This document summarizes a report on effective technology inclusion interventions. It includes chapters on different community initiatives like community media centers, neighborhood ICT centers, and public WiFi. The key findings are that volunteers are very important but need better support, organizations should collaborate by seeking each other out, there is untapped knowledge around community organizations, technology can help organizations as well as communities, organizations represent communities but need to better listen to them, and the social and financial value provided by organizations needs more recognition. The document provides recommendations for digital media centers, such as using social media, writing project summaries, sharing them online, connecting with other relevant organizations, and charging for services when appropriate.

1. A summary of the report on
effective technology
inclusion interventions
Hannah Goraya
Fraser Henderson

2. Intended Audience
• Digital Media Centres
• Wider interested public

3. Chapters
●
Community Media
●
Neighbourhood ICT Centres
●
Low cost re-useLow cost re-use
●
Public and neighbourhood wifiPublic and neighbourhood wifi
●
Combined Access Initiatives
●
New Trends and Novel ApproachesNew Trends and Novel Approaches

4. Key Findings
(In order of how easy they are to solve…)
• Volunteers are precious
• Seek one another out
• Untapped knowledge
• Technology for organisations
• Representing and listening
• Value (social and financial)

5. Volunteers are precious
• Volunteers are crucial to many
organisations but they need to be better
supported.
• Give them specific tasks that will end.
• Make time to talk to them about their role.
• Encourage them to plan their next step.

6. Seek one another out.
• Sheffield Community Network draws
together many of the organisations we
have written about. Collaborate!
• If there’s no one here, the internet is there,
waiting for you to search for other groups
you want to work with.

7. Untapped knowledge
There is a wealth of
untapped knowledge
about what community
level organisations do
and why it matters.

8. Technology for organisations
• Technology is an enabler for organisations
as well as their communities.
• Tools to collate evidence that they exist
and have impact as well as connect.
• 10 websites to visit (CM chapter)

9. Representing and listening
• Organisations frequently serve their
communities by representing them or
helping them to represent themselves.
• They are less able to listen and respond to
community learning needs and this needs
to be built in to their processes.

10. Value (social and financial)
• Organisations provide skills, experiences
and networks that have a social and
financial value.
• This needs to be better reflected in their
interactions with other organisations and
participants.

11. What can DMCs do?
Get on Twitter, Facebook and other social
media relevant to you (Follow 30+).

12. What can DMCs do?
Spend 1 day per quarter with your team
writing up your projects (500w max)

13. What can DMCs do?
Share your project write ups online.

14. What can DMCs do?
Identify 1 organisation a month who you
should be better connected to (and
connect)

15. What can DMCs do?
Charge (sometimes)

16. What can DMCs do?
Read the report (or AT LEAST what works
and the SWOT pages)

17. Example 1: Open Age (surveys)

18. Example 2: Tokyo Hackerspace
(relevant, time limited projects)

19. Example 3: Citizens Eye
(Sharing what you do well)

20. Questions?