Avril Crawford, CEO of e-Learning Jamaica Company Ltd (e-ljam), the company responsible for rolling out the Government's multibillion-dollar e-Learning programme in the island's secondary schools, has revealed that there was a major protest on the equipment contract, which delayed the programme by six months.

Overall, the programme is behind by almost a year.

The protest, as it relates to the equipment contract, came after Cabinet had approved the National Contracts Commission's (NCC) endorsement. "It took maybe about six months for the NCC to decide (that) we should go ahead with the original supplier," Crawford said.

The delays have forced e-ljam to stagger its initial implementation plan. In an interview with e-ljam's executive arm, it was revealed that the pilot phase would no longer be pursued as initially proposed.

Audio-visual fast-tracked

"Plans are now in place to complete the pilot phase by the end (of) June 2008. However, various aspects of phase two have already commenced," a summary report said.

As a result of the delays, the decision was taken to fast-track the delivery of the audio-visual component. "We have sent audio-visual equipment to all 180 schools, and all the schools have been shown how to use it," Crawford explained. In addition, computer furniture was delivered to all 30 pilot schools. But, no computers have reached the institutions. The training of systems administrators is to be completed by August 2008.

At the end of February this year, just over US$30.2 million was signed in contractual arrangements and an additional $403 million has been spent. In an interview this month, Hugh Cross, executive director of the Universal Access Fund Company Limited, told The Gleaner that his company had given $418 million to the e-Learning programme up to that time.

Unforeseen delays

Additionally, there were also 'unforeseen' delays in finalising the scope of work with the supplier of the computer equipment and networks.

A ministry paper, outlining the performance of e-ljam for the 2005/2006 financial year, stated that the initiative, which is anchored in information and communications technology, would address certain specific weaknesses within the education sector. However, the venture was conceptualised in early 2002 by the then ministry with responsibility for technology.

Shortly after his appointment to the Cabinet, Clive Mullings, minister of energy, mining and technology, said that getting the e-Learning programme "off the ground and running" would be one of his top priorities.