APEC Project Database

Project Title

Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation Information and Communication Technology for Education Exposition (APEC ICT4E Expo)

Project Year

2009

Project Number

HRD 04 2009A

Project Session

Not Applicable

Project Type

Standard

Project Status

Completed Project

Project No.

HRD 04 2009A

Project Title

Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation Information and Communication Technology for Education Exposition (APEC ICT4E Expo)

Project Status

Completed Project

Fund Account

APEC Support Fund

Sub-fund

ASF: General Fund

Project Year

2009

Project Session

Not Applicable

APEC Funding

94,810

Co-funding Amount

49,100

Total Project Value

143,910

Sponsoring Forum

Human Resource Development Working Group (HRDWG)

Topics

Human Resources Development

Committee

SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE)

Other Fora Involved

Not Applicable / Other

Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved

Not Applicable

Proposing Economy(ies)

Philippines

Co-Sponsoring Economies

Australia; Hong Kong, China; Malaysia; United States; Viet Nam; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; New Zealand; Korea

Expected Start Date

01/01/2009

Expected Completion Date

31/12/2010

Project Proponent Name 1

Nicholas Tenazas

Job Title 1

Not Applicable

Organization 1

Not Applicable

Telephone 1

+632 633-7208 / 633-7228 / 631-2527

Email 1

nicki.tenazas@gmail.com

Project Proponent Name 2

Not Applicable

Job Title 2

Not Applicable

Organization 2

Not Applicable

Telephone 2

Not Applicable

Email 2

www.deped. gov. ph

Declaration

Not Applicable

Project Summary

The expo aims to (1) widen dissemination and involvement in APEC ICT4E initiatives, (2) facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices to directly support the 4^th AEMM Joint Statement and EDNET Strategic Action Plan for ICT and Systemic Reform, (3) gain support for upcoming ICT4E projects of developing economies and (4) provide a venue to reconvene the APEC Cyber Education Network.

To achieve this, the two-day expo will feature (1) updates on APEC ICT for Education (ICT4E) initiatives, (2) presentation of papers on ICT4E, (3) initial negotiations on funding for ICT4E projects of developing member economies and (4) showcases of different ICT initiatives in the APEC region.

The APEC ICT Expo is scheduled to be held in Manila in March 2009.

Relevance

During the past few years, the role of Information and Communications Technology in education has dramatically increased. ICT has been continually proven to improve access and quality of learning when used properly. Cognizant of this fact, almost all APEC economies are pursuing independent ICT initiatives. A quick glance at the EDNET Database reveals that different economies are at different stages of ICT utilization:

Australia: Learning in an Online World: A Schools Education Action Plan for the Information Economy

Canada: ICT curriculum

China: Chinese Education and Research Network

Chinese Taipei: Challenge of relearning on K-12

Hong Kong China: IT in Education - Way Forward

Japan: E-Japan Priority Plan

Korea: Adapting Education to the Information Age

Mexico: Education Progress Report

New Zealand: Digital Horizons: Learning Through ICT

Philippines: National information Technology Plan

Singapore: Curriculum Standards

Thailand: ICT for Direct Instruction and In-Service Training

United States: Vision 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced

Technology In support of the abovementioned initiatives of member economies, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation has initiated numerous ICT projects for education. The Institute for APEC Collaborative Education has led the way in conducting international seminars and maintaining online communities. The APEC Cyber Academy continues to provide quality online education and even plans to cater to a wider audience in the future. The APEC Education Foundation, although scheduled to be discontinued by the end of 2008, has funded numerous ICT projects that serve many beneficiaries in many economies. The APEC Knowledge Bank hosts a wide range of information on ICT initiatives that aid education policy makers, school administrators and researchers on educational reform and implementation. These and other initiatives underscore the importance of integrating ICT into the educational systems of member economies.

In the 2004 Joint Statement from the 3rd APEC Education Ministerial Meeting, they recognized the fact that "sustainable communities of practice among teachers, students, researchers and other stakeholders will allow us to leverage on each other's experience, knowledge and research findings on innovative uses of ICT in learning and teaching".

In 2007, APEC Ministers reiterated the importance of continued capacity building work in APEC's agenda in the area of Human Resource Development. They recognized that the APEC workforce should be equipped with 21 St century skills so that it can adapt more quickly to a more open and competitive marketplace. Complementing this is the recognition by Ministers of the crucial role of digital capacity of member economies in advancing APEC's work and the equitable development of the region.

* A⁶* APEC Education Ministerial Meeting Joint Statement

⁺ Choi, Eun-Ok. ICT Roles in Systemic Reform. Apec Symposium, Xi'an, China. 16 January 2008

Page 4 of 12

In 2008, as mentioned above, the 4^,h APEC Education Ministerial Meeting held in Lima, Peru, and even the APEC Xi'an Symposium highlighted the importance of ICT and Systemic Reform. It is an issue that cuts across education content in Math & Science, Language Learning and Career and Technical Education/Technical Vocational Education and Training. Specific recommendations and an EDNET Strategic Action Plan focusing on four areas was then crafted during the 4* AEMM, all of which will be covered by this project: (1) teacher quality and instruction, (2) standards and assessments, (3) policies and research and (4) resources and tools, of which this project was mentioned.

In the Philippines, the need for the development of ICT is imbedded in no less than the 1987 Constitution. To keep this vision current, the Medium-term Philippine Development Plan defines the role and need for ICT, especially for the education sector. The Department of Education ICT for Education Strategic Plan maps out the goals and directions of ICT4E for the next five years. In the face of fundamental changes in the ways people learn, the need for effective and efficient ICT programs is now imperative.

This project also contributes to the achievement of HRDWG's mission of "sharing knowledge, experience, and skills to strengthen human resource development and promote sustainable economic growth" by building 21st century capabilities in both educational content and technological medium (ICT). This would facilitate wider access to better quality of education and prepare the youth of the region for a more competitive and fast-paced knowledge-based global economy. This will be achieved by addressing all three of the working group's objectives:

1. It will "develop 21st century skills for all" by addressing the needs for workers and citizens to succeed in the knowledge-based regional economy. The project aims to improve "teach(ing) of 21st century academic content" and "build 21st century skills" by "expand(ing) access to and effective use of ICT to diminish the digital divide."

2. It will contribute to "Integration of HRD into the Global Economy" by "sharing knowledge and skills across the APEC region" in the many forms of international online and distance learning.

3. It will "address the social dimension of globalization" by allowing member economies to share and adopt best practices in the region on ICT for education, particularly benefiting learners in rural areas by improving access to quality education otherwise only available to smaller percentage of students.

The project will also help achieve EDNET objectives by identifying the best practices and urgent challenges on ICT and education in the region. This would serve as impetus for strong and vibrant learning systems across the region, which adopts policies and programs that incorporate the benchmarks and respond to the pressing issues in the region.

Objectives

• To widen dissemination and involvement in APEC ICT4E initiatives - APEC ICT4E initiatives have been on-going since the late 1990s. Unfortunately, it still has not deeply permeated many grass-root societies and stakeholders, especially in developing economies. The proposed activity aims to highlight and improve participation in APEC's on-going ICT for education projects. APEC's ICT4E framework can also serve as valuable input to the individual ICT4E frameworks of the member economies.

• To facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices - Maximization of recent developments in ICT4E are in no way even among member economies. Previous sharing of best practices has undoubtedly produced varied results. Upcoming 1CT4E initiatives can always benefit from new experiences and perspectives. The proposed activity aims to update the APEC community with the latest developments in the ICT4E sub-sector, with special focus on the four areas mentioned in the EDNET Strategic Action Plan for ICT and Systemic Reform, towards the twin goals of efficiency and effectiveness in program design and implementation.

• To gain support for upcoming ICT4E projects of developing economies - APEC has long supported worthwhile development projects in developing economies. They provide vital resources to jump-start and/or catalyze the development process in member economies. The proposed activity aims to provide a venue for selected developing economies to put forward their ICT4E plans to the APEC community to gain inputs and support. Technical expertise of the more advanced member economies and resources of invited funding institutions and multi-national corporations will greatly improve the chances of these ICT4E plans to become reality.

To reconvene the APEC Cyber Education Network - Taking cue from the 4th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting on June 2008 in Peru, education ministries will be focused on new directions and programs, including ICT and Systemic Reform. While individual economies will exert efforts on their local fronts, it is important that APEC maintains a platform for continued and intensified collaboration. The proposed activity aims to reconvene, and if feasible and necessary, evaluate and intensify the role of the Cyber Education Cooperation. It is worth exploring if the ACEN could be expanded to serve as the venue for all coordinated 1CT4E programs of APEC. A redesigned and more effective ACEN could amplify the successes of APEC in 1CT4E.

Alignment

Beneficiaries and Outputs

This project will directly benefit the education ministries of developing member economies. These ministries are in the process of formulating and/or implementing their ICT4E strategies and are surely encountering numerous challenges in performing these tasks. The ICT4E Expo will provide them with the conceptual framework, best practices and access to resources that can help them effectively design and efficiently implement their ICT4E plans. Also, the network of colleagues that they can foster during the activity will build a bridge for sustained and future collaboration among economies, funding institutions and the private sector.

Eventually, the ICT4E projects that will get revised and/or funded because of the Expo will benefit millions of students in developing member economies. They will be one step closer to attaining 21st century skills that will allow them to be competitive in the regional labor market. As an organization, APEC will also benefit from the Expo in the form of increased participation for its initiatives. When reconfigured, harmonized and strengthened under specific guidelines for utilization among all member economies, the above-mentioned APEC initiatives can serve as the framework for ICT4E in the region. With this, the probability of having certain initiatives discontinued due to lack of support will also be lessened.

International organizations and funding institutions will also benefit from this project through improved collaboration with developed economies and wider reach within developing economies. First, they would be able to present their advocacies during the Expo and muster support From the members. Then, they would be able to learn best practices in ICT4E across the APEC region, which they can use later on in designing development projects. Lastly, they would be able to explore supporting ICT4E initiatives in developing economies within the framework of APEC. Interested multi-national corporations will also have the chance to introduce their products and services that directly support ICT4E. They will be given time to present possible ICT4E solutions for interested economies and will be allowed to distribute advocacy materials and product brochures to the participants and guests.

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• The proposed project will intensify participation in APEC ICT4E initiatives. Status reports of achievement, challenges encountered and best practices of on-going APEC ICT4E projects will help inform member economies of the opportunities available to them through APEC.

• The proposed project will also compile the latest documents on ICT4E, Presentations from international agencies, private sector implementers and APEC member economies will update the existing body of knowledge on the proper utilization of ICT4E. This will directly support the EDNET Strategic Action Plan for ICT and Systemic Reform and guide education ministries in formulating and implementing ICT4E strategies with better efficiency and effectiveness.

• As the primary goal of the project, it will also provide the venue for possible negotiations between developing member economies and possible supporters of their ICT4E plans and programs. International agencies, bilateral and multilateral institutions and private sector foundations will be invited to comment and possibly fund worthwhile ICT4E projects within the framework of APEC. This will give developing countries the much-needed resources to pursue their ICT4E goals.

• The project also aims to strengthen the APEC Cyber Education Network to become the clearinghouse of all APEC ICT4E initiatives. This revitalized body will help ensure greater coordination and participation in ICT4E in the region.

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For efficiency, the proposed APEC 1CT4E Expo will be spearheaded by the three government agencies of the Republic of the Philippines governing the entire education sector. The Department of Education (DepEd, governing basic education), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will collaborate to oversee and manage the proposed expo. Other government agencies (e.g. Department of Foreign Affairs, Local Government Units, etc.) in the Philippines will be tapped to support the project.

However, other member economies, especially the nine other co-sponsors, will be consulted at every stage of the project. Their help in coordination with resource persons and partidpants will ensure the success of the project. International organizations and funding institutions will also be invited to present their advocacies to the body and will be requested to explore funding possibilities for some ICT4E project proposals from developing member economies.

Local private sector sponsors from the Philippines and other multi-national corporations will also be sought to enhance the quality of the Expo. They can also present their best ICT4E projects to the participants, which can serve as examples of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives for other economies. Government, private sector and dvil sodety representatives from all member economies (as much as practicable) will also be invited to the expo, since these stakeholders have various expertise and experiences in ICT4E projects and policies. TTieir input will greatly boost the outcome of the project and they can also help monitor the progress of ICT4E projects that will gain support and begin implementation because of the Expo.

Dissemination

The target audience for the dissemination of the results of the project are as follows:

1.    Ministries of Education in member economies

2.    Bilateral and Multilateral funding institutions

3.      Corporate Social Responsibility units of multi-national corporations

4.    Other private sector and non-government ICT4E project implementers

■ The results of the expo shall be reflected in a Program Souvenir. It will contain all the lectures and presentations, minutes of the various discussions, abstracts of the project proposals from developing economies and profiles of all ICT4E projects exhibited during the expo

• The Program Souvenir will be in (1) hard copy and (2) hosted in / downloadable from official Web Pages, including the APEC Website and the Knowledge Bank

■ 500 copies of the Program Souvenir will be printed. This will cover 10 copies per economy and 290 more copies for other delegates and guests. An official website for the Expo will be set up, which will contain all the documentation of the event. The APEC Knowledge Bank will also have the same content as the official expo website. The APEC Homepage will have links to both the Expo website and the relevant web pages in the Knowledge Bank.

• The expo will have media coverage from both local and international media practitioners. One month before the expo, local media will be informed of the event. The official website will be launched and details of the expo will be available there. The APEC homepage and the Knowledge Bank will also have banner ads of the official expo website. The official press conference will be given at a specified time on the first day of the expo. The media will be allowed to cover all the sessions and interview resource persons and participants on their own time.

Gender

First of all, the Project Staff will be comprised equally of men and women. Next, it will be official

policy that each economy sends an even number of male and female delegates to the expo. As far as possible, presenters will also have equal representation of genders.

A special session will be held on the topic "ICT4E and women empowerment". This aims to provide (1) a review of existing trends in women empowerment, (2) the role of 1CT4E in improving these trends and (3) possible next steps in maximizing ICT4E for women empowerment.

The eventual beneficiaries of the project - students with newfound/improved access to quality education because of ICT - are both males and females. ICT as a medium helps to eradicate gender inequalities in education by giving equal access to education for all.

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ICT4E aims to provide quality education for all. In the Philippines, the school system actually favors women, in the sense that more of them perform better and eventually finish basic education. For other economies, however, this might not be the case. The project, therefore, will help ensure that all ensuing 1CT4E projects in the APEC region will specifically benefit both genders. By making sure that ICT4E will also benefit women, the project would have indirectly aided the goals of increased female participation in the global economy and the reduction of gender inequality.

Work Plan

Activities	Expected outputs	Expected Risks (Risk Management Strategy)	Timeline
Creation of the Project Secretariat	Project office, complete with equipment and staff	Delay in contracting short-term staff (3 month lead time before contract effectiveness will be observed)	January 2009
Development of Project Website and Expo information System	Project Website and information system that will be used during the Expo	Delay in finalization of website and IS design due to numerous comments (involvement of all major stakeholders as early as the design phase)	February 2009
Invitations to speakers and participants	Communication with and confirmation of all speakers and participants to the expo. Buddy system will improve the participation of all economies and other invited guests.	Lag between the issuance of the invitations and the responses by the invitees (Proper assignment of staff to the task and maximization of communications budget and the GDLN)	January – February 2009
Finalization of logistical arrangements	· List of attendees and their flight details · Contracting of hotel and other service providers · Compilation of all presentations and project documents	Delay in compilation of participant information and project documents; Delay in contracting hotel and service providers (Constant follow-ups from concerned economies and early requests for quotations from potential providers)	February 2009
Conduct of ICT4E expo	Successful conduct of ICT4E expo	Common risks are caused by failure in communication and proper planning (All staff should have proper responsibilities and are ready to fulfil them)	March 2009
Project liquidation and submission of follow-up (contingent) outputs based on expo agreements	· Liquidation documents · Additional outputs (if any)	Delay in liquidation due to differences in estimated and actual expenditures; Delay in the availability of additional outputs (Proper documentation is essential)	April 2009

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All APEC member economies will be invited to the Expo. They will be requested to send at least two participants to the activity. The delegates should be involved in the design and/or implementation of ICT4E projects in their economies. They are expected to be able to contribute to the sessions and help advocate and disseminate Expo outputs back home. Also, member economies will be requested to bring materials that showcase their best ICP1E projects. Each economy will be provided with a booth equipped with computers and internet connection to allow them to share their projects with other delegates and guests. They can coordinate with the project staff if they have additional requirements for their ICT4E booth.

Some economies will be requested to make comprehensive presentations on specific topics that will be assigned to them. They should transmit these files at least two weeks before the Expo, in order to facilitate printing and/or web uploading and digital storage.

For some developed economies like the United States, Australia, Japan, Korea and others, representatives from their international aid agencies will also be invited. The most important objective of the Expo is to provide a venue where developing economies can access international funding institutions to be able to gain support for their ICME plans and programs. It is hoped that these aid agendes will welcome the opportunity to explore more possibilities for support and collaboration with developing member economies within APEC.

The Project Overseers from the Philippines will coordinate closely with the project co-sponsors. They will be requested to help in ensuring the success of the Expo. A "buddy system" will be proposed, which will pair a co-sponsoring economy with a non-co-sponsoring economy. The co-sponsoring economy will be requested to make sure that their "buddy" will also be able to prepare and comply with all the requirements of the Expo.

Risks

See Work Plan

Monitoring and Evaluation

Objective	Current Status	End-of-project target
To widen dissemination and involvement in APEC ICT4E initiatives	Most APEC ICT4E initiatives have not reached grass-root beneficiaries in developing economies on a large scale	Improved participation and support for APEC ICT4E initiatives
To facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices	New experiences and developments in ICT4E implementation (before March 2009) would not have been shared to most member economies yet	Updated information on effective ICT4E initiatives, its encountered problems and best practices
To gain support for upcoming ICT4E projects of developing economies	APEC is currently providing support for various projects in member economies; however, it might be beneficial to focus more investments for developing members specifically in the ICT4E sub-sector	Increased bilateral and multilateral support for medium to long term implementation of exceptional ICT4E projects from developing member economies (ideally, on grant basis)
To reconvene the APEC Cyber Education Network	Membership and benefits from the ACEN are sporadic and not systematic	Revitalized ACEN working towards being the clearinghouse of all major ICT4E projects of member economies

Linkages

APEC TEL (Telecommunications Working Group) and the Philippine Commission on Information and Communications Technology (as project overseer of APEC Seminar on Using ICT for Rural Community Capacity Building) are currently being consulted. Also, since there is strong private sector presence in ICT4E, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) will also be consulted.

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APEC is the ideal institution to fund this project because it has stake in the ICT4E development of its member economies. No single institution has the resources and network to coordinate the 1CT4E initiatives of 21 member economies, with the goal of reducing the digital divide and skill mismatch due to poor educational systems. ICT4E is not simply a matter for the Education Network. In this regard, the other APEC working groups and networks can support the region's ICT4E projects, as highlighted in the 4^th AEMM Joint Statement. Also, APEC has the international identity to be able to bring all of the major international organizations and funding institutions into the project. Without resource commitments from these institutions, the Expo will just be a conference on ICT4E best practices. The most important aspect of the Expo is the possibility of supporting ICT4E plans of developing economies.

The project hopes to reconfigure, harmonize and strengthen the existing APEC initiatives for ICT4E. The Cyber Education Network is proposed to be given a fresh mandate to become the clearinghouse of all ICT4E initiatives in the region. The Network can utilize the Knowledge Bank and Project Database in coordinating iCT4E projects. It can also maximize the Cyber Academy and the 1ACE by offering more comprehensive education and training programs to a wider audience. It can provide policy support and research for economies implementing ICT4E projects. It can also be an entry point for international organizations and funding agendes in advocating, supporting and monitoring ICT4E activities, a need recognized by the 4^,h AEMM Joint Statement. Lastly, the new ACEN can become the marketplace for bilateral Official Development Assistance in ICT4E among member economies.

Sustainability

Not Applicable

Direct Labour

Not Applicable

Are there any supporting document attached?

Project No.
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Total Project Value
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Topics
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Expected Start Date
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Project Proponent Name 1
Job Title 1
Organization 1
Telephone 1
Email 1
Project Proponent Name 2
Job Title 2
Organization 2
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Declaration
Project Summary
Relevance
Objectives
Alignment
Beneficiaries and Outputs
Dissemination
Gender
Work Plan
Risks
Monitoring and Evaluation
Linkages
Sustainability
Direct Labour
Are there any supporting document attached?
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Content Type: Standard Proposal