Welcome to Telecommunities Canada 1997 Conference

"Partnerships"

August 15-18, 1997 Halifax, Nova Scotia


Home Page | Conference Information | Schedule

Universal Access Workshop - Document 3 of 4


	CONSULTATION PROJECT PROPOSAL:
FORUMS ON PUBLIC SPACE COMMUNITY NETWORKING

Electronic Public Space Steering Group
July 30, 1997.


Background:

There is a need to involve Canadian communities in discussions
about local impacts and responses to new social and economic
realities in a way that reflects community values, needs and
perspectives.  Communities have enormous capacity to identify
and solve their own transitional problems.  Many Canadian
communities have direct experience of accommodating the
realities of new communications tools to their needs.  But few
means exist to share that experience.  How are communities
addressing local factors of change and succeeding or failing to
counterbalance and compliment global factors of change? 
"Forums on public space community networking" will seek to
find the issues that pre-occupy communities and community
networks and to promote a multi-sectoral and arms-length
dialogue at the community level. 

Since announcing a commitment to the development of a
Canadian strategy for the development of an "Information
Highway" in the Speech from the Throne in 1994, the
Government of Canada has undertaken a number of policy
initiatives to achieve this goal. These include the development
of policy initiatives within government departments, between
different levels of government in Canada, and convening the
Information Highway Advisory Council (IHAC). 

These efforts have identified policy goals and objectives
which include: ensuring universal access at reasonable cost for
all Canadians; the affordable and equitable access to essential
services; the development and availability of Canadian content;
literacy and life-long learning; access to information and
services from all levels of government; economic and social
participation by all Canadians; and the development of a
National Access Strategy, among others. 

The Canadian Information Highway will be developed and
operated by the private sector.  The federal government
expects  that, where market conditions are favourable, the
private sector will develop access technologies and content
services which meet many of the economic needs of Canadians.
However, the IHAC and the federal government have also
concluded that there will be ongoing access barriers for
different groups of Canadians, and that in addition to market
forces, other initiatives, including community networks, will
also be required to address the public's full range of economic,
social, cultural and civic access and content needs with
respect to new communications media.  Federal - provincial
government discussions of roles and responsibilities for these
policies are in their early stages.

The issues of sustaining community networks and other
electronic  public spaces  relate to what people actually do
with new communications media, not just with the provision
of technologies for network connectivity.  The goal of
consultation is to discuss various models of community
participation and autonomy in facing converging
communications technologies at the local level.  This
consultation will assume that it's the community that's the
network, not the technology, and that the role of public space
community networking is to turn experience of transition into
practice.

Community based initiatives already offer a number of
alternatives which can meet Canadians' needs. Currently, more
than one hundred not-for-profit community networks are in
development or operation in Canada. It is estimated that a
minimum of 400,000 to 500,000 Canadians are members of
these organizations, with many more accessing them through
the Internet. As well, Industry Canada is acting as a catalyst
for community access in up to 4000 locations across Canada,
in addition to connecting schools (SchoolNet) and First Nations
bands.

Not-for-profit community networks are particularly suited to
meet both the needs of the public and the policy goals of all
levels of government because they are close to the citizen and
they have the capability to offer different levels of access and
comprehensive content services to meet a wide range of public
communication and information activities. 

A number of public interest groups concerned with public
access to the information highway and its relation to the
concept of electronic public space have formed a Steering
Group to help facilitate the development and sustainability of
not-for-profit community networks across canada.  These
groups have developed a "public space community networks
model" (see attached) as a means of arriving at a common
understanding about access roles among communities,
governments, and businesses involved in communications
changes.  It is a preliminary working model, drafted for the
purpose of consultation.  The goal of this consultation is to
define a flexible model which can be adopted by communities
across Canada.

A well defined common model should assist communities in
the development of their resources in collaborative ways with
different levels of government and the private sector.  It
should enable communities to anticipate the emerging policy
priorities of the federal, provincial and municipal 
governments. These include: access (individual and
communities of connection [eg. Interests] or location [eg.
Rural]); technological literacy; learning and training; public
consultation; access to government information; community
health information; and content development.

This Steering Group has been working with both government
and private sector partners in the development of this model.
As suggested by the Phase II recommendations of the IHAC,
community networks are an important part of the policy mix of
a National Access Strategy.

The Project:

The purpose of this project is to undertake a public
consultation on the role of not-for-profit community networks
in meeting the various access and content needs of the public
and to inform the development of a National Access Strategy.
Community networks will be considered as part of a number of
current models for community participation and access. A
second phase (Phase II) of the study would be a long term
socio-economic impact study of community networks and
electronic public space and the relationship of these to the
National Access Strategy as it unfolds over time.

In Phase I, the project will consult Canadians from different
regions who have an interest in public access as it relates to
such issues as literacy, training, content, participation, public
information, changing government roles, community
development, etc. Individuals invited to participate in this
process will primarily be those who have not been part of
previous federal Information Highway consultations, and who
have some expertise in the public issue areas being addressed. 
The selection of participants should comprehensively include
key actors from all aspects of life in community, even if
resources limit full representation.  This approach is expected
to provide an assessment of how a community network
model(s) can best be designed to meet the everyday needs and
practices of individuals, community organizations and
communities.

In addition to the community network model, this consultation
process will also address issues relating to Universal Access,
the proposal for a National Access Advisory Committee, the
National Access Strategy, and the role of public institutions,
such as libraries and other community groups in facilitating
access and public needs.

The general objectives of Phase I are:

 	to discuss and consult in detail on the community
network model. To consider other models of community
participation and control of public access at the local level in
the context of community networking.

 	assemble a comprehensive group of community
representatives who are "non-experts" in technology and
communications policy and provide them with an opportunity
to present their views on their constituents' needs, emerging
technologies and the impact and opportunities of these at the
community level.

 	to provide additional information for the National Access
Strategy and for a National Access Advisory Committee with
the capacity to engage in a long-term consultation process, if
such a committee is created by the federal government.

 	discuss issues relating to the sustainability of
community networks, and their roles in such areas as turning
learning into practice, literacy, training, community and public
information content, information services from all levels of
government, changing government roles and so forth.

 	to describe mechanisms for the generation of resources
for the sustainable operation of community networks; and the
distribution of resources accrued from the national level to
address universal access and social policy objectives.

Objectives more specific to communities in transition include:

 	assessment of how communities view the
socio-economic impacts, risks and opportunities of the shift
to reliance on new communications media for social and
economic participation; what do they need to know and do in
order to effectively respond?

 	define neutral ground and common interests which
connect all three sectors (social, government, business) of
community-based institutions.

 	raise awareness about how community expresses itself
using the new media, and about how community retains
autonomy in choosing its own directions.

 	identify some of the essential consultative and research
functions of a National Access Advisory Committee and the
National Access Strategy.

 	assist the Electronic Public Space Steering Group to
validate and refine its model.



Format: Phase I

There are two proposed options for consultation. One option is
to conduct five regional forums.  This option provides the
broadest opportunity to represent all walks of life in
community.  The second option is to conduct a forum in a
central location, with participants drawn on a regional basis.
The general cost estimates for these options is attached. 

Forums would be one and a half days in length. These would be
held in the conference facilities of a hotel or other public
facility. The forums would include plenary sessions and small
group sessions, when required. Written proceedings will be
produced from the sessions of each forum. The advantages of a
formal forum approach are that this permits a detailed and
informed discussion of both the community network model and
the needs of various community interests with respect to
public access to, and use of, electronic public space and the
information highway at the local level.

A final report will be produced which summarizes the forum
proceedings. This report will also make recommendations
based on the results of this consultation process and will
incorporate the perspectives of the member organizations of
the Steering Group on community networking. The Steering
Group members have already undertaken some internal
consultations on the community network model. These
recommendations will address: community networking
model(s), the need and possible roles for a National Access
Advisory Committee, issues relating to Universal Access, and
the National Access Strategy.

Time Frame:

It is proposed that Phase I of this project will commence in
September 1997. Consultations will be completed by November.
A final report will be publicly released by January 1998.

Phase II is a long term project (2 - 3 years) which would
assess issues relating to the ongoing development of
community networks and other electronic spaces in relation to
the National Access Strategy. The general objectives of Phase
II would include:

 	facilitate ongoing socio-economic impact discussions.

 	describe governance model(s) that communities can apply
to their own circumstances for the design and utilization of
local electronic public space as a public commons.

 	ensure that the lessons learned from experience can be
turned into common practices that can be shared among
communities.

 	Assess how well universal access and content issues are
being addressed and make recommendations as part of the
ongoing implementation of the National Access Strategy.

In addition to a feedback round of consultation, Phase II would
also involve experts and research on selected topics that arise
out of the Phase I consultation and other sources that are
relevant to the National Access Strategy and a National Access
Advisory Committee. This work would include an assessment
of the impact of information technologies and the development
of the Information Highway on communities.  The audience for
this work would include different levels of government, public
interest and community development organizations, the private
sector, and social groups, individuals and institutions at the
community level. 
Budget: 	General Cost Estimates for Public Consultations -
Phase I

Costing options are general estimates only. Assumptions about
consultation venues and representation, scope of activities,
analysis, feedback and reporting affect cost estimates. More
detailed costing will be provided after the level of interest by
potential sponsors has been determined.

1) Extensive Consultation. Consultations in five regional
centres: Atlantic Provinces (Moncton); Quebec (Montreal);
Ontario (Ottawa); Prairies including N.W.T. (Edmonton); West
including Yukon (Vancouver). Consultations would include up to
50 persons per site of which up to 20 would require travel and
accommodation expenses. Duration of consultation: one and a
half days (Friday through Sunday).

Budget includes: Consultation preparation, management,
meeting materials, etc.; Site Costs (including logistics, site
support, proceedings, etc.); Travel @ $20k per site; Misc.
(Administration overheads, other); Final Reporting; Taxes.	

Option One, Extensive Consultation:				
$ 252,000.00

2) General Regional Consultation. Consultations in five
regional centres: Atlantic Provinces (Moncton); Quebec
(Montreal); Ontario (Ottawa); Prairies including N.W.T.
(Edmonton); West including Yukon (Vancouver). Consultations
would include up to 25 - 30 persons per site of which up to 10
would require travel and accommodation expenses.  Duration of
consultation: one and a half days (Friday through Sunday).

Budget includes: Consultation preparation, management,
meeting materials, etc.; Site Costs (including logistics, site
support, proceedings, etc.); Travel @ $20k per site; Misc.
(Administration overheads, other); Final Reporting; Taxes.	

Option Two, General Consultation:					
$ 192,000.00

3) Central Location Consultation. Up to 60 representatives
maximum, drawn from all regions, representing different
public interests would be flown in to Ottawa. Duration of
consultation: one and a half days (Friday through Sunday).

Budget includes: Consultation preparation, management,
meeting materials, etc.; Site Costs (including logistics, site
support, proceedings, etc.); Travel @ $20k per site; Misc.
(Administration overheads, other); Final Reporting; Taxes. 	
Option Three, Central Consultation:				
	$ 142,000.00


Attachment:


PROPOSED MODEL FOR CONSULTATION AND COMMENT
		ON
PUBLIC SPACE COMMUNITY NETWORKS

Electronic Public Space Steering Group, Spring, 1997.