The Strategic Technologies & Network Development Programme’s focus is on availability and accessibility to ICTs, skills and awareness of ICTs and understanding organisational context and needs.

What does “strategic use of ICTs” mean for civil society organisations?

It means knowing what technology options are available to help meet their mission. It’s about having the skills and knowledge to use those tools effectively and securely. And it’s about understanding their own organisational contexts and needs.

• Availability and accessibility: ST&ND’s focus in this area lies with promoting and supporting free and open source software and other low-cost computing and connectivity options, such as wireless technologies and refurbished computers, and also endorsing the use of open and/or flexible licences for training materials.
  
• Skills and awareness: ICTs are constantly evolving, and it is difficult for individual CSOs to keep abreast of developments. SUP has a strong focus on developing capacity through training and the development of learning and information resources. We think that training should result in the use of high-quality reusable materials that can be made freely available to other trainers under an open content licence.
  
• Understanding organisational context and needs: The concept of strategic technology planning is a key element of our approach to capacity building: clarifying objectives, identifying needs and making informed decisions about the implementation of technologies.