NF has identified several implementation partners in the industry. NF will leverage these partnerships and intends to make the NKN Program more viable. NASSCOM Foundation has identified certain approaches to ICT4D programs. The most important ones are:
 | Stakeholder participation: NF involves community members at every stage – from initial needs assessment to monitoring. This participatory and demand-driven approach increases the impact of ICT4D activities, and is essential to avoid top-down and supply-driven interventions. Technology should follow community needs and a functional use of ICT. For this reason NF identifies community-based organizations which have worked with targeted communities and have an in-depth understanding of their concerns.
| | Local ownership and capacity development: Physical access is just one element of effective ICT access and use; for ICT projects to be sustainable, they must also be accompanied by human and organizational capacity development. Many of the NKN centres have local managing committees which monitor how the centre is run and give regular inputs and feedback on its management. Further, NF encourages its partners to nominate and train local youth to manage the centres as they are closest to their communities’ needs.
| | Multi-stakeholder partnerships: This is an appropriate response to the complexity of setting up ICT programs in communities. Further, in view of the need for increased resources, development is the responsibility of all sectors of society with multi-level linkages. With this in mind, NF has varied partnerships with different categories of organization, from implementation partners to resource partners. This mix of partnerships helps NF provide the best possible mix of infrastructure, content and services to targeted communities. | | Institutional ownership and leadership: Although successful ICT pilot programs are often driven by committed individuals, there must also be an institutional base to extend a project’s outreach and increase the number of people involved. For this reason, NF partners with grassroots NGOs with a history of working in target communities. | | Financial and social sustainability: In order for projects to be financially sustainable, all potential costs and revenue generation should be kept in mind from the start. The issue of social sustainability is of equal importance, and is secured through local ownership and capacity building. It is essential that social and financial sustainability are both considered. From 2006 onwards, NF has regularly organized workshops for the centre managers and leaders of its NGO implementation partners on topics ranging from involving communities, entrepreneurship to social marketing and communication, etc. These workshops have been widely appreciated and accepted by NF’s partner organizations. |
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Programs 
