Using ICT in Capacity Building for Poverty Reduction in Asia: Lessons Learned from the Microfinance Training of Trainers Course

This paper identifies key lessons learned in using ICT for capacity building based on two training of trainers courses organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute and their partners on Microfinance. The paper concludes that distance learning is an appropriate method for capacity building, particularly in areas underserved by conventional education systems. Following an introduction, Section II of the paper gives a brief overview of concepts related to distance learning, discusses the prospects and challenges, and highlights the key elements for a successful distance learning activity in developing countries. Section III gives an overview of the courses, while Section IV presents profile of participants of the second course. The main findings of the course evaluation are presented in Section IV.