Review of Telecenter Sustainability Criteria for the Establishment of Sustainable Rural Business Resource Centers for SMEs in Developing Countries

This paper discusses the concept of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) being the main customers of a telecenter, providing the basis for its sustainability.

The paper includes:

• Looks at telecenters as a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) that provides SMEs with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services;
• Identifies strategic goals of sustainability;
• Recommends steps for successful telecenter establishment;
• Relates every dimension of sustainability to the specific situation of an SME focused Rural Business Resource Centers (RBRCs).

The paper identifies the following central categories of sustainability and makes recommendations for each of them:

• Infrastructure sustainability:
  • Assessments for repeated infrastructure;
  • Appropriate security measures and insurance coverage;
  • Equipment maintenance;
  • Demand-orientation of infrastructure.
• Services and service relevance sustainability:
  • Identification of need for a service through a local service needs assessment;
  • Understandable language;
  • Affordable telecom services through privatization;
  • Appreciation of services through educational workshops.
• Human resources sustainability:
  • Competent staff;
  • Incentive schemes;
  • On-going training.
• Organizational sustainability:
  • Public-private sector partnerships;
  • Organization of telecenter networks;
  • A sound and continuously updated business plan;
  • Documentation of learning and experiences.
• Financial sustainability:
  • Budgeting, book-keeping and financial discipline;
  • Establishment of financial controlling mechanisms;
  • Attraction of financial support through marketing, relationship building and lobbying.