Sustainability comes from impact

The likelihood that CLG or others will “roll this out” is fairly small I think, from what heard, but worth hoping for…

However I think we need to think of sustainability from the levels of the interventions and impacts we are hoping to achieve:

• At the individual and community level- sustainability comes through increased social and cultural capital, especially when backed up by available, accessible and intuitive technologies…
• at the mentor level relates to enthusiasm generated to carry on, tools to network as a community of practice and get support, potentially ways to link in to current paid jobs or continue to be paid.
• at the organisational / network level/ training level: motivations to exist and sources of resourcing, inter networking abilities, use of technology to help people maintain relationships, publicly available, online tools, located with a or many sustainable organisations
• at the national level- champion(s) to fight the corner for mentors in Whitehall and seek future funding and tie to future opportunities, a lose alliance of key network organizations makes sense here?

Sustainability must take into account the many regional networks that exist, with current resources that can be built on, or that we shouldn’t lose. It should investigate the potential at the local authority level. It should embrace community development principles.

And I think sustainability should be linked intrinsically with scalability / breaking new ground.

We don’t want to look to create an “in crowd” of technically excited folks… though those types are very cool and helpful.. We need to also think about networks and places where this stuff is needed but may not exist, we might need to build some bridges to other communities where we may totally lack a presence… and where other networks might be inspired by our materials and give us a good spread for not much investment of energy.

Digital mentors and a social media consultants

In this video, shared by Stuart Parker of We Share Stuff, Michael Grimes of The Citizenship Foundation and Jon Hickman of Birmingham City University discuss the difference in the role of digital mentor and social media consultant:

Digital Mentor vs Social Media Consultant from We Share Stuff on Vimeo.

Birmingham Social Media Surgeries

One great way that training is already being provided in Birmingham - free of charge by volunteer experts - is through the Social Media Surgeries.

This video from Stuart Parker of We Share Stuff shows the surgery in action on Wednesday 26 November 2008:

Free Social Media Surgery, Birmingham from We Share Stuff on Vimeo.

Good training comes from good research

I personally think a lot of this “follows” from the research and mapping because you can find out what training exists, including potentially re-usable materials. And you can find out where gaps are.

The trick is going to be finding cost effective ways of delivering training and a variety of training options according to both the type of digital mentor and the outcomes that are intended. By that I mean one demonstrator might look at say, trusted intermediaries, who could be digital mentors, but aren’t currently playing that role, so maybe a health visitor or social worker (!). that demonstrator may be breaking new ground and may require training and development for different kinds of stakeholder.

This links then into the sustainability and scalability issues.

I really do think we need to think widely on this bid…and I see all the parts fitting together… so sometimes it’s a bit tricky to just write on what siloed topic… yet we do need a way to focus!

What is an Open Collaboration?

Firstly I’m not involved with the consortium bid - I’m just an interested observer. Originally I was interested in the idea of Digital Mentors because of a discussion I’d been involved in related to young people and digital exclusion. I’ve been running a programme for several years that relied on young people involved with us using the internet - partly because geographically they were spread out throughout the country and partly because we had a very small staff so it was more practical to ask everyone to come to us than for us to chase round everyone in the traditional phoning and writing approach. When we first started many of these young people didn’t have home internet access, many claimed not to have an email address - so we created one for them……. then we found out they did have a school email address they just weren’t aware that an email was an email! We also discovered that every school our young members attended did allow web access to the site we’d set up - so in fact access wasn’t the issue, digital literacy however was, and this came as quite a surprise given that I’d had the general assumption that everyone younger than me must be technically savvy.

Anyway that was my initial interest, I’ve since become more interested in a different aspect of this ‘open collaboration’ approach - and that’s the actual process of having an open collaboration.

I find the idea of developing and running a programme in the open very attractive for lots of reasons. There’s a sense of it being more ‘honest’, there’s the opportunity that even if you’re not directly involved you can contribute, there’s a degree of accountability with people allowed to freely add their views, and of course there’s the potential to bring on board a far wider range of expertise than you could with a  traditional closed collaboration.

Collaboration doesn’t just happen by itself though. Something we used to stress in training with youth forums is that to have an effective meeting you need to have somebody involved who’s aware of the process of having an effective meeting. I think the same applies to open collaboration - there has to be people aware of the process of having an effective collaboration.

For example when people become involved are they aware of how to contribute? Are they aware of what useful contributions are? Is there a process for sorting through messy discussions and extracting the good stuff so it doesn’t get lost? Is there a method for helping the people with the smallest voices still have their ideas given equal consideration? and how do you manage this - do you assume people should just get it, is somebody responsible for managing it or do you rely on the framework provided to create an environment that lends itself to the kind of collaboration you want?

A fundamental question is why do people contribute anyway - what is their interest or motive? When UK Online Centres stated their intent to lead a consortium the debate over on the digitalmentor.org changed very quickly from a ‘figuring it all out conversation‘ to a lot of hand waving “me too & sign me up”, “look what I can do” and so on. From the perspective of forming a consortium this was fantastic and the very impressive list of collaborators in the Expression of Interest document illustrates this. The question now though is how does this open collaboration get all that various expertise to start putting forward its views into the open and onto this very nice space that Dave Briggs has created for the development of the bid?

If this doesn’t happen I don’t see how this can be an open collaboration - an open invitation to become involved with a consortium perhaps, but not a true open collaboration with discussions happening in the open that can really shape how the programme will develop. I think in making the challenge for having those open discussions its important to consider not just who is involved now, but who may become involved in the future, and this should be very much in mind that the programme should strive to involve those who are currently to be beneficiaries to eventually become involved in developing the further development of the digital mentor programme. With this in mind its important to challenge the use of jargon and language that is exclusive. In traditional collaborations we can use jargon freely and just bring people up to speed when they look confused (although I think that’s bad practice too) - but online if we don’t explain what we mean so that anyone can understand it we risk excluding people - which given the aims of this programme would be ironic!

Well before this becomes far too long here’s a few thoughts….

• How much of a culture change is required to get people to truly collaborate in the open?
• Is it a culture change or just a process of education that’s needed?
• How much of what is learned in making the process of open collaboration inclusive can be fed into the main challenge of tackling digital exclusion?
• How do you foster one way conversations towards becoming a dialogue?

(feel free to rob those as future blog topics if you like!)

Research and mapping objectives

What are the objectives of the R&M?

I feel we need to resist here, the desire to collate, in one place, the biggest possible list of every single project that exists. We already know there are 6000 UK online centres, 600 CMA members, 2500 partners on COL database…etc

I think we need to develop an open and flowing process, so that we get as much quality information as possible to understand the types of projects that exist, why they exist (what drives them) and what the benefits are as well as disadvantages in the process, in particular focused on sustainability. What we can learn that is good for training others and what training needs may exist. What else do people think we need to find out?

This could take a variety of formats and we don’t need to necessarily pick one:

1. Mail out to databases of various networks
2. Telephone interviews of projects that come forwards as particularly interested
3. Literature review and desk research (eg Foley mapping of the 198 indicator set- I can explain if needed)
4. Fieldwork interviews where a particular feature seems especially interesting (for example if someone had developed a sustainable social enterprise model)
5. Online discussion amongst the consortium group
6. Use of web2.0 sites

Anything else?

We are “looking for gaps”- this might be in usage of types of technology or socially excluded groups that are underserved, or formats of mentoring such as volunteers, or online mentors, etc.

It helps to think through what gaps might exist, because then you can fill them or not. Gaps in actual fact are also potential demonstrators, because if people have a project they want to extend or start afresh, it may be because they perceive there is a gap…

A proposal for research and mapping of demonstrators

I propose we use the research and mapping to find out both what people are doing and what they could be doing in addition… so the research and mapping questions will help to shape the final selection criteria.

I’m posting this here because people may not find the research and mapping work package very sexy…. yet it could play a key role in defining criteria and therefore its important we get it right!

Next steps for the Voicebox partnership

Whilst we await a decision from CLG on our Expression of Interest, we thought it would be good to outline our thoughts on next steps for taking the Voicebox partnership forward (in hopeful anticipation that the EOI will get through…).

Thanks to those of you who have expressed an interest in being involved in the partnership, either through the Digital Mentor blog or by signing up to the Contribute section of this site. To save those of you who have already inputted via digitalmentor.org, we’ve automatically transferred your details across so that there’s a single list of potential partners.

As you may know, our original plan was to appoint workstream leads before the Expression of Interest was submitted on 24 November. However, we decided to delay a decision on this, as it became clear that we should focus on our approach first and getting that right before assigning roles. It also gives people who have come to this later in the day - particularly those who came to the CLG workshop on 19 November - an opportunity to get involved.

We’d really like to spend the next fortnight focusing on developing the ideas for the approach to the project - particularly the criteria for the Digital Mentors - before making decisions about funded roles within the partnership. We do appreciate this will leave some of you in a state of limbo but this feels like the right thing to do. We’ve acknowledged that the open innovation process isn’t easy, but are committed to seeing it through.

It would be really useful to have a face to face meeting bringing together all those with an interest in being part of the Voicebox partnership - please watch this space for further information.

In the meantime, we’d like to encourage you to contribute your thoughts and ideas as to how the project should develop, either under specific workstream headings or as part of the ‘Big picture’ section. You can either comment on what has already been posted, or write your own blog post. Just email admin@voice-box.org.uk to set this up.

If you haven’t already signed up as a potential partner, it’s not too late to do so - just click on Contribute and register your details. Thanks to everyone who is joining us in this endeavour - it is shaping up to being a really interesting journey for all of us!

Introducing the big picture!

We thought there was a gap on this blog: we needed somewhere for people to post some of their thoughts which were a bit more general and less work package specific. Musings on the digital mentor project as a whole, or maybe hints and tips for the Voice box bid to consider as we move forward through this process.

So here it is! Remember, Voice box is a blog to which anyone can contribute. Just get in touch with us using admin@voice-box.org.uk and we wil arrange for you to be able to post your thoughts to this site.

Expression of Interest submitted!

Our Expression of Interest in the digital mentors tender was submitted yesterday. This document will be used by CLG to determine whether our bid should progress to the next stage of the process. We are very confident that ours is a strong pitch, and in the spirit of openness and collaboration, we have republished it below.

Please note that we need help in forming the programme at the heart of this bid. Please get in touch with us through our contribute form to let us know who you are and how you would like to help!

Please outline briefly your past experience relevant to this project and what you see as the main issues involved:

This EOI is from a partnership called Voicebox. The bid is being developed using an open innovation approach via our blog at www.voice-box.org.uk. As the lead, coordinating organisation this EOI focuses on the strengths and experience of UK online centres with whom CLG will contract if our partnership wins the tender.

The UK online centres division of Ufi has played a leading role in digital inclusion policy, strategy and delivery since 2003, when the management of the UK online centres passed from Government Offices to Ufi. Both the central team and the network are committed to exploiting digital technologies to help improve individual lives, strengthen communities and achieve greater social inclusion.

UK online centres are strategically located across the most deprived wards and seven in ten centre users are affected by at least one indicator of social exclusion.

Our grant funding to centres over the last two years has focused on supporting centres to deliver a ‘user journey’ for their customer base; this totals around £4m in grants per year. The journey starts with community outreach to engage socially and digitally excluded individuals, supports them to develop digital literacy skills, and encourages them to progress to education and employment. Member UK online centres are expert in developing personalised, informal approaches to support the needs of individuals and communities through digital technology. The network engages around 3 million people each year in using digital technology.

We have extensive experience of managing large scale projects on behalf of government. As well as distributing grants to UK online centres, we have led a number of major projects, notably:

• Social impact demonstrators (2007-08): The Social impact demonstrator projects were announced in the 2006 Social Exclusion Action Plan, funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and led by the UK online centres team at Ufi. Grants totalling £2m (over two years) were awarded to UK online centre-led projects working in partnership with other community organisations to reach socially disadvantaged people and engage them in ICT activities. The projects were designed to explore the impact of becoming competent in using ICT on personal and social confidence and social exclusion. They sought to establish models of best practice for finding, motivating and supporting the progression of some of the hardest to reach groups in society. The Social impact demonstrator project engaged a total of 12,000 people in technology, most of whom were socially excluded and 40% of whom progressed in terms of training, employment or advice and guidance. We supported demonstrators to share good practice between them. We led in-depth research into what worked in social impact through the use of technology and digital media, and commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out an £100k evaluation work package. We also led a comprehensive stakeholder PR campaign to ensure the value of the programme was disseminated and understood.
• The design, testing and rollout of the Department for Children, School and Families (DCSF)’s myguide service: www.myguide.gov.uk, a multi-million pound project delivered between April 2004 and March 2008. UK online centres worked in partnership to shape the development of the myguide service, from concept to full rollout. myguide supports hard to reach individuals who were previously excluded from the internet, whether as a result of age, disability, culture, attitude or lack of knowledge and education. Rolled out nationally in October 2007, the myguide website offers a free, easy-to-use email service, web search device and learning environment from a simple website. More than 120,000 people have registered to use myguide as their gateway to the internet, with around 500 new users now signing up every day. We managed longitudinal research and user surveys to guide the development of the project. We led the pilot delivery of myguide through community centres both in the UK online centre network and operated by partners.
• Transformational Government for the Citizen (2006). This project demonstrated the capacity of centres to engage socially and digitally excluded people in using online government services and highlighted the crucial role of the centres as trusted intermediaries. Over a period of six months, 33 UK online centres supported around 25 online services in partnership with six different government departments and four Local Authorities. The project was a finalist in the 2007 eGovernment National Awards, the 2007 e-Wellbeing Awards and the 2007 EU e-Government awards.

The UK online centres team places a strong emphasis on robust project management and adopts Prince 2 methodology for all projects and activities within its programme.

In addition, UK online centres has developed an excellent reputation for its work on research and campaigning. Work in this area includes its annual National Digital Inclusion Conference, consumer campaigns such as Get online day, which in 2007 attracted 10,000 visitors to UK online centres, and significant partnerships with Microsoft, Ofcom and NHS Choices to promote digital inclusion. The team has also published widely acclaimed research into digital inclusion.

We have extensive networks within the third, private and public sectors and in addition to the major projects above, we undertake a huge amount of partnership activity. In 2007-08, these included:

• Working with the Media Trust to deliver events promoting volunteering as part of their ‘In our hands’ skills campaign in October 2007
• Working with Digital Unite to support Silver Surfer’s Day in May 2008 and to explore how Digital Unite tutors and UK online centres can work in partnership
• A digital television project with Kickstart TV in the East Midlands and West Midlands
• A partnership with BT to develop a web tool enabling people to establish the levels of digital exclusion within a particular parliamentary constituency
• Supporting Timebank to deliver a volunteering project, DigitAll, in the North-West, pairing young volunteers with older learners
• Developing a project with Virgin Media and the e-Learning Foundation to support low-income families to use the internet
• Developing a community programme in East London with Citizens Online
• Working in partnership with a number of European organisations to develop ‘Telecentre-Europe’, a network for community based digital inclusion practitioners.

We are bidding for Digital Mentors as the lead partner within the ‘Voicebox’ partnership (www.voice-box.org.uk). We feel strongly that success will need to involve open collaboration, with engagement by a range of contributors. Voicebox allows for both individuals and small organisations with expertise and experience in social and community media to help shape the bid. Their contribution will sit alongside larger organisations that will support the demonstrators and bring their own expertise in shaping the programme. Knowledge by all partners in the consortium will be shared openly with overall strong leadership from UK online centres as a credible lead for this initiative.

All the partnership members share a vision that Digital Mentors offers an exciting opportunity to give a voice to socially excluded people by empowering them to become creators of digital and media content, not merely passive recipients.

We are confident that the skills and experience of both UK online centres and the consortium offer both breadth and depth, bringing together experts in community and social media with a range of community networks who have access to both equipment and highly skilled community development workers. This offers a chance to take digital inclusion practice into a new realm and for the UK to become an international pioneer in using community and social media to tackle social exclusion and empower communities.

The main issue involved with running the Digital Mentor programme will be ensuring that as much of the good practice already happening is captured and learnt from. Voicebox is very much owned by a wide and diverse partnership with varied and useful skills and experience. We have already demonstrated that we can engage relevant organisations and can organise a partnership in an open and transparent way.

Please outline your appropriate capability to undertake this project:

UK online centres has adopted an open innovation approach to developing the consortium, and we will lead the consortium to deliver this bid. We have developed a framework in which smaller organisations and freelancers who are expert in the field of community and social media will have the opportunity to share skills and ideas, both on an informal basis and through paid-for advisory roles. This will complement the breadth of digital inclusion delivery offered by UK online centres.

A range of organisations with expertise in a variety of disciplines, target groups and community/social media have contributed, and will continue to contribute to the development of the Digital Mentors project including:

• AbilityNet, whose special expertise is ensuring that whatever your age, health condition, disability or situation you find exactly the right way to adapt or adjust your ICT to make it easier to use
• Age Concern, whose mission is to promote the well-being of all older people and to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
• Barnsley Council, which takes a leading role in delivering digital inclusion initiatives and aims to pioneer relevant public services based on citizen feedback.
• BCS (British Computer Society) - whose contribution could include the provision of a qualification for champions or mentors, the option of a certificate of participation for those people who have benefited from the project and a route to progression or qualification where there is a desire by participating people to formalise their skills.
• Cambridge Housing Society – whose approach to supporting residents in the use and development of ICT for their benefit will be of great interest to this project.
• CDI (Committee to Democratise Information Technology), which is an NGO promoting citizenship, literacy, ecology, health, human rights and non-violence, through information technology and educational and vocational training programs.
• Citizens Online, which has experience in research and mapping (for among others, IDeA, BT and Becta) as well as delivering projects that address the issues of universal internet access and promoting digital inclusion.
• Citizenship Foundation, which has extensive experience of supporting volunteering for effective change, both through national programmes such as Giving Nation (which encourages young people to give, volunteer and campaign for causes that matter to them) and their professional volunteering programmes.
• Community Media Association, which is committed to promoting access to the media for people and communities. It aims to enable people to establish and develop community based communications media for empowerment, cultural expression, information and entertainment.
• CSV Media, which has experience in delivering a range of information materials in multiple platforms to a range of audiences.  Through its partnership with BBC English regions, CSV has access to radio, online, TV and big screens to showcase user-generated content.
• Davepress, run by Dave Briggs, who has an impressive range of contacts in the fields of social and digital media and has been invaluable within the partnership through the development of the www.digitalmentor.org and www.voice-box.org.uk sites.
• Digital Outreach, which is working as part of the digital switchover team delivering a comprehensive and well trained voluntary sector network in the Borders region.
• Digital Services Community Interest Group bring high quality digital services to remote areas of Cornwall.
• Digital Unite, which specialises in delivering digital literacy –skills, voices, empowerment - to older people.
• E-mpirical Ltd, whose experience includes using remote support technologies to provide supported learning to hard to reach learners who may not want to go into a centre to learn.
• Folly Consulting, whose interest areas are 1) the role of cultural engagement, participatory community development and empowerment through creative expression, and 2) making available tangible access to knowledge and resources through open source, open networks and distributed systems.
• Funding Matters, which has unparalleled knowledge and experience of the funding sector and can identify important additional funding opportunities to supplement this project.
• Harringay Online, an ultra-local community website for the residents of Harringay which embraces social media and multiple digital media to communicate across its community
• horsesmouth, whose popular online mentoring site supports safe, informal one to one mentoring and encourages people to publish and share their inspirational stories for the community.
• Leonard Cheshire Disability, which provides innovative services that give disabled people the opportunity to live life their way.
• Media Trust, which has extensive experience in delivering training seminars and courses in diverse media and communications subjects.  They also plan and manage large scale national campaigns, produce film and video for Government, charities and voluntary organisations, give charities access to thousands of journalists via their Community Newswire partnership with the Press Association, broadcast the digital TV channel and online platform Community Channel, provide hundreds charities support from a range of media and communications professionals.
• Mentorwell, whose skills include advising clients on the legal and safety risks of the use of online media.
• North Lincolnshire Digital Inclusion Unit, whose experience includes e-mentoring for young people in, and about to leave, care; eClinics - virtual therapy solution for people with clinical depression (mentioned in the DI Action Plan); various other e-participation initiatives such as e-petitions, and blogging.
• The Novas Scarman Group, which is an IPS with charitable aims formed from the merger in Jan 2008 of Novas Ouvertures  - a housing association with managed hostels and supporting people contract work – and the Scarman Trust – a community development charity. It is from the latter that the background in community development, community learning and digital inclusion comes.
• On Road Media, an award winning social enterprise set up in 2005 to train people from marginalised communities - those who are not represented in mainstream media - in citizen journalism and social media. They train people to produce powerful podcasts and video blogs and to set up their own social networks to connect, share information and contribute to wider public debates. This summer Gordon Brown presented On Road Media with the Catalyst Communities award for www.savvychavvy.com (‘chavvy’ is the Romany word for child), a social network for young Gypsies and Travellers in the UK.
• Opportunity Links, which provides solutions for delivering information to families, young people and older people - locally, regionally and nationally.
• Royal National Institute of Blind people (RNIB), which can champion accesibility issues for people with severe sight loss and blindness, and which already offers a range of digitally inclusive services for the people they serve including training and support, access to accesible equipment and a national radio station.
• Ruralnet UK, whose expertise includes supporting organisations and networks to find new and effective ways to help rural communities improve and strengthen their local economies. They work through promoting and enabling collaboration, research, consultancy and knowledge and information transfer, and have significant technology expertise in new media.
• Skirrid Consulting, a firm interested in supporting people through technical challenges online.
• Sunderland City Council, who as winner of the Digital Challenge displays a range of experience using digital technologies, as well as running a city-wide e-champions programme.
• TPAS, which provides independent support, information and advice to both landlords and tenants in the development of resident empowerment in the housing service
• UK online centres, which provide millions of people with access to computers and the internet, plus help and advice in using them.
• A View to a Skill, a learning centre which specialises in delivering first steps computer ICT training in the home.
• We Share Stuff, which offers experience in community media, broadcasting, web design, online learning, adult education and IAG.

Given that the budget reflects the fact that this is a demonstrator project, not all the organisations listed will have funded strategic roles - nor do all of them wish to take on these roles. Some will wish to be considered for local demonstrator projects, while others wish to contribute ideas. To provide clarity and structure, organisations will be selected to lead on the seven work packages identified below. The work package leads will be appointed for their expertise and partnerships in their appointed area and will need to commit to working in an open and collaborative way. UK online centres, as the consortium lead, will take on the project management role.

The bid will be developed further in consultation with the organisations and individuals listed above, and others which present themselves over the bid development period. We believe this approach will allow for robust decision-making whilst also allowing ideas and innovation to be shared and developed.

Clear roles will be established during the bid development.  Demonstrator projects will be decided during the first two months of the programme and will be an open process involving partners in Voicebox and others interested in delivering digital mentor projects. This will be informed by the mapping and gapping research and analysis.

We intend to continue with an open innovation approach through www.voice-box.org.uk as we develop our bid further.

Through a collaborative website (www.digitalmentor.org) we have consulted on the work packages which need to be co-ordinated in order to deliver a successful demonstrator project. These work packages are:

1. Project Management - the overall leadership, coordination and management of the project.
2. Research and mapping – including the identification of Digital Mentor organisations and people.
3. Digital Mentor demonstrators – this will follow the research and mapping work package to identify the needs and the range of demonstrators to be supported and coordinated.  The demonstrators will come from a range of different organisations and will test a variety of approaches. This work package will be project managed by a single organisation within the consortium to ensure clear roles and responsibilities for delivery are agreed.
4. Training and development of the community based digital mentors – both face-to-face and online including toolkits and aggregating currently existing content.
5. Advisory support - this will involve strategic advice and project support from a range of experts across a wide spectrum of social and digital media (e.gg community media).
6. External communications and dissemination – which may be through existing online technologies, conferences, partner media campaigns and events.
7. Sustainability Planning - sustainability and testing for rolling demonstrators out nationwide will be built in from day one.

Underpinning the work packages will be careful and efficient project management using the expertise of UK online centres. We will ensure that project management processes are followed throughout each of the work packages to ensure that all milestones are met, in line with the project plan.

Because the resources gathered and developed through this project will be open to all, the issues relating to staff turnover will be managed.  Similarly, the management of the project itself will use Prince 2 principles, thereby ensuring that new staff involved with the project will be able to get up to speed quickly and efficiently.  UK online centres have project management staff who can cover for illness or turnover if that ever becomes an issue.

Please outline the kind of approach you would take to this study:

At the very centre of the project are the individuals and communities who do not currently have a voice.  These will be supported by a discrete number of ‘digital mentor demonstrators’ which will encompass a range of target groups, geographies, technologies and methods of engagement.

The role of the partners which directly support the demonstrator projects will be to define the right models and frameworks that test variables such as: the use of different kinds of mentors; the use of different media or multiple media; rural and urban solutions; and use of different trusted intermediaries.  The final programme will also innovate through the creation of a ‘network of networks’ aggregating good practice and support, as well as a sophisticated wrap of support services.  These will all be available to the whole community so that even from the start of the demonstrator projects mainstreaming can be achieved.

The demonstrators will be chosen following a ‘research and mapping’ phase.  Demonstrators will be chosen around June 2009 to reflect the needs identified in the research (i.e. the approach the demonstrators can take, and where different solutions are needed for different types of communities, including rural communities).  Innovation will be highlighted and supported where existing practice is not in place.  The selection of the demonstrators will be done in an inclusive, open and transparent way.  All data collected will be published in the public domain so that the sector can share it.

The focus of the funding will be on the demonstrators.  Each demonstrator project will have within it one or more digital mentors (i.e. the people on the ground working with the ‘voiceless’).  Some will be technophiles, some will be passionate community champions eager and active to inspire others.  They will be supported by a network of organisations and individuals that will come together to share their experiences and advice.  This support network will be a mix of small, local and targeted entities (individuals, small enterprises and larger organisations) and their support will be both online and offline.

The project will be carefully managed by UK online centres to ensure budgetary control and the achievement of agreed outcomes.

The project will be delivered in the following key phases:

1. Mapping and research of existing projects, best practice, and support resources
2. Identification of ‘demonstrator projects’ - including innovative ideas AND building on what’s happening now
3. Commissioning and managing ‘demonstrator projects’ delivery
4. Sustainability planning - (built in from the beginning)

The principles we will adopt in delivering this project include:

LEADERSHIP

UK online centres offers the necessary leadership required to deliver this multifaceted activity. Strong leadership and focused project management will be our foundation.

COLLABORATION

We will continue to encourage contribution from the widest possible community. Only through collaborating with the current community of practice will we develop the best demonstrators, the best criteria on which to select them, a firm understanding of good practice and a network of support building on current activity.

ADDED VALUE

We intend to bring added value through additional sources of funding and support.  For example, there is an opportunity to use up to £500k to develop myguide products and services that support digital mentoring and we are investigating the most appropriate way to take advantage of this opportunity.  Other examples of leveraging capacity to deliver include:

• The Community Media Association has a network of 600 members and we are looking at ways in which this network can broadcast the value of being a digital mentor or receiving digital mentoring.
• The Media Trust runs a professional volunteering service called Media Matching which would benefit from an investment so that the service could increase and support volunteer mentors throughout England.
• Citizens Online are leading a bid for the Empowerment fund which would be well placed to link up with the Digital mentors programme.
• UK online centres’ network of 6000 centres around England can be leveraged to reach socially and digitally excluded people who can benefit from digital mentoring.

We will bring substantial in-kind resources in staff time and ensure that we build on key initiatives that can bring a multiplier effect to the work of the demonstrators themselves. All partners will provide in-kind resources where they can.

Sponsorship will be sought to supplement the programme monies available.

SUSTAINABILITY

Already the bid process has brought together grass-roots, middle layer and national organisations together who don’t often find the time to develop joint working and partnerships. We intend to capitalise on this. We are discussing the establishment a ‘network of networks’ or a national strategic alliance of relevant partners, which would have greater collective strength to lobby for and seek out future funding opportunities, as well as make the links between existing provision. We will look to foster networks and links with other initiatives so that sustainability is built-in from the outset. The programme will be developed in such a way that it is clear to measure success and to roll-out nationwide if successful and funding is available following the next Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Major digital inclusion programmes to date have generally focused on computers and the internet, and on training individuals to be active participants in an increasingly online world. Digital mentors will be the first major programme to support ‘voiceless’ individuals and communities to be creators of content using the technology which suits them. It is this innovation, and its potential to make digital inclusion strategy and delivery more empowering, accessible and creative for millions of socially excluded individuals and communities, which has captured the imagination of so many policymakers and practitioners working in this space. Add to this the potential for new partnerships between hitherto distinctive communities of digital inclusion experts, community development experts and social media leaders - witnessed already on the digitalmentor.org website - and you have the ingredients for a pioneering programme which can achieve a significantly greater social impact for both individuals and communities.

Please list any previous projects carried out for the Department:

As outlined in the first section, UK online centres has extensive experience of delivering projects for Government Departments. While its core contracts are with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, UK online centres have recently seconded policy and communications staff to support the development of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. It has also worked in an informal advisory role with the Digital Inclusion Team within the City of London, and has close links with DC10+, the co-partner in the 2008 and 2009 National Digital Inclusion Conferences.

Other consortium partners’ experience in delivering projects for CLG includes:

Citizens Online: Profiling work focused on digital inclusion of ex-offenders and NEETS; Digital Challenge- judging and membership of board; Inclusion through Innovation- editorial support of document writing.

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