Digital Development

COMMUNITY DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT Community leadership driven process Engages local technical talent Increases diffusion and adoption of Information Technology (computing and telecommunications) though projects Improves productivity and competitiveness, create economic and social opportunities, and enhance quality of life in the community. Community digital development is a process that involves community leadership and local IT talent to increase the rate of IT diffusion and adoption. Community digital development improves the community’s economic and social well-being.

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT COMPONENTS Infrastructure access & availability Individual awareness & capability Organizational capability Public Private Connected communities have: Access & availability – Access to IT tools is dependent on what technology is in the community and how available it is to people and organizations across the community, independent of how it is used. Questions related to accessibility would include “How easily can residents and organizations access broadband service and IT tools?” Availability can be described by the characteristics of the technology (number of computers, Local Area Networks, type and number of broadband services and processing power of the systems.) Availability can be described quantitatively. Most of the digital divide or digital inclusion discussions focus on availability. Can you think of any projects or activities that might increase infrastructure access and availability in a community? Do you know of any communities that are increasing IT infrastructure access and availablity? Individual awareness & capability – Access and availability of IT facilities and infrastructure are an important component of digital development, however unless individuals are aware of what is available, how IT can benefit them personally and are able to use IT tools they and in turn the community will not realize the full value of broadband service, computers and other digital devices and services available through these tools. The rate of IT diffusion across the community is driven by individuals in the community adopting IT. Individual decisions to adopt IT are as important as access and availability of the IT infrastructure. Community based initiatives to increase individuals awareness of access and availability and capability to use IT are necessary to improve a community’s digital development. It can be argued that if access and availability in a community is increased the digital divide in a community will widen unless there is a community initiative to increase awareness and capability of individuals that haven’t adopted IT. Can you think of any projects or activities that might increase individual awareness and capability in a community? Do you know of any communities that have programs that increase Individual IT awareness and capability? Organizational capability – Many types of organizations are found in communities. They may be large or small, highly formalized or very informal. They run the gamut from families to clubs to governments to businesses to hospitals. IT can help any type of organization become for productive and efficient as it strives to attain it’s goals. Organizational IT capability is dependent on two factors: 1) the availability of IT infrastructure in the organization 2) and how individuals in the organization use IT tools to achieve some productive outcome that benefits the organization. Some examples include improve productivity, learn new skills, access information, save money and make money. Can you think of any projects or activities that might increase organizational capability in a community? Do you know of any communities that have programs that increase organizational capability?

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT OVER TIME Infrastructure Individual capabilities Organizational capabilities Development Level Each digital development component changes over time. Time

COMMUNITY DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT Projects Individual Capacity Organizational Tech Facilities Leadership Source Laudeman – http://greg.laudeman.com

SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT Community led Focus on benefits to people – not technology Projects that improve IT access, diffusion and adoption Human capacity Economic and community development Sustainable digital development is dependent on the active support and involvement of community leaders. The focus in on how IT benefits people. Digital development is accomplished through projects that increase IT access, diffusion and adoption across all sectors of the community.

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