Results of one year’s implementation of the project “Building a model of provision of scientific and technological information for economic and social development to districts of Dong Nai province”.

In this sprit, on 05/09/2003, the Chairman of the provincial people’s committee sent letter no.3846/UBT to the provincial service of science and technology about the implementation of scientific research topics then on 25/12/2003 the chairmen issued decision no.4970/QD-CT.UBT authorizing the dissemination and implementation of the project “Building a model of provision of scientific and technological information for economic and social development to district of Dong Nai province” (the project).

In implementation of the above said decision, in 2003 the service of science of technology, on the own initiative worker in coordination with the National scientific and technological information center under the ministry of scientific and technology to elaborate detailed fundamentals for this project.

The project implementation intended for the whole province, started in Dec.2003 in the first phase in 12 pilot villages in 11 districts and towns.

The Objectives of the project aims at contributing to enhancing people’s intellectual level, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, heightening the material and spiritual living standard of people in pilot villages to serve as a basis for expansion to remaining regions of the province by 2005 and following years some specific objectives: To build a demonstration model in 12 villages of Dong Nai province on the basis of applications of results of research and development of the model of provision of scientific and technological information for economic and social development in rural and remote areas.

To enrich the source of digitalized information for economic and social development.

To establish a two – way mechanism for information exchange and up date between the provincial service of science and technology and the National scientific and technological information center (under the ministry of science and technology).

In addition to the above objectives, the project also organizes the training of 36 officials and technicians on the spot so that, on their own initiative, they can carry out and maintain activities well, serving as a basis for the successful implementation and development of the model, contributing efficaciously to rural industrialization and modernization in Dong Nai province.

In the approach for building the model, the project committee will associate the method of communication and modern information, especially the application of information and communication technology (ICT), considering it an essential and break-through key to the model success, at the same time the project committee will exhaustively and rationally utilize other information sources, especially digitalized information.

To apply information technology and a multimeans information and communication system to associate and exchange information in two ways conveniently and efficaciously (exchange with agencies inside and outside the province and foreign countries).

To provide realistic information to the population of the regions where the model is implemented. To assess feasibility conditions rural areas: e.g. reasonable costs, ability of local technicians to implement the project tasks.

• About organization: To build in each village a “scientific and technological information point” to exploit and provide information to local inhabitants.

• About scientific and technological information: To collect, process, edit, digitalize and provide realistic information needed by the local population.

• About equipment: To equip each village with sufficient modern information technology means to implement the proposed objectives.

• About human resources: Each village has 3 well-trained technicians who meet technical requirements, are enthusiastic with their work, master necessary technology and are fully able to exploit and province information to the local population.

The project implementation is an experiment and a first breakthrough step to the direct provision of information to information users and people who live and work in all villages and wards of Dong Nai province.

First results of one year’s project implementation: in addition to the exploitation and use of other internet services, the project has enabled specialists to carry out office information well in preparing and printing texts, using software applications, tax calculation … the project has also enabled peasants in remote areas to make easy contact with information on culture, knowledge and techniques from other placer and even the whole world; the project has encouraged youths in many aspects, specifically providing them with self – confidence and even the joy of becoming rich in their remote natives places, where they are living.

About economic efficacy: in the first step the project has carried out well information collection and the direct provision to local people appropriate and realistic information in a fast way. It is a connecting bridge contributing to speeding up the application of scientific and technological progress to local people’s production to increase cultivation and breeding productivity.

The Project has enabler peasants to renew traditional cultivation methods by applying scientific and technological progress to production, breeding, processing and preserving products after harvest, at the sometime helped peasants to review and get rid their previous narrow thoughts.

The Village website enables it to introduce its own potentialities, products services for the purpose of exchanging on selling them.

Thanks to its first results, the model was known to the whole nation, many province sent delegates to visit and study right while the project was being implemented, such as delegates from the services of science and technology of Ba Ria – Vung Tau. Dong Thap, Thua Thien Hue, Ninh Thuan provinces... also thanks to the above results, the project was enthusiastically accepted by the leaders and population of Dong Nai province.

Demonstration points were in operation, professional, technical and managerial skills of point specialists were stabilized and high, the number of persons who needed and searched for information also increased. According to incomplete statistics, from May to August 2004 only, 378 peasants came to Demonstration point asking for information, 193 of them asking for scientific films of all kinds, and 194 asking for information on rural technologies… In addition, the provincial service of science and technology received letters from many persons requesting for the provision of rural technologies which did not exist in data bases or which were not appropriate with local conditions. By Sept.2004, 15 users requested for technical instructions and additional information, and 16 users requested for new technologies. The project would continue to spread to other population strata than peasants in each pilot village and the service would the multiply this model in 44 villages in 2005 with scientific and technological points located in existing community center for study in villages. By 2008, the model would be multiplied to all villages of Dong Nai province.