Workshop on Delivery of E-Services in the Civil Society

The workshop provided participating NGOs with a platform to share knowledge, experiences and best practices for applying ICTs and delivering e-commerce services in civil society. It covered the fundamentals of e-commerce, the importance of and modalities for using e-services, the latest web trends and available online tools, and the status of ICTs and e-services in the ESCWA region. It also included case studies and success stories of organizations, enterprises and entrepreneurs utilizing e-commerce facilities. The workshop accommodated sessions dedicated to sharing NGO experiences. Discussions that took place acknowledged the positive effect that e-commerce has on reducing costs, increasing revenues and improving efficiency. However, NGOs planning to invest in e-commerce should properly assess the technical and financial requirements versus their needs and available resources. At this point, it was highlighted that NGOs should make use of free tools and applications available online to enhance their online presence. NGOs should also exert additional efforts in raising the awareness of local communities on the importance of ICTs. Since the workshop is part of an ESCWA project on the same topic, it will include a follow-up activity in the form of an online discussion forum to which all participating NGOs and experts will be invited. The workshop was attended by 21 participants from seven ESCWA member countries in addition to one expert from Turkey currently working in Finland.