In 2007, the AIDG intends to 

1. Help XelaTeco with grow its business in Guatemala
   A major goal for AIDG this year is to get our first incubated business, XelaTeco, more established as a provider of green technologies in Guatemala. XelaTeco is committed to providing affordable electricity, sanitation and clean water to the rural poor and is poised to have a significant impact on under-served communities. The prime components of XT's growth strategy will be ramping up awareness and demand for its products, strengthening current partnerships and creating new alliances with local infrastructure development NGOs, and streamlining production processes to meet demand. This roadmap will allow XelaTeco to supply appropriate technologies to more people in need in 2007.
   
   
2. Improve technologies to make them cheaper and better for the rural poor
   In its dedication to its customer base - individuals, rural communities, local development NGOs and other organizations - XelaTeco is working to improve its product and service line. It's striving to make the technologies more affordable, more durable, and better looking. An important part of this process involves getting feedback from community members and co-creation (a practice where XT and its customers work together to create a product or products with added value).
   
   
3. Prepare for workshop creation in the Dominican Republic/Haiti by 2008
   AIDG is in the planning stages for creating a new workshop to serve Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Currently survey work is being done to choose an appropriate location for the facility. We need to raise between $80-$100,000 to fund the new shop. This amount includes roughly $23,000 to cover the cost of tools and machinery,   an $18,000 recoverable grant for the starting salary for shop employees, $13,000 in outreach projects, and  $8,000 in training expenses. Because of differences in the materials market, such as lack of access to electronic and other components, products offered in Haiti are likely to differ from those seen at XelaTeco.  The Haiti/DR shop's initial focus will be on simpler technologies (biodigesters, water pumps, composting toilets, charcoal presses, LED lighting) that can be produced more rapidly. With this focus, the shop will be able to attain profitability more quickly.
   
   
4. Expand and improve the AIDG internship/project placement program
   AIDG's Internship Program is designed to give students direct hands-on experience in international development and appropriate technology in a real world environment. It also provides an excellent opportunity for the technology transfer between XelaTeco workers and university students.  The Project Placement Program, which is similar in scope, lets teams of university students place their innovative designs in communities of need. This spring and summer will be the second year of our internship program. We are working on improving several aspects of the program: the initial training,  the setting of expectations and realistic goals, the feedback process, intern mentorship and management as well as the recognition of accomplishments.
   
   
5. Perform 24 AIDG-sponsored community outreach projects throughout Guatemala
   An important part of AIDG's mission includes  direct outreach to communities. For our outreach projects, AIDG contracts XelaTeco to install a technology or technologies in a community in need. Projects are funded by AIDG general funds, which derive from grants, donations, and TecoTours revenue.
   
   
6. Increase impact monitoring of the benefits/effects of technologies and outreach
   In 2007, AIDG will be creating a more formal process for analyzing the impact of introduced technologies. Much of this work will also enable XelaTeco to improve product designs by providing important customer feedback and data on effectiveness of products.
   
   
7. Grow the service learning program, Tecotours
   AIDG's Tecotours allow interested volunteers the chance to learn about appropriate technology, international development and Guatemala while helping with projects. Participants get the chance to have fun and do good at the same time.
   
   
8. Build AIDG's organizational capacity
   While we have had many early successes, AIDG is still a very young organization. We have the potential to develop into a large multinational development organization, but in order to reach this goal, we will have to build our organization's capacity over time. This process includes strategic planning, performance management, improving systems and organizational infrastructure.