Policy Context and Legal Framework

Social partnership structures in Ireland have incorporated e-inclusion into a number of central policy initiatives up to 2016. A successor to the government’s Information Society Action Plan (2002) is currently in preparation, which will emphasise e-inclusion as a core strategic aim. Social inclusion is central to Towards 2016, the social partnership framework designed to address Ireland’s key social challenges. Ireland’s Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (2006 - 2013), while prioritising economic progress and competitiveness in its €3.2 billion research budget, recognises the importance of digital inclusion in achieving its vision. At a European level, the Riga Declaration on e-inclusion has been agreed with the promise of “no citizen left behind”. Similarly, i2010, the European Information Society strategic framework includes ambitious goals of “making sure that ICT benefits all citizens, making public services better and improving the quality of life”. Despite a commitment to digital inclusion on paper, there is a crucial dearth of information on the needs of the most socially excluded and an empirical gap in forming policies that will enable citizens and communities that are disadvantaged to participate in a meaningful way in the knowledge society. The eEurope Advisory Group report on e-inclusion (2005) recommended that by 2010, ICT should have provided a measurable contribution to equalising and promoting participation in society at all levels. The report’s recommendations suggest that significant modifications need to be made to e-inclusion policy actions in member states, particularly in focusing e-inclusion policy measures more on local and community levels, where the diversity of real needs can best be expressed, assessed and addressed. The digital communities Programme addresses these needs.

Implementation and Management Approach

Pockets of inner-city Dublin have 80% unemployment and have families in which two and three generations have never worked. There is little tradition of education. Nearly half of the adults living in the Dublin Inner City Partnership area left school at 15. Community Links projects specifically challenge the dependency culture which has developed as a result of economic, educational and social disadvantage, and an ethos where people feel helpless, lack self-esteem and have very low aspirations for themselves and their children.

Impact

The programme has been running successfully for four years, supported by its schools programme DISC (Dublin Inner City Schools Computerisation project), which supports 42 inner city schools, with 7000 students. One of the most successful aspects of the project is its broad partner and sponsor base. Partners include Dublin city council, Microsoft IT Academy, Dublin Inner City Partnership and the National council for Technology in Education. The programme has recently expanded to Belarus.

Track record of sharing

The Digital Communities Programme has a profile in the communities it serves due to its success and the number of people it caters for. Graduation ceremonies have been attended by the President of Ireland, the President of Dublin Institute of Technology, government ministers, senior civil servants and heads of IT companies. Staff regularly present at conferences. The Programme has recently produced a DVD, which has been widely distributed.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - eInclusion initiatives must be rooted in community development principles and serve real community needs. Lesson 2 - Projects and programmes need to be able to plan strategically for longer-term development. Funders need to consider this. Lesson 3 - eInclusion initiatives need to be evaluated qualitatively, not statistically. Outcomes are hard to measure in short-term projects.