[ with apologies for cross-posting ]
Social Exclusion Unit programme: Access to IT
Colleagues
As most of you will be aware, the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) has initiated
an important programme of Action Teams addressing neighbourhood renewal.
http://www.open.gov.uk/co/seu/seuhome.htm
The programme covers England but is likely to have implications for
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Also, the programme is
urban-oriented, because of an emphasis on concentrations of poverty. The
SEU has established 18 Policy Action Teams, known as PATs. One of these
(PAT15), sponsored by the DTI, is concerned with ‘Access to IT’ and is due
to report by October 1999. Among its members are Neville Mackay from DCMS,
and myself. This note is to advise you of the outline work of PAT 15 and
seek your contributions.
The brief is as follows.
"An action team led by DTI will report ... on:
+ best practice in providing access to IT, and IT skills, for people living
in poor
neighbourhoods;
+ lessons learnt about the effectiveness of shared access points, such as
kiosks in community centres, libraries and Post Offices, and greater access
to the Internet etc.;
+ the best models for improving access to communications networks as a
means of strengthening community ties.
Goal:
+ to develop a strategy to increase the availability and take-up of
communications and information technology for people living in poor
neighbourhoods."
It is important also to note that ALL of the Action Teams are expected to:
‘adopt an open approach, consulting widely, particularly with people who
live in poor neighbourhoods and drawing on lessons from good practice’
(para 5.3).
The team will be carrying out a 'mapping' exercise of current practice, and
it would be helpful to have contributions from/via list members:
(i) suggestions on how to make wide consultation for PAT15 genuine and
inclusive, and not spurious;
(ii) specific contributions about access to ICTs in disadvantaged
communities, especially what has worked and how you know it works.
(iii) *especially* comments from users - please encourage those who have
used IT access points in libraries to email me with their views;
(iv) responses to individual questions which will be posted from time to time.
A web site called 'The Community Channel' will be established soon to help
distil some of this and other material knowledge for policy makers. We
have the opportunity to let them know about ideas, experience and best
practice, and the message from them is, ‘we’re listening’. It would be
profligate to miss this opportunity to organise our knowledge and
experience to influence policy, so don't hold back!
thanks
Kevin
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Kevin Harris
Community Development Foundation
http://www.cdf.org.uk
60 Highbury Grove, London N5 2AG ... tel 0171 226 5375 ... fax 0171 704 0313
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