Training Objectives:

The objectives of Decentralised Information Management Initiative through GIS for integrated governance are:

• Capacity building of Executive Officer, Panchayat Samities and Panchayat Samiti Sabhapatis on information management, data analysis, software technology and packages (Ms Excel, Ms Word), GIS technology (data porting on WhizMaps) and Internet.
   
• Creating of Panchayat maps by the gram Panchayat functionaries themselves.
   
• Identification of all Public Service Delivery units in the selected Panchayats by the gram Panchayat functionaries themselves and procurement of recent data regarding these units.
   
• Enhanced information flow between all stakeholders and planning focused and effective intervention strategies based on recent information.
   
• Transforming the GPs into information banks with disaggregated data for use among all the stakeholders and the community as a whole.

Training Report (07.02.2005 – 09.02.2005)

Though the Operators of Burdwan district have a fair knowledge in computer, they told to the trainers to start the training with computer basic. The trainers introduced them with the different parts of the computer. In this half they create a folder in their own name and save a file into it. Some of the trainees played some simple games to familiarize with the mouse and enjoyed very much.  The next half they are taken up by the Geographic Information System (GIS). They learnt to navigate with the software and number of queries pertaining to Census information of India, West Bengal and Burdwan too. At the evening after a small tea break trainers were introduced with MS-PowerPoint. They were learnt to create a Presentation using this software. A practice session was introduced on the day’s module at the end of the day.

At the second day morning the trainees had a small refreshment of the first day’s module. After a small tea break the training started with MS Excel. They were learnt to write down in a spreadsheet, solve simple calculations using formulas etc. The afternoon of the second day the training continued with MS Excel. At this half they were learnt to colour code information according to range and create charts according to the coded information. After the tea break trainers were introduced with five blank formats related to health, education, anganwari etc. in which they had to collect some information from the blocks which will be ported into their block’s map later. An Excel file was also introduced for the same purpose. At the evening they were asked to complete a practice session on the day’s module.

At the last day the training started with Internet. The trainers explained how any information could be easily transferred from one location to another within a very short period of time. They browsed different sites and could send and received emails to each other. But the biggest surprised came when they found their own picture in the Website www.trendswestbengal.org. “The training will really help us in the near future, but time is very short for the training module” the trainees told at the end of the training.