The ITC is looking to become more mobile in every sense, however 3 specific opportunities have been idenitified for my project direction:

1// Re-design the Lifelong E-Learning course (http://lifelongelearning.itcilo.org). This is a blended course (partially taught at the ITC campus in Turin, partially taught at a distance) targeted at training professionals in developing countries, teaching them how they can integrate ICT into their practices for technology-enhanced learning. The 6th edition of the course is due to be held in June 2011.

2// Design the new MATCOM course. This is a large-scale international project currently underway, led by the ILO headquarters in Geneva. MATCOM (Material and Techniques for Cooperative Managament Training) was originally a large project undertaken by the ILO in the 1970s, with the goal of teaching farmer organisations how to set up and manage agricultural cooperatives. The project came to a close after 10 years, however in 2009 the ILO made the decision to re-launch the MATCOM proejct with new training material written to reflect a changed world context. The raw content is almost complete, which the ITC will transform into training material and deliver through new courses (blended and on the field) from late 2011 - 2012.

3// Re-design a Delnet course (www.delnetitcilo.net) These are distance learning courses offered by the department of Enterprise, Microfinance and Local Development (EMLD). At the moment the courses are run completely online, however they often focus on post-conflict recovery and development (such as a recent course in Haiti), a context highly prone to limited internet access.Therefore the mobile phone could become an essential tool in communication and disseminating knowledge in this critical context.

Now I'm gathering more info on these 3 options so that I can weigh up the pros and cons, then I'll post the final decision on here next week!

20 Jan 2011 // Families in the Philippines uprooted by disaster have begun receiving text messages which they can cash like checks to buy food. The pilot project makes use of the widespread availability of mobile phones in the Philippines, which is known as the “texting capital of the world”.

The Philippines is one of the most phone-savvy countries in the world, but it’s also prone to violent storms and conflict, which force people from their homes and threaten them with hunger.

In emergencies like these, WFP often helps by setting up “Cash for Work” projects that help uprooted communities get back on their feet. With the cash people earn as they work on rebuilding homes and communities, they can buy the food they need. 

Now, in the texting capital of the world, WFP is testing mobile phones as a way of distributing the cash.

“It’s like a digital wallet—almost like a bank account,” said WFP Country Director Stephen Anderson, who explained that giving participants cash in the place of food rations allows them to buy a wider variety of food in a way that favours the local economy.“Our survey shows that they are spending up to 70–80 per cent of the cash on food,” he added. “We think that’s a good thing.”

Link: http://www.wfp.org/stories/hope-arrives-text-families-philippines