The ‘ConnectIT’ capacity building workshops are an initiative of NASSCOM Foundation as part of its efforts towards building IT capacity for government officers and managers from grassroots organizations.

Considered to be an important catalyst in bringing change, IT use can support the NGOs to increasing productivity; improve communication and collaboration; organize critical information and facilities technology enabled skills development training. Worldwide, experiences have shown that IT use by NGOs is relevant and useful, even in highly traditional settings.

Following the Union government’s mandate to promote IT use in governance and development, several states have taken the lead to partner with the private sector to impart training and skills up-gradation for their officers. The synergy between training like this and the government mandate to introduce, and use IT in all sectors, is obvious and deserves extensive support.

As a part of this initiative NASSCOM Foundation plans to engage and conduct training workshops in three states in India in the first year. The trainings will be conducted for NGOs and government officers in three-four locations in each state. The ConnectIT programme in the state will be introduced through a ConnectIT Day, a one day conference that will include discussion panels on topics relevant to the use of IT in development and will be attended by representatives from NGOs, Government, and Industry and domain experts. The ConnectIT Day will be followed by ‘ConnectIT Workshop’ in select locations in the state. The workshops will include hands-on training on the use of office applications and web 2.0 for project documenting, managing, monitoring, evaluating, in accounting, creating of project proposals, presenting to funders, to document project interventions, systematizing internal organisational processes and systems, etc.