supported information for the villagers and other target groups. Most of information was about agricultural technologies and economic issues. During the project period, the extension workers provided information to 353 families in 10 groups. The list is as follows:
Web Page Creation
In March 2001, CBIRD staff started collecting information and photographs of CBIRD Center Nang Rong activities by using a Digital Camera and Scanner to prepare the creation of Web Pages. Work on the Web Page was started in June 2001 and completed in January 2002. The URL address of the Web Page is www.pda.or.th/nangrong. Contents are CBIRD Nang Rong history and current projects, Lighthouse project, links to Lighthouse project partners, links to knowledge web sites, and products of villager groups. This website is currently only available in Thai language. An English version will be set up in the near future.
The Lighthouse Project has been visited by a great number of people who came on study tours or for other purposes to the CBIRD Nang Rong center. Visitors included teachers, students, community leaders, politicians etc. The total figures are:
1.7 Capacity Building
The project had a great impact on capacity building. Firstly, staff at CBIRD Nang Rong center has been trained in using Internet and email for daily work like communication with headquarters as well as a tool to receive information and materials on training courses as well as developing curricula. Besides the staff, members of farmers groups, cooperatives, teachers and students gained knowledge through training courses in research techniques using the Internet.
Some successful examples are as follows:
1.8 Project Management
Project management was running smooth and without any problems. Project staff in Nang Rong was implementing most activities at the project site. Staff from the headquarters in Bangkok and the technical consultant from KMUTT visited the project site regularly to provide assistance, especially during the first phase of setting up the hardware. As resource persons, staff from KMUTT and the Suksapattana Foundation conducted training courses at the CBIRD Nang Rong Center.
1.9 Impact
The impact of the project can be seen on all target groups and people participating in the training courses. Examples are given in 1.7.
1.10 Overall Assessment
Regarding the invested time, efforts of the involved staff and funding from IDRC, the project can be seen as very successful. Even though some of its objectives could not been fulfilled due to a changed project environment and the disappearance of the original project partners, the basic goals such as setting up a computer center with Internet access available to the target groups has been reached and are increasingly used by them.
1.11 Recommendations
The Lighthouse Project can be seen as the pilot phase in introducing IT and Internet to rural areas in Northeast Thailand. The next step should expand the access to these new technologies to the villages. Therefore it is highly recommended to continue the project with a follow-up or second phase.
For the future, the staff in Nang Rong has a number of plans to continue and expand the successful work:
The Lighthouse Project plans to conduct two workshops with users of the Computer training center and trained facilitators. This is to evaluate the success of the project and the opinions of the participants about the long-term sustainability of the project. The results of these workshops will lead to recommendations about the next phase of introduction of IT and Internet to rural areas in Thailand.
Appendix 1: List of the Purchased Equipment
Appendix 2: Cooperation Chart
Appendix 3: List of Participating Groups
Appendix 4: Timeline Adjusted for the Second Year
Appendix 5: Diagram of LAN
Appendix 6: Photographs of Project Activities
Appendix 1: List of the purchased equipment
Appendix 3: List of participating groups/organizations
APPENDIX 4: TIMELINE ADJUSTED FOR THE SECOND YEAR
Appendix 5: Diagram of the installed LAN system
Appendix 6: