
Telecentre network plays a critical role in addressing the challenges that the average telecentre manager faces in his quest for making his telecentre sustainable and relevant to the community it serves. It also helps him connect with each other and other players of the telecentre ecosystem like service providers, donors, experts, community based organisations, and so on. Telecentre networking also facilitates the diversification of telecentre services through partnering with public and private service providers.
In Asia, many telecentre networks are successfully delivering value-added products and services to their clients while achieving balance between social mission and financial sustainability. Business models like that of One Roof, e-Chaupal and Drishtee are among the best demonstrations of the role that telecentres can play through Public Private Partnership in identifying and catering to the needs of the low-income markets.
Low income or Bottom of Pyramid (BoP) market was a hitherto neglected segment since it was assumed that they have no or very little income to spare beyond fulfilling their basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter. Telecentre initiatives have not only helped in leveraging upon this market segment, but they have also contributed to its development. As shown by the telecentre networks mentioned above, they help in delivering services and products to the underserved people, who make up the BoP consumers. Serving the BoP segment has also contributed to their sustainability to a great extent.
In Latin America, the story is a little different as networks in this region remain dependent on traditional grants funding, in particular government and international funds, and networks have not yet developed entrepreneurial initiatives to increase their financial sustainability and social impact. Telecentre networks still have a long way to go until they develop win-win partnerships with public and private service providers so that they can realize their full potential and become drivers of low income markets' growth and development.
Recognising this gap in the market and looking to unlock telecentre networks' potential, telecentre.org, Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-sustainability Team (NESsT), TechSoup Global and three telecentre networks, i. e., Asociación de Telecentros de Información y Negocios (Association of Information and Business Telecentres), known as ATN of Brazil; Fundación Empresas Publicas de Medellin (EPM) of Colombia; and Comité para la Democratización de la Informática en Chile (Committee for the Democratisation of Information Technology), known as CDI, Chile, launched "Project 360 Latam" in February 2009.
The goal of 360 Latam is to help telecentre.org-affiliated networks distribute products and services that member telecentres can use to generate revenue and deliver value. Specifically, these products and services should: generate revenue for the telecentre networks; generate revenue for telecentres by plugging them into the supply chains for the distribution of products and services; and provide useful benefits to the communities served by the telecentres.
360 Latam reflects a new understanding of the role and potential of telecentres in a knowledge economy offering an effective way for providers of innovative content and services to reach larger communities through telecentre facilities and telecentre network social capital. Also, the project enables telecentres to add value and achieve economy of scale through larger association of peers.
360 Latam's objectives
Project 360 Latam objectives are to:
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Increase awareness about the potential of telecentre networks to increase their sustainability and impact by becoming channels of distribution for third-party providers of content and services.
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Identify and develop products and services to channel: Assess current network products and services and identify new ones to develop through the channel concept.
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Increase the ability of ATN, CDI and EPM to become effective distribution channels by developing their social enterprise capacity and channel management capabilities: Provide coaching, mentoring, capital and infrastructure assets to assist networks in the piloting and implementation of channel's products and services.

- Develop a business process infrastructure for channel's end-to-end processes: Build on existing platform and systems through which products and services can be efficiently delivered to rural, excluded communities through networks and telecentres.
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Document and systemize lessons learned: Report on the successes and limitations of the channel concept and develop templates/toolkits for replication.
360 Latam: unlocking the potential of networks
Few will doubt when it comes down to using information and communication technologies to serve marginalised and underserved markets, a telecentre is in a better position to succeed than many other actors. Financial services, education and training, transportation and e-government services are just a few examples of the products and services that could, and in fact are already being channeled into underserved markets by telecentre networks in other regions. Supporting telecentre networks in the development of distribution channels, and building social enterprise capabilities is the approach that the project 360 Latam is taking to unlock the possibilities that the telecentre movement has in developing and growing low income markets in the region.
To unlock this potential, NESsT is replicating its venture fund methodology, which has trained more than 2000 organisations globally on concepts of sustainability and social enterprise, to provide technical assistance and financial investments to CDI - Chile, ATN and EPM for the development and implementation of channel products and services. NESsT's specific role is to support the networks to assess and test the viability of products and services and to evaluate whether these have the characteristics for successful replication.
TechSoup is leveraging upon its expertise and technology channel that has delivered more than 3.1 million products to nonprofits and libraries in nineteen countries. TechSoup brings its methodologies, systems and expertise to help assess the channel's readiness and develop the channel concept. TechSoup will also support the networks to incorporate new products and services by developing and piloting the distribution channel concept.
Supporting telecentre networks in the development of distribution channels, and building social enterprise capabilities is the approach that the project 360 Latam is taking to unlock the possibilities that the telecentre movement has in developing and growing low income markets in the region
On the networks side, the new market role is demanding a 360° transformation. Eight months into the project, all three networks have introduced critical organisational and managerial changes following in-depth assessments of their capacity to develop products and services and training and mentoring from NESsT and TechSoup.
The networks are committing time and resources to developing long-term business and channel plans to increase the potential and efficiency of their products
and services.
Project partners
ATN – Brazil
With 1,250 telecentres, ATN states its mission as follows: To promote participation in inclusive processes by expanding telecentres and guiding and training operators, users and the general public in managing and utilising technological tools to access or generate information that enhances community integration.
CDI – Chile
CDI is a member of the social franchise of CDI Internacional and operates 22 telecentres. Its mission is to promote educational activities through the use of information technology (Information Technology and Citizenship Schools), in order to integrate members of low-income communities and reduce levels of digital exclusion.
Fundación EPM - Colombia
The mission of Fundación EPM, a public-private partnership which operates 11 telecentres, is to develop a knowledge-based culture that promotes active citizen participation in urban development through the use of information technologies.
NESsT
NESsT is an international nonprofit organization working towards solving critical social problems in emerging market countries through the development of social enterprises. NESsT uses the term social enterprise to refer to businesses designed to solve a critical problem. NESsT invests in a portfolio of 40 social enterprise activities in Latin America and Central Europe. Since 2006, NESsT has supported the development of social enterprise activities by telecentre networks and their members in Latin America, Africa
and Asia.
TechSoup Global
With a model founded upon building partnerships among a range of different actors, TechSoup Global is a recognized leader in technological empowerment and the channeling of philanthropic resources toward social benefit organizations. With over six years in operation and 31 partners – software and hardware suppliers- TechSoupStock has used its donation channel to distribute products valued at more than $1 billion. In 2006, TechSoup Global launched a global donation programme to expand the benefits of this model to 18 countries. 