Microsoft Launches NGO: Information and Communication Technology for Development Academy in Africa in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation

Empowering non-governmental organisations with business and ICT skills for development in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation and the Academy for Educational Development.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso —22 April 2008 — Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) with which they work, including grassroots and village organisations, associations and other citizens’ groups, are key agents of change for Africa’s social and economic development, but all too often their management and technology resources fall short of their expertise in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). Today at the 2008 African ICT Best Practices Forum in Burkina Faso, Microsoft Corp expands its commitment to NGOs with a new skills training and support programme called the NGO ICT4D Academy.

The NGO ICT4D Academy will focus on three areas critical to each NGO’s regional scalability and long-term sustainability: ICT4D skills development, IT support services and e-Readiness. Key partners, including the Aga Khan Foundation and the Academy for Educational Development, will support the NGO ICT4D Academy’s effort to enable NGOs across Africa.

Source: Microsoft – PC World – Microsoft Unlimited Potential blog

“NGOs are critical partners in Microsoft’s objective with Unlimited Potential to bring the benefits of relevant, accessible and affordable technology to the next 5 billion people,” said Michael Rawding, vice president of the Unlimited Potential Group at Microsoft. “The more technology and business best practices we can share from our 16 years’ experience in Africa, the better we can equip our NGO partners’ social and economic development efforts.”

Technology and Skills Development for NGOs
To help bridge the skills shortages among many NGOs, Microsoft will deliver information, resources, tools and training on topics ranging from IT management to ICT4D solutions, in regional Centers of Excellence. The first Center of Excellence will open in partnership with local NGOs in South Africa, serving as a venue where NGOs can network and explore collaborative opportunities. Additional regional centres are being considered with local NGO partners in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal.

“We must become full and even leading participants in the knowledge society of the 21st century,” said His Highness the Aga Khan. “That will mean embracing the values of collaboration and coordination, openness and partnership, choice and diversity — which will undergird the knowledge society, learning constantly to review and revise and renew what we think we know, learning how to go on learning.”

IT Support Services for NGOs
Many NGOs do not have the technical skill level or financial resources available to support their ICT capacity. Through the NGO ICT4D Academy, Microsoft will provide IT support services to assist with the development of technology plans and facilitate access to NGO technical assistance providers, technical service packages, help desk access with escalation to Microsoft, and online and offline support resources.

“Like so many of my colleagues who work for NGOs, I’m an expert in technology’s transformative power in communities and economies, not operational or IT efficiency,” said Andrew Olea, director of the Informal Business Sector Institute (ISBI) in Nairobi, Kenya. “The NGO ICT4D Academies will help us build our business and operational expertise. They will also free up valuable resources for us to focus on what’s most important: improving the livelihood of our people.”

E-Readiness Planning for NGOs
Microsoft is also committed to scaling the technology skills development and support of NGOs across the continent by delivering training workshops and resources where the Centers of Excellence or IT support services are not present, particularly in rural areas. In partnership with local governments and NGOs, Microsoft will provide the tools, training and planning guidance for organisations to develop ICT plans and meet national e-readiness standards.

The first delivery of the NGO ICT4D Academy’s promise will be the launch of the NGO Connect website and portal where access to news, resources and events in the NGO community will provide a forum and virtual workspace for NGOs to share ideas and best practices across all of Africa. The NGO Connect website will launch in June 2008 and be publicly accessible at http://www.ngoconnectafrica.org.

About Unlimited Potential
Microsoft, through its Unlimited Potential vision, is committed to making technology more affordable, relevant and accessible for the 5 billion people around the world who do not yet enjoy its benefits. The company aims to do so by helping to transform education and foster a culture of innovation, and through these means enable better jobs and opportunities. By working with governments, intergovernmental organisations, nongovernmental organisations and industry partners, Microsoft hopes to reach its first major milestone — to reach the next 1 billion people who are not yet realising the benefits of technology — by 2015.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

Source: Microsoft