1. Evaluating Digital Equity Programs
Multnomah County Library
NDIA Summit 2017

2. Creating a DIN
2014: MCL & Portland OCT kick off the Digital Inclusion Network with a DIN Summit to engage stakeholders.
2015: Digital Equity Action Plan: Focus groups with participants impacted by digital equity issues; Workshops with community stakeholders, government agencies, CBOs, etc. Goal: to collaborate on creating an actionable plan.
2016: The DEAP is unanimously adopted by the City of Portland and Multnomah County. We win the NATOA Strategic Broadband Plan of the Year! Woot!

3. The Digital Equity Action Plan
The DEAP: A 3-year plan with 5 concrete goals:
Access to affordable high-speed Internet and devices
Training & support for digital skills
Leadership & Capacity Building for community partners
Connecting people to the digital economy
Building a policy framework that supports digital equity

4. Goals & Milestones Framework: An actionable plan Five Main Goals with 17 Milestones

5. Annual Reports

6. Defining Success
The DIN partners identified 3 key questions that we want to answer for each of the strategic actions in the Digital Equity Acton Plan:
Are we reaching targeted populations* through project activities?
Have we identified promising/effective activities for addressing the digital divide?
How has the DEAP empowered organizations to build capacity to address the digital divide?
*Targeted populations include low income individuals and families, older adults, people of color, people with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiency.

7. Defining Success To be considered promising, activities should:
Engage the targeted population in the activity design, planning and assessment.
Be designed based on best practices and research.
Provide informative feedback to practitioners about the learning progress of the targeted population.
Allow for the targeted population learners to self-assess progress.

8. Defining Success
To be considered effective over time, activities should
Reach the targeted population
Be potentially scalable to other targeted populations
Indicate evidence of reducing the digital divide for a targeted population

9. Defining Success
Activities help build capacity if, as a result of the DEAP, the organization
formed new partnerships;
improved its ability to meet client needs;
refocused resources or identified new resources to support digital equity work;
expanded its digital equity services and/or client base; and/or
placed a higher priority on digital equity work

10. Defining Success
The lead partners for each of the strategic actions are working to collect data that will allow them to report results against these key questions.

11. examples

12. MCL’s “Book-A-Librarian”
Multnomah Count Library offers one-on-one sessions on any topic
About two-thirds of these sessions involve computer skills support or help with using a personal device to access e-content
Augments traditional technology-training classes
One-on-one format has been very successful in meeting patrons’ needs.

13. MCL’s “Book-A-Librarian”
The Library collects three outcome measures collected based on the methodology of the Public Library Association’s Project Outcome
Outcomes can be quantitative or qualitative, and are often expressed as changes that individuals perceive in themselves. Project Outcome helps libraries measure four key patron outcomes—knowledge, confidence, application, and awareness—in seven key library service areas, including Digital Learning.

14. MCL’s “Book-A-Librarian”
Results so far:
97.6% of Book-A-Librarian users agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the results of the appointment.
97.5% agreed or strongly agreed that they were more confident in their skills/knowledge/abilities
97.2% agreed or strongly agreed that the skills/knowledge/abilities they gained would help them pursue their goals.

15. MCL/Free Geek Earn-a-computer program
Offered in partnership between the library and Free Geek, and staffed by MCL Digital Inclusion Fellow Charly Eaton, and Free Geek Digital Inclusion Fellow Sara Rasmussen.
Provides five computer and internet training sessions to digitally excluded target populations.
Upon completion, participants receive their own refurbished computer from Free Geek.
Raises awareness of the options for low-cost home broadband access and measures adoption rates among participants.

16. MCL/Free Geek Earn-a-computer program
Pre Program Survey
Post Program Survey
Program Impact Assessment, administered 3 months after completion of the program

17. Pre- & Post Program Surveys

18. Pre- & Post Program Surveys

19. Pre- & Post Program Surveys

20. “The strengthening partnerships we've developed through the Digital Inclusion Network (DIN) have led to coordinated data collection processes. Looking at similar data across programs will help us all understand where we are succeeding and where we can improve as we implement the Digital Equity Action Plan (DEAP). This work has been well-received, especially by our partners who may not have deep resources for developing their own data collection methods.”   Cindy Gibbon Access and Information Services Director Multnomah County Library From “Innovators in Digital Inclusion: Multnomah County Library” by Angela Siefer

21. Links https://www.portlandoregon.gov/revenue/article/573122