Telecentres, digital engagement and long term impact.... thoughts for a UK Digital Manifesto

[Ian Clifford]

What is a 'Telecentre’? In the UK the word ‘Telecentre’ evokes ‘Tele-Medicine’, or maybe ‘Call Centre’. It is neither of these things. It’s an international word that is used to describe places like UK online centres. A ‘Telecentre’ is a publicly accessible place where people can get help to access computers, the internet and other digital technologies, that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others. In doing so they develop essential 21st-century digital skills to enable them to find better employment opportunities, to participate meaningfully into society or to improve and transform their lives. Typically they are Public Libraries, Education Centres and Voluntary or Community Organisations. There are networks of Telecentres all over the world all striving to one aim: digital empowerment.

So what is Telecentre-Europe? It is an inclusive and vibrant network of networks for Digital Inclusion that increases the impact and effectiveness of telecentres throughout Europe by fostering knowledge sharing and learning amongst its members. See http://www.telecentre-europe.org for more details.

There are around 230 members of the Telecentres-Europe online community, with around 25,000 telecentres represented from 25 nations across Europe, and a further 15 nations worldwide.

We have been growing the knowledge sharing network now for a year, while carrying out advocacy at a European level. Very recently we have launched a staff exchange scheme for Telecentre Network managers across Europe, and we are planning a network meeting in October 2009 in Turkey.

Recently Telecentre-Europe has collaboratively created an ‘eSkills Manifesto’ with 15 non government organisations from across Europe, which I have attached below. Some of it could be used as a starting point for further discussion here around the Digital Engagement Manifesto. The broad themes are as follows.
1. Accelerate progress towards a more inclusive Information Society
2. Strengthening the link between e-skills training and employability
3. Public-Private Partnerships are fundamental
4. Accessibility remains a serious barrier
5. Women remain an underserved group in Europe
6. Towards a more inclusive Europe for seniors

Under each theme is a set of suggested actions that should help to move each issue forward. Although some of the material will not be relevant in the UK, there is a good proportion of it that is.

Wiki Manifesto e-skills in Europe - April 2009.pdf

My belief is that there are a number of thematic areas that will become increasingly important in the mid-term future and beyond. While governments must still focus on providing and increasing access in the short term, success in the short and medium term for digital empowerment professionals focuses on confidence building, skills, and employability.

The long term will certainly focus on our changing and aging society, with a whole life impact. We would currently understand this best as a health impact, but it could also have a design for living and design for working impact. Will our workspaces and living spaces be designed differently in the future to take account of digital enablement (and our aging society)? I think they will. However, for those on the wrong side of digital engagement, will new designs for living and working disempower them even more?

Digital Engagement will impact our whole lives in the future, and in developing a manifesto we should be thinking on how we will be able to measure and benchmark this. It is difficult enough to measure the impact on society of the skills and confidence building that we do, so how can we measure the whole life impact that will happen? In 25 years time when I will be retiring (or maybe I won’t?!) will we be able to prove that the work we are now planning for has had a positive impact?