Internet Access and Training Program

Overview Administered by IREX since 1995, the Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the US Department of State. IATP provides free Internet access and training through a network of access sites in 11 countries throughout Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Western Eurasia. Through these sites, thousands of individuals per month receive free-of-charge access to the Internet as well as to a wide variety of computer-related training programs. IATP STATISTICS

Total Number of Internet Access Sites: 83

Total Number of Websites Hosted: 7,450

Total Number of Dial-Up Accounts: 392

Average Number of Users per Month: 16,840

Average Number of People Trained per Month: 3,400

IATP began in the mid 1990s. At that time, the program was aimed at providing Internet access and training exclusively to scholars from Eurasia who had participated in US government-sponsored exchange programs. Through its services, IATP helped these exchange program alumni stay in contact with the professional colleagues they had made while in the United States, assisting them in the process of continuing their research and academic growth once back home. Over time, IATP gradually began to provide Internet access and training to other non-alumni groups such as journalists, lawyers, NGO representatives, and students. Providing the services of the program to new audiences has continued to this day. Today, IATP provides its services to the public at large in the countries in which it works.

Almost all IATP access sites are housed within local partner institutions. These institutions typically include public libraries, universities, and NGOs. An IATP access site usually occupies one room in the partner institution’s premises. This room houses all IATP equipment, computer-related books and manuals, and an IREX staff member who oversees the operations of the access site. In a limited number of cases, IATP sites are part of the larger IREX office in a given country.

Program Structure IATP is divided into three regions for program management: the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), and Western Eurasia (Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine). Each of these regions is staffed by two expatriate managers: a regional program manager and a deputy regional program manager. A core staff composed of a country coordinator, alumni coordinator, training coordinator, and system administrator carry out the work of the program within each country.

Program Activities IATP undertakes three primary activities—provided free of charge—through its network of sites: Internet Access. Users can reserve time in increments of one hour to access e-mail and the Internet, or use the computers for other purposes such as word processing. IATP also provides dial-up Internet access for alumni of ECA-sponsored exchange programs. Training. Members of the public can enroll in a wide variety of training courses on information technology. These include basic courses in computer literacy to higher-end training on subjects such as Web programming and network administration. Web Content Development. IATP partners with users to create websites and other electronic media. The focus is on creating resources in local languages, making Internet usage more relevant and useful within each of the countries.

IREX works to run IATP less like a foreign technical assistance program and more like a community-based technology initiative. One way to do this is by attempting to create a sense of community at IATP sites that encourages users to share their knowledge and time for the benefit of others and the program as a whole. For example, users volunteer at IATP sites to assist with tasks such as routine computer maintenance and translation of materials for publication on the Web. In other cases, users donate their time to conduct Internet training that ties Internet usage with a specific theme such as journalism, environmental conservation, organizational networking, or language teaching. The institutions that house IATP access sites also contribute to community buy-in and support by providing a substantial amount of cost-share. Cost-share most often takes the form of a partner institution providing IATP with free rent, utilities, and security.

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