“Connecting Up” in Australia
Greetings from Adelaide in Australia.
I am currently participating in “Connecting Up”, Australia’s only national conference focusing on how ICT issues impact on local communities and the NGO sector.
Now in its third year, the theme of this year’s conference is “Changing Your World with Technology - the Digital Means to the Social End “. This annual event is organised by Community Information Strategies Australia (CISA), an Australian NGO based in Adelaide with objectives and programmes similar to those of SANGONeT.
Following on the interesting programme of the first day, one of the key issues discussed today was the proposed formation of a national Nonprofit ICT Coalition (NNIC) in Australia. CISA has won a tender from the Department of Communications, IT and the Arts (DCITA) to develop a model and business plan for the establishment of this proposed coalition. Other consortium members include Monash University's Centre for Community Networking Research, WorkVentures Australia, National Nonprofit Roundtable (represented by ACOSS), Albany Consulting and Energetica. Reference group members include IBM Australia, Cisco Australia, Microsoft Australia, NonProfit Australia, Our Community Pty Ltd and the Australian Information Industries Association.
CISA invited me to make a presentation during today’s opening plenary session which aimed to provide participants with insights into non-profit technology experiences and trends in different parts of the world. Other speakers in this session were Nicola Thompson, General Manager of the ICT Hub in the United Kingdom, and Joe Baker, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN) in the United States.
Breakaway and plenary sessions during the rest of the day provided participants with various opportunities to discuss the aims and objections of the proposed coalition, and their specific expectations in this regard.
Participants identified a number of key issues that should guide the conceptual development and implementation of the coalition. These include an IT help desk and database of available services, research on ICT trends, platforms for engagement with NGOs, government and the private sector, best practices in non-profit technology management, technology funding opportunities and the overall sustainability of the NGO sector in Australia.
The formation of the proposed coalition in Australia is very relevant to the South African situation. Very few NGOs in South Africa specialise in ICT issues, while the NGO sector is still characterised by low ICT infrastructure and skills levels. In addition, there are very few if any representative national platforms for multistakeholder cooperation around ICT issues in South Africa, especially where NGOs play the leading role.
During the past few years SANGONeT has created dedicated platforms such as the annual SANGONeT Conference and ongoing Thetha ICT Discussion Forums to be catalysts for more pro-active ICT interventions in support of the work of the NGO sector, both from within and outside the sector. Although these initiatives are successful in their own right, closer alignment and engagement with other ICT stakeholders and initiatives could strengthen these efforts in encouraging NGOs to take a more active interest in ICT issues, sustain and expand this interest, and harness the power of ICTs in meeting their development goals.
I have really enjoyed my participation in the “Connecting Up” conference. There are definitely many similarities in the ICT challenges facing the NGO sectors in South Africa and Australia, providing much scope for collaboration between SANGONeT and CISA in support of our respective ICT events and activities.
On a lighter note, the keynote speaker during last night’s gala dinner was Yvonne Adele, or better known in Australia as Ms Megabyte. She is a local media personality with a career that spans print, television, radio and the Internet. With her eccentric personality and entertaining presentation style, she highlighted how online applications are changing traditional practices related to shopping, dating, entertainment and home appliances.
Following on “Connecting Up”, the 2006 Australian Society of Association Executives' National Conferences starts tomorrow morning here in Adelaide. I will make a presentation during the opening plenary session.
More about this in my next posting.
I am currently participating in “Connecting Up”, Australia’s only national conference focusing on how ICT issues impact on local communities and the NGO sector.
Now in its third year, the theme of this year’s conference is “Changing Your World with Technology - the Digital Means to the Social End “. This annual event is organised by Community Information Strategies Australia (CISA), an Australian NGO based in Adelaide with objectives and programmes similar to those of SANGONeT.
Following on the interesting programme of the first day, one of the key issues discussed today was the proposed formation of a national Nonprofit ICT Coalition (NNIC) in Australia. CISA has won a tender from the Department of Communications, IT and the Arts (DCITA) to develop a model and business plan for the establishment of this proposed coalition. Other consortium members include Monash University's Centre for Community Networking Research, WorkVentures Australia, National Nonprofit Roundtable (represented by ACOSS), Albany Consulting and Energetica. Reference group members include IBM Australia, Cisco Australia, Microsoft Australia, NonProfit Australia, Our Community Pty Ltd and the Australian Information Industries Association.
CISA invited me to make a presentation during today’s opening plenary session which aimed to provide participants with insights into non-profit technology experiences and trends in different parts of the world. Other speakers in this session were Nicola Thompson, General Manager of the ICT Hub in the United Kingdom, and Joe Baker, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN) in the United States.
Breakaway and plenary sessions during the rest of the day provided participants with various opportunities to discuss the aims and objections of the proposed coalition, and their specific expectations in this regard.
Participants identified a number of key issues that should guide the conceptual development and implementation of the coalition. These include an IT help desk and database of available services, research on ICT trends, platforms for engagement with NGOs, government and the private sector, best practices in non-profit technology management, technology funding opportunities and the overall sustainability of the NGO sector in Australia.
The formation of the proposed coalition in Australia is very relevant to the South African situation. Very few NGOs in South Africa specialise in ICT issues, while the NGO sector is still characterised by low ICT infrastructure and skills levels. In addition, there are very few if any representative national platforms for multistakeholder cooperation around ICT issues in South Africa, especially where NGOs play the leading role.
During the past few years SANGONeT has created dedicated platforms such as the annual SANGONeT Conference and ongoing Thetha ICT Discussion Forums to be catalysts for more pro-active ICT interventions in support of the work of the NGO sector, both from within and outside the sector. Although these initiatives are successful in their own right, closer alignment and engagement with other ICT stakeholders and initiatives could strengthen these efforts in encouraging NGOs to take a more active interest in ICT issues, sustain and expand this interest, and harness the power of ICTs in meeting their development goals.
I have really enjoyed my participation in the “Connecting Up” conference. There are definitely many similarities in the ICT challenges facing the NGO sectors in South Africa and Australia, providing much scope for collaboration between SANGONeT and CISA in support of our respective ICT events and activities.
On a lighter note, the keynote speaker during last night’s gala dinner was Yvonne Adele, or better known in Australia as Ms Megabyte. She is a local media personality with a career that spans print, television, radio and the Internet. With her eccentric personality and entertaining presentation style, she highlighted how online applications are changing traditional practices related to shopping, dating, entertainment and home appliances.
Following on “Connecting Up”, the 2006 Australian Society of Association Executives' National Conferences starts tomorrow morning here in Adelaide. I will make a presentation during the opening plenary session.
More about this in my next posting.
posted by David Barnard at
1:37 AM
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