11. SDNP has thus far been conceptualised as a sustainable non-profit ISP. However, while sustainability is a major concern for the implementing agency and UNDP, there is no formal feasibility study of business strategy in place for the project. This has to do, in part, with the manner in which the SDNP project was initiated. The Bangladesh SDNP was not conceived as a stand-alone operation which would have necessitated the undertaking of a formal feasibility study but funding was obtained by integrating the project as a key component of a national environmental programme. While discussions as to its feasibility were definitely held with key stakeholder and the ISPs etc., no formal investigation was undertaken as to the cost/benefit of the ISP option.

Recommendation 5: Business Plan. A key recommendation of this mission is that a national management. Consultant be hired to come up with an SDNP Bangladesh business plan and sustainability strategy at the earliest. TORs for the consultant are attached as Annex 1 at the end of this report. In the course of this investigation, offer alternatives to selling connectivity and data such as: value added services; technical support to partners; training; application and project development for UNDP, the UN system and other partners; facilitation of reporting via IT for related national and sub-regional projects; and web page design, hosting and maintenance: research and information searches on related concerns; and advertising should be explored is should the conditions and cost of provision of such services by other suppliers. Except for the case of a few countries, where SDNP's entered in the initial stages of ISP development and established their niche (e.g. Honduras, Pakistan. Nicaragua), most others have not been able to be sustainable, as ISPs but have had to spread their portfolio over a range of value-added & technical services.

Recommendation 6: BIDS Facilities Upgrade: This is urgent. Prior to the ordering of equipment and establishment of connectivity, the BIDS site needs to be upgraded and the server room facility secured (grill/bars where there are glass windows etc.); at least 5 telephone lines need to be procured for dial-up purposes; other necessary facilities such as greater access to electricity, a stand-by generator, appropriate UPS; a network diagram needs to be prepared for the BIDS LAN and quotations obtained for the laying down of the required CAT 5 cabling and patch panels.

Recommendation 7: Equipment: Various ISPs and Network integrators had been contacted and asked to submit proposals with costing for installation of the complete network setup.

1. Proshika Computer Systems (PCS),
2. Grameen Communications
3. Summit Sactel IT Systems
4. IBCS Primax Software (BD) Ltd
5. IBM
6. Bangladesh Online Ltd.
7. Grameen Cybernet Ltd

submitted proposals. On the basis of evaluation of the proposals, discussion with other users and evaluation of the tasks involved it is recommended that it is feasible, more cost effective and desirable to build up in-house capacity, and aside from contracting and the wiring for BIDS LAN and SDNP network room, the installation of equipment and configuration should be undertaken by SDNP staff. In this context, there is basic agreement with the recommendation of the technical keynote paper for the Inception Workshop with the addition of a firewall.

SDNP NY can help with procuring equipment from New York if required. Upon receipt of field purchase order from the UNDP Office we have been able to order such equipment for other SDNPs and ship to them without payment of customs duties etc. BIDS should get quotations regarding the equipment as soon as possible so that we can do a comparison of costs.

For the public access centres there should be a standard package: 2-5 computers with network cards, a LCD projector, a laser printer, a scanner, a digital camera, an 8 port hub and Ethernet cabling.

Recommendation 8: Software: There is basic agreement with the recommendation of the technical keynote paper for the Inception Workshop in its selection of Linux as the operating system for the PPP. In discussions with some ISPs, security issues relating to Linux were raised, but this is mostly a question of configuration. SDNP NY can help with securing appropriate software and pouching it to Bangladesh. Database software was not discussed in the technical keynote paper for the Inception Workshop and our suggestion is that it be Oracle for Linux or mySQL. SDNP NY can once again help with procurement and database design if required when the time comes.

Recommendation 9: Co-ordinator should be hired at the earliest. New Terms of Reference was drawn up for the SDNP Co-ordinator (Annex 1) with a greater stress on the managerial and entrepreneurial qualities of the co-ordinator function. A co-ordinator should be recruited at the earliest possible time to co-ordinate tasks with partners, undertake responsibility for upgrading of facilities, and evaluate business plan for SDNP and prepare work plan for the current year. If possible, a visit should be arranged to a sister SDNP such as Pakistan or Jamaica. Contact should be established with SDNP NY, which can help with orienting the co-ordinator and providing technical backstopping.

Recommendation 10: New Terms of Reference for SDNP Technical Staff: at keeping with the suggested operating system (Linux/Solaris) for the SDNP servers, the requirements of the portal nature of the SDNP/SEMP website (Development, Programming and Graphic Design), training and technical support that call be offered to partners, training of users, TORs have been provided in Annex t for the following: Database Programmer, Web & System Administrator, Assistant System Administrator, Web Developer, Web Designer and for a management consultant to prepare a Business Plan and carry out a needs and resources assessment of SDNP/SEMP partners and target data contributors. The TORs that formed the basis of the advertisement that was submitted for the post of Technical Advisor was not in keeping with the suggested operating system selected for the servers and with our experience of what is required in such circumstances. The CVs submitted were in most cases not suitable according to the new TORs. A selection has been kept aside for further consideration.

Recommendation 11: Phasing for Hiring of Staff: The co-ordinator and the web developer should be hired to start with and then the rest of the technical personnel can hired following the upgrade of facilities, the procurement of equipment, and the results of the needs assessments are in.

Recommendation 12: Training of Staff: Where appropriate the host unit's focal point and/or staff should be trained so as build up capacity for the institution and to facilitate their participation and contribution to the SEMP/SDNP, project especially in the context of BIDS databases. Training facilities here should be investigated toward this end.

Recommendation 13: Preparation for the Database Design should begin now: The databases while a crucial part software was not discussed in the technical keynote paper for the Inception Workshop although it is mentioned in the PIP prepared by BIDS. However even before we get to the technical aspects of the database design, a needs and resource assessment needs to be undertaken. TORs are attached in Annex 1 for a consultant to undertake such a survey over the next few months. Following this the task of database design and web integration can begin.

Recommendation 14: SDNP Portal for Sustainable Development and Content: Thus far the focus has been on the development of the main SD database and on linking to related sites, but not a comprehensive picture of what the whole site look like and what kinds of functionality should be built in. Further, various types of fresh/changing content need to be thought about in order to bring people back to the site such as the monitoring of news in the regular media (in collaboration with the media??) on relevant topics, the sending it, or views from the regions by regional journalists and NGOs, and perhaps even a web magazine, and follow-up on on-going important issues: flood control, arsenic pollution etc. The site could also have multiple entry points catering to different profiles: government, NGOs, academics, and the general public. Academics, students and the general public could also send in material for a documents archive. These are just suggestions.

In relation to Recommendation 16, related organisation and others could submit proposals for grants to facilitate the development of particular types of web content (for educational use, training of staff involved in sustainable development activities, on-going news items from the field etc. also covering public reaction to on-going SEMP and other initiatives; best practices and success stories in terms of substantive issues as well as in terms of organisational capacities: use of GIS in collaboration with relevant partners).

Steering Committee. The initial members of the Steering Committee have been selected. It should be expanded to include more of the key players in the use of IT for development, education, etc. An initial meeting of the Steering Committee should be held as soon as possible to apprise them of the project. There is general agreement with the TOR for the SC outlined in the PIP with the following amendment: Even though the Steering Committee does not have direct responsibility for financial management, it should leave some knowledge of the financial status of project activities. In the workplan (detailed) presented annually, the proposed budget for the year (to be approved by UNDP and the PMU), should be included. In addition, there should be consideration of IT Demo/Multi-Purpose Access Centres, which could be contracted out or be done in collaboration with partners. Bi-annual monitoring reports (with clear indicators, where possible) of use of computers and the Internet for the main SDNP/SEMP network and supported IT demonstrations initiatives should be presented.

SDNP List: To obtain information on on-going activities of interest to SDNP, and to facilitate co-ordination with SEMP partners and stakeholders, a mailing list sdnp@annexgrp.org has been setup.

SDNP Website & related public relations initiatives: A basic website with information on SEMP is maintained by UNDP. For the time being, this should be expedited to include information on the SDNP programme with indications of up-coming plans. The use of this site to facilitate the obtaining of profile information from partners should be explored. An offer has been received from Drik and SDNP IT consultant Saleh Khan to help with this website development.

A portal site for Bangladesh at http://www.orientation.com  is due to be launched on August 6, 1999 with a section on Development and Environment. It would provide good publicity to have information on SDNP/SEMP ready for that occasion.

Recommendation 15: Related Regional Initiatives: In the context of the regional nodes, attempts should be made to co-ordinate with similar initiatives such as BERNET (Bangladesh Education and Research Network, a computer network setup to connect the 11 universities in the country to the Bangladesh's UGC [currently setup with a radio modem connection to an ISP, Proshika, BUET and DU and dial-up connections for the rest] and the Open University's network connecting it to its resource centres in the regions. Both plan to get satellite connections for their second phase programs in the regions.

The SEMP/SDNP programme provides an opportunity to go beyond being a connectivity and portal website project by also including:

Recommendation 16: Provision for demonstration Multi-Purpose Public Access Centres, at Pilot phase

Even in the pilot phase of the project it is desirable to begin with at least one of the following:

Multi-Purpose Public Access Centres: As per the PIP, SDNP would also cater to other users wishing to access the database and to standard Internet services. Such users might include people in the national and regional press clubs, academic and research institutions and public libraries. A pilot phase could begin with some public access computers in BIDS itself (where development data and information could also be made available in other media, such as CD-ROM.). Such Multi-Purpose centres could be setup in a variety of environments (libraries [the British Council has some terminals available for else at a charge] to cyclone relief shelters) and serve a variety of constituencies. In urban and rural environments, in addition to providing access, such centres could serve as training centres, provide access to email, fax and other services to individuals and small business, have a focus on a particular type of content on CD-ROM and attempt to reach particular constituencies. See http://www.sdnp.undp.org/countries/lc/im/news/nws990610.html  for an example of such a project from the case of the Jamaican SDNP to be setup in six parishes. [The focal points will be provided with computers connected to the Internet, and will function as information centres for issues ranging from environment to heath and sustainable businesses. In addition, information committees at the locations will collate information of interest in their respective areas for placement on the JSDNP web site.] Such centres could be contracted out either to the host institution concerned or to another organisation, which could apply for a grant to run such a centre. The SDNP budget for equipment needs to be adjusted to reflect this kind of commitment. For the public access centres there should he a standard package: 2-5 computers with network cards, a LCD projector, a laser printer, a scanner, a digital camera, a 8 port hub and Ethernet cabling which should be provided.

Pilot/Demo Activities: which demonstrate the use of Information Technology for sustainable development (tele-medicine in rural health care centres (project in collaboration with People's Health Centres?), school net projects with educational content on sustainable development and for use of student projects etc.). Similar to the public access centres, such pilots would serve new constituencies and demonstrate particular substantive themes of the SEMP and related partners. Such projects could be contracted out either to organisations/institutions, which could apply for seed funding or a fuller commitment. The SDNP budget for equipment needs to be adjusted to reflect this kind of commitment.

In conclusion, the time phase of order of the recommendations in relation to steps outlined in the PIP for reminder of the year are as follows:

• Carry out needs assessment and informational resources study (2-3 months) Recommendation 2 & 5
• Put together basic information on SDNP and BIDS for SEMP home page on UNDP server. Recommendation 13 & 14,  Section VII (upon hiring of a web developer developments of formal SDNP portal site should be begun as soon as possible)
• Obtain quotations for equipment for PPP mother node and wiring & facilities upgrade for BIDS Recommendation #6 & 7
• Recruit project staff co-ordinator (who in turn can like charge of hiring additional project staff) Recommendation 9,10, & 11
• Recast/revise budget with approval of UNDP and the Ministry of Environment
• Accept proposals for funding and provision of seed grants for related IT content initiatives, IT demonstration projects/Multi-Purpose Access Centres. Recommendation 16.
• Begin Development of SDNP Portal site once web-developer is hired and views and input front partners, government agencies etc is in. Section VI & VII

• Basic BIDS facilities upgrade and installation of five additional telephone lines. Recommendation 6
• Co-ordinator orders necessary hardware and software for SDN. Recommendation 7 & 8
• SDNP Staff/consultants install necessary hardware & BIDS LAN. Recommendation 1, 7, & 8
• BIDS focal point trained to BIDS LAN. Recommendation 12
• Database development. Recommendation 13
• Begin investigation into Regional Node Networking. Recommendation 3 & 15

Home | About us |  Success Stories |  Bangladesh |  Documents  | SEMP | Links  | News  |  Partners  | Environment  | Tech.Info