1. ICT Area Action Plans for eInclusion – A Dublin Pilot
Philip O’Connor
156h January 2006
3 clear priority areas
Modification of initial priorities of DEP
arise from experience implementing the first Action Plan (HOLD UP COPY GET DUBLIN WORKING)
These Aims form the basis of Plan and all elements of the Plan had to refer directly to these aims

2. Dublin Employment Pact
Regional Partnership of local authorities, social partners, local area partnerships, others;
Focus on employment and social inclusion;
A dynamic innovative learning network, not an agency/institution;
Born 1997 under the EU TEP Initiative;
Funded since 2001 under Irish Local Development Programme.

3. Background to the project
Employment Pact ICT Policy Group commissions research and develops policy proposal.
Ground breaking report establishes target groups: Trutz Haase, Jonathan Pratschke Digital Divide: The Uptake of ICT in the Dublin Region, 2004.
And proposes local community based self-run initiatives to promote eInclusion in peer groups.
Government Information Society Commission strategy Learning to Innovate (2005) endorses the DEP proposals for local initiatives.

4. Project design and start up
Steering Group of Dublin Social Partners;
Five pilot disadvantaged areas of Dublin;
Local ICT Inclusion Group of all local actors formed and audit local ICT resources;
FIT community based modules adapted;
Local youth clubs, women’s groups, disability groups, schools, community training centres etc. mobilised.

5. Project implementation
Funding (€400,000) secured from the Government Information Society Fund;
Training of peer trainers and development of relevant local modules.
Implementation of plans through local networks (over 40 organisations);
40 trainers and 600 participants trained in ICT skills by peer group trainers (2006).

6. Lessons
Majority of persons and groups being eIncluded through mainstream;
Excluded groups and marginalised communities require targeted action;
Local participative resource and training plans prove a useful methodology;
Collaboration at local, Dublin and national level of agencies and community;
Model for future community based initiatives.