Review of the UNDP South East Asia HIV and Development Programme

This study is an evaluation and review of the website component of the UNDP South East Asia HIV (SEAHIV) and Development Programme. The SEAHIV website is the source of the review, and this study refers to the collection of documents that is available on that website. The author begins by examining the context, mission and purpose. The performance of the website is then assessed, focusing on the posting of documents and their downloading. And finally, the impact of the website is examined.

The SEAHIV Project started in December 1998 and the website was launched in January 2000 followed shortly by the posting of research papers and internal strategy reports. The initial objective of the website was to "disseminate information generated by the Project", but it was also recognised from the outset that the dissemination of information was not an end unto itself and that the overarching goal was to build a repository for knowledge, to advocate multi-sector strategies, and to place South East Asia on the "HIV and Development map." The author has argued that it was this latter focus on building an integrated repository of knowledge that became the dominant goal and that the website was successful in meeting this mandate. This study is thus shaped around this goal and focuses on the patterns related to the downloading of SEAHIV publications. The website was also committed to developing partnerships and creating strategic alliances between SEAHIV and other governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, and to facilitating south-to-south information sharing

The main issue for evaluation in this study is one of access, since no other studies of the audience are carried out. This is consistent with the main purpose of the SEAHIV website which was to expand access to the range of documents available. Most of the data from this study is focused on the download patterns and behaviour of visitors to the site. The study examines the performance of the site in terms of the number of documents it has posted, which totalled 57 (not including translations) across a range of subject areas related to HIV/AIDS concerns in the region. It also tabulated the number of translations in different languages, an important indicator of access to information for the populations in the region. The pattern of translations reflected the prevalence of English amongst the target populations for the documents and the demand (itself determined by the internet connectivity of the population). The translations were as follows:

Burmese - 6

Chinese - 28

Khmer - 13

Lao - 17

Thai - 10

Vietnamese - 21

The evaluation methodologies for this study are complex and involve the use of a software programme 2CoolOffice that tracks download volume by document title and language selected. This software also tracks the trends in download demand over time and across regions of the world. It is therefore able to provide the author with a temporal and geographic picture of the websites audience base. The author argues through the course of the paper that trends in downloads are more relevant to this study than are the typical measure of visits to the internet site.



The data for the site reveals a steady increase in the number of downloads over time. The new tracking system, 2CoolOffice, started in September 2001 and recorded 1,700 downloads. Up to June 2002, downloads were under 5,000/month, with the exception of May 2002 which corresponded to a very successful farming publication. From July 2002 to February 2003, the number of downloads was roughly 7,500/month, after which the download rate then jumped to over 10,000/month. Despite the posting of only four publications in 2003, the monthly download was generally over 10,000, which far exceeded the monthly download rate for 2002 when a publication was posted monthly - a strong indication of the shelf-life of the publications and continued demand. Peaks and troughs in the number of downloads also corresponded to the distribution of e-bulletins about new publications that had been sent out to members to alert them of new reports and studies. Finally, a new period started in January 2004 with monthly downloads above the 15,000 mark and a record-breaking 20,000 plus downloads in March 2004.

The author also assesses the "global outreach" impact of the site by examining the time of session activity relative to world time. The analysis suggests that while a plurality of participants are from Asia, the site was also widely accessed from Europe, North America and Africa. The only region of the world not well represented in the audience was that of Latin America, not surprising given that no documents posted in Spanish.

The author suggests that there is also some evidence of increased discussion of development issues related to the website because of the diffusion and wide distribution of SEAHIV documents on other websites, but there is no way to effectively quantify this feature. The author suggests that relays and links from other sites where these issues are discussed greatly increases the total audience for the publications and the information and ideas presented within. Other evidence to support the idea that the website has contributed to increased discussion comes from a limited number of comments that the author includes that demonstrate some opinions about the role of the website. These are however, entirely anecdotal and can not be extrapolated to wider audience. The author also suggests that a longer term study, which evaluates the number of times the posted documents are cited in other academic and non-academic sources will be a truer test of the contribution of the site to increased dialogue about the issues.



The author suggests that a large number of downloads are done by institutions and people outside of the traditional HIV/AIDS community and that a major objective of the SEAHIV programme - to interest development oriented people (government sectors, NGOs, etc) - is being achieved. He concludes that the website project was successful in realising its mandate of facilitating access to SEAHIV's documentation and increasing awareness of their activities in the region and beyond.

Editor's note: According to the author, since the review was done in June 2004, the rate of downloads (an indicator in the interest in the documents) has increased and continued unabated despite the ending of the programme on December 31 2004. By June 2004 (starting in September 2001), 300,000 documents had been downloaded. Between June 2004 and August 2005, another 270,000 were downloaded and a total of 600,000 may be reached by October 2005. Translations continue to be valued; the new ones in Bahasa Indonesia are extremely popular.

Follow-up note: This document no longer appears to be online. Our apologies.