Capacity Building through Human Resources Management and Development

The objective of this program:

To assist developing countries in building institutional and organizational capacity through human resources management and development and organizational development activities. These activities will use and demonstrate modern techniques such as distance learning, computer-based training and tele-training so as to increase effectiveness and reduce costs, and reflect developmental objectives related to access and gender.

There are clearly defined sets of activities for the implementation of that mission, which are as follows:

• Transfer of knowledge
• Sharing of experience and know-how
• Assistance
• Dissemination of information
• Training and human capacity building (centres of excellence, global telecommunication university (GTU), etc.)

Transfer of knowledge:

In the telecommunication sector, quality training and management skills for employees re essential because of the complexity of new technology and the rapidity of its evolution. Human resources development is therefore a top priority for the ITU-D Sector.

BDT has built up a comprehensive program of training courses in ll areas of human resources management and development, as well as in Organization Development and Transformation of Companies to be competitive in an open market, and offers manuals, guidelines and consultancy services. Many of the training courses or workshops use technology-based training methods using computers, telecommunications and distance learning.

Sharing of experience and know-how:

Organizing symposiums in different fields, organizing HRD regional and worldwide meetings, and through INTERNET, organizing forums for discussion, the sharing of experience and know-how is made in between the participants and the experts participating in these activities. Only to mention some of them, as subjects discussed: tele-education, tele-medicine, HRD developments, Quality Management, Transformation of Companies, Regulation of Telecommunications, Management and Leadership, Training of Trainers to be tutors t distance, etc. are some of the subjects in which the sharing of experience and know-how was done through the above-mentioned symposiums, regional meetings and electronic forums.

Assistance:

Through short missions to the countries and regions, the HRD professionals from BDT provide assistance to analyze the situations, find possible solutions, prepare transformation ’s plans and help during their implementation. The mentioned assistance may be provided to Ministries, Regulatory Bodies, Operators and Regional Associations.

Through agreements the BDT also provide assistance to other UN organizations, as example, it is assisting in the creation of Virtual Water Training Center in the DESA-Department of Economic and Social Affairs; In order to provide training to the responsible authorities in charge of the management of water in developing countries.

The Virtual Training Centre (VTC): The BDT Virtual Training Centre is a training center offering its services on line, or in other words training centre on the Information Highway. This service is developed by BDT in the framework of its activities aimed at fostering the use of information technologies in the telecommunication-training sector, mainly in developing countries. Services offered include distance tutoring and participation in virtual classes, access to training material, information and distance consultancy services. In that way it is covering the 3 above-mentioned activities of the HRD program s well as the fourth one: dissemination of information.

Dissemination of information:

One service provided by the BDT/HRD Division is information on training resources, through a series of data bases available in the VTC: Training Material: traditional and computer based or distance training; Training Opportunities: training provided via courses, seminars and conferences; Directory of Training Centers: provides information on the type of programs delivered, capacity of the center, contact person responsible, etc.

Complementary to the information available in the databases, the Human Resource Development Quarterly is specialized publication, published in three languages, dealing with different aspects of training, human resources development, management development and organization development.

All this information is available in INTERNET, in the Virtual Training Center, as well as published regularly in paper.

Training and human capacity building:

These activities are normally implemented in partnership with public and private telecommunication organizations and may be mentioned:

• MANDEVTEL (Management Development for Telecommunications).
• GTU/GTTI (Global Telecom. University/Global Telecom. Training Institute).
• CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE (Projects in Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Eastern Africa, West Africa and Arab States)

MANDEVTEL:

BDT, with participation of different partners, has developed a series of manuals and computer-based courseware on a variety of subjects according with priority needs identified in different Regions, in order to improve the management of the telecommunication enterprises. The materials developed may be found as part of the Virtual Training Centre t ITU ’s website.

Global Telecommunication University/Global Telecommunication Training Institute (GTU/GTTI):  

In cooperation with existing training institutes and universities throughout the world, telecommunications technology can now be taught to anyone, anywhere and particularly in developing countries. BDT’s GTU/GTTI, a "virtual university ", is based on distance-learning principles. It takes advantage of existing communication facilities to establish programs for engineers, managers and other professionals. The GTU/GTTI demonstrates how the Global Information Infrastructure can be used for educational and professional training in developing countries.

Centres of Excellence:

As part of a Special Development Initiative, using money from the Surplus of TELECOM as seed money to attract assistance from multi-lateral and regional organizations, financing institutions, development agencies, administrations and the private sector, BDT lunched initially four projects, actually five, named Centres of Excellence.

These projects, using the concept of networking partners, reoriented to supply high-level training in Policies and Regulation, New Technologies and Specialized Management aspects, to the high-level authorities and decision makers of developing countries.

For further information, please contact:

Mario Maniewicz
Head, Human Resource Development Unit
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
Tel: +41-22-730-5421
Fax: +41-22-730-5484
E-Mail: mario.maniewicz@itu.int