Opportunities

Technological innovation is taking place at a breath-taking pace. Simple, open source internet-based applications and services designed to enhance on-line collaboration are now available to the wider public at little or no cost at all. These new online technologies known as Web 2.0 and Social Media applications enable people to collaborate to create, share and publish information.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP  (CTA) has a mandate to facilitate access to and dissemination of information in the fields of agriculture and rural development in 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). Supporting the adoption of Web 2.0 applications represents a great opportunity for meeting it.

The National Library Service  (NLS) in collaboration with CTA will host a 5-day Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity on 01-05 September, 2014. Participants will be introduced to selected web 2.0 applications including social media and will learn how to use them hands-on.

The Learning Opportunity will cover advanced online searching, getting information served via alerts and RSS, collaborating remotely using Google Drive, Dropbox, VoIP, online mapping and social networking. Participants will get a chance to see what others have done, get hands-on experience on how to use innovative applications, and assess how they could adopt these innovations within the context of their work and organisation.

This Learning Opportunity forms part of CTA initiatives that support development partners in networking, accessing and disseminating information more effectively.

Programme of the Learning Opportunity

• Web 2.0 and Social Media: concepts and principles;
• Selective access to information via (i) advanced multilingual search options; (ii) RSS and (iii) automated alerts;
• Content curation: Tagging and Social Bookmarking;
• Photos for the web;
• Remote collaboration (e.g. GoogleDrive, Dropbox);
• Online conversations (Skype, Google Hangouts, Viber, Whatsapp);
• Online mapping (New Google Maps);
• Blogging (Blogger or Wordpress);
• Micro-blogging (Twitter);
• Social networking (LinkedIn and Facebook), risks and mitigation measures;
• Online Communities of Practice;
• Web 2.0 and Social Media for Agri-business and marketing.

Participants - Eligibility and responsibilities

Participation in the Learning Opportunity is free of charge, but subject to acceptance by the organisers. 25 participants will be accepted for the event.

Eligibility criteria

• be computer literate and conversant with browsing the Internet;
• have regular access to a computer (ownership of a computer is an advantage);
• be in a position to take along a WIFI-enabled laptop to the training;
• be competent in the use of the English language;
• have an active e-mail account;
• be actively engaged in agriculture and rural development / natural resource management / biodiversity conservation in the domains of ICT for development (ICT4D), policies, markets; publishing, communication and media; and
• be resident in Malawi.

Responsibilities

Accepted participants will be responsible for all costs related to their travel to and from the venue at the National Library Service, their accommodation, breakfast and supper, their daily subsistence allowances, and for bringing their own WIFI-enabled laptop to the event.

Entitlements

During each event, the organisers will provide lunch and refreshments and distribute copies of CTA publications and instructional material.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please click  on this link to complete the online form.

Deadline for application: 11 August, 2014 (14:00 GMT)

Feedback

The organisers will inform successful applicants about the status of their application two week before the commencement of the course. Successful applicants will receive confirmation letters and others will also be duly informed about the results of their application.