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[[:File:OLPC_Deployment_Guide_2011.pdf|2011 Deployment Guide]]
Note: this wikified deployment guide reproduce the one from the [[:File:OLPC_Deployment_Guide_2011.pdf|PDF]]
that OLPC published in 2011.


# [[/One Laptop per Child|One Laptop per Child]]
# [[/OLPC Learning Strategy|Learning Strategy]]
# [[/Introduction to Deployment Guide|Introduction]]
# [[/Project Implementation|Project Implementation]]
# [[/OLPC Support Strategy|Support Strategy]]
# [[/Planning Phase|Planning Phase]]
# [[/Feasibility study|Feasibility study]]
# [[/Purchase Agreements and Ordering Process|Purchase Agreements and Ordering]]
# [[/Deployment Phase|Deployment Phase]]
# [[/Post Deployment Phase|Post Deployment Phase]]
# [[/Summary of Recommended Tasks|Summary of Recommended Tasks]]
# [[/Related websites|Related websites]]


= Raw text =
== Other versions ==


* [[:File:OLPC_Deployment_Guide_2011.pdf|PDF of the 2011 Deployment Guide]] as published by OLPC.
ONE  LAPTOP  PER  CHILD  
DEPLOYMENT  GUIDE  2011  


* [https://github.com/bzg/OLPC-Deployment--community--guide The source of OLPC Deployment Guide] including other formats ([http://orgmode.org/ org-mode], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument OpenDocument .odt], HTML, mediawiki syntax, etc.)
Table  of  Contents  


* Older (less organized): [[2008 deployment guide]]
<poem>  
One  Laptop  per  Child………………………………………………………………………………..…..……….  3  
OLPC  Learning  Strategy………………………………………………………………………………..…..……  4    
Introduction  to  Deployment  Guide……………………………………………………………….…….…  5  
Deployment  Phases  Overview……………………………………………………………………………..  5  
Project  Implementation.……………………………………………………………………………….……….  6  
Core  Team…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7  
OLPC  Support  Strategy……………………………….………………………………………………………….  10  
Planning  Phase…………………………………………….………………………………………………………..  12  
6.1. Financing    Approaches………………………….…………………………………………………………  13  
Key  Assumptions………………………………………………………………………………………………..  14  
Financial  Assumptions………………………………………………………………………………………..  15  
6.2. Feasibility  study…………………………………….……………………………………………………….   16  
6.3. Purchase  Agreement  and  Ordering  Process.……………………………………………….…..  18  
Selecting  your  XO…………………………………………………………………………………………………  18  
Purchase  Agreement……………………………………………………………………………………………  20  
XO  Order  Process  and  Lead  Time………………………………………………………………………….22  
Deployment  Phase…………………………………………….……………………………………………….…   23  
7.1. Setting  Logistics………………………………………….………………………………………………….   24  
Warehousing………………………………………………………………………………………………………..24  
Laptop  Distribution  Plan……………………………………………………………………………………….25  
Spare  Parts  Management……………………………………………………………………………………..25  
Baseline  study………………………………………………………………………………………………………26  
7.2. Setting  Core  Team……………………………………….…………………………………………………   27  
OLPC  Training  Description…………………………………………………………………………………….28  
Content  Development…………………………………………………………………………………………..29  
7.3. Setting  Local  Infrastructure………………………….…………………………………………………  30  
7.4. Preparing  Schools  and  Community……………….………………………………………………..  32  
Teacher  Training…………………………………………………………………………………………………..32  
Community  Awareness………………………………………………………………………………………..  34  
Post  Deployment  Phase……………………………………….………………………………………………..  35  
Evaluation  Studies………………………………………………………………………………………………..35    
8.1. Continued  Teacher  Training  and  Support……….……………………………………………….  36    
8.2. Extracurricular  Environments………………………….……………………………………………..  37  
8.3. Maintenance  and  repairs………………………………….…………………………………………….  38  
Summary  of  Recommended  Tasks…………………………….……………………………………………39    
Related  Websites…………………………….…………………………………………………………………….  40   
</poem>


* HTML version [http://olpc-france.org/deployment-guide/ HTML version hosted by OLPC France] ([http://olpc-france.org/deployment-guide/ English] and [http://olpc-france.org/guide-deploiement French]). This is part of the git repository linked above.


To make a community deployment guide, we could spread the word about this version, and gather comments from OLPCers all around the world. Those comments would then be processed by a small team (the support gang?) which would then create a ''OLPC Community Deployment Guide'' -- say at the next SF meeting?
==One  Laptop  per  Child    ==


[[Category:Guides]][[Category:Deployment planning]]
 
One  Laptop  per  Child  (OLPC)  is  a  non-­‐profit  organization  founded  in  2005  with  the  goal  of  transforming  
education  by  providing  every  child  with  access  to  a  connected  laptop  computer,  the  XO  laptop.    
Connected  laptops  provide  a  cost-­‐effective  way  for  states  to  create  learning  environments  that  facilitate  
the  greatest  possible  development  of  all  children.  We  are  driven  by  a  firm  belief  that  laptops  have  a  
unique  ability  to  leverage  children’s  innate  curiosity  and  desire  to  learn,  to  develop  critical  thinking  skills,  
and  to  foster  a  life-­‐long  love  of  learning.      
 

;OLPC  Mission  
To  create  educational  opportunities  for  all  by  providing  each  child  with  a  rugged,  low-­‐cost,  low-­‐power,  
connected  laptop  with  content  and  software  designed  for  collaborative,  joyful,  self-­‐empowered  
learning.  

 
===Five  Core  Principles  ===
 
;1. Child  ownership  
Access  to  information  and  activities  at  all  times  create  a  portable  learning  and  teaching  environment.  
Child  ownership  includes  protecting,  caring  for,  and  sharing  this  creative  environment.      
 
;2. Low  ages  
The  XO  is  designed  for  the  use  of  children  ages  4  to  12,  covering  the  years  of  elementary  school.  
 
;3. Saturation  
In  order  to  achieve  meaningful  educational  improvement  each  child  should  own  a  laptop  so  no  one  is  
left  out:  digital  saturation  implies  whole  communities  to  become  a  part  of  the  program.  
 
;4. Connection  
XOs  not  only  connect  to  the  internet  but  to  other  XOs  as  well,  providing  an  “expanded  school”  that  
grows  beyond  the  walls  of  the  classroom,  enabling  a  dialogue  among  generations,  nations  and  cultures.  
   

;5. Free  and  Open  Software  
As  children  grow  and  pursue  new  ideas,  the  software,  content,  resources  and  tools  should  be  able  to  
grow  with  them.  Children  not  only  participate  in  activities  and  acquire  knowledge;  they  can  create  
activities  and  transfer  knowledge  too,  and  share  it  with  the  entire  global  community.  
 
 

==OLPC  Learning  Strategy  ==


“It’s  an  education  project,  not  a  laptop  project”  
 
OLPC’s  principles  are  based  on  the  learning  theory  of  Constructionism,  which  refers  to  the  concept  of  
“learning  by  doing”.  Seymour  Papert,  a  mathematician,  computer  scientist,  and  educator;  developed  the  
theory  of  Constructionism  built  upon  the  work  of  renown  Swiss  psychologist  of  Jean  Piaget  on  
Constructivism  learning  theories.    
Papert  explained  that  learning  is  most  effective  when  the  learner  is  engaged  in  the  construction  of  a  
meaningful  product,  and  that  technology  can  become  the  tool  for  building  knowledge.  He  made  the  first  
and  most  important  efforts  to  provide  children  with  control  of  new  technologies.  Based  on  his  research  
he  suggests  all  children  should  learn  to  program  the  computer,  because  this  allows  them  to  develop  
unique  skills  that  empower  learners  to  learn  about  the  way  they  learn.  
OLPC’s  philosophy  is  inspired  by  Papert  and  other  progressive  educators  who  share  his  ideas  about  
learning.  We  believe  the  laptop  is  the  agency  to  engage  children  in  constructing  knowledge  based  upon  
their  personal  interests.  The  laptop  provides  children  with  tools  for  sharing  and  critiquing  these  
constructions  which  will  lead  them  to  become  better  learners  and  teachers.    Therefore,  OLPC  does  not  
focus  on  computer  literacy,  as  that  is  a  by-­‐product  of  the  fluency  children  will  gain  through  use  of  the  
laptop  for  learning.    
OLPC  learning  strategy  focuses  on  building:    
• Developing  Digital  Fluency.    This  refers  to  computer  programming  skills  and  to  the  ability  to  
build  things  of  significance  with  technological  tools.  “A  technologically  fluent  person  should  

•
•

be  able  to  go  from  the  germ  of  an  intuitive  idea  to  the  implementation  of  a  
technological  project  (Papert  &  Resnick,  1995)”.  
Reflecting  about  learning,  learning  to  learn  and  thinking  about  self-­‐  learning  strategies.    
Building  learning  and  innovation  skills  in  alignment  to  with  the  21st  Century  Skills:  
• Creativity  and  Innovation  
• Critical  Thinking  and  Problem  Solving  
• Communication  and  Collaboration  

;Software:  The  Sugar  Learning  Platform  
In  accordance  with  the  learning  theory  of  Constructionism  and  OLPC’s  principle  of  Open  Software,  Sugar  
provides  the  appropriate  platform  to  achieve  OLPC’s  learning  strategies  and  mission.  
With  Sugar’s  Activities,  children  engage  in  exploring  knowledge,  in  expressing  themselves  through  
different  media  and  in  computer  programming  skills.    Sugar  promotes  collaborative  learning  through  
Activities  that  encourage  critical  thinking,  collaboration,  and  reflection.      
 

==Introduction  to  Deployment  Guide    ==


This  document  provides  guidelines  for  program  directors  (government  officials,  foundations,  private  
funders,  etc.)  conducting  One  Laptop  per  Child  deployments  on  a  large  scale  to  schools,  cities,  regions,  
or  country  wide.  
This  guide  outlines  key  considerations  to  be  taken  into  account  throughout  the  different  stages  of  a  
deployment.    It  captures  the  knowledge  and  expertise  gained  from  deploying  over  2  million  laptops  
across  more  than  30  countries  around  the  world.    Therefore,  this  document  can  be  adapted  for  each  
new  deployment  according  to  each  country’s  unique  cultural,  economical  and  socio-­‐political  context  and  
in  accordance  with  its  particular  strengths  and  capabilities.  

===Deployment  Phases  Overview  ===
A  deployment  can  be  divided  in  three  main  phases:  Planning  Phase,  Deployment  Phase,  and  Post-­‐
Deployment  Phase.  This  document  is  meant  to  guide  project  managers  through  the  roadmap  towards  a  
successful  deployment,  by  describing  essential  steps,  and  decisions  to  consider,  and  by  suggesting  an  
action  timeline.  
 
<poem>
I.  Planning  
Phase  

II.  Deployment  
Phase    

III.  Post-­‐
Deployment  
Phase    

 Financing  
Approaches  

Seeng  
Logisfcs  

 Feasibility  
Study  

Seeng    
Core  Team    

Confnued  
Teacher  
Training  and  
Support    

Seeng  Local  
Infrastructure    

Extracurricular  
Environments  

Purchase  
Agreement  and  
Ordering  Process    

Preparing  
Schools  and  
Community    

Laptop  
Distribu[on    

Maintenance  
and  repairs  
</poem>


 

== Project  Implementation    ==
 
An  OLPC  project  has  a  direct  impact  on  children  and  their  learning  outcomes.  Other  actors  that  are  
equally  impacted  by  the  project  are  the  school  systems  (especially  teachers),  families,  and  communities  
as  a  whole.  It  is  important  to  consider  all  of  these  actors  when  defining  objectives  and  implementation  
strategies.  Various  domains  must  be  included  in  such  strategies  in  order  to  ensure  sustainability  of  the  
project.  The  pyramid  below  illustrates  the  hierarchy  of  these  domains.  
The  base  of  the  pyramid  is  infrastructure,  which  refers  to  providing  access  not  only  to  the  laptop,  but  
also  to  the  electrical  grid  (or  other  alternative  power  source),  to  the  Internet,  and  to  school  servers.  
Without  this  base,  movement  towards  the  top  of  the  pyramid  will  be  very  difficult  and  will  limit  the  
outcomes  expected  to  be  achieved  with  the  project.  The  top  tier  refers  to  two  types  of  assessments.  
Assessments  of  the  first  type  measure  the  project’s  impact,  including  student  learning  and  other  
objectives,  such  as  social  effect  and  school  improvement.  Assessments  of  the  second  type  identify  areas  
for  improvement  of  project  implementation.  The  elements  of  the  pyramid  are  meant  to  be  in  a  constant  
cycle  where  the  top  always  gives  feedback  to  the  rest  of  the  domains.  

<poem>
Community  
Teacher  

Student  
 
Assessment  
Learning  
Environments:  
Formal,  Non-­‐Formal,  
Informal  

Teacher  training  

Community  Awareness  

Technical  Support  and  Maintenance  

Infrastructure:  Power  and  Connec[vity  
</poem>

====Core  Team  ====
For  successful  implementation  of  the  OLPC  project,  we  highly  recommended  deployments  to  recruit  and  
build  a  local  team  with  skills  in:  managerial,  logistics,  technical,  and  educational  fields.    The  term  we  use  
to  refer  to  this  team  is  the  “Core  Team”.  This  team  will  serve  as  the  interface  between  the  project  and  
OLPC.  
 
We  advise  hiring  a  project  manager  with  experience  in:  project  and  budget  planning,  external  relations  
and  communication.  This  manager  is  expected  to  plan  and  coordinate  operations,  as  well  as  to  supervise  
the  different  departments  involved  in  the  project.  In  addition  to  managerial  skills  it  is  preferable  that  the  
potential  manager  has  a  background  in  technical  and/or  educational  fields.    The  project  manager  should  
take  on  the  selection  of  the  core  team  members  he  will  manage.  The  following  organizational  chart  for  
the  Core  Team  is  recommended:  
 
Project  
Manager  

Logistics  
Manager  

Technical  
Manager  

Learning  
Manager  

Technical  
Team  

Learning  
Team  

 
 
For  large  deployments  (>50,000  units)  we  consider  a  vital  requirement  to  comply  with  all  members  
mentioned  in  the  organizational  chart.  Local  leaders  should  be  hired  as  educational/learning  and  
technical  managers  to  coordinate  matters  related  to  their  area  of  expertise.  A  logistics  coordinator  
should  be  in  charge  of  laptop  storage,  inventory  and  spare  parts  management.    For  smaller  deployments  
(<2,500  units)  the  logistics  manager’s  tasks  can  be  performed  by  the  technical  and/or  the  project  
manager.    
 
 

The  following  chart  provides  additional  information  on  the  responsibilities  and  required  skills  of  the  Core  
Team  members:  

<poem>  
Team  
Project  
Management    

;Areas  of  expertise  

;Responsibilities  

Project  planning  
Budget  planning  
External  relations  
Communication  
 

;Logistics  

Customs  
Inventory  Management  

;Technical  

Linux,  open  source  software    
 Maintenance  and  Repair  of  
Laptops    
Maintenance  of  LAN  
Telco  engineers  for  school  server  
and  inventory  systems  
System  administrators  
Software  localization  

Institution  of  project  
policies      
Creation,  Supervision  and  
Support  of  Technical  and  
Educational  Local  Teams    
Community  Awareness  
and  Public  Relations  
Laptop  Distribution  
Planning  
Project  Monitoring  
Evaluation  Reports  
Build  relations  and  
agreements  with  
community  leaders  
and/or  governmental    
institutions  
 
Laptop  storage  and  
inventory  management  
Spare  parts  management  
Software  
Hardware  
Connectivity  
Collaboration  with  local  
service  providers  to  get  
appropriate  power  or  
networking  infrastructure  
in  place  
Maintenance  and  repair  
of  machines  and  school  
servers    
Administration  of  
security  system    
Build-­‐up  of  technical  
capacity  at  school  level     
 

;Learning  

Teaching    
Curriculum  Planning  and  
Development  
Ability  to  work  with  teachers  and  
students  
Demonstrated  leadership    

Teacher  Training  and  on-­‐
going  teacher  support  
Content  development  for  
software  
Development  of    
pedagogical    materials  for  
teachers  and  schools    
Development  of  ongoing  
educational  programs      
</poem>

== OLPC  Support  Strategy  ==  

One  Laptop  Per  Child  provides  assistance  throughout  the  different  stages  of  a  deployment,  focusing  on  
three  major  types  of  support:  Operational,  Educational,  and  Technical.    
 
OLPC  believes  building  local  capacity  in  both  educational  and  technical  fields  is  the  key  to  self-­‐sustained  
deployments  and  to  the  fostering  of  local  project  ownership.    OLPC  strategy  entails  pre-­‐deployment  
training  of  core  team  and  ongoing  remote  post-­‐deployment  support  (via  email,  phone,  or  chats)  
dependent  on  the  needs  of  the  project.    
 
OLPC  provides  free  support  to  projects  of  any  size.  For  projects  with  orders  larger  than  25,000  units,  
OLPC  sends  Educational  and  Technical  Support  staff  to  the  country  of  deployment  for  one  week  of  
comprehensive  technical  and  educational  training.  This  also  applies  to  smaller  orders  (5,000+  units)  that  
have  the  potential  for  significant  growth  in  a  short  period  of  time.  For  projects  exceeding  50,000  units,  
the  initial  training  can  be  extended  to  two  weeks  with  2  additional  week-­‐long  training  sessions  within  a  
12  month  period.    
 
Follow-­‐up  visits  to  a  country  are  on  per  request  basis;  additional  educational  training  can  be  provided  2-­‐
3  times  per  year  after  the  initial  training.  In-­‐country  training  costs  (excluding  facilities  and  supplies)  are  
covered  by  OLPC,  although  sponsors  typically  provide  suitable  lodging  for  OLPC  staff.  In  certain  
particularly  challenging  environments  can  OLPC  provide  full-­‐time  in-­‐country  staff,  including  project  
managers,  technical  directors  and  learning  directors.  The  costs  of  this  level  of  OLPC  service  are  
negotiated  at  the  time  of  the  request.  
 
;OLPC  Operations  Support    
OLPC  offers  direct  support  to  funders  and  project  managers  during  the  planning  phase  of  deployment  
when  strategic  decisions  related  to  financing,  legal  agreements,  and  ordering  processes  need  to  be  
taken.  OLPC  offers  ongoing  support  to  the  logistics  department  of  core  team  in  regards  to  supply-­‐chain  
management.  

;OLPC  Educational  Development  Support    
Once  a  project  is  officially  established,  OLPC  facilitates  workshops  for  core  teams  to  develop  an  
understanding  of  the  XO  as  a  learning  tool.  OLPC  provides  guidance  in  the  process  of  defining  a  support  
structure  for  schools  or  learning  centers.  OLPC  provides  ongoing  support  throughout  the  different  
teacher  training  phases  of  a  deployment  and  for  educational  content  development.  

;OLPC  Technical  Development  Support    
OLPC  also  focuses  on  building  local  capacity  in  technical  aspects  such  as:  setting  local  infrastructure  and  
connectivity;  and  all  other  responsibilities  regarding  software,  hardware,  maintenance  and  repairs  of  
machines.  
 

;Volunteers  and  Internship  Programs  
Another  support  strategy  from  OLPC  entails  Volunteer  and  Internship  programs.  During  the  months  of  
June,  July  and  August,  OLPC  launches  internship  programs  for  students  of  recognized  universities  in  
different  countries.  The  objective  of  the  programs  is  for  interns  to  work  closely  with  the  core  team  and  
to  provide  support  in  different  areas  of  the  projects  depending  on  their  backgrounds  and  areas  of  study.  
 

== I. Planning  Phase  ==
The  planning  phase  initiates  with  the  idea  of  starting  a  project  with  One  Laptop  Per  Child  and  concludes  
once  an  order  is  placed  with  the  manufacturer.  OLPC  provides  assistance  to  sponsors  in  making  the  
decisions  necessary  during  this  phase,  and  in  defining  actions  required  in  accordance  with  the  objectives  
of  the  program.  During  the  planning  phase,  sponsors  can  get  a  better  understanding  of  the  elements  
involved  in  various  stages  of  deployment,  including  human,  technical,  and  financial  aspects.  The  
elements  included  in  the  planning  phase  are:  consideration  of  possible  financing  approaches,  a  
feasibility  study,  and  a  purchasing  agreement  followed  by  an  order  for  laptops.      
 

===Financing  Approaches  ===

In  considering  a  deployment  with  OLPC,  project  sponsors  typically  take  one  of  following  three  
approaches:  

1. Geographic  Focus  
With  the  geographic  approach,  a  project  sponsor  selects  a  particular  region  that  is  of  interest  to  them.  
Such  region  can  be  a  country,  state,  city  or  community.  A  multi-­‐city  approach  is  not  recommended  as  it  
leads  to  less  efficient  use  of  infrastructure  and  administration,  reducing  the  number  of  children  reached.  
With  the  region  selected,  a  project  sponsor  should  be  able  to  determine  the  number  of  students,  
teachers  and  schools  in  that  region.  The  number  of  schools  with  electricity  and  Internet  connectivity  
should  also  be  determined.  With  these  five  pieces  of  information,  a  sponsor  can  use  the  feasibility  
model  in  the  appendix  to  determine  the  annual  budget  for  the  project  and  decide  whether  a  phased  
approach  is  necessary  given  possible  budget  constraints.  

2. Budget  Constraints  
Many  project  sponsors  come  to  OLPC  with  a  country  selected  and  a  fixed  budget  to  support  a  project.  
Within  2-­‐4  hours  working  with  OLPC,  a  sponsor  can  determine  the  number  of  students  that  can  be  
benefited  by  the  project.  For  this  process  to  work  efficiently,  the  following  information  is  required:  

<poem>
• Average  number  of  students  per  school  
• Average  number  of  teachers  per  school  
• %  of  schools  with  electrification  
• %  of  schools  with  Internet  connectivity  
</poem>
 
3. Political  or  social  objectives  
Some  sponsors  view  an  OLPC  project  as  a  means  of  achieving  political  or  social  change.  For  example,  the  
government  of  Uruguay  undertook  their  project  CEIBAL  as  a  way  of  fostering  social  inclusion.  This  
approach  does  not  present  a  challenge  for  OLPC;  in  fact,  it  often  leads  to  the  development  of  a  project  
strategy  far  quicker  than  either  of  the  other  two  approaches.  With  the  use  of  the  feasibility  model  and  
the  four  pieces  of  information  outlined  in  the  Fixed  Budget  approach,  any  politically-­‐  or  socially-­‐  
oriented  project  can  be  translated  into  a  budget  and  the  number  of  laptops  to  be  deployed.  

 

 

====Key  Assumptions  ====
It  is  important  for  a  sponsor  to  understand  certain  key  assumptions  about  the  costs  involved  in  carrying  
out  a  project:  
It  is  recommended  that  full-­‐time  staff  with  no  other  responsibilities  manage  a  deployment.  
Ideally,  a  new  company/foundation  or  government  agency  is  formed  to  undertake  the  
responsibility.  While  such  an  approach  may  add  to  the  cost,  OLPC  believes  that  the  cost  is  more  
than  offset  by  the  improved  effectiveness  of  management.  This  approach  also  leads  to  a  healthy  
separation  of  day-­‐to-­‐day  management  from  politics  in  government-­‐sponsored  projects.    
Pedagogical  staff  is  the  key  to  a  successful  deployment,  both  initially  and  thereafter.  
Consequently,  the  staffing  budget  provides  for  each  school  to  be  visited  at  least  once  a  month  
after  initial  training  to  reinforce  training  and  improve  teacher  skills.  Significant  expenses  are  also  
incurred  through  network  and  connectivity  management  at  the  school  level  and  through  
maintenance  of  the  portals  that  serve  students,  parents,  teachers  and  the  community.  
It  is  recommended  that  a  project  has  a  call  center  to  provide  help  desk  and  technical  support  to  
students,  teachers  and  parents.  These  centers  also  manage  the  repair  process  for  inoperable  
units.  A  budget  for  spare  parts  based  on  historical  statistics  is  included  in  the  model.  Necessity  
of  repairs  may  vary  depending  on  the  student  usage  of  the  laptops.    
The  cost  of  electricity  and  connectivity  is  highly  dependent  on  the  country  of  the  deployment  
and  service  availability.  The  model  is  designed  to  provide  for  solutions  in  any  environment  from  
no  available  services  for  electricity  and  connectivity  to  a  full  complement  of  services  similar  to  
the  U.S.  and  any  alternative  in  between.  A  detailed  survey  by  school  conducted  by  trained  
professionals  improves  the  accuracy  of  the  model  greatly.  The  most  likely  factor  to  be  
overlooked  is  the  increase  in  electricity  consumption  at  schools  after  the  computers  are  
delivered  to  the  children.  
A  significant  additional  cost  for  the  computers  may  be  import  duties  and  taxes.  OLPC  does  not  
offer  legal  and  tax  advice  and  does  not  participate  in  schemes  aimed  at  reducing  or  avoiding  
taxes  and  duties.  Determination  of  applicable  expenses  for  such  items  is  the  responsibility  of  the  
sponsor.  OLPC  does  provide  estimated  costs  for  freight  and  insurance  and  typically  quotes  the  
laptop  price  as  CIF.  Given  that  OLPC  has  much  greater  experience  arranging  ocean  freight  from  
China  (through  DHL)  than  most  project  sponsors,    It  is  recommended  that  the  sponsor  allow  
OLPC  to  do  it.  OLPC  does  not  markup  freight  and  insurance.    
==== Financial  Assumptions  ====
The  following  table  offers  a  breakdown  of  the  costs  associated  with  executing  a  project.  The  first  group  
of   assumptions   refers   to   non-­‐recurring   costs   such   as   hardware,   shipping,   and   electrical   setup   (if  
necessary).  The  second  group  includes  recurring  costs  such  as  monthly  operating  costs  and  salaries  for  
employees.  


=== Feasibility  study ===

The  feasibility  study  can  provide  data  for  enhanced  decision-­‐making  and    budgeting  purposes.    It  is  
recommended  that  project  sponsors  perform  this  study  in  order  to  have  a  better  understanding  of  the  
target  population  and  local  infrastructure.  After  financing  approaches  and  program  objectives  have  been  
delineated,  other  elements  should  be  analyzed  before  moving  on.    
The  school  (or  education  center)  selection  process  should  be  based  on  the  objectives  of  the  program  
such  as  saturation  based  on  grade  levels,  saturation  based  on  region  or  district,  or  saturation  based  on  
specialized  programs.  Having  schools  involved  from  the  early  stages  can  drive  school  leaders  to  a  
positive  response  towards  the  program  and  can  facilitate  project  ownership  at  the  school  level.      

<poem>
A  feasibility  study  should  include:    
• School  surveys  
• Power  and  connectivity  status    
• Allocation  of  laptops  (warehouse  and  distribution  process)  
• Human  resources  (program  implementation)  
</poem>

Once  the  schools  are  selected,  a  school  survey  should  collect  information  including  the  number  of  
classrooms,  students,  teachers,  and  administrators.  It  is  important  to  keep  in  mind  the  accessibility  of  
schools  when  planning  the  distribution  of  laptops  and  spare  parts,  as  well  as  when  designing  the  support  
and  supervision  structures  of  the  program.  
Moreover,  an  assessment  of  power,  infrastructure  and  connectivity  at  individual  schools  should  be  
made  as  part  of  the  feasibility  study.  The  results  of  the  assessment  should  be  used  to  revise  plans  in  
terms  of  timelines  and  costs,  and  to  mitigate  any  gaps  in  school  readiness.  The  assessment  should  
include  availability  of  grid  power  (or  alternative  sources  such  as  generators  or  solar  panels)  and  power  
capacity  (in  watts),  availability  of  sockets  within  each  classroom,  number  of  school  servers  needed,  and  
internet  availability  (DSL,  VSAT,  or  GSM).  
 
The  following  equation  can  be  used  to  estimate  the  power  requirements  for  each  school.  (The  Watt-­‐
hours  are  dependent  on  how  long  the  children  are  in  school,  whether  or  not  they  are  charging  their  
batteries  while  they  are  working,  and  how  many  hours  per  day  the  school  server  and  connectivity  are  
operational.)  
 

<poem>
Number  of  XOs    

x  Charges  per  
Day  

x  Days  of  
Operation  

x  XO  Charging   ÷  Convert  to  
at  High  Use  
Kilo    

=  Total  Power  
kWh  

100  XOs  

x  1  charge  per  
day  

x  310  Days  

x  47  Wh  

=  1458  kWh  

16  

÷  1000    
</poem>

 

The  total  energy  required  to  operate  100  laptops  and  a  school  server  over  an  eight  hour  period  is  
approximately  570  Watts  times  8  hours,  or  4560  Watt-­‐hours.  If,  for  example,  this  energy  was  to  be  
generated  and  stored  over  the  course  of  a  two  hour  period,  roughly  11,400  Watts  of  generating  capacity  
would  be  needed    to  feed  a  battery  system  with  adequate  storage  capacity,  assuming  80%  efficiency.    
 
;Solar  Panels
If  the  location  of  deployment  is  remote  and  isolated,  and  no  electrical  power  is  available,  solar  panels  
can  be  an  alternative  solution.  Panels  of  10  and  15  Watt  solar-­‐panel  solutions  are  compatible  with  the  
XO.  The  10W  panel  at  full  output  will  fully  charge  a  drained  battery  in  just  under  three  hours  if  the  
laptop  is  turned  off.  If  the  laptop  is  running,  then  full  sun  with  the  10W  panel  will  provide  enough  
average  power  to  run  the  laptop  and  slowly  charge  the  battery  (in  about  six  hours).    
 
 

=== Purchase  Agreements  and  Ordering  Process  ===  

This  section  describes  the  customary  process  prior  to  ordering  laptops  which  includes  certain  decisions  
about  the  technical  features  of  the  XO  and  the  related  contractual  agreements.  

;Selecting  your  XO    
The  XO  can  be  manufactured  in  various  forms  to  best  fit  the  local  context  of  the  deployment.  

;Keyboards
XO  laptops  can  be  manufactured  with  a  variety  of  language  for  keyboards.  In  order  for  an  XO  keyboard  
to  be  available,  a  high-­‐resolution  image  of  the  layout  must  be  accessible  and  existing  XO  software  must  
support  the  keyboard  image.OLPC  software  releases  are  designed  to  support  the  International  XO  
keyboard  option.    

;AC  Adapters    
There  are  two  types  of  adaptors  available  brick  or  wall  mount.  The  XO  AC  adapter  has  an  input  of  100-­‐
240  volts  and  is  available  in  3  options:  
∙            2  flat  prong  (US)  
∙            2  round  prong  (EU)  
∙            3  flat  prong  (UK)    
 
;Memory    
The  XO  uses  solid  state  memory  instead  of  a  hard  disk.  This  is  primarily  to  improve  its  robustness  but  
also  to  improve  performance  and  reduce  power  consumption.  The  default  memory  type  is  1GB  of  RAM  
and  4GB  of  Flash.  Depending  on  the  budget  and  usage  requirements,  selection  of  faster  or  bigger  solid  
state  memory  for  the  XO  can  improve  performance  and  storage  capacity.  
 
;Content  and  Custom  Image  
OLPC  has  developed  a  mechanism  whereby  the  collection  of  “activities”  and  content  “bundles”  loaded  
onto  the  laptop  can  be  readily  pre-­‐configured.  It  is  also  reasonably  easy  to  reconfigure  the  XO  in  the  
field.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  the  core  team  to  determine  which  activities  beyond  the  default  set  
distributed  by  OLPC  should  be  included  on  the  laptop.  Everything  provided  on  the  XO,  including  texts,  
dictionaries,  documentation,  etc.,  can  be  localized.    Electronic  books—in  formats  such  as  PDF,  DOC,  
HTML—and  other  media  can  be  pre-­‐loaded  onto  the  laptop  as  a  content  bundle.  Please  ask  OLPC  for  
suggestions  as  to  potentially  useful  materials  and  pre-­‐loaded  content  preparation.  
 
In  addition,  a  deployment  may  choose  to  deploy  computers  with  a  custom  image.  A  custom  image  is  a  
selection  of  XO  activities  designed  by  a  local  deployment  team.  The  option  to  load  a  custom  image  onto  
the  XO  at  the  time  of  manufacturing  depends  on  the  level  of  skill  and  commitment  from  the  project’s  
technical  and  learning  advisors.  There  is  also  a  minimum  order  requirement  for  loading  a  custom  image  
at  the  time  of  manufacturing.  A  custom  image  requires  testing  and  maintenance.  OLPC  provides  projects  
with  the  guidelines  for  this  process;  however,  no  technical  support  can  be  provided  for  custom  images  
as  they  are  designed  by  core  teams.  Sponsors  interested  in  XO  custom  images  should  consult  with  OLPC  
technical  personnel,  who  will  assess    the  project’s  suitability  for  this  option.  If  a  decision  is  reached  to  
load  a  custom  image  at  the  time  of  manufacturing,  the  final  image  must  be  presented  to  OLCP  no  later  
than  4  weeks  prior  to  the  scheduled  XO  production.  

Once  the  XO  is  physically  customized  for  a  particular  country,  it  is  ready  to  be  used.  However,  due  to  the  
different  curricula  and  language  variations  of  each  country,  it  may  be  useful  to  select  specific  activities  
to  install  on  the  XO  as  part  of  a  “custom  build”  and  also  to  review  the  content  available  in  the  local  
language  to  determine  if  any  work  is  necessary  to  create  translations  or  provide  new  content  that  is  
more  culturally  relevant.  This  could  include  the  following:  

<poem>
• Pre-­‐loading  specific  Sugar  Activities  to  support  specific  curricula  needs;  
• Pre-­‐loading  specific  activity  content  such  as  e-­‐books;  
• Browser  bookmarks  to  country  specific  education  websites;  
• Maps;  
• Providing  language  translations  for  Sugar  and  Activities  loaded  on  the  laptop  (so  that  system  
messages,  menus  and  buttons  are  in  the  local  language);  
• Providing  language  translations  for  Activity  content  (so  that  content  within  activities  is  in  the  
local  language,  e.g.  e-­‐books  or  place  names  on  maps);  
• Developing  customized  Sugar  Activities  to  meet  specific  curriculum  needs;  and  
• Developing  custom  content  to  meet  specific  curriculum  or  cultural  needs.  
</poem>
 
The  custom  XO  image  option  requires  a  certain  level  of  skill  and  commitment  from  the  technical  and  
learning  deployment  advisors.  OLPC  will  help  with  the  bundling  process,  but  the  responsibility  for  testing  
the  bundle rests  with  the  in-­‐country  deployment  teams.  

 

;Purchase  Agreement  
OLPC  recognizes  a  binding  commitment  from  a  sponsor  to  a  project  upon  receipt  of  a  signed  purchase  
agreement  and  a  letter  of  credit  in  favor  of  OLPC  for  100%  of  the  value  of  the  laptops.  OLPC  also  accepts  
advance  telex  transfers  of  cash  in  lieu  of  letters  of  credit.    

The  purchase  agreement  includes  five  major  sections:  

1. Detailed  specifications  of  the  laptop  including  the  configuration  of  RAM  and  flash  
memory;  

2. Number  of  laptops  ordered  and  the  price  per  laptop  CIF;  

3. Delivery  schedule  ;  

4. Warranty  terms  and  conditions;  and  

5. Standard  legal  sections  such  as  governing  law  and  dispute  resolution.  

 
For  purchases  of  large  quantities  of  XOs,  OLPC  will  work  on  a  contractual  agreement  detailing  the  terms  
and  conditions  of  the  XO  orders.  OLPC  has  a  contract  template  that  can  be  modified  in  accordance  with  
the  deployment  requirements.  Issues  addressed  in  the  OLPC  contract  include  payment  terms,  warranty,  
letter  of  credit  guidelines,  and  other  topics  pertaining  to  the  XO  procurement  process.  OLPC’s  finance,  
supply  chain,  and  logistics  personnel  work  closely  to  ensure  the  deadlines  and  conditions  set  forth  in  the  
contractual  agreement  are  adhered  to.    

;Payment  &  Inco  terms
The  most  common  payment  option  for  large-­‐scale  XO  orders  is  20%  down  payment  and  80%  payable  by  
transferable  letter  of  credit.  The  OLPC  template  for  issuing  transferable  letters  of  credit  can  be  found  in  
the  OLPC  contract.  OLPC  Finance  personnel  are  committed  to  ensuring  any  finance  issues  pertaining  to  
an  OLPC  purchase  are  addressed  quickly  and  efficiently.  The  Incoterm  used  for  large  quantity  XO  orders  
is  CIF  (cost,  insurance,  and  freight  Incoterms  2010).  The  CIF  term  means  that  the  seller  (OLPC)  is  
responsible  for  the  shipment  and  insurance  costs  from  the  country  of  origin  to  the  port  of  destination.  
The  buyer  of  the  shipment  is  responsible  for  all  costs  associated  with  the  shipment  once  the  goods  are  
delivered  to  the  port  of  destination.    These  costs  include  customs  entry  and  clearance,  entry  duties  and  
taxes,  demurrage  charges,  landing  charges  at  the  importer's  port,  the  unloading  onto  trucks  at  the  
importer's  port  and  the  delivery  to  the  final  destination.    
 
;Warranty  
All  XO  orders  are  shipped  with  an  additional  1%  of  units  in  lieu  of  a  conventional  warranty  program.  
These  units  are  shipped  at  no  extra  cost.  In  addition  to  the  supplemental  units,  OLPC  provides  a  limited  
warranty  in  the  event  of  an  epidemic  failure.  Details  on  this  warranty  can  be  found  in  the  OLPC  contract.    
 
;Local  Duties  and  Taxes

The  local  duties  and  taxes  associated  with  a  shipment  of  XO  laptops  vary  depending  on  the  rules  and  
regulations  of  the  local  customs  authority.  Import  duties  for  laptops  can  be  very  high,  and  may  
reach20%  of  the  commercial  value  in  some  cases.  In  order  to  avoid  such  taxes,  OLPC  recommends  that  

local  teams  research  local  processes  for  tax  exemption  and  seek  such  exemption  whenever  possible.  
Receiving  tax  exemption  on  imported  laptops  for  educational  purposes  may  require  authorization  from  
a  number  of  local  authorities;  gaining  such  authorization  may  take  considerable  planning.  Local  customs  
authorities  should  be  consulted  regarding  the  process  and  time  frame  of  receiving  a  recognized  
exemption.  OLPC  is  able  to  provide  any  documentation  necessary  to  process  an  exemption  request  with  
local  authorities.      
 
;Spare  Parts    
XO  spare  parts  can  be  purchased  in  conjunction  with  an  initial  XO  order  or  at  a  later  date.  OLPC  can  
assist  the  logistics  department  of  team  in  purchasing  spare  parts  from  the  XO  manufacturer.  Spare  parts  
are  available  in  a  range  of  minimum  order  quantities.  If  spare  parts  are  purchased  with  an  initial  order,  
OLPC  can  recommend  specific  parts  and  quantities.      
 
OLPC  logistics  staff  based  in  Miami,  FL  track  each  order  from  receipt  of  the  letter  of  credit  through  the  
delivery  of  computers  to  the  requested  port.  Weekly  status  reports  can  be  provided  to  a  project  
sponsor.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  local  sponsors  to  clear  units  through  local  customs.  Local  sponsors  are  
also  solely  responsible  for  any  and  all  duties,  taxes,  fees  and  other  costs  related  to  freight  forwarding  
services  .  Additionally,local  sponsors    are  responsible  for  all  costs  of  transporting  computers  from  the  
dock  to  the  warehouse.

 

==== XO  Order  Process  and  Lead  Time  ====
In  order  to  minimize  the  end  cost,  OLPC  manufactures  laptops  to  order  and  does  not  maintain  an  
inventory  of  laptops.  Formalizing  the  commitment  to  purchase  XO  laptops  assists  OLPC  in  working  with  
core  team  to  establish  a  deployment  timeline  that  will  lead  to  an  efficient  XO  deployment  experience.  
Upon  receipt  of  payment  (cash  in  advance  or  letter  of  credit),  OLPC  sends  a  purchase  order  to  
manufacturer,  this  takes  1-­‐2  weeks  to  process.  It  normally  takes  12-­‐16  weeks  to  manufacture  the  
laptops.  The  manufacturing  company  has  the  capacity  to  produce  240,000  laptops  per  month  for  OLPC  
although  pre-­‐existing  OLPC  orders  would  normally  reduce  this  capacity.  (Few  projects  are  capable  to  
deal  with  more  than  50,000  laptops  arriving  in  a  single  month.)  OLPC  normally  quotes  6  weeks  for  sea  
shipment  of  the  units.  Shipping  the  laptops  by  air  takes  less  time  from  pick  up  to  delivery  destination.  
However,  airfreight  is  more  costly  and  is  not  recommended.  

The  estimated  transit  time  for  ocean  freight  delivery  is  1-­‐6  weeks  from  the  time  of  XO  availability  at  the  
manufacturer.  When  planning  for  deployment  please  allow  14-­‐24  weeks  from  the  time  of  payment  
issued  to  the  date  in  which  you  can  expect  your  XO  shipments  at  the  designated  port.  OLPC  will  work  
with  your  deployment  team  to  establish  a  proposed  XO  delivery  schedule.  Depending  on  the  XO  order  
quantity,  delivery  can  be  made  in  one  or  multiple  installments.  Issues  to  consider  when  developing  your  
XO  delivery  schedule  should  include:  when  laptops  are  required  for  teacher  training  prior  to  the  
scheduled  roll  out;  time  required  for  local  inventory  systems  to  process  an  XO  delivery;  final  transit  time  
for  XO  delivery  to  their  destination  or  distribution  site;  etc.  This  information  will  assist  OLPC  in  working  
with  core  team  to  establish  an  orderly  and  efficient  XO  delivery  schedule.  

<poem>
Payment  
received  by  
OLPC  

OLPC  places  
Order  to  
Manufacturer  

Laptops  are  
manufactured  

Laptops  are  
shipped  (by  air  
or  ocean)  

Laptops  arrive  
in  country  

 
12-16  weeks  

1-­2  weeks  

 

22   1-­6  weeks  

Total:  14-­24  weeks  
</poem>

 

== II. Deployment  Phase  ==
 

The  deployment  phase  includes  all  events  that  occur  between  laptop  order  placement  with  the  
manufacturer  and  final  distribution  of  XOs  to  schools  and  children.    The  lead  time  provides  a  term  that  
can  be  allotted  to  conclude  recruitment  of  local  team  members  and  to  arrange  technical  and  
educational  training  with  OLPC  for  core  teams.  In  addition,  this  time  can  be  used  to    fulfill  infrastructure  
needs  based  on  the  results  of  the  feasibility  study.  
Warehousing  facilities  should  be  prepared  for  the  arrival  of  laptops,  as  should  be  the  personnel  in  
charge  of  inventory  management  and  the  distribution  process.    
Heads  of  schools,  along  with  administrators,  need  to  be  informed  about  the  goals  and  implications  of  
the  program  from  the  early  stages  of  a  project.  Formal  meetings  with  these  parties  and  with  other  
relevant  members  of  the  school  system  or  political  figures  should  be  organized  toset  up  a  timeline  for  
teacher  training  and  other  activities  at  the  school  level.  
 
Once  laptops  arrive  in  a  country,  the  steps  to  follow  include  setting  up  logistics,  training  the  core  team  
with  OLPC,  setting  up  school  infrastructure,  preparing  schools  and  community,  and  rolling  out  laptops.  


Seeng  
Logisfcs  

Seeng    
Core  Team    

Seeng  Local  
Infrastructure    

Preparing  
Schools  
and  
Community    

Laptop  
Distribution     

 

=== Setting  Logistics  ===
The  logistics  department  of  core  team  is  responsible  for  managing  the  local  logistics  process  once  the  
shipment  is  delivered  to  the  port  of  destination.  This  logistics  manager  will  be  responsible  for  facilitating  
the  customs  clearance  process  and  local  delivery  of  the  shipment  to  its  final  destination.  An  efficient  and  
speedy  logistics  process  is  not  only  important  to  maintain  the  proposed  deployment  schedule,  but  also  it  
is  also  vital  in  order  to  avoid  any  charges  or  fees  which  may  be  applied  to  the  shipment  if  there  is  a  delay in  customs  clearance  or  unloading  at  the  port  of  destination.    
 
Once  the  laptops  arrive  in  a  country,  clear  customs  and  arrive  at  a  sponsor  warehouse,  there  are  three  
key  tasks  that  need  to  be  performed:  

1. The  laptops  need  to  be  individually  inspected  for  damage  suffered  during  transit,  and  any  
insurance  claims  need  to  be  prepared  

2. The  laptops  may  need  to  be  loaded  with  the  latest  version  of  the  operating  system  and  any  local  
content,  if  there  have  been  changes  to  the  software  since  the  units  were  shipped.  This  
procedure  also  serves  as  confirmation  that  the  computers  are  in  working  order  and  are  ready  
for  students  and  teachers  

3. The  laptop  serial  numbers  should  be  entered  into  the  inventory  management  system  along  with  
the  identification  numbers  of  each  student  and  teacher.  This  procedure  provides  the  basic  
information,  which  is  then  updated  to  reflect  repair  history,  laptop  transfers,  or  replacements.  
 

====Warehousing    ====
When  developing  plans  for  local  storage  of  XOs,  it  is  important  to  consider  the  security  of  storage  
facilities,  impact  of  weather  on  stored  XOs,  and  possible  insurance  coverage  required.  
Final  delivery  of  XOs  to  schools  or  distribution  sites  should  be  planned  and  budgeted  for.  If  additional  
containers  or  trucking  is  needed  to  transport  the  laptops  to  their  final  destination,  it  is  important  to  
budget  for  such  costs.  The  OLPC  Operations  department  can  provide  information  on  packing  dimensions  
and  any  other  packing  concerns.    
Local  warehousing  enables  stocks  of  laptops  to  be  stored  for  configuration  while  the  logistics  
infrastructure  is  prepared  for  laptop  roll  out.  Strategic  placement  of  regional  warehouses  can  reduce  the  
cost  of  logistics  and  improve  efficiency  of  laptop  repair  and  replacement.    
 
 

==== Laptop  Distribution  Plan  ====
In  the  experience  of  OLPC,  most  sponsors  can  only  distribute  a  maximum  of  60,000  machines  per  
month.  Machines  are  typically  distributed  by  third  party  companies,  the  military,  or  multi-­‐lateral  relief  
agencies  such  as  the  World  Food  organization.  These  organizations  have  extensive  experience  in  secure  
logistics.  In  many  countries,  one  thousand  laptops  is  a  high  value  target  for  theft,  and  security  should  be  
a  primary  concern  in  selecting  a  logistics  company.  Any  celebratory  events  should  be  timed  to  match  the  
arrival  of  computers  at  schools  (which  should  coincide  with  the  availability  of  Internet).  
OLPC’s  experience  shows  that  the  best  distribution  plan  is  to  start  with  easiest  areas  first,  unless  there  
are  political  considerations.  Starting  in  the  easiest  areas  allows  for  any  last  minute  changes  in  plan  to  be  
identified  and  implemented.  Staff  also  learns  faster  when  they  can  focus  on  the  simpler  installations  and  
do  not  have  to  install  solar  equipment  or  satellite  earth  stations.  

====Spare  Parts  Management    ====
Spare  parts  management  is  an  often  overlooked  but  key  part  of  a  successful  ongoing  deployment.  
Machines  break  as  a  result  of  use  by  kids;      historically,  repairs  are  higher  in  areas  with  the  poorest  
children.  Not  surprisingly,  these  students  lack  experience  with  consumer  electronics  and  the  proper  care  
and  treatment  of  computers.    A  project  should  plan  for  the  receipt  of  a  spare  parts  inventory  within  6-­‐9  
months  of  the  laptops  reaching  the  children.  Up  until  that  time,  the  1%  of  surplus  units  shipped  with  
every  order  should  be  sufficient  to  handle  repairs.  OLPC  logistics  staff  can  provide  advice  on  how  to  
determine  the  composition  of  the  initial  repair  order;  with  time,  the  project  should  be  placing  spare  
parts  orders  based  on  actual  data.  
 

==== Baseline  study  ====
Prior  to  starting  a  deployment  it  is  advisable  to  have  on  record  data  that  describes  the  scenario  where  
the  project  will  be  implemented.  The  project  manager  and  the  core  team  can  work  in  conjunction  with  
evaluation  experts  or  academic/research  institutions  to  design  an  evaluation  framework  capable  of  
measuring  the  project’s  impact  in  relation  to  the  objectives  expected  to  achieve.  The  design  has  to  be  
aligned  with  measures  of  students  learning,  therefore  a  careful  analysis  of  indicators  and  tools  need  to  
be  conducted.  
The  baseline  information  can  serve  as  a  valuable  starting  point  to  better  understand  the  community  
involved  in  the  project,  and  can  even  lead  to  formulation  of  objectives  that  stakeholders  wish  to  
achieve.  It  also  grants  the  ability  to  measure  the  impact  of  a  project,  because  it  allows  researchers  to  
statistically  analyze  and  compare  baseline  data  with  data  collected  throughout  the  years  of  a  project’s  
implementation.  
The  goals  and  expected  outcomes  of  the  program  should  be  the  criteria  for  selecting  the  type  of  data  to  
collect  as  a  baseline.  Institutional  data  can  measure  changes  in  school  attendance,  school  enrollment  
rates,  and  drop-­‐out  rates.  Measures  of  social  and  behavioral  impact  can  include  surveys  or  
questionnaires  related  to  attitudes,  motivations,  and  opinions  from  parents,  students  and  community  
members  about  the  project  itself  or  about  students’  learning.    
Students’  performance  can  be  measured  by  standardized  local  or  national  exams.  Traditional  exams  fail  
to  evaluate  new  skills  that  students  develop  as  they  incorporate  technology  into  their  learning.  New  
dimensions  of  learning  need  to  be  assessed,  such  as  problem-­‐solving  skills,  critical  thinking,  
management  of  multiple  sources  of  information,  the  capacity  for  reflection,  communication  using  
multiple  means  (visual,  auditory,  interactive,  etc.),    individual  and  team  work  skills,  and  self-­‐learning  
abilities;  more  complex  dimensions  include  agency  (Carlson  &  Earls,  2001)  and  effectiveness  of  children  
and  young  people  at  making  significant  changes  to  the  environment  in  which  they  live  (Kamo,  N.  et  al.,  
2008).  are.  Deployments  are  encouraged  to  explore  innovative  ways  of  measuring  student  learning,  and  
to  attempt  documenting  and  measuring  new  learning  dimensions.    
 
===Setting  Core  Team    ===
 

As  we  have  explained  in  previous  sections  of  this  guide,  the  Core  Team  refers  to  the  local  team  in  charge  
of  implementing  different  domains  of  a  deployment.  In  this  section  we  will  focus  on  the  technical  and  
learning  teams.  Their  work  is  crucial  for  a  successful  implementation  of  a  deployment;  the  members  
need  to  be  carefully  recruited  and  supported  financially  and  proactively  for  the  duration  of  the  program.  
At  this  point  of  the  deployment  phase  it  is  crucial  to  have  established  the  Core  Team.  
 
The  size  of  these  teams  will  depend  on  the  number  of  units  for  the  deployment.    Although  technical  and  
learning  teams  both  focus  on  very  different  areas,  the  ideal  situation  is  that  they  constantly  work  as  one  
team,  communicating  plans,  challenges,  and  updates  on  a  very  regular  basis.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  
the  project  manager  to  facilitate  the  relationship  these  teams  will  institute.    It  is  essential  to  provide  
constant  guidance  to  the  core  team  by  someone  with  the  appropriate  area  of  expertise.  Having  a  
manager  for  each  team  is  deeply  advisable.  These  managers  should  maintain  constant  communication  
with  OLPC  technical  and  learning  teams.  
 
OLPC  will  facilitate  a  strategic  workshop  with  the  core  team  to:  

1. Build  capacity  in  managing  the  XO,  its  activities  and  its  uses  as  a  learning  tool.  

2. Build  capacity  in  setting  up  infrastructure,  connectivity  and  other  technical  requirements  at  school  
or  community  level.  

3. Determine  the  support  structure  (for  technical  and  pedagogical  aspects)  that  will  run  from  the  core  
team  to  the  school  or  learning  center.  

4. Determine  and  assist  in  the  strategies  for  initial  and  ongoing  teacher  training,  and  in  the  
development  of  content  for  schools  and  teachers.  

5. Define  strategies  to  integrate  community  and  family  members  in  the  project.  
 
The  duration  of  the  workshop  can  vary  between  several  days  to  several  weeks.  This  will  depend  on  the  
characteristics  of  the  project:  deployment  size  (amount  of  laptops,  scaling  and  distribution  plan),  core  
team  (background  and  size),  project  location,  project  objectives,  and  infrastructure  status.  The  duration  
will  also  depend  on  the  agreements  reached  during  the  planning  phase  with  project  manager  and  OLPC,  
and  on  the  specific  contextual  needs  of  the  project.  The  content  and  activities  of  this  initial  workshop  
also  vary  depending  on  the  needs  and  experience  of  the  participants.  However,  the  
approach/methodology  and  some  content  are  common  to  all  workshops  for  they  revolve  around  the  
same  principles  we  advocate:  learn  by  doing,  by  constructing,  by  collaborating,  and  by  reflecting.    
 
We  highly  recommend  the  learning  and  technical  managers  of  core  team  to  start  discussing  content,  
length  and  timing  of  this  workshop  with  enough  time  with  OLPC  through  online  webinars.  This  will  allow  
OLPC  and  deployment  to  define  the  details  of  workshop  and  for  the  core  team  to  advance  in  necessary  
preparations  prior  to  training.  
 
====OLPC  training  description====

The  goals  of  the  OLPC  learning  workshop  can  include:  

<poem>
• To  develop  an  understanding  of  the  OLPC  Learning  Theory  and  Pedagogy.    
• To  provide  a  hands  on  experience  of  the  Sugar  Learning  Platform.  
• To  enable  core  team  to  use  the  XO  in  effective  learning  strategies  through  construction,  
expression,  and  collaboration.  
• To  integrate  1:1  computing  to  curriculum  and  to  informal  learning  environments.  
• To  evaluate  learning  within  1:1  computing  environments.  
Some  technical  contents  of  the  workshop  can  be  covered  simultaneously  with  learning  team  and  
technical  team,  while  other  advanced  topics  should  be  covered  separately  with  technical  team.  
The  goals  of  the  OLPC  technical  workshop  can  include:  
• Basic  Software  and  Hardware  troubleshooting  
• Create  and  use  USB  Re-­‐flash  stick    
• Connecting  and  registering  to  School  Server  
• Configuring  Access  Point.    
• Installing  and  configuring  School  Server  
• Defining  a  tech  support  strategy    
• Defining  a  maintenance  and  repair  strategy  wide  scale  and  school  based  
</poem>


The  following  agenda  is  a  sample  of  the  topics  usually  covered  during  a  1  week  workshop  with  Core  
Team:    

<poem>
Day   Topic/Activity  

1
2
3
4
5

Welcome  and  introduction    
OLPC  Overview:  Principles,  Mission,  Philosophy    
OLPC  Pedagogic  Model:  Constructionism  
Readings  and  Reflections:  Children,  learning,  and  computers  
Hands-­‐on:  Overview  of  tools  available  in  the  XO    
Introduction  to  the  XO:  Hardware  and  Software.  
Introduction  to  Logo  and  Turtle  Art  Activity  
Create  and  use  Reflash  stick  
Basic  Hardware  troubleshooting    
Using  the  XO  as  a  learning  tool  
Programming  Activities  on  the  XO:  Scratch    
Collaboration  and  learning  networks  
Basic  Software  troubleshooting  
Project  implementation:  Building  teams  for  successful  deployments  
Community  and  school  preparations  
Developing  local  capacity:  Teacher  training    
Curriculum,  content  and  materials  in  1-­‐to-­‐1  environments  
Experiencing  project  based  learning:  Elaborating  projects  using  the  XO  
Presentation  of  projects  
Integrating  families  and  other  community  members  
Power  and  connectivity  
Assessment  and  metrics  
Q&As  
</poem>

 

The  workshop  is  a  hands  –on  experience  that  will  not  only  enable  participants  to  become  familiar  with  
technical  and  pedagogical    aspects  of  the  project,  but  also  enable  them  to  reflect  on  the  strategies  that  
should  be  defined  in  the  schools  or  learning  centers.    
 
OLPC  offers  follow  up  workshops  that  can  be  performed  several  months  after  deployment  is  operating  
or  once  the  core  team  has  acquired  the  basic  experience,  knowledge,  and  skills  that  benefit  their  
deployment.  This  option  of  workshop  can  instead  be  performed  during  an  initial  training  with  OLPC  if  
participants  already  demonstrate  an  advanced  level  of  skills.  Another  option  for  follow  up  trainings  
consists  on  specialized  workshops  that  focus  on  a  specific  topic  of  interest  to  the  core  team  and  to  
developed  additional  and  specialized  skills.  Finally,  OLPC  offers  Regional  Workshops  to  address  needs  
common  to  a  specific  region.  For  this  OLPC  selects  a  strategic  location  that  will  allow  participants  from  
multiple  deployments  to  attend.  
 
The  following  are  examples  of  advanced  workshop  for  Core  Team:    

<poem>
Topic/Activity   Description  

Developing  programming  and  debugging  skills  such  that  participants  can  
mentor  students  in  advanced  project  development.    

Involves  demonstrating  in-­‐depth  skills  in  activities  such  as:  
Etoys,  Python  Programming.  
The  use  of  sensors  and  other  robotics  platform  with  the  XO  incorporated  into  
Robotics    
project  development.    
Sugar  Community   Participants  make  contributions  to  the  Sugar  community  by  designing  materials  
or  Sugar  Activities  for  a  local  content  or  for  the  global  Sugar  community.  
Develop  a  collection  of  advanced  and  innovative  Lesson  Plans  aligned  with  the  
Curriculum  
local  curriculum.    
Development  
Programming  
and  Debugging  
</poem>

 

====Content  Development  ====

Another  recommended  strategy  for  core  teams  to  implement  is  the  development  of  content  for  
communities  and  schools.  The  following  documents  are  examples  of  such  content:  
a) How-­‐to  Guides  for  different  uses  of  the  laptop    
b) Ideas  for  projects  that  correspond  to  specific  topics,  which  might  be  of  interest  and/or  relevance  
in  the  environment  where  students  and  teachers  live.  
c) Lesson  plans  that  show  how  to  use  different  Sugar  Activities  when  teaching  different  parts  of  
the  national  curriculum  
 

We  recommend  the  establishment  of  an  initial  library  of  projects  that  will  help  teachers  to  integrate  the  
computer  into  their  teaching  practice  while  motivating  them  to  create  their  own  projects,  focusing  on  
the  training  approach  described  in  the  previous  section.  It  may  be  that  each  teacher  uses  the  computer  
in  their  individual  class,  or  that  teachers  from  different  areas  come  together  to  design  joint  projects.  
Either  way,  this  approach  will  help  make  explicit  the  concepts  that  the  projects  integrate  and  promote,  
highlighting  especially  those  concepts  that  one  can  "manipulate"  and  understand  by  using  the  laptop,  
but  which  would  be  more  difficult,  or  nearly,  impossible,  with  pen  and  paper.  


===Setting  Local  Infrastructure  ===  
 
Prior  to  the  arrival  of  laptops,  the  technical  members  of  core  team  should  evaluate,  setup,  test,  and  hold  
responsibility  for  the  network  and  power  infrastructure  at  schools  and/or  other  community  centers.  
OLPC  can  begin  supporting  the  core  team  before  in-­‐country  training  takes  place,  thru  online  webinars  or  
chats.  During  the  OLPC  in-­‐country  visit  the  hands-­‐on  training  takes  place,  and  the  core  team  should  be  
prepared  for  setting  up  the  local  infrastructure.  OLPC  will  continue  to  support  the  technical  teams  online  
after  the  in-­‐country  training  has  concluded.  
 
;Power  
The  electrical  infrastructure  of  schools  has  to  be  evaluated  according  to  power  demand  generated  by  XO  
laptops,  servers,  and  other  devices.  If  the  infrastructure  is  inadequate,  it  needs  to  be  upgraded.  
 
;Connectivity  
Although  the  OLPC  ecosystem  provides  a  self-­‐configuring  local-­‐area  wireless  network,  connectivity  to  
the  Internet  needs  to  set  up  separately.  OLPC  can  assist  in  the  planning  and  integration  of  a  laptop  
network  into  a  national  infrastructure.  OLPC  staff  has  experience  with  VSAT,  DSL,  etc.  that  it  is  happy  to  
share.  Many  of  the  in-­‐country  teams  have  even  more  experience,  especially  in  regard  to  rural  
deployments.  Sharing  best  practices  is  in  everyone’s  interests.  As  with  the  laptop  deployment,  
connectivity  cannot  happen  everywhere  at  once.  A  phased  effort  carried  out  ahead  of  the  laptop  
deployment  is  ideal.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  wireless  mesh  network  provides  local  “Ethernet”-­‐like  
connectivity  without  any  additional  infrastructure.  

;School  Server  
Part  of  our  deployment  model  is  the  utilization  of  school  servers.  School  servers  can  be  basic  PCs  that  
run  Fedora,  a  variant  of  Linux.  School  servers  are  designed  to  provide  gateways  to  the  Internet,  local  
content  repositories,  XO  back-­‐up  platforms,  school  management  solutions,  etc.  Large  networks  require  
servers  designed  for  the  size  of  the  intended  deployment  to  be  placed  in  local  school.    

Some  key  benefits  school  servers  bring  to  a  deployment  are:  

Compatibility  –  The  OLPC  Server  is  a  software  stack  that  can  be  installed  on  any  reasonable  PC  or  server  
to  complement  the  XO  and  help  school  environments  provide  a  safe,  well-­‐managed  and  learning-­‐
oriented  environment.  No  special  hardware  is  required.  

Backup  –  The  XOs  can  all  backup  to  an  OLPC  Server  to  ensure  content  isn't  lost.  All  XO  Journals  are  
backed  up  to  school  servers,  and  teachers  can  view  the  Journals  to  gain  an  understanding  of  how  the  
XOs  are  used,  as  well  as  to  track  students’  progress  and  identify  where  they  may  need  help.  

Digital  Library  –  A  Digital  Library  makes  it  easy  for  students  to  publish  works  (with  teacher  moderation)  
to  other  students  and  possibly  to  other  schools.  Teachers  can  easily  add  new  resources  to  a  Digital  
Library,  which  students  can  access  at  school  (e.g.  there  are  over  1.6  million  free  e-­‐Books  available)  

Management  and  Security  –  Operators  with  high  levels  of  technical  skills  can  use  school  servers  to  
manage  network  access,  to  lock  laptops  that  get  stolen  or  that  aren’t  returned  to  schools,  and  to  
provide  local  software  repositories  for  laptop  updates,  etc.    
Proxy  Server  –  An  OLPC  Server  can  act  as  a  network  proxy.  This  saves  Internet  bandwidth,  makes  
Internet  access  faster  and  provides  a  mechanism  for  content  filtering  that  can  be  used  to  block  
inappropriate  content.  
Continuous  Development  –  There  are  additional  features  coming  to  school  servers,  including  Video  
conferencing,  GPS  and  GIS  functionality,  Voice  over  IP,  Instant  messaging,  and  News  services  (blogging,  
forums,  etc.)  Servers  are  built  on  an  Open  Source  platform,  so  they  can  be  modified  to  suit  particular  
needs  of  projects.  
 
As  important  as  all  of  the  above-­‐mentioned  services  are,  the  primary  role  of  school  servers  is  to  facilitate  
the  operation  of  local  area  networks.  Without    servers,    XO  laptops  use  multicast  to  communicate  with  
each  other,  which  puts  heavy  loads  on  wireless  networks;  multicast  can  only  connect  up  to  20  laptops  
simultaneously  School  servers  eliminate  the  need  for  much  of  the  multicast  traffic  

 
<poem>
Recommended  minimum  specifications  for  a  school  server  are  as  follows:    
 
<20  XOs  

<40  XOs  

no  server  needed,  but  access  point functionality  useful  

server + 1 access point

<80  XOs  

<120  XOs  

>120  

server  +  2  

server  +  3  

server  +  many access  points  +  site  survey  
</poem>

 
 
<poem>
Server  
Laptops  Supported  
Processor  
RAM  
Storage  

Small  
<20‐25  
466  MHz  
256  MB  
40-­‐60  GB  

Large  
<150  
1  GHz  
1  GB  
320-­‐400  GB  
</poem>

 
The  amount  of  power  required  for  school  servers  depends  on  the  specifications  of  machines  used.  This  
needs  to  be  taken  into  consideration      during  site  preparation.  
 
 
 

=== Preparing  Schools  and  Community  ===  

 
When  laptops  are  ready  to  be  distributed,  and  assuming  school  infrastructure  is  ready,  it  is  time  to  
prepare  teachers  and  other  community  members  for  this  experience.  Teacher  training  and  community  
awareness  can  occur  simultaneously  but  can  also  happen  at  different  moments.  Variables  related  to  
location,  size,  and  readiness  of  each  school  or  community  need  to  be  considered  when  deciding  the  
order  in  which  to  implement  each  event.    
 

====Teacher  Training  ====

Teacher  training  is  an  essential  component  of  an  OLPC  project  and  it  should  be  an  ongoing  process.  
Teachers  should  be  the  first  members  of  the  educational  community  to  receive  information  on  and  
become  involved  in  initiatives  that  have  direct  effects  on  their  own  professional  practices.  It  is  
recommended  to  begin  training  teachers  and  provide  them  with  XO  laptops  during  early  stages  of  a  
project;  this  approach  will  raise  their  level  of  trust  and  commitment  to  the  initiative.  
 
The  most  important  aspect  of  teacher  preparation  is  in  regard  to  how  children  learn.  Educators  have  
long  recognized  that  children  learn  best  when  they  are  active,  when  they  pursue  their  own  interests,  
and  when  they  participate  in  cultures  of  knowledge  and  engagement.  With  1-­‐to-­‐1  access  to  connected  
laptops,  children  actively  engage  in  knowledge  construction  and  are  not  limited  to  passive  reception  of  
information.  Each  child  (and  the  teachers  themselves)  can  pursue  learning  in  areas  of  strong  personal  
interest  and  the  classroom  is  not  limited  to  a  pre-­‐determined,  one-­‐size-­‐fits-­‐all  approach.    
 
Teachers  benefit  as  well.  Not  only  do  they  get  to  use  the  laptops  at  home  for  their  own  learning,  but  the  
connected  laptop  becomes  a  conduit  for  customized  professional  development.  This  enables  the  
teachers  to  gain  access  to  expertise  and  colleagues  and  allows  them  to  pose  and  respond  to  practical  
questions.  They  can  fully  participate  as  producers  of  knowledge  and  not  just  as  consumers  of  materials  
produced  by  others.  
 
The  core  team  should  develop  different  strategies  to  develop  teacher’s  capacity:  

a) Training  workshops:    where  teachers  learn  to  use  the  computer,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  
incorporate  it  into  their  pedagogical  practice.    

b) Support  mechanisms:  Although  the  contents  of  the  initiative  constitute  an  important  support  
mechanism  to  the  practice  of  teaching,  other  mechanisms  must  be  implemented,  including  in-­‐
class  assistance,  which  can  occur  through  agreements  with  universities,  telephone  help  lines  
that  can  be  set  up  with  technical  developers  in  the  country,  and  Blogs  or  online  forums  where  
teachers  can  participate.  

c)  Teachers'  clubs:  work  spaces  where  teachers  can  meet  regularly  to  share  successes,  problems,  
and  solutions.  

d) Guides  and  Resources.  
 

During  the  first  teacher  trainings  teachers  should  learn  basic  uses  of  the  laptop  and  how  to  incorporate  
it  into  their  pedagogical  practice.    Training  should  be  guided  by  the  vision  and  goal  of  the  overall  
initiative.  We  recommend  that  the  appropriate  approach  is  “learning  by  doing”  and  that  the  "doing"  be  
focused  on  developing  concrete  projects  within  the  classroom.    The  core  team  should  adapt  the  content  
and  length  for  the  initial  training  based  on  the  teachers’  skills.  
 
It  is  recommended  that  the  technical  team  performs  training  sessions  along  with  the  educational  team,  
to  prepare  teachers  for  basic  technical  troubleshooting  regarding  software,  hardware,  and  connectivity.    
During  these  first  approaches  with  teachers,  the  core  team  can  quickly  identify  participants  who  
demonstrate  leadership  and  that  can  be  key  contacts  to  support  the  project  at  the  school  level.    
Depending  on  the  scale  of  the  project,  the  core  team  can  decide  whether  to  train  teachers  directly  or  to  
train  Teacher-­‐Trainers  that  will  later  reproduce  the  trainings  to  other  teachers.  Some  projects  decide  to  
perform  wide-­‐scale  trainings,  an  approach  organized  for  several  schools  to  attend.    Schools  can  select  
key  members  of  their  staff  to  participate  in  this  training,  with  the  intention  that  these  trainees  become  
leaders  and  multiply  the  training  at  their  own  school.  Another  approach  consists  in  assigning  to  each  
member  of  the  core  team  a  specific  school  in  which  to  perform  training  for  the  staff  on  site.  Whichever  
approach  is  decided,  the  core  team  needs  to  constantly  monitor  the  progress  of  each  school  and  
teacher.  
 
The  following  agenda  is  a  sample  of  the  topics  the  core  team  can  be  covered  during  an  initial  teacher  
training:  

<poem>
Session   Topic/Activity

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  

Description  of  Project  Objectives  and  Policies    
Expected  roles  of  teachers  
OLPC  Pedagogic  Model:  Constructionism  
Hands-­‐on:  Overview  of  tools  available  in  the  XO    
Introduction  to  the  XO:  Hardware  and  Software.  
Connecting  to  the  internet  
Using  the  XO  in  class  
Developing  in  class  projects  
Integrating  math  curriculum  with  the  XO  
Collaboration  and  learning  networks  
Create  and  use  Reflash  stick  
Integrating  science  curriculum  with  the  XO  
Basic  Hardware  and  Software    troubleshooting    
Creating  XO  clubs  
Integrating  language  arts  curriculum  with  the  XO  
Evaluating  learning  in  1:1  environments  
Basic  Software  troubleshooting  
</poem>

 

�Deploying  laptops  to  every  child  in  an  entire  region  or  country  cannot  be  managed  by  the  core  team  
alone.  It  must  be  led  by  the  core  team,  and  supported  by  regional  teams.  The  core  team  will  need  to  set  
the  guiding  principles  of  the  program  whilst  the  regional  teams  will  be  responsible  for  executing  the  
deployment  in  their  regions  according  to  these  principles,  raising  any  concerns  and  coming  up  with  
viable  alternatives  where  necessary.  Various  functions  should  be  delegated  to  the  regional  teams  for  
management  where  these  functions  are  naturally  distributed  across  the  country  or  region.  

==== Community  Awareness  ====

Prior  to  the  arrival  of  laptops  in  a  community,  it  is  important  to  prepare  different  groups  of  people  that  
will  be  impacted  with  the  project:  parents,  teachers,  school  directors,  families,  and  other  active  
members  of  a  community.  The  Minister  of  Education  and  Local  Leaders  should  be  involved  in  
communications  about  the  program,  its  goals,  characteristics,  benefits  and  derivative  commitments.  
 
Project  coordinators  must  carefully  plan  awareness  campaigns,  by  selecting  appropriate  tools  (print  
outs,  posters,  signs,  etc.)  and  communication  strategies  (radio  or  television  spots,  meetings,  etc.)  
tailored  to  the  unique  characteristics  of  each  community  and  the  scale  of  each  project.  The  timing  of  the  
campaigns  should  also  be  carefully  thought  through  in  order  to  allow  communities  to  prepare  for  formal  
program  launches.  If  national  campaigns  are  created  to  inform  different  audiences  about  projects,  such  
campaigns  should  be  rolled  out  before  laptop  distribution  or  after  more  formal  community  awareness  
actions  are  taken  by  core  team.  
The  preparation  phase  plays  a  significant  role  in  creating  positive  expectations,  attitudes,  and  
involvement  from  all  members.  When  communities  understand  the  programs  and  their  benefits,  there  
are  direct  impacts  on  learning  and  on  how  well  the  laptops  are  taken  care  of.  
Both  nationally  and  locally,  communities  must  know  what  one  laptop  per  child  means.  The  children  are  
the  best  ambassadors,  but  parent  and  community  leader  involvement  is  also  influential.  Fostering  
awareness  is  very  important  to  the  success  of  initiatives,  both  because    it  allows  families  and  other  
community  members  to  be  involved  in  the  learning  process  of  children,  and  because  it  allows  them  to  
be  active  participants  in  the  creation  of  a  new  culture  and  new  learning  experiences  within  their  
community.  Parent  meetings  can  be  held  at  schools  or  community  centers  and  should  include,  but  not  
be  limited,  to  the  following  topics:  

<poem>
o A  description  of  responsibilities  and  roles  involved  in  the  different  phases  of  the  project.  Tasks  
to  be  defined,  organized  and  carried  out  by  different  action  groups.  
o Establishment  of  standards  for  sharing  laptops  among  siblings  and  to  older  children.  
o Security  of  the  laptops.  How  and  why  to  take  care  of  the  machines.  
o Charging  process.  
o Internet  access.  
o Signing  of  agreement  by  parents  
</poem>
 
Other  actors  can  be  invited  to  the  meetings  so  they  can  become  part  of  the  initiative  and  to  materialize  
agreements  with  various  consultants  and  /  or  volunteers  of  the  project.    

 

== III. Post  Deployment  Phase  ==

 
There  is  a  tremendous  tendency  to  think  that  the  work  is  done  once  the  laptops  reach  the  children,  but  
the  laptop  arrival  really  marks  the  commencement  of  the  most  critical  phase  in  a  deployment  and  its  
positive  impact  on  the  children.  

Post  deployment  should  focus  on  three  key  areas:  

1. Continued  Teacher  Training  and  Support  

2. Extracurricular  Environments    

3. Maintenance  and  Repairs  
 

Community  support  is  also  a  key  success  factor  for  a  project.  Many  projects  establish  web  portals  for  
students,  parents  and  teachers  where  they  can  share  information  and  see  the  progress  of  the  students.  
Many  projects  also  sponsor  contests  using  the  laptops  which  can  be  supported  by  private  sector  
sponsors.  An  additional  resource  is  the  websites  and  portals  of  other  OLPC  projects  around  the  world  
where  additional  ideas  for  community  support  are  available.  
Every  project  should  have  an  ongoing  public  relations  program  to  build  community  support,  develop  
pride  in  the  project  and  its  results  and  possibly  as  a  means  to  attract  additional  funding.  Many  projects  
have  international  public  relations  programs  that  attract  academic  interest  in  the  local  project  and  
prompt  visits  from  multi-­‐lateral  institutions  interested  in  education  and  social  projects.  Through  its  
public  relations  program  Project  Ceibal  in  Uruguay  has  garnered  worldwide  attention  as  one  of  the  
leading  educational  laboratories  in  the  world.  

=== Evaluation  Studies  ===
Many  projects  benchmark  their  students  and  then  periodically  evaluate  the  student  progress  every  six  
or  twelve  months.  The  UN  uses  six  month  evaluations  and  large  federal  projects  typically  evaluate  
students  every  year.  The  advantage  of  benchmarking  is  that  it  provides  objective,  transparent  feedback  
on  the  success  of  the  project  and  many  multi-­‐lateral  financial  institutions  require  it.  OLPC  leaves  
evaluation  to  the  sponsor’s  decision,  but  OLPC  can  provide  resources  to  implement  an  evaluation  
program.  

 

=== Continued  Teacher  Training  and  Support  ===
 
Teachers  are  a  key  part  to  any  successful  deployment.  As  the  teachers  see  the  increased  student  
enthusiasm  for  learning  as  a  result  of  the  laptops,  the  teachers  naturally  become  more  demanding  for  
their  own  additional  training;  help  to  integrate  Sugar  into  the  curriculum  and  hands  on  assistance  to  
develop  lesson  plans  using  the  laptops.  Every  project  should  be  designed  to  provide  a  minimum  of  once  
a  month  additional  training  to  every  teacher  in  the  project.  It  should  also  be  noted  that  the  teacher  
trainers  will  need  periodic  additional  training  from  OLPC  to  reinforce  the  OLPC  pedagogy  and  expand  
their  skill  levels.  
After   initial   teacher   training   has   occurred,   the   local   learning   team   must   provide   other   support  
mechanisms   for   teachers   in   order   to   aid   the   process   of   integrating   laptops   to   their   daily   teaching  
routine.   In-­‐class   assistance,   support   for   lesson   plan   development,   are   examples   of   strategies   to   be  
offered  on  a  school  level.      Regular  meetings  with  teachers  can  provide  direct  feedback  for  educational  
team  to  plan  for  additional  learning  workshops,  which  should  be  based  on  teachers  and  students  needs.  
These   meetings   also   provide   an   opportunity   for   teachers   to   share   their   experiences,   learn   different  
strategies,  plan  interdisciplinary  projects,  and  create  strong  school  ties.  
 
Content   Development   is   another   area   that  core   team   needs   to   constantly   work   on.   It   is   important   for 
teachers   to   have   access   to   updated   and   innovative   resources.   Examples   of   this   content   can   include:  
Lesson  plans,  Guides,  Case  studies,  assessment  guides,  online  resources,  and  blogs.  
 
 

===Extracurricular  Environments ===
 
Extracurricular  programs  where  children  can  use  the  XO  laptops  outside  of  school  settings  are  essential  
for   meaningful   learning   experiences.   When   children   are   highly   engaged   in   using   the   XO   for   activities  
they  are  interested  in,  not  for  contents  limited  to  school  curriculum,  we  allow  them  to  fully  explore  their  
interests   while   appropriating   new   technological   skills.   It   allows   children   to   use   self   expression   and  
creativity  and  consequently  become  fluent  with  the  technology,  while  increasing  their  motivation,  self  
empowerment,  and  impacting  their  lives  in  an  extraordinary  way.  
 
We  recommend  designing  and  organizing  After-­‐school/  Weekend  programs,  clubs  or  camps  with  specific  
topics  or  activities  at  different  schools  or  communities.  These  programs  can  involve  teachers,  students  
from  different  levels,  as  well  as  local  partners  and  can  provide  an  excellent  experience  where  learners  
(teachers  and  students)  create,  collaborate  and  share  projects  and  ideas.    
 
Integrating  the  family  through  activities  that  allow  parents  to  work  with  their  children  in  specific  
projects  related  to  their  interests  is  another  enriching  experience  for  students  and  families.  The  
objective  is  not  only  to  enable  parents  to  share  knowledge  and  experience  with  their  children,  but  also  
to  understand  the  value  of  the  computer  and  how  it  fits  into  the  learning  process.  This  is  also  important  
for  the  viability  and  sustainability  of  the  project.  
 


===Maintenance  and  Repairs  ===
 
The  actual  repair  of  the  laptops  may  be  handled  in  many  ways.  There  are  three  popular  methods:  

1. The  students  repair  their  own  laptops  and  parts  are  delivered  to  the  schools  bi-­‐monthly  based  
on  an  order  

2. The  laptops  are  repaired  by  third  party  repair  facilities  located  throughout  the  project  area;  this  
approach  creates  local  jobs  

3. The  laptops  are  repaired  by  technicians  who  visit  the  schools  on  a  bi-­‐monthly  basis  and  make  
the  repairs.  
 
The  choice  of  a  repair  procedure  depends  on  the  educational,  political  and  economic  objectives  of  the  
project  sponsor.    
Another  issue  with  respect  to  repairs  is  who  pays  for  the  parts  and  labor  involved  in  repairing  the  laptop.    
Some  projects  offer  the  first  repair  for  free  and  subsequent  repairs  are  paid  by  the  child’s  parents.  Other  
projects  offer  all  repairs  for  free  because  the  families  lack  the  money  to  pay  even  a  small  cost.  The  policy  
with  respect  to  repairs  and  payment  should  be  explained  at  the  initial  community  event  where  the  
project  is  introduced  to  school  administrators  and  parents.  
Laptops  are  shipped  with  an  overstock  of  1%  of  the  order.  These  “extra”  laptops  should  be  used  as  
replacements  for  failures  in  the  field.  Thus  the  “broken”  laptops  are  a  ready  supply  of  spare  parts  for  
other  components,  such  as  the  display,  the  wifi  antennae,  and  the  motherboard.  
 
Most  repairs,  including  replacement  of  the  motherboard  can  be  done  in  the  field  with  just  a  screwdriver.  
The  children  can  make  these  repairs  themselves  and  are  encouraged  to  do  so  by  OLPC.  Regional  
distribution  of  spare  parts  is  something  to  consider,  as  well  as  the  authorization  of  regional  repair  
centers.  
 
While  commercial-­‐grade  support  could  be  arranged,  it  is  discouraged  by  OLPC  both  because  it  tends  to  
raise  costs  and  it  adds  a  level  of  external  dependency  that  is  unnecessary.  If  you  feel  the  need  to  invest  
in  support,  we  encourage  you  to  make  that  investment  locally,  the  local  community  can  be  trained  by  
technical  team  to  do  this  themselves.  
 
 
 
== Summary  of  Recommended  Tasks ==   
 

<poem>
Planning  Phase  

Define  Budget  for:  Purchase,  Infrastructure  and  Connectivity,  Staff.  
Hire  project  manager  and  Core  Team  managers.  
Select  Target  community  (schools,  centers).  
Define  XO  specs.    

Deployment  Phase  

Hire  staff  for  Core  Team.  
Arrange  training  for  Core  Team  with  OLPC.  
Develop  Laptop  Distribution  Plan.  
Design  and  collect  data  for  Baseline  Study.  
Prepare  Infrastructure  and  Connectivity  (at  schools  and  community  level).  
Organize  and  Perform  Teacher  Training.  
Laptop  Distribution.  


Post-­‐Deployment  Phase    

Design  and  perform  Tech  support  strategy  for  Laptop  Maintenance  and  Repairs.  
Design  and  supervise  Learning  Environments  with  the  XO:  Formal  (in  school,  classroom),  
Non-­‐Formal  (extracurricular  activities),  Informal  (home,  family).  
Perform  follow  up  teacher  trainings.  
Design  and  apply  Evaluation  studies  (for  students  learning  and  project  implementation).  
</poem>
 

 
== Related  websites == 

Official  OLPC  website:  http://laptop.org    

The  OLPC  Wiki:  http://wiki.laptop.org    

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Deployment_Guide  
The  wiki  version  of  deployment  guide  might  contain  additional  information  to  start  up  
deployments,  and  provide  a  place  for  you  to  share  your  lessons  learned.  

http://en.flossmanuals.net/Sugar      
The  Sugar  Manual  on  floss  manuals,  searchable  as  a  website  or  downloadable  as  a  PDF.    

http://forum.laptop.org    
Official  OLPC  community  support  forum.  

Frequently  Asked  Questions:    http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Support_FAQ  
 
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org  
The  Sugar  Labs  Wiki,  provider  of  the  Sugar  software  environment  and  activities  that  run  on  the  
XO  laptops.  

Latest revision as of 19:07, 9 August 2012

Note: this wikified deployment guide reproduce the one from the PDF that OLPC published in 2011.

  1. One Laptop per Child
  2. Learning Strategy
  3. Introduction
  4. Project Implementation
  5. Support Strategy
  6. Planning Phase
  7. Feasibility study
  8. Purchase Agreements and Ordering
  9. Deployment Phase
  10. Post Deployment Phase
  11. Summary of Recommended Tasks
  12. Related websites

Other versions

To make a community deployment guide, we could spread the word about this version, and gather comments from OLPCers all around the world. Those comments would then be processed by a small team (the support gang?) which would then create a OLPC Community Deployment Guide -- say at the next SF meeting?

Retrieved from "http://wiki.laptop.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Deployment_Guide_2011&oldid=273321"