There are now 6000 UK online centres providing access, training and support in pursuit of the government's policies for digital inclusion - and the body in charge is consulting on how they should develop over the next three years:
Since UK online centres were created six years ago, the needs of both centre users and government have shifted significantly. Back in 2000, some believed that UK online centres were a short-term initiative to plug the gap for a few years until everyone had access to ICT at home or at work. However, the trends we are seeing in the 'digital divide' show a very different picture. There are no signs that the divide will close naturally over time as once predicted in fact internet use has stalled at around 60% over recent years, which means that 40% of people are still not accessing potentially vital services.
In many ways, the need for UK online centres has never been so great.
This is why we feel the time has come for a new vision and mission for UK online centres which recognises the significant work you are already doing and outlines how the network can be better aligned to support the needs of both citizens and government. We're holding a consultation around the draft Network Development Plan, and would like you to tell us what you think about how we're planning to move forward.
You can download the development plan, called 'Creating Confident Citizens' where managing director Helen Milner says in the Foreword:
The time has come to reposition the network, building on its strong foundations of community learning and social inclusion and developing its role to support transformational government (‘t-government’, formerly known as e-government), a major programme to modernise and transform the way government interacts with the public and delivers its services.
There's always been some tension between those who feel the centres should be relatively informal and flexible in providing opportunities for users to learn about the online world in ways that suit their individual needs - and those who favour a more top-down approach meeting government agendas.
This tension is acknowledged in the foreword:
In my discussions with centre staff, some have queried whether t-government is the right direction for UK online centres - is it just the latest political whim? My answer is that t-government is a natural extension of what UK online centres do best - merging the delivery of ICT skills, employability, and social and digital inclusion in a way which is seamless to the citizen. At a time when government has invested an estimated £7.4 billion over the last four years in creating online public services, two thirds of the population still do not use them. This rises to more than seven out of ten for people who are not working and eight out of ten for people over 652. Internet use is also closely linked to social class – two thirds of people in social classes C2, D and E have never been online. We also know that most online services do not yet reach people in socially excluded groups or with complex needs – the very individuals who make most use of public services.
A few people saw this coming a few years back, raising the question: Would you walk to get e-government? - making the point that online services work when you have them in your home or office, not a bus ride away.
Although comments are invited on the development plan, it sounds as if the direction things are going is pretty clear.
This development plan sets out how we intend to widen the role of UK online centres and increase their capacity as a national delivery channel through which government can connect with even the hardest to reach citizens.
While there are many pros and cons for this approach, I was struck by another question. Is anyone asking the users of the centres what they would like? I suppose they could go into their local centre, download the pdf, digest the proposals, then fill out the response form, but looking at the form I don't that's the idea. Questions are about Do you agree with the mission, Do you support the vision, Do you feel the strategic aims are the right ones ... so it is clearly for managers rather than users. The plan says there have been focus groups at centres, but no details are given of what was said, or whether centre users were involved.
I think the centres do a terrific job - and should declare I've done some work with those based in community centres in the past. But I do twitch a bit at a consultation report entitled "Creating confident citizens", which doesn't appear to ask citizens what they want, doesn't offer much scope for consultation with managers either ... and reduces that to "fill in a form".
Thanks to ruralnet|uk for their xPRESS Digest item
Perhaps Helen will respond on the UK online centres blog? http://ukonlinediary.blogspot.com/index.html
Posted by: Paul Henderson | February 14, 2007 at 02:54 PM