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<title>CANADA CONTRIBUTES TO EVALUATING SOCIAL IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES IN LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>June 5, 2001 <em>(10:35 a.m. EDT)</em> No. 74</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>CANADA CONTRIBUTES TO EVALUATING SOCIAL IMPACT OF
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES IN</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN</strong></font></p>
<p><strong>San José, Costa Rica</strong> <strong>-</strong> John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) will contribute $156 000 toward
the development of a methodology for evaluating the impact of Information and Communications
Technologies (ICTs) in education in Latin America and the Caribbean.</p>
<p>"It is essential for the Latin American and Caribbean region to develop its own expertise in ICT
evaluation research," Minister Manley said. "Costa Rica, through the Omar Dengo Foundation
and the Ministry of Public Education, has extensive experience in this area, with 14 years of work
in the public elementary school system."</p>
<p>Increasingly, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are investing in ICTs in the education
sector. Concern about accountability and the demand for better understanding of how ICTs can
deliver social transformations have necessitated the development of a methodology to evaluate
the social impact of ICTs in education projects. </p>
<p>Various studies and evaluations conducted by the Omar Dengo Foundation have revealed ICTs'
educational impacts and have already shown areas where further research is necessary. That is
why IDRC has chosen to support the Foundation in implementing this project. The Foundation
will work closely with a high-level Costa Rican experts panel. The results of the project will
identify how ICTs can better contribute to social and educational development.</p>
<p>"The Foundation is well positioned to successfully undertake this challenging project," said the
President of IDRC, Maureen O'Neil.</p>
<p>The Omar Dengo Foundation is a private non-profit organization that was founded in Costa Rica
in 1987. It has pioneered the use of informatics and new technologies in Costa Rican public
schools. Its flagship program in Educational Informatics started in 1988 in collaboration with the
Ministry of Education of Costa Rica.</p>
<p>IDRC is a public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing-country scientists and communities find their own solutions to social, economic and
environmental problems through research.</p>
<p>- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Sanjeev Chowdhury</p>
<p>Press Secretary</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p>Chantal Schryer</p>
<p>Chief, Public Affairs and Government Relations</p>
<p>IDRC</p>
<p>(613) 236-6163, ext. 2598</p>
<p>Fax: (613) 563-2476; E-mail: <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220202632/mailto:cschryer@idrc.ca">cschryer@idrc.ca</a></p>
<p>Web: <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220202632/http://idrc.ca/">http://www.idrc.ca</a></p>
<p>Marcela Gutiérrez Saxe</p>
<p>Public Affairs Officer</p>
<p>Omar Dengo Foundation</p>
<p>Costa Rica</p>
<p>(506) 257-6263</p>
<p>Fax: (506) 222-1654</p>
<p>E-mail: <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220202632/mailto:Marcela.Gutierrez@fod.ac.cr">Marcela.Gutierrez@fod.ac.cr</a></p>
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