A model for rural and remote information and communication technologies: a Canadian exploration

Ramírez, Ricardo

doi:10.1016/s0308-5961(01)00007-6

Cited by 48 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…One concrete example of this is the aggregation of demand across sectors. A common situation is where the connectivity needs of a health clinic, a school, a municipal building, and a public library may enable the community to attract infrastructure investors when they can demonstrate a willingness to pay for their aggregated bandwidith (Ramírez, 2001).…”

Section: Components Of Community Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The legacy of the community engagement becomes more than the installation and application of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The experience community members gain by assembling proposals, obtaining funding, installing hardware and software, training clients, solving problems, and educating additional partners is a major asset (Ramírez, 2001;Ramirez & Richardson, 2000).…”

Section: Components Of Community Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The experience that other community networks in Canada have gained through the process of negotiating grants, installing equipment, training community members, and maintaining the networks are invaluable. Even if they closed the networks, those experiences are sustainable in that they constitute learning that people can apply and adapt elsewhere (Ramírez, 2001). …”

Section: A Legacy Of Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community Engagement, Performance Measurement, and Sustainability: Experiences from Canadian Community-Based Networks

Aitkin¹,

Galin²,

Richardson³

2005

Canadian Journal of Communication

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Community-based networks (CBNs) are local organizations that have introduced information and communication technologies (ICTs) as tools for social, economic, and cultural development. This study reports on the achievements of 11 Canadian CBNs in terms of how they engage their clients and how they address sustainability. A tentative typology is provided and contextualized with the literature on social capital. Community engagement was reported to be an ongoing process, involving a broad range of community stakeholders and leading to a responsive project management style. The track record with sustainability shows a growing recognition about the importance of base-line data, an awareness about the challenge in defining what to measure, and the realization that performance measurement is neither easy nor inexpensive.Résumé : Les réseaux communautaires sont des organismes locaux ayant adopté des technologies d'information et de communication comme outils de dévelop-pement social, économique et culturel. Cette étude porte sur les accomplissements d'onze réseaux communautaires canadiens par rapport à leur clientèle et aux mesures qu'ils prennent pour assurer leur durabilité. L'étude fournit une typologie provisoire qui fait référence à des écrits sur le capital social. Assurer la participation de la communauté semble être un projet de longue haleine qui implique un vaste éventail de parties prenantes dans la communauté et encourage une gestion de projet ouverte envers celle-ci. Les résultats pour ce qui est de la durabilité démontrent que les réseaux reconnaissent de plus en plus : l'importance des données de base; la difficulté et le coût de bien mesurer leur rendement; et le défi que pose la définition de ce qu'il faut mesurer.

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Section: Components Of Community Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Components Of Community Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Legacy Of Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community Engagement, Performance Measurement, and Sustainability: Experiences from Canadian Community-Based Networks

Aitkin¹,

Galin²,

Richardson³

2005

Canadian Journal of Communication

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“…Proponents of a First Mile approach argue that plans to address disparities in access to and use of broadband systems are almost always designed through processes generating from centralized institutions located far from local communities. Such processes often exclude community members in network planning and implementation (Ramirez, 2001;. In some cases, such 'last-mile' approaches build on solutions flowing from metropolitan centres.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Divides and the 'First Mile': Framing First Nations Broadband Development in Canada

Mr.

O’Donnell

Smith

et al. 2011

iipj

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Across Canada, rural and remote First Nations face a significant 'digital divide'. As self-determining autonomous nations in Canada, these communities are building broadband systems to deliver public services to their members and residents. To address this challenge, First Nations are working towards a variety of innovative, locally driven broadband development initiatives. This paper contributes a theoretical discussion that frames our understanding of these initiatives by drawing on the paradigm of the 'First Mile' (Paisley & Richardson, 1998). We argue that broadband development policy in Canada must be re-framed to address the specific needs of First Nations. The First Mile position foregrounds community-based involvement, control, and ownership: a consideration we suggest has particular resonance for First Nations. This is because it holds potential to move beyond the historical context of paternalistic, colonial-derived development policies, in the context of broadband systems development. We argue First Nations broadband projects offer on-the-ground examples of a First Mile approach, and call for more research in this area.

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“…This difference in connection speed and level of service between urban and rural centers has come to be a well known part of the digital divide (Government, 2012). Canada had boasted an aggressive information infrastructure policy seeking to become the most connected country by 2000 which was hampered because at the time market liberalization was a goal, yet so was universal access (Ramirez, 2001).…”

Section: It Skill Projectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finding answers and solutions: causes and effects of information technology skills shortages in rural communities

Ivens¹

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This qualitative analysis examines the causes and effects of Information Technology (IT) labour shortages in rural environments and relate them to the labour market in Terrace, British Columbia (BC).In rural communities with fewer IT job prospects, it can be difficult to attract and retain skilled IT workers, forming a skills shortage. Some of the effects of this skills shortage can be found in IT workers being underemployed or undertrained for positions they hold, leading to waste, inefficiency and lack of productivity. Underemployed IT technicians are a waste of talent which could otherwise be used to increase productivity and efficiency, while undertrained IT technicians are prone to costly mistakes. It is important to note that skills shortages are not restricted solely to rural communities, although they are more pronounced in them.Some of the effects of a rural IT skill shortage include slower economic growth and technical disparity over urban counterparts, which can contribute to a less diverse workforce. This paper will explain if and why there are IT skill shortages in Terrace and rural BC, using careful study of data in rural communities and it will present realistic solutions to address these challenges from a management perspective. Growth trends in IT will be explored to project which skills will require training investment in the future.

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A model for rural and remote information and communication technologies: a Canadian exploration

Cited by 48 publications

References 22 publications

Community Engagement, Performance Measurement, and Sustainability: Experiences from Canadian Community-Based Networks

Community Engagement, Performance Measurement, and Sustainability: Experiences from Canadian Community-Based Networks

Digital Divides and the 'First Mile': Framing First Nations Broadband Development in Canada

Finding answers and solutions: causes and effects of information technology skills shortages in rural communities

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