Vidyaratha Kissoon

Client : Linden Enterprise Network

Assignment : : Using Drupal to create the website prototype at http://www.len.org.gy

Client : STARR Computers

Assignment : Conduct an orientation to Linux for staff. The details are described at http://churchroadman.blogspot.com/2016/04/basic-orientation-to-linux-course.html

Other assignments

• Weekly column The Coil on http://www.gtmosquito.com/the-coil
• Support to the Institute of Gender Studies, University of Guyana and the Women & Gender Equality Commission through Professor Kamala Kempadoo,  York University

• Since 2010, - Facilitator, technical component of the Online Journalism Course, Centre for Communication Studies, University of Guyana. Presentation to UN Media Workshop available at http://www.slideshare.net/vidyaratha/orientation-to-online-journalism . Student feedback is available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1HBMnIycxiTvvc3SMgvT_QCIrn0e-_mKCcbaMhFF0aOg/viewanalytics

The Caribbean region of the International Resources Network is a network that connects activists, scholars, artists and other individuals and organizations who do research and work on issues related to diverse genders and sexualities in the Caribbean

This position is a part time position . The tasks included

• Content collection and archiving of related materials for posting on http://www.irnweb.org
• Organising and  facilitation of the Caribbean Sexualities Gathering at the Caribbean Studies Association Conference in Jamaica - 2009; and in Barbados - 2010
• the creation and management of the Caribbean IRN Collection of the Digital Libraries of the Caribbean athttp://www.dloc.com/icirn 
• the creation and management of the Gay Freedom Movement of Jamaica Digital Archive 
• publicising through the article Chantilly Lace - SX Salon - June 2011
• Development of the web platform for the Theorizing Homophobias in the Caribbean collection

Consultancies and Contracts

2014
Client : Tiara Academy, New Amsterdam, Berbice

Title : Development of learner modules for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development/United Nations Development Programme “Youth Empowerment, Inclusion and Reconciliation Project”

These modules are :-

• Conflict Transformation and Fostering Peace
• Advocacy and Participation in Policy Making
• Understanding Human Rights

2014

Client : Integrationist Caribbean

Website management and User support services for the site at http://www.integrationistcaribbean.org

2012/2013

Client : Dr Tavis Jules

Website Management services for the site at http://www.tavisjules.com

Client : Brainstreet Group/Government of Guyana

Title :  "Provision of IT services/MIS analysis for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development"  The objective was to develop requirements for the components of a Monitoring and Reporting Information Management System for the Ministry.

Client : CARICOM Secretariat

Portal Development : CARICOM Digital Development Strategy

Client : North Rupununi District Development Board

Title : Providing a range of ICT services to support a project to boost micro-enterprise development. This includes the assessment of IT capacity, the procurement of equipment and services and the development of the NRDDB website and the training of staff to manage the website.

2010/2011

Client : Brainstreet Group/Government of Guyana

Title :  Provision of IT Services to the Justice Sector Modernisation Project, Ministry of Legal Affairs . The objective was to develop the requirements for the components of an integrated management information system for the Ministry of Legal Affairs. These include the requirements for the Legislative Drafting system, the Public Trustee MIS and the the administrative support systems.

2010/2011

Client : Brainstreet Group/Government of Guyana

Title :  Provision of IT services to the Citizens Security Programme, Ministry of Home Affairs.

The objective was to complete the user documentation for the software developed for the CSP stakeholders.

2010 :

Client : CARICOM Secretariat

Title : Development  of CARIB-IS Portal- Open Source Channel and Regional ICT Policies Data Collation

2009

Client : Centre for Lesbian and Gay Studies, City University of New York

Co-ordinator, Caribbean - International Resources Network  (see below)

Other work and activities

• 2010, 2011 and 2012 and 2013. - Facilitator, technical component of the Online Journalism Course, Centre for Communication Studies,(Student feedback summarised on this blog post)
• 2009: Researcher, Latin American Public Opinion Poll, Guyana
• 2009 : Development of website for Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre - the site is managed by the staff
• 2009-2010 - Development of website for the Caribbean Treatment Action Group

Relevant articles and presentations

2013

• Basic Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) using QGIS (Software Freedom Day)
• Free and Open Source Software - Presentation to Guyana Technology User Group,
• Role of ICTs in Environmental Conservation Management
• Introducing Hardware Freedom Day in Guyana

2011

• Coconuts, sex work, inter-racial marriage and rubbish : Experiences of facilitating the lab content of DPC 224 Online Multimedia Journalism
• Use of New Media for LGBT Advocacy in Guyana : The Case of SASOD

2010

Articles about Free and Open Source Software, published on the CARIB-IS portal

• Sister, mother , friend - building capacity for the Information Society
• Disaster Management with FOSS : Guyana and Sahana
• Promoting Free and Open Source Software in the Caribbean and beyond : The TTCS OSSWIN CD
• Caribbean IT entrepreneurship and Free & Open Source Software
• Caribbean Governments and Free and Open Source Software

2009

New Concepts and Mechanisms for Networking

• - Presentation with UNDP at the Fifth Summit of the Americas Civil Society Forum, April 2009

DevNet is a non-Governmental organisation created out of the Sustainable Development Programme (SDNP) initiative of the United Nations Development Programme . The core activities and responsibilities included :-

• Technical supervision of a project managed by the Fiscal and Financial Management Programme (IADB project) to implement a Digitised Information Management System for the National Assembly

• Consultancy services to conduct a Feasibility Study to Implement Speech Recognition Software to Enhance the Reporting of Court Proceedings in the High Court and the Court of Appeal of Guyana on behalf of the Modernisation of the Justice Administration System Project(IADB project)

• Implementation of the projects to “Strengthen the Caribbean ICT stakeholders Virtual Community - CIVIC- as a regional mechanism to promote and support the use of ICT for development in the Caribbean” . This was done with a cross regional team from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic with support from IDRC and involved the following activities :-

  • Monitoring and evaluation of the project activities using the Outcome Mapping methodology

  • Content Management of the project website using Drupal CMS at http://www.carisnet.org

  • Management of the Clearinghouse

  • Facilitate the case study call

  • Facilitation of a virtual discussion on 'What will be CIVIC'

• World Summit on the Information Society related activities

  • Advocate at CARICOM level for participation in the Regional WSIS Committee

  • Participate in CIVIC working group to respond to the report of the Working Group on Internet Governance

• Facilitate working group organised by the Government of Guyana to develop inputs for an ICT strategy

• Technical support to the network infrastructure of DevNet and its clients – which includes management of ICT usage, help desk support, and network management.

This was an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Guyana

Responsibilities/activities included

• 2004 – Consultancy to prepare a Feasibility Study for a European Union funded Information Society programme for the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries

• Work with a Task Force nominated by the Office of the Prime Minister to resolve the management of the .gy domain issues in Guyana

• Maintaining relationships with key partners including various Government agencies and non-Governmental organisations to develop and share information resources through a total of 80 websites managed through http://www.sdnp.org.gy

• Promote the use of Open source in different sectors by organising a series of Linux Expos in Guyana during 2004, and facilitating the Guyana Linux Users Group

• Providing help desk type support to various clients including the UNDP Guyana Country Office

• Consolidating the SDNP assets and resources and moving them to DevNet, including the websites and information resources

Responsibilities included:

• Leading a team of analysts in the redesign of the Business Systems using Business Process Reengineering techniques

• Leading and motivating a team of 8 analysts in the maintenance of the Financial and Inventory Management Systems

• Recommending system redesign and development strategies to the Corporation including Human Resources and Payroll

• Establishing the Help Desk

• Developing and implementing the computer training programme for GUYSUCO for new users in the new information systems.

• Raising awareness of the use of IT in GUYSUCO estates.

• Participating in the development of the Information System Department by forming Job Descriptions, etc

Degree in Software Engineering/Computer Science