The project is aimed the technological development of civil society and is an initiative that further the effectiveness and sustainability of the NGOs in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine by using Internet technology and citizen media. Such technologies make it possible to establish communication channels with the target audience, like-minded individuals, media and potential partners. Achieving the goals will be implemented through conducting a series of educational trainings for local NGOs underrepresented online to create their own websites using free constructors and groups in social networks
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Кharkiv
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
Target group: town and district (local) NGOs in Kharkiv region.
The relevance of the use of modern technology to strengthen the digital capacity of NGOs is confirmed by research conducted by agency Prodiji. As a result of the report, the Internet audience from small and medium-sized towns in Ukraine continues to increase steadily. However, despite the fact that the Internet technologies and citizen media are widely available, local NGOs do not know how to use these possibilities within their community needs. Thus, 1612 NGOs have been registered in the Kharkiv region. And only 28% of local NGOs have their Internet presence. By implementing this project we can create an Internet presence for our NGO, show others that is easy, establish contacts (create a group of project participants).
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Olena Agapova – project coordinator https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001865062798
Olesya Dyachenko – IT-trainer, PhD in information technologies
https://www.facebook.com/olesya.dyachenko.3
http://alesya-d.livejournal.com/
Vitaliy Fylenko – Chairman of the Board of the NGO “New Energy”, accountant
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007738870659
Dariia Fastova – Deputy Chairman of the Board, IT-trainer, PhD in information technologies
Clarissa Hughes – The Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kharkiv district Council
lliya Klymov – PhD in system analysis, expert, lecturer, representative of professional IT-environment
Ganna Prokayeva – expert in media campaigns, a professional journalist, the trainer of citizen media https://www.facebook.com/anna.prokaeva.9?fref=ts
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The training participants will create websites using free site builder and Internet presence in social networks for their own NGOs, gain knowledge about correct positioning of NGOs in the Internet and communication tools to promote their initiatives. Within the 1st training website of our NGO and a group of training participants on social networks will be created as the example. That will demonstrate the ease of the proposed instruments. Between the trainings participants will be able to get online consultations and answers to questions that they encounter creating virtual presence for their NGOs. In the 2nd training (round table) participants will present their NGO virtual presence. Experts in IT and social media will point out the shortcomings of existing projects and help to fix them
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
Our NGO has close connection with Kharkiv NGOs, which are ready to promote the results of the project and help to involve new local NGOs into virtual presence.
Using the Microgrant Platform we have found the following potential partners for exchanging a positive experience:
1.Visualization of Local Internet Media, Chernihiv, Ukraine http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/microgrants2013/ukraine-visualization-of-local-internet-media/
2. Walk with Me, Kenya http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/microgrants2013/kenya-walk-with-me/
3. Online Communication Skills for NGOs, Mexico http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/microgrants2013/mexico-online-communication-skills-for-ngos/
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The direct beneficiaries of the project are 20 representatives of Kharkiv region local NGOs. The selection of training participants based on their personal motivation and desire to develop the third sector in local districts, that will ensure a high level of sustainability of the project.
To sustain the work of participants between the trainings, 2 times a week on-line consultation with special experts in IT for urgent issues will be organized. For the convenience of the training participants on-line consultations will be held during morning and afternoon session. If some of participants cannot arrive to the round table, they will have the opportunity to take part in training on-line and present their NGO virtual presence remotely.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
The study results of GeniusAudience Agency show that 55,1% of Ukrainian Internet audience using social network Vkontakte, 31,3% – Odnoklassniki, 29, 5% – Facebook. Therefore, to create virtual presences of NGOs it is better to use tools and mechanisms that their target audience and potential beneficiaries chose and use. Every month, users browse about 1200 websites. Today the development of simple virtual presence does not require knowledge of deep professional programming skills or availability of additional financial resources. Our team includes 2 PhD in information technologies, 1 PhD in system analysis and a trainer of citizen media who are able to explain using of free site constructors which are easy to understand and greatly facilitate the process of developing websites
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The conference room (capacity 25 persons) with wireless network (speed of 100 Mbit/s) will be used for the first training and round table. Wi-Fi internet connection makes it possible to provide Internet–access for notebooks of participants. We would like to get through the grant projector to raise visualization of the training materials. We will also use one notebook (NGO’s equipment), flipchart (NGO’s equipment) for trainings. For the round table and on-line consultations it will be used two notebooks, two headsets, wireless network with the speed of 100 Mbit/s.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
The project team of the NGO “New Energy” is the union of specialists in various fields, who are experienced in consulting, training and practical assistance in the sphere of effective use of information and communication technologies. At the same time, our NGO has been recently established organization, has many partners among the Kharkiv NGOs, and is interesting in developing a partnership with locals NGOs. We are going to create a website and the presences in social networks for our NGO in the framework of trainings to show representatives of local NGOs that it is easy and train them to do the same one for their NGOs. This project is also a great opportunity to establish contacts and find partners for further cooperation both for our NGO and for local NGOs
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The challenges we can face during the project is a lack of knowledge and interest of representatives of local NGOs to use social media and Internet tools. We have to make them understand that such tools are ease in use and will help them to ensure promoting of advocacy, lobbying interests; and provide the influence of the territorial community representatives in decision-making.
Another problems that we can face during implementing the project are problems related with the hardware and software, interruptions in the Internet connection. These obstacles we are going to overcome by preparing a spare laptop with installed software and USB-modems. In addition, based on the summarizing of obtained issues «FAQ» digest will be formed and published on the public domain.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The implementation of the project will be assessed during each of the stage. Indicators of progress of the project will be directly products obtained during the implementation of the project (developed online resources, the amount of websites of organizations and virtual platforms, «FAQ» digest), reports (financial and substantive reports). The project coordinator carries out constant monitoring of quality and progress of the project realization, including feedback materials. The effectiveness of learning and skills workshop of the participants, as well as the completeness and quality of the presented material will be evaluated using materials feedback.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
2014:
1.06-31.07 Development of teaching materials, presentations, practical tasks, feedback materials and an invitation
1-31.08 Publication of the announcement, selection and sending invitations to the participants from local NGOs of Kharkiv region
1-15.09 Training 1 «Creation of virtual presence. Correct positioning of NGOs in the Internet»
16.09-31.10 On-line consultations to the participants for creating presence on social networks and collecting the information for the websites
1-15.11 Round table «Social media. Presentation of projects»
16-30.11 Getting feedback from the training participants
1-31.12 Updating and distributing of methodical materials to the project participants
2015:
1-31.01 Analysis of the feedback materials
15.01-15.03 Development and publication of the digest FAQs
15.03-15.05 Formation and sending of financial and substantive reports
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Equipment for trainings:
1 notebook 450$
1 multimedia projector 350$
2 Headset for online consultation 30$*2=60$
1 USB-modem + Internet service 35$+5$=40$
Administrative costs:
Offset paper A4 5$*6 pcs.=30$
Office supplies 3$*12 months=36$
Bank fees 12,4$ + 0,75%*sum of grant money=28,5$
Publishing:
Certificate of participation 0,8$*20 copies=16$
Travel expenses:
Travel training participants (bus/train) 4$*20 persons*2 trainings*2 trips=320$
Project events (specify):
conference room rental 5$*8 hours*2 days=80$
Handouts 2$*20 copies=40$
Coffee break 1,8$*23 persons*2 pcs.=82,8$
Lunch break 4,2$*23 persons*2 pcs.=193,2$
Internet-provider for online consultation 10$*3 months=30$
Honoraria:
Coordinator O. Agapova 9$*12 months=108$
Accountant V. Fylenko 8$*12 months=96$
IT trainer D. Fastova 30$*2 trainings=60$
IT trainer O. Dyachenko 30$*2 trainings=60$
IT trainer I. Klymov 30$*1 training=30$
Trainer of the citizen media G. Prokayeva 30$*1 training=30$
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
The complicated situation in Ukraine media space requires from local NGOs active dialogue with the international community to ensure information access to objective information and using advanced world experience of the citizen media. The access to the information and intellectual resources of Rising Voices can be a key aspect of providing the aforementioned requirements.
Contact name
Olena Agapova
Organization
NGO “New Energy”