Next step for the digital inclusion manifesto

At the Digital Inclusion Conference, I was interested – and greatly heartened – to see much duplication across the 20 big ideas delegates came up with across workshop sessions to move towards a Digital Manifesto.

There are obviously themes and principles upon which we all agree, and which have been backed up by this blog over the last few days. For instance:

1. The need for trusted intermediaries in both front line workers and volunteers, to help reach and target people, support them in places they trust (including their own homes), and to help design and build systems and content.
2. The need to get ‘officials’ on board – for instance council officers, civil servants, practitioners, community leaders and even teachers. We need to raise awareness with these key people, and even train them in how to embed and encompass new technologies and digital inclusion in their work.
3. The potential role for ‘social marketing’ in raising awareness and reaching the hardest to reach – big conversations, broadcast support in soaps/popular TV programmes.
4. The potential role for a sector helpline as a single ‘call to action’ for marketing purposes, directing people to the relevant, local places which can support them to become included. A helpline could also provide troubleshooting support for older or disabled people struggling with home computers.
5. We have to focus on existing projects, scale up what works and sustain success without constantly re-inventing the wheel. However we won’t shy away from innovation when it happens. As part of that, data and experiences should be open source and shared across the sector.
6. Universality – we need official sign-up to the concept of digital entitlement and access, accessibility, usability and high quality content.
7. We need public services which can interact with users, not just deliver information. Solutions cannot be developed without contact with real people! Things like real-time public feedback are the next step towards creating services people want to use.

We need to take the next step, however, in translating these themes into practical actions, and I think that’s what was missing in our 20 big ideas. I’ve had a stab, below, at de-duping some of the ideas, and galvanising passive themes into active steps:
1. Collaborative social marketing campaign to motivate people to learn about computers and the internet, tapping into their interests/motivations. To include working with broadcasting partners to demonstrate impact of digital inclusion – eg. soaps. And, create a central ‘call to action’ for the sector eg. joint helpline/database.
2. Set up ‘big conversations’ – online and off – with communities and policy makers.
3. Entitlement to basic digital skills for all and simple, universal access recognised in policy, and supported by a new local authority national indicator.
4. A nationally coordinated volunteer network to share digital skills.
5. Support and inspire learning leaders and practitioners to work together and share ideas and resources, with an online extranet/database of research, initiatives, and tools openly available. This must be open sourced and freely shared.
6. Develop local community forums on e-engagement which are representative.
7. A debate should be opened with the DIUS on how the Learning Revolution can be put into practice, and how we can bring innovation (in terms of technology, inclusion and social media) to the way in which learning systems are organised.
8. Provide and promote awareness training of new technologies and digital inclusion for council officers, audit commissioners, civil servants, library professionals and elected members. Awareness raising could include a programme of digital engagement roadshows to encourage local authorities to look at existing budgets anew.
9. Provide and promote awareness training of new technologies and digital inclusion for teachers at primary and secondary school. Share best practice in using new technologies as part of lessons – for instance with a roadshow/workshop travelling around schools.
10. Promote multichannel access to include digital TV, consoles and mobiles – taking inclusion beyond PCs.
11. Create a national digital advice line service for ageing and disabled users accommodating all ages, settings, needs and platforms – as a first port of call for advice.
12. It should be a legal requirement for all new ICT systems to meet both accessibility and usability standards, and be capable of supporting interaction as well as delivering information.
13. Focus on supporting people to create their own content, to engage people on issues which affect them and create a digital toolkit to locally help and support their ideas.

Now I know I’ve ruined the neat ‘20’ ideas, here, but I hope I’ve also made a pragmatic To Do list which I think the manifesto should have in its core.

The manifesto belongs to everybody here. Please do get involved.

Do people find splitting the principles and the actions helpful?
What else can be DONE to make sure the themes and principles we’ve identified are put into practice?
Do people have more ideas for themes, principles and actions we ought to add in? This is just a start there may be more ideas.
Who can deliver these actions (in partnership?)?
13 are still too many priority actions - which three actions would you do first? What are the top priorities?

Let me know what you think…

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Comment by Jo Crumplin on June 27, 2009 at 3:46pm: We have some great work on digital inclusion around the UK, people to learn from, advice to give, models to share. To me we have a lot of the spokes on the wheel we need the rim to join it all together. I think Helen's manifesto identifies the steps we need to take to "make it happen". I love Peter Farrell's comments, they are spot on, as yes, we are passionate about digital inclusion and when you share that heart and soul with others, that belief is infectious, and we need to spread that infectious belief to local gov (accept some authorities are better than others).
Coming on to Chris's comments - gain yes, the Digital Britain report and NGA does have to be addressed, and I welcome the CRC's Mind the Gap: Digital England - a rural perspective rolled out this week, which illustrates the issues we have in rural Britain and identifies the key areas to be tackled as a priority: education and lifelong learning, business development, social and community cohesion and equitable access to services. The last point here is an issue to me as one of those living within that 40% area.
Without equality of access you create a digital divide of the have's and have not's.
One further point to make, this comes after my husband has been out to one of our Centre users this morning. We are limited by time as always, but as much as we can have been out to help get people online at home, setting up their wireless routers. To anyone new to home bb, that box of goodies that's going to link them to the world, can be quite daunting, even off putting (especially to older users). For those on a pension often their only option is to pay (have heard reports within the area of people paying £70) which to me is obscene. Neither Alec or I charge people a penny, as far as we're concerned it's their right to be connected, and if we can help we will (we do at times come home with cakes, pies, bottles of wine given as token of appreciation).
Making this first step for home users easier with in preference no cost, would give us a huge leap forward towards Digital Inclusion, as what follows is the vehicle to enable remote access, for org's like Ability Net to be able to do remote assessments for users with disablities, providing them with the necessary hardware and software to be able/comfortable online.
Am watching my son play on Club Penguin (Disney) and how the penguins get together on one side of the iceberg to tip it over - together as a body of people let's hope we can tip that iceberg that is Digital Exclusion.

Comment by chris on June 19, 2009 at 7:38am: Just picking up on a comment Helen made earlier. 'do we need to get bogged down with next gen access stuff'.
Yes you do love.
Access to something that works all the time is key to getting anyone digitally engaged. Drop offs, slow connections and page timeouts when you are trying to do online banking, book holiday, buy on ebay etc puts people off. Three times yesterday my friend tried to do her car tax online and lost the page. So she got in the car and drove to the nearest post office to do it... People expect something to work, and if it doesn't they do it another way. Rural people won't be engaged without decent access. end of.
Once they can do all these simple tasks and see it all go smoothly they move on to other stuff. They get adventurous. Nobody wants broadband just to access Egov. They want a tool that works. Simple. If we want first to engage then to stimulate innovation we need better tools. We need next gen network.
I am not saying this has to be your priority, but any chance you get to find out more of the physics or speak to people with knowledge about it and plead the case would be much appreciated by the 40% of people who live in 90% of the UK land mass and don't have access to even ADSL over a meg. I know your priority has to be digitalengagement, mine is connectivity. Mike suggested a 10 point list, with connectivity being the first thing. Together we are all working for the same goal, a digitalbritain to be proud of for future generations. power to the people.

Comment by Mike Kiely on June 17, 2009 at 11:01am: I suggest you need a 10 best ways to get folk connected, focusing on getting actual connectivity in place, bet it a shared network wifi facility or even local volunteers running a wimax node, public phone box to wifi conversion campaigns, to munically supplied connectivity.

This would include kit, where to get it cosys, configs etc.

Comment by Paul Webster on May 20, 2009 at 10:20am: Our bid to run the Digital Mentors project had two key components.

1, To build on what works, simply that. Measures of social impact and digital inclusion demonstrators have been trialed for many years and the solutions4inclusion website shows what works and how these help communities so there is no needto re-invent any wheels. Yes, some wheels need to be productised or painted a different colour, maybe even have the tyre changed, but we know the shape already.

2, To not assume we know everything, but to seek out the leading lights who already know their communities inside out. They know the reasons why learning events on a Tuesday afternoon may be a bad idea, which young people will be put off by a "Yoof Portal Innit", what's been tried before and importantly what direction the community wants to travel in. The one element that these people (may) not have are the digital skills to bring this inclusion and cohesion vision into reality through digital technology.

Which is where point 1 comes in.

To me this seems straightforward (and mapps well onto Helen's list of next steps) :

- Map what works well - we've been doing the demonstrator phase for years now!
- Identify geographical areas of need - this is availavle in Communities datasets and mapping sites
- Train the trainers to be equipped with a full digital skills kit bag - the connectors are out there and the materials are written, just not pulled together yet
- Coach local community champions in the digital skiils they select as appropriate for their surroundings - the local community anchors / champions know where video or blogging or just sitting down with a cup of tea and laptop are most appropriate
- Local champions put into practice their sknew skills seeking inclusion but with ongoing mentoring if requested - not heavy sheperding, but a safty net if needed
- Record, and add to the ever increasing colouring book of ideas that other communities can pick up, select and rework with support from others - i'm shading in the picture on page 8 with an orange crayon, in Sunderland its page 17 with a blue one and in Exeter its page 21 with a purple one but I can't wait to see the whole book when its finished !

Of course there are some other steps to include i'm sure, like technical exclusion and ongoing support, access to the actual PCs and equipment communities need, the internet as a utility service etc. Please chip these in.

Our bid to run the Digital Mentors project had two key components, I hope those delivering digital mentoring will deliver something close to this.

Comment by Paul Nash on May 20, 2009 at 9:39am: David Wilcox has made a highly relevant comment over on Clare White's blog on "Sharing the Digital Inclusion Agenda". He cites Clay Shirky "Connect the Connectors". I strongly support Rosemary's view above and would put in a plea here to emphasise what I have said previously; try to avoid the headlong rush towards accreditation and quality assurance when working with learning champions and community learning. Accept it for what it is! Better still let's look at the wider role of community brokers in general and understand how they work and what they contribute. I've also noticed that there is a thread on the RSA work on Social Capital and I suspect that this is something that we need to keep in mind.

Comment by Rosemary Dodgson on May 20, 2009 at 2:41am: A fairly short comment - in the general world of adult education there is great use being made of learning champions - these are people who have done "it" ; are close to those who may want to learn; understand the challenges having often overcome them themselves; and very much fit the first big issue - have the trust of the community - an initiative along parallel lines - using the lessons learned and some of the materials already produced might be worth some consideration. Our learning champions can make a huge difference. The champion has the opportunity to give back which is very fulfilling and it enables them to pass on the all important messages about the positive things that they have gained through their learning experiences.

Comment by Paul Nash on May 14, 2009 at 6:13pm: "Dekiru" Japanese word meaning to be ready, be made, be able.

There is nothing in the suggestions here with which one can disagree. The “What” is fine but I’m not entirely convinced by the “How”. What I’m about to say is based in some large part on a piece of work we did for Digital Birmingham:
http://www.digitalbirmingham.co.uk/
on the background for a regional digital inclusion network. Out of interest you can download the report from:
http://www.penval.co.uk/files/Background_to_a_Digital_Inclusion_Network.pdf

The report highlighted that the digital inclusion network environment is, unsurprisingly, large and complex and has large communication gaps between the major participants. There is a summary diagram on page 27.

I can understand the desire to engage with local authority decision makers and the wish to improve the perception of the benefits of ICTs for social inclusion. Likewise it’s good to see the desire to engage with front line intermediaries, the local service brokers who play such an important role, especially where people are particularly vulnerable. I believe we should think in terms of a “holy trinity” of service design which involves statutory partners, the VCS/CVS and empowered citizens.

I’m a great believer in keeping it local. The key is, I believe, to empower communities to self help. I’m not at all clear what you mean by a “sector helpline”? What do you mean by sector? Public sector? Third Sector? Private Sector? Social IT Sector?

Success is important, it should be celebrated, shared and replicated. However I feel we should also positively promote innovation and seek to better understand the innovation process, especially in the public sector.

It is with the “How” that I feel I should comment because the underlying principle should, for me, be making communities “able” and empowered.

Big conversations are always a good thing for out of debate comes understanding. However, in the big conversation I think there should be rules of engagement:
Rule 1. Just because someone had a good experience doesn't mean they have the answer. Present the experience, not the solution.
Rule 2. No PowerPoint slides with tick boxes.
Rule 3. There should be no exceptions proving the rule. We should celebrate success but not at the expense of ignoring the hard to do pile.
Rule 4. Remember that the biggest consumers of public services are those people whose lives are most chaotic.

Talking is good but there are many “communities” and I suspect that those that are most excluded are not part of the ones that will engage in a conversation, especially a big one. The friends and trusted agents are key here as are those agencies that they work with as part of their role as broker. Let’s focus on the routes to a conversation with the brokers and let us be mindful that the Third Sector is not really a sector but a very broad church. Keep in mind the barriers to engagement with these groups, time, cost, and a message that has meaning in terms of their client group. There are structures in place but I think we should look beyond these because no one person represents the whole sector and non one organisation supports every group.

The issue of access is important but once the conversation moves to the issues of access there is a danger that the issue of inclusion will get side tracked. The 2Mbs Universal Service Offering is likely, is this enough? Do we really need to get bogged down in the Next Generation Access debate? What are the implications for inclusion of an infrastructure policy that is underpinned by entertainment services? What are the implications for compelling content of an infrastructure that only delivers 2 Mbs? Yes, I think it’s important but should it have its own space?

On the subject of access I haven’t heard anybody mention the big ‘R’. Have we considered Rural? Have you rural proofed these thoughts? Has any of the Digital Manifesto been rural proofed? Does rural need a separate space? I accept that the issues are the same but should we take account of the additional problems of sparcity, cost of service delivery, the nature of rural communities? I think we should. Rural exclusion is often hidden yet 20% of the population live in rural areas and if the equivalent levels of deprivation were combined into a single city it would constitute a national disgrace.

I suspect that the Number of National Indicators will decrease, not increase, as in the case of the Police Authorities who now have only one NI – There is a question in my mind as to whether or not access should be a local authority responsibility? Is it a re-generation activity? What will be the impact of sub national review? Should Digital Inclusion be a part of spatial policy and economic development? Yes I can see the link but should it be part of the debate at this level?

At the risk of sounding hyper critical the “How” is starting to sound a bit top down. We need to be doing it “with” not “to”. What if the community doesn't want an e-engagement forum? The role of capacity building is important here. I see this as part of the whole Empowerment agenda and we should seek to align with, share and inform the initiatives that are contributing to the empowerment of communities. There is a holy trinity of service design made up of statutory partners, the VCS/CVS and Empowered Communities. 'E' is an important element of this but we should seek to work within the framework that is growing rather than establish something else and in that way we can embed inclusion into the wider empowerment agenda.
The role of DIUS and the conversations with them should be wider than learning - though I whole heartedly support the need for and support of learning through digital inclusion. I don't believe that Informal learning has been taken on board as it should. I have experienced the power of community based, informal learning and see it as a major part of empowerment and community regeneration. I think we are too quick to call for quality assurance and qualifications at this level and we should accept it for what it is. We should make more of NIACE and many of their approaches for instance and we should not underestimate the role of community brokers and the power of local networks.

I also think DIUS has a role in sponsoring innovation. I don't pretend to fully understand the processes by which innovation makes it into the mainstream, and I suspect many others don’t either. I do know it's not the simple cyclical model that we are often presented with and see it much more as a double helix of influences. I've been surprised that nobody to date has made more of the Vienna Study into the evidence for the impact of digital inclusion across Europe. The study coined the phrase, I2 – inclusive technical innovation, Innovative inclusion policies – I think the conversation should include a better understanding about how innovation can be made to work. We should not forget bottom up innovation either. How do we capture the knowledge based on experience from those groups and individuals who deliver services directly to the final 29%? How is their contribution to trinity of service design turned into mainstream practice? I think it was either David Banes from Ability Net or Chris Batt from The People’s Network who used the phrase “creating value” and “understanding the value chain”. I don’t think we do these things particularly well we tend to rely on a shared belief that what we do is a good thing. I welcomed Baroness Andrews announcement on the establishment of a consultative group for Registered Social Landlords. I can see huge opportunities for creating value here.

I’ve already gone on far too long so I’ll desist. I’ll finish by saying that I see the key as empowering communities because the role of communities in delivery of services locally will increase significantly over the next few years and we will be failing them if we do not ensure that they are ready and able – Dekiru!

Comment by Peter Farrell on May 14, 2009 at 3:34pm: I think these are great ideas and I wouldn't disagree with any of them. But I think what we have at the moment is an action list not a manifesto.
Aren't manifestos supposed to be about ideas and about how our ideas will change things for the better and why it is better. Maybe about the failings and inadequacies of what has gone before and why and by joining with us we will make all our lives better. We should demand things and make universal statements without qualification. Manifestos have passion and poetry in them and that’s why we commit to them and remember them. We all believe in the digital revolution and how it's going to bring great benefits and they should be for everyone don’t we? And we believe in it passionately and want to do everything we can to make it happen. I thinkits really important to make that belief clear and our commitment to our belief needs to be in our manifesto. And we should say it really well

We are going to need memorable lines so that they can be quoted and become the short hand for our movement. We need some hearts and minds stuff. These kinds of words don’t usually come from action plans. Jefferson wrote "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Not
We think that it would be really good if we all thought the same way about being much nicer to each other and we will be nicer in the following ways
1 We are all equal
2. We all should have some rights
3. And they shouldn't be taken away
4. ever
And they are
4a life
4b Liberty
4c pursuing happiness. TBD

OK so I'm being facetious but I think its an important point. Our manifesto has got to capture hearts and minds as well as say what we're going to do. Just because they are really great ideas doesn't mean they will sell themselves. OK so over to poets now ….

Comment by Tessa Henwood on May 14, 2009 at 12:09pm: I think the following points are really important:

8. Provide and promote awareness training of new technologies and digital inclusion for council officers, audit commissioners, civil servants, library professionals and elected members.
9. Provide and promote awareness training of new technologies and digital inclusion for teachers at primary and secondary school.

As they will help promote a change in culture from the top down - to communities through local authorities and to the next generation through schools. Local councils tend to already have datebases of community groups in the areas, and they can affect the way that schools and libraries use technology.

I think the change needs to come from all directions but a efficient way to start would be with those with most influence.

Comment by Paul Webster on May 14, 2009 at 12:35am: Just what is needed, pragmatic action to do something not just talk.

So to add my thoughts and keep this moving into something concrete.

I see your actions on two levels - we need to get the planning right to enable the construction of the vehicle that will take us forward. (This is a bit of a first stab at the to do list).

In planning we need to work through the list addressing points 3, 7, 8, 9 and 12

Then with this planned foundation in place address points 2, 1, 10, 11, 4, 6, 5 and 13

But I also think there are a couple of points missing too:

14, (follows on from 13) We need to have support and care networks in place for the new wave of digitally engaged organisations and citizens. In the same way that you wouldn't let a learner driver out on the road after one or two lessons you shouldn't let a new digitally engaged citizen (fresh from a social media surgery?) out to play in the fast lanes - the ones we all move in and are familiar with the rules and etiquette of. Its a bit like point 11 and adds to point 14, but I think a point in its own right

15, We must help the community support organisations, the local CVS' the individual CABx, the Age Concerns, Volunteer Centres, Women's Resource Centres etc. Those groups that are the bridge between community organisations and national bodies. Many of these struggle to keep up with the technology of Web 1.0 let alone Web 2.0. Don't leave them out but provide training so that they understand the importance of this and can cascade knowledge down to their members and their local communities as these communities are more likely to listen to their "home" support network that an individual trainer or a local authority led initiative (this one fits in around 4, 6 and 5.

16, One for just before point 13 is support for organisations and communities who need access to technical assistance - by this I don't mean a fund to buy laptops or reduced price software, but support to help them understand that the equipment they are using to become digitally engaged needs to fit into a bigger plan. Whilst this may apply more to organisations than individuals, inevitably new ways of engagement will bring new challenges so its important to coach them in data security, data backup, day to day support and running costs, planning and costing their technology, how it fits into the groups aims and objectives and the implications of data sharing with their peers etc

On the other points
- I think we have point 4 already - www.it4communities.org.uk who currently have more professionals willing to volunteer than organisations to support - a nice position to be in
- Point 5 needs to really focus on the work of the DC10plus network and the great resourse bank building up on the solutions4inclusion website. Don't duplicate - productise and then replicate !

Hope you don't see this as shooting holes in the list - its great to see this off at a cracking pace and very much something I hope to contribute into !