Policy Context and Legal Framework

The main aim of Lazio e-Citizen was to adapt the e-Europe 2005 Action Plan objectives on eliminating the digital divide to a national and local dimension. For this reason, its contents, objectives and target groups were selected to suit the operating context, and in particular, the national and local culture, existing online services, technology diffusion and information accessibility.

This pilot project has been promoted by the Lazio region, Filas (Finanziaria Laziale di Sviluppo), Ministry of Education of Italy, Direzione Generale per i Sistemi Informativi, Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per il Lazio, AICA (Associazione Italiana per l’Informatica e il Calcolo Automatico) e l’ENEA (Ente per le nuove tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente). Lazio e-citizen has also been sponsored by CNIPA (Centro Nazionale per l’Informatica nella Pubblica Amministrazione).

Through this initiative, the Lazio region applied the criteria indicated in the European i2010 Strategy, which aims at implementing an agenda to increase digital literacy and to promote the social inclusion of all citizens. Within the framework of the i2010 Strategy, all Member States should:
- Foresee training for all public employees
- Develop innovative web-based services for students and workers
- Develop e-skills at a European level, through stronger partnerships between the public and the private sectors.

Implementation and Management Approach

The programme was provided free of charge for all citizens. It offered the opportunity for beneficiaries to become familiar with new media through a 30-hour training course that was provided a series of twice-weekly 3-hour sessions. Every group was composed of 12 participants, 5 facilitators and 1 trainer – this ratio of facilitators and trainers to students enabled every student to benefit from tutoring. Each group brought together beneficiaries of similar gender, age and occupation and the proposed activities varied according to the particular needs of each group.

Every participant had the option of going to the nearest “local spot” in their area to use the “Guided Internet Point” for 15 hours, which enabled them to strengthen the skills acquired during the training. They were also provided with the opportunity to sit an exam to obtain the international ECDL e-Citizen certification.

Technology solution

The schools, universities and Permanent Territorial Centres which were involved in the Lazio e-Citizen project were chosen according to different technological requirements:
- Availability of one or more rooms with at least 12+5 desks and Internet access (ADSL or wireless)
- LAN network among all desks and shared printer
- PC Pentium 4 (or superior) or equivalent (i.e. AMD)
- Windows 2000 or later versions
- Browser: Internet Explorer 6.0 or superior
- Accessories: audio set and headphones: CD ROM reader, minimum video resolution SVGA 800x600

Impact

In accordance with the European e-Citizen programme, the contents of the Lazio e-Citizen programme have been divided into three macro-areas:

- BASIC KNOWLEDGE (basic IT skills and satisfactory use of the Internet). This was the first step of the programme. It helped the beneficiaries to acquire a basic knowledge of hardware and software components, to manage and store electronic files and folders, to manage icons and windows on the desktop, to create simple documents, to surf the web and to exchange e-mails.

- INFORMATION RESEARCH (research and management of information). This section contained training on how to conduct research and manage information. Special areas of research included: travel, online education, health, common interests, economics (focusing on news, government and the consumer). The section also contained a module on the risks related to the use of the Internet (secure access, virus, spam e-mails, confidential data), as well as how to take the necessary precautions against them.

- ACTIVE USE OF WEB-BASED SERVICES (the ability to surf the web and use online services).
This was the last step of the programme. It provided the beneficiaries with all the necessary skills to become a fully-fledged e-Citizen. They learned how to use the online services and resources through specific operations (i.e. how to shop online, book a medical exam, request certificates and documents from public administrations, access banking services, book a hotel or a flight, apply for a job, enrol in a training, and participate in a forum). This section also focused on some specific risks related to online services, such as the use of credit cards for online payments, and the precautions that can be taken against these risks.

During the programme, young facilitators provided support to the beneficiaries, who because of the focus on excluded social groups included older people, unemployed people, immigrants, housewives, older workers and craftspeople amongst others. The young facilitators introduced these groups to the new media and technologies, which created an innovative inter-generational relation based on knowledge transfer from the youngest to the oldest.

Facts and figures of Lazio e-Citizen:
- 42 Local Spots (schools, universities, etc.) in the region
- 2717 applications
- 100 editions (45 hours each) from December 2006 till June 2007
- 1700 attendees (12+5 per edition)
- 76.55 man-hours
- 300 young students as facilitators
- 100 teachers
- 100 site coordinators
- 100 lab technicians
- 480 e-citizen certification tests

Track record of sharing

The project was shared with the Italian Ministry of Education, which was also one of its sponsors. Several other Italian regions have shown interest in Lazio e-Citizen and the methodology used for its implementation. Some have already started to plan similar projects inspired by this example of best practice.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - The project showed that inter-generational learning and content tailored to the needs of the target group are key to the success of digital literacy training programmes;

Lesson 2 - The project demonstrated that young people can motivate older people to be active citizens;

Lesson 3 - Schools and educational institutions should be open to all citizens of all ages, nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds - in this way they can play a fundamental role as a tool for social inclusion;

Lesson 4 - Digital literacy skills are essential in bridging the digital divide because they help disadvantaged groups to be part of the Information Society;

Lesson 5 - Continuous monitoring of the project is essential as it allows the constant evaluation of progress and every training session is improved based on the lessons learned from previous sessions;

Lesson 6 - Regions constitute a layer of government that has the capacity and authority to implement successful e-inclusion policies.