This document presents the status and plan for the Dominican Research Network Project REDID (Red Dominicana de Intercambio para el Desarrollo). It is mainly intended to be a strategical and budget input for the process of seeking support for the project future developments.

Written by: Daniel Pimienta
Union Latina, Science Advisor REDALC Project Director

Santo Domingo, September 16th 1992, First Draft

PLAN OF THE DOCUMENT

I BACKGROUND

The Dominican Research Network (REDID) is currently in a phase of user installation, user support organization, institution mechanisms structuring, and user participation which is, below funding from UNDP and Union Latina, designed to be completed by end of 1992. It is forecasted the installation of 50 users belonging to some 30 Institutions, representing a penetration of 10% of the user base and 20% of the Institution base.

REDID plan for 1993 is to continue it's user growth figure, stabilize the Institution parameters and start the effort toward filling the network content and facilitating the indirect associated social change first in the Education and NGO's domains. A budget of the order of magnitude of the 70,000 US$ per year is required for the normal operation actions and extra provision is required for specific actions in term of network content. A fixed investment of 40,000 US$ is required for basic Office infrastructure.

REDID is the result of an effort conducted by REDALC's Project Office of Union Latina and has been designed as a pilot project for the implementation of some of the products of the REDALC project. Other International Agencies has participated in the process (UNESCO/CRESALC and UNDP).

REDALC (Red de America Latina and the Caribbean) is a project from Union Latina which started in 1988, aiming at providing a comprehensive long range solution for research networks in Latin America and the Caribbean, putting the emphasis in the following:
-User involvement (participative process, user interfaces, managing budget in term of cost per users, user training), -Network content (pilot applications, directories), -Regional integration (telecommunication tax exemption, regional satellite backbone, regional administration), -Participation to the national and regional development (involvement of the industrial sector, negotiation with telecommunication Operators)
-The uppermost importance of the social aspects compared to the technical ones.
-The necessary federation of International support.

REDALC project has involved during a complete feasibility study several International Agencies: -EEC, (DG1 and DG13) for the funding, -UNESCO (PGI and CRESALC) for the part of the studies dealing with the content of the network, -Union Latina (REDALC Office) for the coordination of the study and the overall strategy,
-ACAL participated in a contract basis from Unesco.

The feasibility study, which started in May 1990, has been completed by July 1992, and decisions upon the launch will be made after the debriefing takes place (September 1992).

Union Latina, has conducted a set of operations on the side to the main study aiming at offering a benchmark field for the study concepts and to keep its action's level on a ground basis:

-Managing a non	interactive electronic conference about
research and (REDALC@FRMOP11),	research network in the region

-Conceptualizing of a systematic methodology to launch Research Networks in Developing Countries (see ref 1), -Participation in the launch of the Peruvian Research Network (RCP) together with UNDP and national actors (12/91),
-Coordinating the birth of the Dominican Network (7/92), -Designing a, state of the art, PC based, multi lingua, user interface to research networks aiming at making them appear to users as other similar computer resources (Software MULBRI/DOS, version BITNET/VM/SIMPC and version UUCP/UUPC).
-Cooperating with Unesco in the first benchmark for Network User training done for REDID (July 1992). -A specific network impact study in French West Indies.

II REDID HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS

The REDID concept emerges from the REDALC workshop which was held in Santo Domingo in July 1991. The objective of the meetings was primarily oriented toward regional considerations for the REDALC working group. However the group of Dominican researcher who attended the meeting expressed their will to have Union Latina considers the launch of a Dominican network as part of a REDALC pilot project.

Slowly, but with a growing momentum, a user group mechanism was articulated below the pressure of the future users and with the support of the Redalc's Office. The process involved five group meetings from August 1991 to February 1992 as serve as a sound basis for the learning curve and participation building mechanisms.

In December 1991, the user critical mass was reached in the third group meeting (50 people) and the group splits into seven thematic committees coordinated by a steering committee, each one with specific objectives. The process created a natural ferment for the appearance of people having both institutional representativeness and working capabilities. The tasks set up by the committees were in general conducted to completion (Status document, logo, budget, promotion, and so on). The steering committee met five times to conduct the process to its end.

In parallel a negotiation process with the main national Operator CODETEL (a GTE-subsidiary) was pursued by Union Latina on REDID behalf, and the principle of the sponsoring accepted. Codetel would offer free of charge for a 18 month period the complete technical solution based on a logical partition of it's own commercial e-mail system (CODEMAIL)., and assure the cost of the international link up to the Puerto Rico research network (which had set up also an agreement with REDID to caary the messages to the Internet).

Theses points, the presence of the International Agency, and the growing involvement of the people allow the path toward the creation of a legal Institution with the formally expressed support of the main Research Institutions of the country.

After a heavy process of few weeks to settle the event, the 29th of April of 1992 was held the REDID Constitutive Assembly with the very presence of 25 Institutions from the beginning. This was a spectacular hit, since the process was conducted bottom-up without prior political work. The first Board was elected for a transitory year and immediately took over its responsibility.

The same day the technical set up tuning process was completed in collaboration between Union Latina and Codetel and the network was publicly announced in various e-mail conferences. The network was born but the only user would be for quite a while the Union Latina Office.

The last mile challenge was the next one to be faced. The energy invested in political and logistical moves, the amount of task the young board have to face and the lack of availability of the Redalc's Office (obliged to keep up with its main assignment) weaken the user installation and participation process.

Unesco offered its support for the User training workshop which will fulfill regional requirements for the participating Agencies and in the same time solve the three main aspects of the last mile problem: -user initial training
-user installation
-user participation.

In July 1992, for the first Regional Telematic User Training workshop, most of the objectives were reached (the only draw-back was the lack of hands-on session, but it was counterbalanced by the disappearance of the technical barriers and the explosion of huge interest from the potential users). A valuable by-product was the rise of the level of interest of potential participating Agencies, opening the room for future fundings, and a kind of GENERAL feeling that the whole project was in good shape to be settle down as a worldwide model.

UNDP local Education Office offered the operational budget to complete by the end of the year the installation process (10,000 US$).
III SHORT TERM PLAN AND STRATEGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The stepping of the network creation can be conceptualized as such:

1. Sensitization (7/91 to 12/91)
2. Rooting (12/91 to 2/92)
3. Creation (3/92 to 5/92)
4. Launch (5/92 to 7/92)
5. Initial use (8/92 to 12/92).
6. Stabilized use and content orientation (1993).

For the next year it is forecasted: -a steadily growth of the user base and the overall structures,
-the orientation toward the network content.

Note: part of the strategical assumption which has been
agreed upon between the REDID Board and the Redalc's Office is to merge the REDID resources within the Redalc's Office so that to get a more productive use. REDALC's Office will, at least for the 2 coming years, act as the International Interface of the REDID giving itself as a key objective to progressively increase the level of Institution of REDID so that to make it reach its level of autonomy. The REDALC Office own orientation toward the multiplicity of action beyond the scope of the REDALC project should make this agreement a synergistic option.

IV LONG TERM PLAN

In a 3 years time frame REDID operations should orient toward the enhancement of the network content and access, the capitalizing of the social transformation process, and a wider sub-regional and regional integration. The necessary effort should also be made to make the site be a model base susceptible to receive visits and organize demonstrations.

Note that the cost estimates presented are very raw and have to be considered as additional to the operational budget.

4.1- Enhancing the network content and access.

This will open the need in a 2 year time frame to launch an autonomous Internet node with Telnet capabilities. PROSPECTIVE COST: 50,000 US$

The accessing population should be progressively opened in four directions:
Total NGO sector,
Primary Education,
Health,
Kids.
PROSPECTIVE COST: 50,000 US$ per domain, with a high probability to see the fund coming directly from the domain.

The network content organization will require special actions both in generic and specific fields. A special action is required as a start-up due to the lack of data in the country:
-Providing an exhaustive and comprehensive research survey including need assessment.
PROSPECTIVE COST: 50,000 US$

-Generic activities in network content (creating a systematic storage and retrieval system for local scientific productions, training trainers, minimum infrastructure).
PROSPECTIVE COST: 50,000 US$

-Room is left for specific actions in network content, user training. In particular, emphasis should be progressively put into Distance Education. Specific project will be studied to be conducted together with GLOSAS. PROSPECTIVE COST: 300,000 US$

4.2 Capitalizing the social transformation process

-That should be considered more as a work of presentation and promotion than a specific activity. PROSPECTIVE COST: 15,000 US$

4.3 Sub-Regional and regional Integration

That part also which main lines has already been directed (agreements with CRACIN/Puerto Rico, CENIAI/Cuba, CONICIT/Venezuela, FAO, OPS, ACAL...) should be considered as part of the operational activities. However some specific actions part of the forecasted agreements may require special budgets.
PROSPECTIVE COST: 50,000 US$.

A special project is being prepared which is worth mentioning. The idea of realizing a special Workshop to teach 15 Haitian researcher both the use and the technics of research networks and responsibly them to spread over the technology has been considered as a possible adequate answer to the political situation. The human teaching material is identified, partners willing to act exist in France, specially in Martinica and some Haitian Responsible have already take special interest in the plan. PROSPECTIVE COST: 75,000 US$

4.4 REDID as an exportable model
To be defined.

V BUDGET REDID FOR 1993 CURRENCY: US DOLLAR

EXPENSES YEARLY MONTHLY

FIXED COSTS

TOTAL 1993                        107500         (171500)       

Subscriptions	12000
National sponsor	13000
International funding required	82500

INTERNATIONAL FUNDING PLAN FOR NORMAL OPERATION

UNDP/EDUCATION:	20000
CERLAC PLAN (note 1)	27500
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (GLOSAS):	18500
TOTAL	66000

Note 1 CERLAC PLAN: 165000 $ on 3 years 50% for operation makes 27500 US $ per year.
VI OTHER FIGURES

BY END 1992:

BY END 1993:

Research population estimate:
Persons: 750
Institutions: 200

ANNEX 1: REDID FILE

This is a paper file which could be sent by mail. It contains:
-List of member Institutions
-Brochure REDID
-List of formal letters from the Institutions -Press reports
-Technical presentation
-User oriented workshop file
ANNEX 2: LIST OF REDID PAST SPONSORS (IN SPANISH)

1. FASE DE FOMENTO: DE AGOSTO 1991 A FEBRERO 1992

Monto del presupuesto dedicado: 8,500 US$

2. FASE DE CREACION: DE MARS 92 A JUNIO 92:

Monto del presupuesto dedicado: 9,000 US$

3. FASE DE INSTALACION DE USUARIO: TALLER DE FORMACION

4. FASE DE INSTALACION DE USUARIO: MODEMS

5. FASE DE INSTALACION DE USUARIO: INTERFASE USUARIO

Costo de adapatacion de MULBRI: 8,000 US$

6. PROCESO DE INSTALACION Y ORGANIZACION DE 9/92 A 12/92

7. FASE DE USO INICIAL

ANNEX 3: BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. "Research Networks in Developping Countries: Not Exactly the Same Story", D. Pimienta, 7/92, to be published
2. "REDID", in Internet News VOL1 N3, (to be announced)