Social challenge and reasons for project’s initiation

Immediacy of the social problem

Computers and mobile devices play an increasingly important role in our daily lives. Getting an appointment with a doctor, paying utility bills online, finding some information we are looking for – all this requires at least basic computer skills from elderly people and people with special needs.

Government services will soon be provided entirely in a digital format, which will make computer and mobile device skills absolutely necessary.

For people who want to keep working past the minimum retirement age, the lack of IT skills means they are more likely to lose their jobs and less likely to find new, even part-time, employment.

Elderly people without IT skills encounter difficulties in communicating with their relatives who have moved to other cities and countries. Courses on mobile, financial, legal and computer literacy help elderly people deal with potential social isolation and speak the same language with young people.

The fact that the Russian government has made this issue one of its priorities indicates that it is truly necessary for elderly people to master IT skills today. Many provinces offer computer literacy courses for elderly people, yet the government does not always have sufficient resources to meet this need.

External reasons for project’s initiation

Before starting the program, we examined the situation with computer classes for elderly people and adults with special needs in the provinces that are key for the Company. It was important to find out whether they had free computer classes, what their curriculum was, whether they were popular with the local population, and whether local NGOs were involved in such classes or capable of providing them.

Our primary conclusion was: even though all the cities covered by our program had government-funded computer courses for elderly people and people with special needs, demand was still great, since the allocated resources were insufficient.

Internal reasons for project’s initiation

Charity is an integral part of our business. After starting charitable work over four decades ago, the Company currently runs its programs in 60 countries. In Russia, we started active work in 1995 by supporting cultural and arts projects. In the late 1990s, we shifted the focus towards supporting low-income households and people with special needs, many of whom were elderly. Unfortunately, this category of people is not very popular with corporate and individual donors. The Company identified this as a niche where we could make a significant contribution, changing people’s lives for the better.

Our first few projects were primarily to provide elderly people with food or essential supplies. Yet several years ago we reviewed our activities and, based on data provided by our partners^[1], we realized that while humanitarian aid was more important for elderly people in the 1990s, currently over 90% of the elderly people have food and clothes and can pay their utility bills. The lack of computer skills is a much bigger problem to them.

Based on these considerations, in January 2013 the Company launched the Status:Online Computer Literacy for Elderly People and People with Special Needs program in seven provinces of Russia (Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Tomsk). CAF, a foundation with extensive experience in supporting elderly people, was picked as a national operator for the program.

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^[1] Studies done by CAF Russia as part of the Open World for Everybody (Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg) и Next Step (Arkhangelsk Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, Karelia, Saint Petersburg) programs, 2008-2011.

Coverage

17 provinces:  

• Altai Krai
• Chelyabinsk Oblast
• Kaliningrad Oblast
• Kemerovo
• Krasnoyarsk Krai
• Republic of Mordovia
• Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
• Novosibirsk
• Omsk Oblast
• Perm Krai
• Rostov Oblast
• Sakhalin Oblast
• Samara Oblast
• Tomsk
• Vladivostok
• Volgograd
• Yekaterinburg

Project description

The program is implemented in 17 Russian provinces: Altai Krai, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Mordovia, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Novosibirsk, Omsk Oblast, Perm Krai, Rostov Oblast, Sakhalin Oblast, Samara Oblast, Tomsk, Vladivostok, Volgograd and Yekaterinburg. Importantly, in nine of these regions the program covers small towns and rural areas, not just capital cities.

There are two kinds of classes for teaching mobile, financial, legal and computer literacy:

• permanent, and
• mobile.

Each province has its own NGO operating as a local coordinator for Status:Online.

The NGOs worked to attract the target audience, primarily by informing their members about the program. Some of them have organized similar courses before, so they already had lists of people interested in taking the course.

It was important for potential participants to receive initial information from the sources they trust. All the NGOs worked closely with local job centers, social services, Pension Fund branches, etc. In some cities, the courses were advertised in local newspapers, local stations or on the websites of local NGOs.

Selection criteria were a retirement certificate or proof of disability, and age over 18. Also, people of pre-retirement age (less than two years left before retirement) were included in the group, but only if they were really interested in learning new skills and staying on the job. Unlike similar government programs, we accepted working people of post-retirement age.

Courses continued for six months in groups of 4 to 25 people. In some places, we had special evening groups and weekend groups for working pensioners and people of pre-retirement age. The duration of the course was 30 to 72 hours.

Classes were conducted by teachers with necessary skills and experience in working with elderly people and/or people with special needs (unlike similar government courses, we made this a principal requirement for teachers).

The course on mobile and computer literacy included basic lessons on how to use the Internet, Skype, email, etc. Also, the program included some elements of financial and legal literacy: how to protect yourself against fraud, how to manage your finances online, key laws about pensions, etc.

The program was designed taking into consideration the age of the target audience. Many participants had physiological difficulties: some were unable to focus their vision, or had problems remembering things, or had some issues with hand movements. In order to make the learning process more comfortable, we added some additional elements to the curriculum: for example, in order to help the students develop fine motor skills, they were encouraged to play video games or learn to draw.

The NGOs working with people with special needs, too, had a special program. For example, in Nizhny Novgorod people with impaired vision used special equipment with talking keyboards.

It was extremely important to us to make classes as practical as possible. To this end, NGOs used the most popular websites in their training: for example, the government services portal and other online services. Trainees participated in meetings with representatives of the Pension Fund, social services, job centers, Sberbank, etc.

In Krasnoyarsk, similar classes were given by social security workers, Sberbank employees and ATM consultants. Each group had a special course on online resource, 2 to 4 hours long. Each trainee got a list of the most useful websites and had a practical session on using them.

In Tomsk, representatives of the Tomsk Oblast Archive and the Tomsk Oblast Notary Association organized a special session on retrieving one’s genealogy and finding relatives through archive documents, as well as explained the procedure for making a will and leaving an inheritance.

In order to address the second goal of the program, that of employment, NGOs in each of the provinces organized meetings with potential employers and offered classes on how to find a job online. In Nizhny Novgorod, trainees had meetings with representatives of the local social service and job center. Attendees were introduced to  the website of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Social Policy Ministry.

While implementing the program, we regularly updated local authorities. We raise awareness regarding the issue, we sent information letters to local and regional ministries and administration in charge of elderly people and adults with special needs. Before launching the program, all the NGOs coordinating the program in their respective provinces received endorsements from local authorities and government agencies. Local officials were invited to various program events and attended them.

Status:Online attracted the attention of other companies, which offered to support courses on mobile, financial, legal and computer literacy or associated events. For example, in some places Sberbank employees offered special classes for elderly people on the bank’s online tools. In Nizhny Novgorod, certain companies (Megafon, Lexmart and Sberbank) offered prizes for program graduates, and Intel provided its laptops for master classes at the IT forum. In Kemerovo, the local branch of the Bank of Russia helps organize lectures on financial literacy.

Support projects

The program works closely with local authorities: provincial and municipal governments, IT ministries, social security services, legislative assemblies. Program events attracted significant public attention; they were often attended by local officials and covered by the media. Such interaction helps attract additional resources for the program and strengthens cooperation between the program and local businesses and NGOs. It also helps promote the program.

Team and partners 

Team

Tatyana Yakovleva, program director, CAF

Partners

CAF runs the program at the national level. In addition to that, we have local NGOs coordinating the program at a local level. They were selected through a bidding process. Annually, the program organizes a closed contest to select local NGOs which will coordinate the program in their areas. A total of 24 NGOs have acted as local coordinators:

1. Zabota, Nizhny Novgorod
2. Kamerata, Nizhny Novgorod
3. Social Rehabilitation, Nizhny Novgorod
4. Samarskaya Gubernia, Samara
5. Rostov Municipal Library System, Rostov-on-Don
6. DiaDon Diabetics Association, Rostov-on-Don
7. Rostov Branch, Russian Red Cross, Rostov-on-Don
8. Dorogami Dobra, Yekaterinburg
9. Novosibirsk Branch, Znanie, Novosibirsk
10. Novosibirsk Branch, Russian Association of People with Disabilities, Novosibirsk
11. Academy of Knowledge, Tomsk
12. Krasnoyarsk Veteran Association, Krasnoyarsk
13. Mordovia Branch, Russian Charity and Health Foundation, Saransk
14. Municipal Library System, Kemerovo
15. Local Community Foundation, Kaliningrad
16. Krasnoyarsk Krai Veteran Association, Krasnoyarsk
17. Vostok, Vladivostok
18. Sakhalin Oblast Library, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
19. Municipal Libraries, Volgograd
20. Omsk Oblast Veteran Association, Omsk
21. Good Stories Foundation, Samara
22. Development Foundation, Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai
23. Chelyabinsk Oblast Branch, Znanie, Chelyabinsk
24. Good Work Stories, Chelyabinsk

Resources

Human resources

Some NGOs hired as teachers elderly people or people with special needs, who had completed a similar course earlier and/or had teaching experience, providing them with temporary employment.

Also, local coordinators actively used volunteers for computer classes, one-on-one consultations and additional events. Volunteers included young adults, elderly people and adults with special needs. A total of over 500 volunteers participated in the program.

Technological and material resources

Equipment	Quantity
Desktop and laptop computers	198
Software (packages)	120
Printers, including MFPs	18

In addition, some other necessary supplies (screens, projectors, whiteboards, desks, etc.) were purchased for the classes.

Achieved results

Immediate results

In 2013-2019, the program created a total of:

• 18 stationary computer classes
• 32 mobile computer classes
• 45,000 elderly people and adults with special needs took the training; 28% of them live in small town and rural areas

Sustainability report:  https://pminewprds3-1.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/default-source/russia-market/sustainability-report-russia-2017-2018.pdf?sfvrsn=5f949eb5_4, p. 61

All the NGOs have set up hotlines, so training graduate can get their questions answered even after they complete the training.

Another important result is that the trainers have improved their professional skills. They understand the target audience and their motives better now. The trainers also learned to treat each trainee individually. Computer hardware and software purchased for the program motivated the trainers to study the subject more thoroughly, which improved the quality of the training.

The program has demonstrated that it is important to have a comprehensive and systematic approach when training elderly people (in computer, smartphone, financial and legal literacy). As a result, trainees get the impression of consistency, continuity and diversity. The training makes them motivated, interested and engaged in social life.

Social results

The graduates became active Internet, Skype and e-mail users. The skills they acquired helped them avoid social and communicative isolation. They significantly expanded their network of contacts, adding new friends and acquaintances, former classmates, setting up groups on social media to exchange opinions, share knowledge and help each other.  The training on smartphone literacy was particularly important to pensioners and people with disabilities. This course is very popular, especially with older people who often cannot afford to buy a desktop computer yet like to use smartphones. The skills they acquired at the smartphone literacy training help them stay abreast with modern technology, feel on par with others, use online services, communicate with others and avoid social isolation. The training on financial and legal literacy was also very popular with elderly people and adults with disabilities. The participants learned efficient ways to manage their financial assets, mastered modern tools to access financial and legal information and were educated about the legislation on pensions, consumer protection, social security, etc.

Internal project assessment

Company employees and CAF representatives regularly inspected local activities of the program.

In 2015 and 2018, we conducted major polls among the target audience on the program’s efficiency. Over 5,000 program participants were polled.

One of the primary goals was to find out how the program changed the lives of the trainees and if these changes were caused specifically by their participation in the program.

Most respondents (86%) said the program had boosted their confidence.

Also, 84% of the respondents said they were feeling more independent now, which is also very important for elderly people and people with special needs.

Making new friends was another important aspect for program participants.

Many of the respondents indicated that their financial situation had improved. While 48% said they started to spend more (paying for the Internet, buying a computer, a tablet, etc.), 67% said they also started to save more (for example, paying less for their cell phone, or buying drugs, tickets, etc., cheaper than before because of online discounts).

99% of the participants indicated that they learned a lot of new and useful things at the computer and mobile literacy courses.

Classes on financial and legal literacy are extremely popular with the audience. The trainees learned about effective ways to manage their financial resources and received consultations on their questions regarding their legal issues. They learned about modern sources of financial and legal information and how to use them.

76% of the respondents said they had learned a lot of new and useful things at the financial and legal literacy courses. 91% said they were using the things they learned, with 30% saying they were using them daily.

One of the key objectives was to help elderly people and adults with special needs use information technology for self-fulfillment and potentially employment. The program boosts their confidence in finding a new job or continuing their careers.

External project assessment

A study we did together with CAF has demonstrated that Status:Online is efficient both economically and socially. The evaluation process helped us identify the key factors driving the program’s success and collect the necessary data for strategic planning, funds allocation and expansion into new areas. The Status:Online Social Return on Investment Evaluation Report was officially certified by Social Value International and received the 2017 CSR Leaders Award for the best SROI evaluation.

Feedback from Beneficiaries:

Project’s distinctive features and know – how

What makes this program special is its target audience: not just retired people, like in most similar projects and programs, but also working people of post-retirement and pre-retirement age, which gives them a much better chance to continue with their careers.

Another important feature is that the program covers small towns and rural areas.

One of our achievements is that Status:Online teachers have created a professional community where they share their best practices and visit each other’s classes and graduation events.

Some NGOs hired as teachers elderly people or people with special needs, who had completed a similar course earlier and/or had teaching experience, providing them with temporary employment. Also, local coordinators actively used volunteers.

The program uses methodologies and curricula designed specifically for elderly people and adults with special needs.

Challenges and solutions

The goal of helping the trainees to find a new job proved a difficult one. In Russia, it is extremely difficult for an elderly person or a person with special needs to find a job. Yet with working people of post-retirement age, in many cases the program helped them to keep their jobs.

We organized special sessions on job hunting and self-employment for our trainees, inviting specialists from job centers, recruitment agencies and potential employers.

A few dozen people were able to get a new job or keep their existing job because of the things they learned. In Novosibirsk, the local association for people with disabilities found jobs for 20 people (at the local archive, hotlines and call centers). In Krasnoyarsk, the local veteran association hired four veterans and three people with special needs as teachers, providing them with temporary employment. In Nizhny Novgorod, Kamerata hired four teachers who are visually impaired themselves and have extensive experience in non-visual computer interaction.

Plans of further development   

We still have a large number of people eager to join Status:Online courses, so we plan to continue and expand the program. Many people of pre- and post-retirement age are very interested in continuing their professional career, so we plan to focus primarily on this age group.

Recommendations

One thing you should always remember when launching such a program is to check whether a similar project already exists in the area. It is necessary to avoid duplication.

Also, when picking local coordinators, you have to make sure that these NGOs have experience working with your target audience.

You should regularly monitor and evaluate the program’s efficiency, using various formats: polls, reports from local coordinators, social effect reviews. This will enable you to make necessary adjustments, use your resources efficiently and better meet the needs of your target audience.

It is important to establish active cooperation with local partners: government agencies, NGOs and businesses.  

Project’s documents