IBM's Powerpoint Alternative

Hello all,

From time to time, Terry asks me if there are subsitutes for Powerpoint. And I always answer, course there are. I just have not sat down and really gave him some new cool presentation software like Mac's KeyNote and Open Office.

Interestingly, IBM has launched at New York a new and free alternative to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint programs. The package came under the name IBM Lotus Symphony which is based on the Open Document Format standard and allows you to import, edit and save different file formats including Microsoft Office files. You can also export files to PDF. The set of tools is supported by Windows, Linux and Macintosh. For those who would like to be the first to try, you can download the package here for your personal use.

It looks like we have more competitors trying to crack the aging Office market of Microsoft and Apple. If anyone will have a chance to try the package, please share with us your impressions. Happy long weekend.

Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

Intriguing Word

Have you ever wondered how much time you lose by using Word? I have always been thinking about this as we tend to just wonder around and do formatting works and others. Well, I bumped into a chart that hints on this. Someone obviously figured it out. Look at the chart and see how much continuous use of Word is costing us in productivity losses. And scaling it upwards, consider how long do you use it in your work, everyday. And for how long have you been using it. Then factor in your colleagues, friends, clients and almost everyone else using this word processor instead of a clean Notepad and then transferring the results into Word for formatting? I wonder how much are we losing with the continuous use of boring Powerpoint slides? Just a thought.

More from Alex

Thanks for conducting the seminar, and for helping me improve as a presenter.

I found the videos on new technologies very interesting, because they give a few clues on how presentations can be made more interactive just using what we have already, e.g. accessing online tools and material, using MS Excel spreadsheets and charts to show different results depending on different inputs, using mind mapping and modeling software to get participants to re-design the procurement process (then point out any problems with their design to highlight why ADB's process are the way they are). And perhaps we can learn something from them too.

Here are a few more suggestions for PIA:

1. Any PIA presenter who does not achieve a benchmark score from PIA participant feedback for the year (e.g. 70% satisfactory rating) must repeat this seminar.

2. Powerpoints for at least some segments of the PAI should be re-written - not just revised, start again from a blank screen.

I think COSO can play a role in "selling procurement" - by making our presentations more interesting and dynamic, we can attract more PIA participants, and increase interest and professionalism in procurement. Let's face it, COSO has a valuable product that we have trouble even giving away. Why?

I went to the blog, and saw that my suggestion was already there! Wow, this internet-thing might really catch on. Thanks for your support and encouragement, and I hope to be able to contribute to the blog in the future.

Note: In the photo are Alex sandwiched between Mart and You.

Mart's Suggstions

Mart sent us some suggestions for improving our futuure courses. We would like to share three at this time and the other notes and suggestions she has made last September whilst on mission to Bhutan will be published later. Do send your suggestions too.

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Dear Ed,

I apologize for this late response. As I mentioned I observed CPIA in Bhutan this year and conducted only one session as my first trial. From my experience of this seminar as observer and previous seminars as participant (when I was working for Mongolian Government) I want to share my thoughts to improve PIAs:

1. First of all PIA design and materials could be prepared with different options or levels depending on the specific type of participants. At the same time the selection of participant must be clearly based on the 2 aspects: i) need for translation or not and ii) practical experience of procurement or none. This customized seminars will be much more effective and will solve many difficulties we always encounter in PIA seminar. Depending on the participants group we may end up organizing 2-3 seminars with shorter durations. Total time for COSO staff in the field could be the same.

2. For the seminars with translation, we need to contact RM and Procurement Policy Agencies in the country, who are in the best position to provide satisfactory translator with good procurement knowledge from their offices or from the national consultants pool, with whom they work on the procurement reform projects.

3. Regarding the content of the PIA, I believe we must include module for Country Procurement System as a main topic including a link with international developments in procurement area and NCB Annex as well. Procurement Policy Agencies may want to cooperate in delivering this module or at least provide some inputs and their comments to share with participants.

Facilitators Course Completed

Just to let everyone know that we have completed the second batch of PIA Facilitators Course last November 25. We had only seven participants but we all had the experience and fun in learning how to be better facilitators. The course aimed at preparing the participants to perform actual facilitation functions in the future. They discovered each others strengths and weaknesses in facilitation together with some tools (or learning aids) that they can use in speaking and presenting. They found some of the most common mistakes in Powerpoint designs and presentations. Everyone felt that the two days course have allowed them to polish their facilitation practices. Likewise, everyone agreed that more needs to be done, both from the presentation art as well as the content. The class likewise appreciated the visits of Terry, Hiro and Andrea. Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

More for Interactivity

It really appears that we needed more interactivity in our courses. Alex sent us this idea for enhancing more interactions between the facilitator and the participants as well as between and among the participants. We welcome ideas such as this so we can continue the effort of improving our future courses.


How about this for a PIA program:

Day 1 - Participants are organized into small groups of variable experience (eg. less experienced people work with the more experienced). Each group is required to design a procurement process for ADB funded projects, with reference to Procurement and Consultant Guidelines, PAIs, interests of stakeholders etc. By now they are wishing they had accessed the online resources they were advised of when they registered for the PAI, but they can still do so. This also gives participants a chance to propose improvements, air their grievances, and hopefully feel they have some valuable input. Facilitators mingle with the groups, giving them guidance.

Day 2 (AM) - Each group presents its design (each member presents a component of the design, in their own language if they are uncomfortable with English). Other groups and facilitators provide a critique of the design. This will also enable an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the participants, including their knowledge gaps.

Day 2 (PM) onwards - The formal seminars commence, but with a flexible program focusing on the weaknesses and gaps that have been identified. The content of the seminars is continually linked back to the group designs so it becomes more meaningful and relevant to the participants.

Interesting Watch for the Week

Hello all,
I have compiled a set of videos that can show you some bad and good practices in presentations. Do enjoy them whenever you've got the time.

Bad Powerpoint, Bad, Bad
Getting their Attention Everytime you Speak
Present Like Steven Job
Kawazaki's 10-20-30 Rule

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

Nice Penguins

Hello all,

Just saw this nice site on playing penguins. Nice to watch. Just follow this link:

PENGUINS

Advance season's greetings!

An Early Christmas Song

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise
Recession is coming to town

It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town!

Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake, OH

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

Ed Canela

Your Course CD

I have just deposited the most recent (and therefore, complete) version of the Course CD to Jay this morning. It is a massive one. Overall, it consists of 56o MB of handouts, books, manuals, powerpoint, clips, videos, photos, forms, checklists, energizers, etc. which are useful or adaptable for your future PIA (and PIS) missions. It has two parts:Part 1, the Handouts consists of: Administration, Facilitation and Training, PIA Related, Creativity, Powerpoint, Handling Difficult People, Computing Tips, Rm Course Materials, Exercises And Results, and Quizzes. Part 2, the Multimedia consists of Presentations, Programs, Photography, Fun, and Gallery. Note that the graduation fotos are now included.

Of special interest is the collection of handouts and powerpoint presentations for the RM tutoring courses. These materials were produced by a group of support staff from the first and second batch and should by now require a thorough review. Would appreciate if some would eventually take a look at it whenever some free time is suddenly found.

The CD likewise have the most recent collection of PIA related quizzes. You need not re-invent the wheel. Adapting the existing ones will be much easier as they have all been "real" world tested. Sige, try them.

Just a small note on operating your CD. Our computers in the office cannot perform Autorun function (this has been disabled to prevent viruses from spreading). As such, it would not automatically run if inserted in your CDs, although it can do it when used in computers outside the office. So how do we deal with this. Here is the work-around the problem:

1. Insert the CD (or your flash disks) in your computer.
2. Right click on the folder called "Course" if you have it on your Flash Disk, else Right Click on your My Computer and another Right Click on your CD drive. This will open the Disk and will allow you to Browse the content.
3. Look for a folder called Main. Double Click this folder and you will see a file called Index.html. Double Click this file and you will be taken to the first page of the CD.
4. If this fails, and it can please contact Jay or myself.

I met Anna Chua this morning and she informed me that she (plus others, I suppose) has compiled a set of new energizers for everyone. I got the compilation and will have a good look at them. I will check if we can deposit them here too.

Many are still too busy to contribute in this blog. Do try. It would be really nice to acquire a new 21st century competence. In the meantime, get your copies of the course CD from Jay. This includes the members of this batch as well as those belonging to the other three before. Lots of huggggssssss....

Ed Canela

YouTube and your Presentations

The other day I was asked by a participant in a small workshop: If he can use YouTube in his presentations? Off course, I said. And YouTube offers many advantages as a presentation tool. Five really good reasons are listed in this website. Dig in and and use its recommendations, if you may.
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/11/13/top-reasons-youtube-is-a-great-educational-tool

YouTube has likewise agreed to show MGM movies on its site. Perhaps this may not yet be available in the Philippines but it will soon be. So, perhaps starting now, try and use this Web 2.0 tool in your forthcoming PIA missions. Likewise, it would be good if you can share this tip with the learners that you will encounter in the future. They too might likewise become facilitators in their own right.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

The Day We Got Energized!

I was really touched when we ended the course today. I had really nice time specially with the presentations of the energizers. They were so nice and they really inspired me. You have found a new competence in the course... a competence that needs to be awakened, nurtured and mapalago. I think we all should try and find some interesting applications for what we have learned. And we all have to continue to help COSO's future PIA courses so it continues to be one of ADB's very best. I admired your positive attitude and the ability to confront one of the greatest fears of all human beings----public speaking! Many surveys showed that more people fears public speaking than dying. in the course, you all had the opportunity to go one notch higher. You did something beyond public speaking.... the art of doing energizers. Despite some people considering it as "children's games".... it is the only method that allows trainers to hit the long term memory very fast. Touching the long term memory really creates behavioural change....the newness that we like our participants (now called Learners) to have after PIA....But what kind of behavioural change???? The change to insure compliance with our policies and procedures. The name of the game is insuring compliance and doing our standard forms and documents RIGHT, the very first time they do it.

In addition to the "touching" the long term memory, energizers can likewise be a: (a) sleepiness or yawn buster, (b) boredom killer, (c) learning atmosphere creator, (d) dynamic transitioner between two sessions (or modules, or PIA components), (e) topic introducer, (f) topic ender or summarizer, and (g) group making exercise (in addition to the militaristic count 1, 2, 3,....).

I would like to congratulate you all for a job well done. Please, please please.... publish the instructions (not only the Powerpoint) on how you implemented the energizers so that we can help our other colleagues who will be going on missions. And if you have a new one, please share with us. Our blog will always be patient and kind in taking care of your cotributions.

Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

PS

Wow...really wow graduation photos... Will share with Jay on Monday so he can dump them to our CD..... In advance, Happy Weekend...he, he, he. If you ever have a nice glass of red wine, cheers, you really deserve one.

You're on Time Magazine Today

Hello all,
I just decided to place everyone on the cover of the new Time Magazine.... Enjoy and share with your friends...... Don't forget to mention our course and tell them how you've been since this course. Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

Thank you

Hello all,

Wow... Thank you so much Karen for inviting me over. I like the site. Now let us invite them all....and let us see how far we can go via this blog (within ADB limits of course) to promote continuous learning and stickiness from among our participants. Off course, we will consider this as a private blogsite for now. I am attaching an incomplete list of e-mails and phone numbers of our members for your perusal. Please let us include Vangie and Terry too.

Lots of huggggssssss....
Ed Canela

Welcome fellow learners!