PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION & ICTs PHASE II REPORT Kyrgyzstan Prepared for the University of Washington, Center for Information & Society. By Lkhagvasuren Ariunaa on behalf of Pact Mongolia Preliminary version: Feb 15, 2008 Draft 1: June 15, 2008. Final Report: August 15, 2008 Note: University of Washington Center for Information & Society 4311 11th Avenue NE, Suite 400 Box354985 Seattle, WA 98195 USA www.cis.washington.edu [email protected] © 2008 University of Washington Center for Information & Society (CIS). The views expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Washington or CIS. Recommended citation: Ariunaa, L. (2008). Public access to information & ICTs: Kyrgyzstan. Public Access Landscape Study final report, presented by Pact Mongolia to University of Washington Center for Information & Society (CIS), Seattle. Table of Contents The table of contents is generated automatically. Right-click on it and select “update field” to update page numbers. 1 Extended Executive Summary _______________________________________________ 4 1.1 Research Project Overview _____________________________________________________ 4 1.2 Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 4 1.3 Country Overview ____________________________________________________________ 4 1.4 Research Rationale, Sample & Methods __________________________________________ 7 1.5 Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities in Key Public Access Venues________________ 12 1.6 Salient Findings _____________________________________________________________ 15 1.7 Key Recommendations _______________________________________________________ 17 2 Methodology ____________________________________________________________ 19 2.1 Venue Selection _____________________________________________________________ 19 2.1.1 Venues Studied ___________________________________________________________________ 19 2.1.1 Other experiences of public access to information that are not quite “Venues” ________________ 20 2.1.2 Other Existing Public Access Venues, not included in this study _____________________________ 24 2.2 Inequity Variables ___________________________________________________________ 25 2.2.1 Socio-Economic Status ______________________________________________________________ 25 2.2.2 Educational level __________________________________________________________________ 26 2.2.3 Age _____________________________________________________________________________ 27 2.2.4 Gender __________________________________________________________________________ 27 2.2.5 Location _________________________________________________________________________ 28 2.2.6 Other Inequity Variables ____________________________________________________________ 29 2.3 Data Gathering Techniques ____________________________________________________ 30 2.3.1 Literature Review __________________________________________________________________ 30 2.3.2 Individual Interviews _______________________________________________________________ 33 2.3.3 Group Interviews and Focus Groups ___________________________________________________ 33 2.3.4 Site Visits ________________________________________________________________________ 34 2.3.5 Surveys __________________________________________________________________________ 37 2.3.6 Most Useful Contacts _______________________________________________________________ 38 2.4 Research Trustworthiness & Credibility __________________________________________ 41 2.4.1 Research Limitations _______________________________________________________________ 41 2.4.2 Team Qualifications ________________________________________________________________ 41 3 Country Assessment ______________________________________________________ 43 3.1 Overall Country Assessment ___________________________________________________ 43 3.2 Real Access Framework _______________________________________________________ 44 3.2.1 Access ___________________________________________________________________________ 44 3.2.2 Capacity _________________________________________________________________________ 45 3.2.3 Environment _____________________________________________________________________ 46 ii 3.3 Information Needs of Underserved Communities __________________________________ 47 3.3.1 Where is Information Available? ______________________________________________________ 48 3.3.2 What are some of the Key Barriers to Access the Information that Underserved Communities Need? 48 3.3.3 How do users experience different types of public access venues? ___________________________ 49 3.3.4 Inequity Environment in the Country __________________________________________________ 50 3.3.5 Freedom of Press and Expression & Right to Information __________________________________ 51 3.4 Charts: Information Needs, Users & Uses ________________________________________ 53 3.4.2 Salient Initiatives to Help Meet Critical Information Needs by Underserved Communities ________ 61 3.5 Economic, Policy & Regulatory Environment ______________________________________ 65 3.5.1 National & Local Economic Environment _______________________________________________ 65 3.5.2 National & Local Policy (legal & regulatory) Environment __________________________________ 67 3.5.3 Regional & International Policy (legal & regulatory) Environment ____________________________ 70 3.6 Collaboration Practices and Opportunities across Venues ___________________________ 71 3.7 Buzz Factor: Public and Government Perceptions about what is “cool” ________________ 72 3.8 Legitimate Uses _____________________________________________________________ 74 3.9 Shifting Media Landscape _____________________________________________________ 74 3.9.1 Mobile phones ____________________________________________________________________ 75 3.9.2 Web 2.0 tools & use ________________________________________________________________ 75 3.9.3 Combination of different media ______________________________________________________ 76 3.9.4 Other shifting media landscape examples ______________________________________________ 76 3.10 Health Information Needs _____________________________________________________ 76 3.10.1 Sources of Health Information _____________________________________________________ 77 3.10.2 Types of Health Information _______________________________________________________ 77 4 Venue-Specific Assessments ________________________________________________ 78 4.1 Venue # 1: Public Libraries ____________________________________________________ 78 4.1.1 Overall Venue Assessment __________________________________________________________ 78 4.1.2 Access ___________________________________________________________________________ 78 4.1.3 Capacity & Relevance ______________________________________________________________ 83 4.1.4 Enabling Environment ______________________________________________________________ 91 4.1.5 For Publicly Funded Venues only: Revenue Streams ______________________________________ 94 4.1.6 Case Example for Public Libraries _____________________________________________________ 96 4.2 Venue # 2: eCenters ________________________________________________________ 116 4.2.1 Overall Venue Assessment _________________________________________________________ 116 4.2.2 Access __________________________________________________________________________ 117 4.2.3 Capacity & Relevance _____________________________________________________________ 123 4.2.4 Enabling Environment _____________________________________________________________ 131 4.2.1 For Publicly Funded Venues only: Revenue Streams _____________________________________ 133 4.2.2 Case Example for Venue # 2: eCenters ________________________________________________ 136 4.3 Venue # 3: Internet clubs ____________________________________________________ 145 4.3.1 Overall Venue Assessment _________________________________________________________ 145 4.3.2 Access __________________________________________________________________________ 145 4.3.3 Capacity & Relevance _____________________________________________________________ 148 4.3.4 Enabling Environment _____________________________________________________________ 153 4.3.1 For Publicly Funded Venues only: Revenue Streams _____________________________________ 154 4.3.2 Case Example for Venue # 3: Internet club in Karakol ____________________________________ 156 ii 4.4 Venue # 4: Information and Resource Centers ___________________________________ 160 4.4.1 Overall Venue Assessment _________________________________________________________ 160 4.4.2 Access __________________________________________________________________________ 160 4.4.3 Capacity & Relevance _____________________________________________________________ 164 4.4.4 Enabling Environment _____________________________________________________________ 170 4.4.1 For Publicly Funded Venues only: Revenue Streams _____________________________________ 172 4.4.2 Case Example for Venue # 4: Information and Resource Centers ___________________________ 175 5 SUCCESS FACTORS & STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS _________________________ 184 5.1 Summary of Lessons in country _______________________________________________ 184 5.1.1 Information Needs ________________________________________________________________ 184 5.1.2 Where people go _________________________________________________________________ 184 5.1.3 Access, Capacity & Environment affect Public Access ____________________________________ 184 5.1.4