NASSCOM Foundation organizes ConnectIT Day
Curtain Raiser for series of capacity building workshops to be held across 3 states
-- NASSCOM Foundation, the CSR arm of NASSCOM, India’s pioneer IT industry body, today initiated Connect IT – a series of workshops for Government officers and Grassroots NGO managers aimed at building capacities in using technology for development. The ConnectIT Day was the curtain raiser conference for a series of these workshops which will be held across Maharashtra in the initial phase and will be conducted in two other states subsequently.
The ConnectIT Day included panel discussions on topics relevant to the use of IT in development and was attended by representatives from NGOs, Government, and Industry and domain experts. The sessions were focused on providing hands-on training in the use of office applications and Web 2.0 for project management, knowledge management, accounting and office administration for NGOs and government officers.
Speaking on the initiative, Ms. Rufina Fernandes, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, said, “NASSCOM Foundation has been involved in developmental projects at the grassroots across hundreds of locations in the country, and through the IT enablement provided, our partner organizations have benefited greatly in their efforts to reach out and empower the underserved sections of society. The Connect IT initiative is designed to further enhance the capabilities of NGOs and government officers by providing training across a range of requirements, designed to enhance their capacities in the field of ICTs for development. The ConnectIT sessions are being initiated from Maharashtra, and will soon be followed by workshops in other States.”
The inaugural session of the ConnectIT workshop saw attendance from a host of dignitaries from various fields in the government and industry. The inaugural session was initiated by Mr. Jerry Rao, Chairman, NASSCOM Foundation, Dr. Arun D. Sawant, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Mumbai, and key experts from prominent NGOs and corporates. The inaugural session was followed by two panel discussions, the first of which focused on Challenges and Opportunities in increasing the impact of development through IT, followed by a session on sharing experiences in strategy implementation towards the promotion of IT/ICT use in development.
The focus of the sessions was on the fact that IT can be an important catalyst in bringing change, being used in the support of NGOs aiming to increase productivity, improve their internal communication and collaboration, organize critical information and facilitate technology enabled skills. The ConnectIT sessions will enable the participants NGOs to draw on best practices and uses of technology for their own specific environment and areas of effort, and enable them to deliver top-of-the-line service in the areas in which they operate. With Connect IT, NASSCOM Foundation will further enhance the capabilities of these NGOs and enable them to build a better infrastructure in their efforts to change lives. For government officers, these training workshops will be a step ahead in building their skills to effectively implement e-Governance in their departments.
Notes to Editor
About NASSCOM Foundation
NF is a charity registered under the Indian Trust Act 1882. NF’s vision is to leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) to empower and transform the lives of the under-served. NASSCOM and its members are committed to social development through the application of ICT. NF today has the unique opportunity of leading the IT Industry towards changing the social development landscape of India. NF is the CSR arm of NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies), the internationally recognized trade body of the Indian IT industry. www.nasscomfoundation.org
