1. Connecting Community Archives
Lorna Elms
National Museum of Ireland
Connecting Community Archives

2. What is iCAN? The Irish Community Archive Network is a
What is iCAN?
The Irish Community Archive Network is a
National Museum of Ireland Community Engagement initiative that:
Encourages, Supports & Equips communities in collecting, preserving & sharing local history & heritage material online, in a way that reflects best practice
Aims: To support the collective curation of public history through the development of contributory community archive websites
Ethos: Respect, Accessibility, Inclusivity, Collaboration, Engagement, Partnership

3. The iCAN member archives
2016

4. The iCAN Framework
How does iCAN operate?
Project Coordinator (Part-time, Education Dept., NMI)
Organises regular Museum
Assists groups in setting goals
Motivation, guidance, mentoring & advice
Develops & delivers training modules
Editorial checks & recommendations
Promotes project through presentations/conferences
Administers national archive website: ‘home’ of iCAN
Gateway access to Museum skills & expertise
Network Administrator (iCAN member & volunteer)
Technical Support
Develops & delivers technical training (some paid)
Visits groups in the community

5. Project Evaluation June 2016 Why Review? Objectives:
Commenced an external evaluation process
Overseen by representative Steering Group
Why Review?
Project running for 8 years
Growth initially one per year – 2016 saw rapid expansion
More resources needed to facilitate further growth
Recognition for communities
Objectives:
Objective external assessment of project development & achievements
Explore attitudes of community groups to iCAN
Develop a roadmap for the future

6. Assessment
Extracts from final report
‘iCAN has delivered a range of beneficial outputs/outcomes for the groups, the project promoters, and the local communities involved.’
‘The project has had a global reach with more than 390,000 users and 1.85 million page views’
‘The participatory nature of the website has seen contributions from the wider Diaspora leading to overseas visitors returning to their ancestral homes.’

7. Assessment
‘More importantly, the project has strengthened local communities through fostering engagement with, and new relationships between all members of civic society, upskilling and confidence-building activities, heritage-based community development initiatives, and instilling greater awareness and appreciation for local areas.’
‘These benefits outweigh the total investment in the project and exceed any expectations that the promoters initially had for it as a pilot project.’

8. Assessment
‘iCAN has pioneered a model of effectively delivering community archives in partnership with other stakeholders, and the communities themselves.’

9. What Have We Learned? Operational
The iCAN model
What Have We Learned? Operational
Coordinator/Network Administrator roles crucial
All websites need to have same/similar CMS
Importance of using contributory platforms
Having a ‘Home’ website gives invaluable insights
Importance of managing expectations
Be clear what you are offering
Be clear in what you expect/level of commitment
Benefits of a partnership approach
Look for partners that can add value
Shared learning, peer mentorship, ‘Buddy Groups’
The process is as important as the product

10. What Have We Learned? Community Groups
The iCAN model
What Have We Learned? Community Groups
All groups are different: need some flexibility
Usually rely on 1 or 2 people to develop website. Can be overwhelming. Need support of their group.
Find being guided ‘step by step’ is re-assuring
Have a huge thirst for training:
Technical
Content-driven
Appreciate guidance around engaging their wider community
Identify ‘sharing experience’ with others as important
Peer mentoring/buddy group system of huge benefit
Travelling long distances to meetings/training can be an obstacle

11. The process is as important as the product
“the iCAN project has been a very positive experience for our group. At the start we looked at it as a "build a website project" but it has been so much more. It has provided us with an active, supportive, inclusive and informative network who have the ability to work together for the good of all groups in a very 
encouraging manner.”  
Moylough Heritage Society
The process is as important as the product

12. Thank You! For more information: www.ouririshheritage.org Contact me:
With thanks to the iCAN website provider:

13. iCAN Outputs

14. The Mary Robinson Centre
Meitheal is the Irish word for a work team, gang, or party and denotes the co-operative labour system in Ireland where groups of neighbours help each other in turn with farming work, such as harvesting crops.  Neighbours who give their work to others are helped in turn with their own heavy seasonal tasks.
At the heart of the concept is community unity through cooperative work and mutually reciprocal support.  
Meitheal is the Irish expression of the ancient and universal appliance of cooperation to social need.
The Mary Robinson Centre
Mary Robinson, President of Ireland,