Brighton and Hove Digital Partnership meetings

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The Partnership was created as the result of a forum organised by the Sussex Community Internet Project in September 1996, and has met twice since then. These meeting notes were prepared by David Wilcox dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk

Meeting of November 15 1996

To: PD29@bton.ac.uk (Peter Day), Colin Millar <colin.millar@bt-sys.bt.co.uk>, john@pavilion.net (John O'Farrell), brighton@refnet.demon.co.uk (Sally McMahon), packman@pavilion.co.uk (John Packman), bhcdt@pavilion.co.uk (Colin Miller), media@pavilion.co.uk (Anna Pedroza), G.Bull@bton.ac.uk (Gordon Bull), a.cawson@sussex.ac.uk (Alan Cawson), dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk (David Wilcox)
From: dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk (David Wilcox)
Subject: Community Internet - next steps
Cc: Peter Mason <scip@pact.org.uk>, GREENOPD@oldpaul.agw.bt.co.uk (Dave Greenop), "G. Muncey" <gmuncey@fastnet.co.uk>, coreteam@pact.org.uk (Mark Walker and David Nicholls), tim.cornish.sea@artsfb.org.uk, jonny@cybar.co.uk (Jonny Shipp), brighton-info@pavilion.co.uk (Simon Turner), simon@brighton.co.uk, jfinnis@lighthouse.org.uk
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Thanks everyone for such a productive meeting last Friday. We are dealing with complex issues and inventing something completely new. I think we made excellent progress and have a big opportunity in the European programme Colin outlined.

I think our mission is to ensure that Brighton and Hove has the best local Intranet in the UK (preferably Europe), working for the whole community.

NEXT MEETING: 10am Thursday December 19. Provisionally at the Media Centre again - I will confirm.

NEXT STEPS

1 Comments/corrections on the report below. I suggest minor points to me for a redraft, major issues to all.

2 Please post to the group or me suggestions for the contribution you could make, and I/SCIP will collate them, e.g.
- Research
- Work with community groups
- Work/meetings with other stakeholders
- Content and/or facilities for demos
- Developing the funding proposal and vision
- Server space
- etc.....

We will then post back to the group a suggested approach for the development process.

Regards
David
----------------------------
PRESENTATION BY DAVID WILCOX ON NOVEMBER 15 1996

TODAY'S AGENDA

1 Introductions and Forum report back

2 Where are we now
*Current initiatives and plans for the future
*SWOT

3 Where are we trying to get to
*What outcomes, for whom?
*A vision?

4 How do we get from here to there?
*Joint funding bid?
*Short term collaboration?
*Leadership and resources?
*Principles - partnership, sustainability...?
*..... an action plan

COMMUNITY INTERNET

September 30 Forum report
*Lots of enthusiasm, lots of potential
*Must be for the whole community
*Needs a vision, partnership, resources
*Get started... but who takes a lead?

SCIP role
*Champion for 'ordinary people' and partnership
*Promoting Community Internet Forum online, print and face to face
*Catalyst and facilitator of strategy
*Training and community-based projects
*Working with UK Communities Online as part of the Government's 'IT for All' initiative
*Moving from volunteer effort to charitable non-profit business

THE OPPORTUNITY

IT for All
*Launching December 3 - four year programme
*Information Society initiative for citizens
*No new money - but badging, brokerage

Europe and global
*Some funding for community-based initiatives
*We have contacts in Europe and US

Brighton and Hove
*Reputation as a 'Wired City'
*Many of the components of Community Internet
*New authority ... but how to form a partnership?

Next steps
*SWOT
*Vision - principles and projects

-----------------------------

DISCUSSION - THE FLIP CHARTS

STRENGTHS
- New unitary authority
- Two universities with European networks
- Multimedia industries
- Consensus on need for widespread access to useful content
- Media Development Association and Media Centres
- Health authority interest
- Pavilion Internet interest

WEAKNESSES/ISSUES
- Access to what - what content, communication
- Need for training and support
- Roles uncertain to develop infrastructure, access, content, publishing, communication
- Who develops, decides, controls?
- What is the technology really useful for?

OPPORTUNITIES
- Potential SRB funding of 500K for multimedia broadband
- Capital challenge bid to connect town halls, new authority's HQ, schools, libraries, community centres - with 50-150 computers per school. Local authority will have one phone system for all offices
- European funding - fifth framework
- Community approach in EU guidelines

GUIDELINES/PRINCIPLES
- Defined geographical area - Brighton and Hove
- Face challenge of 'universal service'
- Should become part of/reflect the community
- Day to day useful content
- Common platform for all
- Enrich existing networks
- Self sustaining
- Democratic
- Designed by getting close to users
- Key issues: infrastructure, access, communication, control, content, sustainability, development process
- Model must be a partnership

DISCUSSION ON MODEL AND PROCESS
Need to develop
- a vision
- a steering group to guide
- an 'engine room' of people doing the work
- means of communciating with stakeholders and community during the development process
- an information audit
- some early practical projects
- a substantial funding application

DECISIONS

1 SCIP continues to take the lead. Form steering group and working team.

2 The major task is to develop a funding proposal under the EU Telematics Applications Programme - Digital sites - for submission by mid February 1997.

3 SCIP and others also develop immediate projects for training and practical support of users and potential users

4 Brighton University to organise an information audit as a student project. Sussex University also to consider research project.

5 Develop a Web site and other methods to develop/promote the idea and enable stakeholders to participate.

Gordon Bull, University of Brighton
Alan Cawson, University of Sussex
Peter Day, University of Brighton
Sally McMahon, Brighton Reference Library
Colin Millar, BT
Colin Miller, B&H Community Development Team
John O'Farrell, Pavilion Internet
John Packman, Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority
Anna Pedroza, Media Development Association
Chris Penn, BT
John Wallace, Brighton & Hove Health Authority
David Wilcox, SCIP

Meeting of December 19 1996

To: PD29@bton.ac.uk (Peter Day), Colin Millar <colin.millar@bt-sys.bt.co.uk>, john@pavilion.net (John O'Farrell), brighton@refnet.demon.co.uk (Sally McMahon), packman@pavilion.co.uk (John Packman), bhcdt@pavilion.co.uk (Colin Miller), media@pavilion.co.uk (Anna Pedroza), a.cawson@sussex.ac.uk (Alan Cawson), dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk (David Wilcox), GREENOPD@oldpaul.agw.bt.co.uk (Dave Greenop), tim.cornish.sea@artsfb.org.uk, jonny@cybar.co.uk (Jonny Shipp), brighton-info@pavilion.co.uk (Simon Turner), simon@brighton.co.uk, jfinnis@lighthouse.org.uk, Mark Walker <coreteam@pact.org.uk>
From: dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk (David Wilcox)
Subject: B&H Digital Partnership
Cc: nick.trent@dtieed.dti.gov.uk
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Hello all

Many thanks for your contributions to a most constructive meeting. Here's the conclusions and action points plus my slides. The update reports will be covered in the items you will all submit ;-). Please also circulate any further observations.

NEXT MEETING
Brighton University 3pm on the 7th January 1997. W107 on the first floor of the Watts building.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS
- Brighton and Hove has many of the elements necessary to create a Community Intranet - but we need to combine these to get synergy and a system serving the whole community.
- This can be achieved through a Digital Partnership, which may require formation of a Digital Trust or other mechanism to drive it forward
- Two immediate opportunities will help form the partnership and start the process towards development of the Intranet and public awareness: participation in the Digital Sites programme and development of a local IT for All campaign
- We should use the Brighton Festival in May 1997 to show what IT can offer 'ordinary people' and develop a vision for the future.

ACTIONS

1 Digital Sites bid.
- Colin Millar and David Wilcox to attend Brussels briefing January 9 and take poster presentation of B&H initiatives to help identify European partners. To achieve that....
- John Packman to circulate first note of key initiatives
- Alan Cawson to provide briefing on bid requirements and current partners (see http://www2.echo.lu/telematics/off-docs/official.html)
- ALL: brief statement to Anna P and David W (media@pavilion.co.uk, dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk) for use on the poster. Additional copy for the Web site (see below)
- Anna and David to collate for the poster, and also work with John to create Web pages.

2 Local IT for All
David Wilcox to report progress to Nick Trent, and prepare more detailed proposals on how to develop a local initiative. Aim is to:
- Promote public awareness and access locally
- Demonstrate benefits for local and national partners
- Use the IT for All badging and brokerage (if agreed) to help develop the longer term vision for a Community Intranet
- Develop a model for local IT for All which might be exported

3 Web site
Anna, David and John develop Web pages on Pavilion which:
- Feature the current initiatives under way, with links
- Start to build a vision of the Community Intranet
- Promote seminars, training, and the Festival events
- Invite others to join the Digital Partnership
- Promote IT for All (subject to DTI agreement)

4 Festival events
SCIP and MDA to develop plans with Pavilion and and Virtual Brighton and Hove.
Dave Greenop and Colin Millar to organise BT support and seminar by Peter Cochrane.
(This could also be an occasion for other national IT for All partners).

5 Digital Partnership and Trust
David Greenop and DavidWilcox to prepare a paper on how a trust might operate, and what would be involved in creating one.

COORDINATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Work so far has been undertaken by me through SCIP - with assistance from others on specific projects: thanks everyone. We all agreed that we now need to move into a different phase, with SCIP as one of the partners.

In the longer term we may have a trust or other means of driving the partnership and local IT for All forward. As I said at the meeting, I am keen to play an active part in development work, and also base the communications work for Communities Online in the partnership. That would help national/European recognition.

The development work needed over the next few months cannot be undertaken solely on a voluntary basis. I suggest:
- I will seek funding to cover my time, particularly on development of local IT for All, the Web pages and (if appropriate) the trust
- Other partners review how far they can assist in development work.

Ideally we need two or three people with complementary skills to form the (part-time) 'engine room'. Any work must clearly relate to the MediaLan business plan and MDA focus groups, for example.

I hope this reflects our discussions - let me know if not, or circulate the group. As you will see, I have copied this to Nick Trent and will provide him and you with further ideas on local IT for All.

I'll also look into ways in which we might organise group working electronically. Brighton University has some neat software on one of their servers - see http://cscd.itri.bton.ac.uk:8000/pub_test/english.cgi - which they want to pilot.

Regards
David

---------------------------
DW SLIDES

TODAY'S AGENDA (DECEMBER 19)

1 Recap from last time

2 Update - elements of strategy
* B&H Capital Challenge, SRB, and SussexWired County
* Brighton University training
* Euro Digital Sites bids invited
* Festival and seminar ideas

3 How do we develop a strategy
* A local IT for All campaign?
* Use the Festival as a launch?
* Collaborate on a Digital Sites bid?

4 Action plan
* The key elements and milestones
* A 'starter group'

RECAP FROM NOV 15: GUIDELINES/PRINCIPLES

* Defined geographical area - Brighton and Hove
* Face challenge of 'universal service'
* Should become part of/reflect the community
* Day to day useful content
* Common platform for all
* Enrich existing networks
* Self sustaining
* Democratic
* Designed by getting close to users
* Key issues: infrastructure, access, communication, control, content, sustainability, development process
* Model must be a partnership

RECAP:NOV 15 DISCUSSION ON MODEL AND PROCESS

Need to develop
* A vision
* A steering group to guide
* An 'engine room' of people doing the work
* Means of communciating with stakeholders and community during the development process
* An information audit
* Some early practical projects
Requires substantial funding application

DECISIONS FROM NOV 15

1 SCIP continues to take the lead. Form steering group and working team.

2 The major task is to develop a funding proposal under the EU Telematics Applications Programme - Digital sites - for submission by mid February 1997.

3 SCIP and others also develop immediate projects for training and practical support of users and potential users

4 Brighton University to organise an information audit as a student project. Sussex University also to consider research project.

5 Develop a Web site and other methods to develop/promote the idea and enable stakeholders to participate.


Present
Professor Alan Cawson Sussex University and Wired County
Peter Day Brighton University and SCIP
David Greenop BT and local resident
John O'Farrell Pavilion Internet
Sally McMahon, Brighton Library
Colin Millar BT Labs
John Packman, Brighton and Hove Council
Anna Pedroza, Media Development
Jonny Shipp, MediaLan and Cybar
Mark Walker, SCIP
David Wilcox, Communities Online and SCIP

Prepared by David Wilcox January 6 1997. Communities@pavilion.co.uk