Start-up

1. Introduce your team to Kidlink, KHouse models, the pre-feasibility template
2. Brainstorm, discuss, and investigate tentative goals and answers to the questions below with senior Kidlink staff

Team members should consider a visit to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Fortaleza, and other cities, to see how the KHouse concept works in practice, discuss with experienced administrators and young users, and learn about the KHouse support network.

Define desired goal(s)

Describe your desired goal in terms of the ideal KHouse(s) for your desired area:

1. Broad definition of the problem(s) that the KHouse is meant to help solve
   1. What is the main problem?
   2. What effects does this problem have in your community?
   3. What in your view are the real causes of this problem?

      Note: In our experience, it is difficult to set up a KHouse to serve different types of audiences!

2. Present yourself
   1. Describe the organization or individuals providing this information.
   2. How is/has the pre-feasibility work been organized.
3. What groups of children or youth do you want the KHouse(s) to serve?
   1. Which groups of kids/youth?
      Examples: street kids, students at poor schools, kids and youth after hours - to get them off the street, kids recovering from cancer, kids with the Down syndrome, other groups.
   2. What age segments? Why?
   3. Both genders?
   4. What other local groups might also be interested in benefitting from this?
4. Where is the best place to put the KHouse(s) center?
   1. Suggest a specific or general idea of the best place to be (main location).
   2. Why is this the best place?
   3. Are there any other places you would suggest if this does not work out?
   4. Would you suggest additional locations for any reason?
   5. Would a mobile laboratory serve your needs better?
   6. How many children and youth 15 year or younger live within 30 minutes walk and/or bus of your main suggested location?
      1. What is the typical upper age level for those in local secondary schools?
      2. How many kids and youth at this age or younger live in this area?
   7. For the main location, please describe:
      1. What is this place? Is this in the middle of a large city center, in a suburb of a city, just a place out in the countryside with few buildings, or what?
      2. How easy is it for kids and youth to get this place from home, walking, cycling, bus, etc.?
      3. Is this in a quiet and safe area, or is it a place with lots of conflicts between people, difficult traffic, burglary, etc?
      4. Will it be easy to find people locally with the necessary skill to staff the KHouse? (Technical Support, Pedagogical Support, Psycho Social Support)
      5. Which legal, political, cultural structures would we need to observe?
   8. Are there other possible opportunities that might emerge from setting up a KHouse in this area?
   9. How will the KHouse serve the local community?
   10. Is it possible to position this effort and data resulting therefrom in such a way as to attract the attention and support of corporations?
   11. Will it be possible to use already existing facilities (like library, school, university, or some other place with a computer lab)?
   12. Are there other considerations we would need to know about the site?
5. Indicate the desired scope of the KHouse activity:
   1. How many workstations do you believe are necessary
      1. minimum ___ (the minimum that this KHouse might need to function as intended?)
      2. maximum ___
   2. What minimum types of workstations do you believe are necessary:
      1. memory ___ MB
      2. disk space ________
      3. CPU _________
      4. peripherals _________________.
      5. operating system ______
      6. application software
   3. What kinds of Internet connections are possible and desired and practical? (analogue phone, ISDN, Broadband, satellite,..)
   4. Use of local languages
      1. What is the primary language spoken in this area?
      2. What other languages do people in the area usually know and understand?
      3. Do local teachers and prospective KHouse staff understand English well enough to receive training in this language?
      4. Must online training material be translated into another language? If so, what language(s)_
   5. What other uses of the KHouse infrastructure beyond those specified in Kidlink's model would you like to include in the plan? Why?
6. When would you like the KHouse to start serve the audiences? (we need at least 6 months or from the day funding is available to set up, but you may have other constraints such as building and teacher funding.)
   1. Desired date? Why?
   2. Best date?
   3. Not later than___. Why?
   4. What would be the possible negative consequences of starting later.
7. How can we distinguish ourselves from other organizations claiming they do similar things?
8. Working with Kidlink: How can we best cooperate?

Funding Opportunities

1. In light of these objectives and this approach, who are our most logical funding targets?What is our best approach for seeking start-up funding?
2. How about subsequent funding for growth and operations?

Information for planning

1. What local organization(s) might be Kidlink's local project manager and facilitator in the centers first three years of operation?
2. What local organizations might serve as second-tier partners, and might have a logical interest in taking over the KHouse after the initial three years of operation? Why would they find it of interest to consider taking over the KHouse operations after the initial three years?
3. For each candidate above, furnish summary information about the following, (use different sources):
   • The organization's goals (short and long term), interests, values, priorities, ways of thinking, work methods. In what direction are they striving? (Include important social and cultural norms and values, if considered relevant.)
   • How do they perceive the situation which the KHouse may help remedy? Expectations?
   • What are they doing /have they already done to serve the desired audiences with similar or complementary services? Describe these offerings.
   • Available resources and abilities applicable to a subsequent main project (including experience/competences):
     • Internet, computer technology,
     • Delivery of educational services to Kidlink's target audience(s).
     • Resources for translation into desired local languages.
     • Relationship with key community decision makers.
     • What personnel might be allocated to the project (number, type)?
   • In what areas does this organization feel they are competing with Kidlink's free offerings or activities? Why? Potential challenges?
   • Brief financial history. Year of incorporation/registration, place. Owners. Location(s). Type of organization (business, NGO, school, etc.). Organizational structure. If a large organization, explain the unit's role within the overall organizational system (include subsidiaries, sister companies, potential conflicts of interest with Kidlink).
   • Perceived benefits for Kidlink by working with them, and for the prospective partner to realize the KHouse ambition.
   • How would solving the basic problem support our partner's goals or ambitions?
   • How well do they know Kidlink?
   • Key people that we should call on (email address, phone number, visiting address, position, etc.)
4. What educational authorities (local/national/regional) must or should be consulted, and asked to support the KHouse's activities?
   • What persons should be called upon in a prospective feasibility study? For what reason? Name, telephone number, location. What would it take to arrange a face-to-face meeting?
5. What local organization might provide introductory training on ICT? What is their experience serving our audiences?
6. Other potential local sponsors: names, reason for interest, etc.

Provisional budget information

1. If more than one KHouse is being envisaged, what will travels between the two locations cost? What is the nearest local airport with regular service?
2. What would purchase of these computers cost? What would maintenance cost? Electricity?

   As a minimum, you may consider locally assembled Pentium PCs, 64MB RAM. 14" color monitor. Multimedia. Networked. UPS. Windows 95 with Office 2000. CD-ROM and diskette station turned off (software/setup). One station for exclusive use of the Khouse staff .2 year warranty. One color bubble jet printer. Networked.

   If newer equipment is cheaper, please use this instead. For example, Windows (2000, XP, Me) with Microsoft Office 2000 or XP.

3. Do you consider using another organization's office space, or do you propose to build premises for the KHouse? What is the assumed annual cost of premises per center?
4. What is the cost of a desk and a chair?
5. What would an Internet connection cost assuming 150/hours per month per center?
6. What would the monthly charge be for a phone to call the Internet for this application?
7. What would a cheap electronic camera for taking digital photos for web pages or email distribution cost locally?
8. What would be the anticipated costs for Supplies (Print paper, toners, diskettes)
9. What would a Backup tape system cost?
10. What would be the expected salary per month for
    • a KHouse manager
    • Pedagogical support (psycho pedagogy, pedagogy, or full license to teach)
    • Psycho Social support (psychology, social services, phonoaudiology or related area)
    • Technical support (Contractual, volunteer, help-desk? Computer, software, network, internet)
    • Guard
11. What social expenses would we have to pay on top of the salary (payroll tax, social expenses to state, etc.)?
12. What is the typical monthly salary of a teacher in the area?
13. Can all local teachers understand English?
14. Should an awareness campaign be included in our plan (to motivate teachers, schools, headmasters, potential partners, etc.)?
    • Submit digital portraits of young people living in the area for use on our prospective web presentation of the project.
15. What will be the cost of financial auditors?
16. Define the scope and duration of a prospective feasibility study.