2004 Circuit Riders Conference Report – Information Technology and Community Groups

Putting the Helpers in the pICTure – this conference report offers a new approach to Voluntary Sector ICT Support and Development.

A Circuit Rider is someone who provides technology assistance to the nonprofit sector.

The help a Rider gives varies from helping to set up a local area network (LAN) to coaching an Executive Director to advocate for technology funding to the board. Part technology cheerleader, evangelist and skilled technologist, Riders come in many forms.

Doug Jacquier, the CEO of Community Information Strategies (CIS), attended the Circuit Riders Conference and associated meetings in London, September 2004.

Doug’s report summarises the key conclusions and strategies which could be implemented in Australia to facilitate the use of Information Communication Technologies in the Community sector.

Key Conclusions

• Most non-government/community organisations delivering services to the public are either significantly or totally dependent on funding from one or more level(s) of government and many are either partly or wholly an arm of government service delivery.
  
• The use of information and communications technology (ICT) is an essential component in delivering services to the public effectively and efficiently and in providing accountability to funding bodies.
  
• Currently, many community organisations do not have the in-house expertise to develop and maintain adequate ICT infrastructure and staff skills.
  
• The reasons for this are usually the result of an organisational culture which does not see ICT as a priority and/or a lack of adequate government funding to address the relevant issues.
  
• Where funding does exist for ICT from government, charitable and business sources, it is usually one-off and largely equipment-focused.
  
• Around the world a wide range of strategies is in operation and/or in development which seek to address the core ICT issues facing community sector organisations, with strong government and corporate involvement.

Strategies include:

• Undertaking detailed studies of the ICT needs of the community sector and matching policy and funding to the outcomes. (Note - This could be based on, or supplemented by, action research through circuit rider projects)
  
• Providing government funding to coordinate a sector-wide strategy to address ICT issues.
  
• Encouraging community sector organisations and their peak bodies to provide leadership in developing ICT strategies and programs.
  
• Establishing ‘circuit rider’ projects, providing mobile ICT support to a caseload of community organisations, based on a formal ICT plan that is focused on the organisation’s future independence.
  
• Matching ICT professionals as volunteers with specific community sector ICT projects.
  
• Developing ‘preferred provider’ lists of ICT businesses sympathetic to the sector’s issues and budgets.
  
• Making adequate ICT development plans a condition of government funding to community sector organisations (where appropriate) and providing the funding to develop, implement and maintain adequate ICT infrastructure.
  
• Providing community sector boards/committees and management staff with information and support towards incorporating appropriate ICT strategies into their operations and forward planning.
  
• Engaging the business sector in providing in-kind and financial support to community sector ICT strategies.
  
• Continuing the development of open source software specifically focused on community sector business requirements and providing low/no cost options for the use of proprietary software in community organisations.
  
• Promoting the more systematic use of recycled ICT equipment (where appropriate), to keep costs low.
  
• Providing web-based resources for the sourcing of community-focused ICT information, hardware and software.
  
• Bringing community sector organisations together to share their ICT experiences.
  
• Ensuring that government ICT policies aimed at supporting the government and business sectors provide similar support to community sector organisations.
  
• Using the ‘Connecting Up 2005’ in Adelaide to provide a national forum for community, government and business dialogue on the way forward and for governments to announce their preferred strategies in addressing community sector ICT issues.

Follow this link to the Circuit Riders Conference Report by Doug Jacquier (pdf - opens in a new browser window)

For further information

Contact

:

Community Information Strategies (CIS)

WWW

:

http://www.communit.info