Guatemala: Training Course in the use of the DevInfo Platform

Guatemala: Training Course in the use of the DevInfo Platform

As part of the project on the Protection and Promotion of Children´s Rights in the Inter-American System, executed by the IIN, together with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and further to the implementation of the Child Rights Monitoring System in Guatemala, a training course in the use of DevInfo technology was held in that country from 22 to 26 August 2011.

This platform was designed by UNICEF specifically for the monitoring of rights and is being used in different countries in the region. Experience gathered so far shows that the platform is a useful and practical tool with which to process data and periodically update indicators. The objective of the training course, which took place in the premises of Escuelas Abiertas (Open Schools), was to train an interinstitutional technical team, which will begin to input data over the next few weeks, with a view to issuing a first report.

The course was taught by Panamanian specialists who are part of the DEVINFOLAB support group answering to UNICEF and to agencies of the State of Guatemala. It was attended by a distinguished group of technicians from different institutions and organizations which are part of this endeavour and who will be responsible for the systems administration and management.

Amongst these institutions are the Social Welfare Secretariat, the National Children´s Commission, the Ministry of Education, the National Registry of Persons, the First Ladys Social Works Secretariat, the General Planning Secretariat and the Ministry of Health.

The sessions began with a general presentation of the platform and then the group worked with the users interface to generate tables, charts and maps. Later, the administrators interface was studied in depth, for the creation and administration of databases, the definition of meta information and the generation of reports, amongst other applications. Lastly, the course focused on how to configure the web application.

The Monitoring System will make it possible to access information with regard not only to the status of children´s rights in Guatemala, but also to measures and actions being implemented in order to overcome inequity gaps detected.