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Theme: Networking Communities - Essay 8
Author: Steve Downs, Director, Telecommunications and
Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP),
NTIA, U.S. Department of Commerce
E-mail: sdowns@ntia.doc.gov
Planning, Training, and Flexibility Are the Keys to Success in
Technology Projects
Building a new information infrastructure may seem primarily a
technological challenge. Success, however, depends mostly on
how well we address human issues, judging from a review of
reports from TIIAP-supported projects.
People with experience in the field stress the need for careful
planning, continuous training, strong community support,
adequate staffing, flexible management and good face-to-face
collaboration among partners.
These lessons are emerging from the group of 210
telecommunications and information infrastructure projects that
received TIIAP funds in fiscal years 1994 and 1995, the first
two years of the program. TIIAP is examining how well these
projects are working and what can be learned from them. In
addition, TIIAP will use this information to assess how to
target its future grant rounds.
TIIAP is preparing, among other things, to design a new
reporting system for grantees. "We want to understand the impact
of the program better," explains Dr. Francine Jefferson, TIIAP's
evaluation specialist. "How can information technology best
serve diffuse populations and address community issues? How can
we define areas of need? And how are projects sustaining
themselves after the grant period ends?"
On the latter point, the preliminary review is encouraging.
Nearly all of the 98 projects that had submitted final reports
by December 1997 were planning to continue after their federal
funding had expired. And almost half indicated that they were
expanding their networks or otherwise enlarging their programs.
The 210 projects represent an investment of $165 million. TIIAP
provided 37% of that total, or $61 million, while the other 63%
was raised from non-federal sources. TIIAP projects cover a wide
variety of applications. For example, nearly 40% of the projects
were designed to link community organizations, provide public
access to technology or facilitate regional economic
development. Another 30% involved education, culture and
lifelong learning. The remainder either sought to improve the
delivery of public services, such as housing, child welfare and
employment counseling; were aimed at improving delivery of
health-related services; or focused on increasing the
effectiveness of law enforcement and emergency services.
Project veterans enumerated a number of recommendations for
future information-technology undertakings. They include:
- Have a well developed plan. Detailed and coordinated
planning can help avoid one of the most frequently-cited
problems -- delay.
- Training is essential. With technology changing rapidly, the
need for training is "relentless." The projects suggest that a
"train the trainer" approach provides a low-cost way to train a
large number of users. It is also noted that experienced project
participants advised training more than one person for a job to
prevent delays that otherwise can arise from staff turnover.
- Community support is as important as training. Open houses,
technology fairs and other marketing and public relations
efforts help get users involved and encourage stakeholder
participation.
- Staffing is critical. Many grant recipients said they were
unprepared for the whirlwind of activity that followed the
launching of a project. They recommended having staff lined up
at the very beginning to purchase and maintain equipment,
monitor the changing capabilities of technology, keep track of
expenditures and tend to grant requirements.
- Strive for flexibility. Telecommunications development
projects require managers who expect to make organizational
changes and who can keep stakeholders involved. Flexibility is
important. When developing telecommunications projects, change
is inevitable. Initial plans often go awry. Networks require
expansion. Technology is likely to change. Several projects
concluded that on-going planning is necessary to prevent delays
and increase the prospects of long-term success.
- Budget carefully. Labor, wiring and equipment costs exceeded
expectations for a number of projects. Project managers
recommended budgeting carefully for training materials, website
maintenance and other on-going expenses.
- Collaboration is critical and requires sustained effort.
Many problems can be allayed if partners meet regularly. Some
projects suggested that even in the age of video conferencing,
meetings should be in person. A memorandum of agreement between
partners can cement relationships, clarify roles and create a
leadership structure that can help avoid future
misunderstandings.
- Privacy and security issues must be a priority. Systems
won't be used unless they satisfy legitimate concerns among
prospective users about privacy.
For more information on the FY94 and FY95 TIIAP projects, visit
the NTIA web site, http://www.ntia.doc.gov.
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