Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technology in the Americas (POETA): Examining the impact of the POETA program on the lives of People with Disabilities - Final Technical Report

Abstract

The Trust for the Americas has been addressing the social and economic exclusion of people with disabilities (PwD) in the western hemisphere through the Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technology in the Americas (POETA) program. Since the opening of the pilot center in Guatemala in 2004, the program has expanded to 20 countries in the region. POETA partners with local organizations to establish centers which provide job readiness and technology training to PwD. As the program expands, it was important to understand how and for whom the program works, to improve specific components that generate high impact, and to identify areas for improvement with respect to economic inclusion of PwD. The Trust is also aware of the need for a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation framework to measure quantitative and qualitative impact of the POETA program. This project was design to responds to those needs through: (i) research on the impact of the program on PwD, (ii) the design and implementation of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, and (iii) building the capacity of the local partner organizations serving PwD. The project was implemented in four countries where the POETA program provides training to PwD: Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru. The outcomes of the project were expected to benefit the POETA program as a whole, while also serving as an important research case for organizations utilizing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to facilitate inclusion and skill development of PwD. This technical report summarizes the main findings produced by previous reports. As such, parts of this report have also appeared in previous ones.