Innovative Capacity Building Approach to be Trialed in 2005

Expanding the reach and cost-effectiveness of APEC's capacity building program is the main aim of a trial partnership between the APEC and the World Bank's Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). Investigating strategies to ensure that the limited money that economies commit to APEC is spent wisely so that maximum benefit goes to those who need it most, APEC established a relationship with the GDLN in early 2003.

According to Anita Douglas, APEC Secretariat Program Director, the GDLN's reputation for delivering quality learning outcomes and its network of learning centres around the Asia-Pacific, make it a perfect partner to help deliver APEC's capacity building program, "The GDLN is a worldwide partnership of distance learning centers and other public, private, and non-governmental organizations committed to development learning and dialogue for lasting poverty reduction. It offers a unique combination of distance learning technologies and methods, and facilitates timely and cost-effective knowledge sharing, consultation, coordination, and training. GDLN Centers around the world have facilities for videoconferencing, web-based learning, and face-to-face interaction and also offer logistical support and facilitation services."

Through the Tokyo Development Learning Center, the GDLN and APEC will focus on an initial list of five collaborative activities during the period up to June 30, 2005. Douglas, explains, "Initially we will focus on delivering a program for officials and development practitioners in the APEC region involved with implementing technologies and approaches to regional distance learning in developing economies. We also aim to deliver capacity building activities on micro and small enterprise financing, implementation of the World Customs Organization Data Model and textile trade under the WTO Legal Framework."

GDLN has broad coverage in the Asia-Pacific region, with GDLN Centers in most APEC economies, including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, United States and Viet Nam.

Colin Lonergan, Operations Manager for the Tokyo Development Learning Centre explained, "Today, the GDLN comprises 60 centers around the world (soon to be 100). Over 30,000 people participate in GDLN events every year. Dialogues and learning exchanges among developing countries have become a common feature, with countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa sharing experiences about education reform, HIV/AIDS prevention, community-driven development, and other key development issues."

GDLN centers are designed to cater for at least 30 participants and can support PowerPoint presentations, document sharing through the internet and simultaneous translation. In countries with regional networks such as China, Thailand, Indonesia (in 2005) and Viet Nam (in 2005) internal networks can also be hooked into the GDLN, greatly increasing the number of possible participants.

In the event of unforeseen events such as regional disease outbreaks or terrorism attacks, the GDLN provides a quick and effective alternative means of communication to face-to-face meetings. "During 2003 travel limitations resulting from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) affected business in East Asia. In response to these restrictions a GDLN link was established in the Chinese Ministry of Finance to allow the Department to continue to have dealings with outside countries. The Beijing GDLN Center also hosted a series of discussions on SARS for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Canadian Embassy." said Colin Lonergan.

The GDLN enables people to communicate with each other quickly and cost-effectively. According to Colin Lonernan, "Recently the Korean Development Institute ran a series of Tokyo Development Learning Center sponsored workshops for countries in the Asia region on Good Governance in the public sector. Experts from Asian countries used the GDLN to share their own experiences about what works and what does not work in tackling corruption."

The trial partnership with the GDLN will be assessed by APEC in the context of its goal to provide effective economic and technical cooperation capacity building to members, to enable the economies of the region to fully benefit from and participate in international trade. Anita Douglas sums up by saying, "APEC is committed to a targeted program of capacity building activities in 2005 and is looking for opportunities to improve delivery and cost-effectiveness. Programs delivered through the GDLN will be assessed along with activities delivered through traditional face-to-face means to determine possible future use of this innovative delivery mechanism."