Urban Community Access Program
Vancouver Access Network
(phase 2)
Vancouver Access Network (phase2)
Project
Summary:
The second phase of the
Vancouver Access Network is a community driven initiative to build on a network
of public access sites proposed earlier.
It is also part of a larger network of public Internet access in the Lower
Mainland. This proposal contains
details for establishing ten public access sites that will provide community
access to online information and communication tools. The network will focus on providing access to individuals who are
isolated by barriers of low income, age, illness and skill levels. An emphasis
will be placed on using the Internet for social development within the context
of partner organization activities.
Information on employment, housing, literacy, government and other
services will be integrated into training and activities where
appropriate.
The partner organizations
(appendix 1) in this joint submission represent the tips of sectoral
communities that together make up a broader community, each with the potential
of expanding access throughout their communities over the long term. Ten public access sites will be established
in the city of Vancouver, on the premises of well-known and easily accessible
organizations which are regularly visited by thousands of individuals in need
of a range of information and resources:
·
An intercultural center
providing services to immigrant communities
·
An independent media
centre and public computer lab
·
An environmental
resource centre
·
A multi-use youth
oriented center
·
A community centre for
Spanish speaking peoples
·
A refugee information
and referral centre
·
A self-help resource
centre and library
·
A domestic workers
association drop in and referral centre
·
A Punjabi language
social, religious and cultural centre
·
An income assistance
recipient support and advocacy centre
The network as a whole will
provide an enhanced level of public access through
·
experience and
expertise of some partners in providing public access and access for their
members and clients,
·
the use of existing
community infrastructure,
·
extensive hours of
operation,
·
coordinated staff,
volunteer and user support and training,
·
existing hardware,
connectivity and related technical expertise,
·
extensive use of
volunteers,
·
existing online
community content and resources,
·
free Internet access,
(e-mail, web space, listservers, browsing) for individuals and groups,
·
co-ordinated
development of implementation plans that will recognize site-specific
requirements with an efficient physical, technical and human infrastructure for
the entire network.
Each partner organization
will have a representative on an expanded steering committee, which will
oversee the coordinated implementation and administration of the Vancouver
Access Network.
The network’s vision and
common purpose is to ensure broad public access to online services and
information through access sites located in existing organizations serving a
range of sectors. The network will
offer openings for users to develop healthier lifestyles through access to
economic, social and cultural opportunities otherwise difficult to access. The network will connect existing community
resources with an existing community network.
Each site will retain a particular focus on providing enhanced supports
and services that are responsive to the needs of their existing client
base.
Each site of people and
resources represents the tip of a sectorally-based, potentially expanding
network. Expansion will occur through
organizational development of potential sites as groups progress through the
stages of getting connected to offering public access and using Internet tools
for meeting their goals and to build community. The community network will support future groups wishing to
provide public access by assisting with proposals for future CAP deadlines or,
in their absence, with refurbished computers and support services. Connections and collaboration will be
encouraged between the proposed expanded network, existing access points, other
CAP tiers and other sites which wish to develop public access.
The steering committee
commits to fulfill all of the requirements for community- based UrbanCAP sites
as outlined in Appendix III of the Proposal Guide. Each partner is contributing components toward providing
sustainable broad public access to online information and communications tools
for people who often lack access to computers and the Internet.
Each of
the network partners will provide resources, information and direct service to
people from particular economic, cultural and geographic sectors of the
city. Many individuals accessing these
partner organizations are isolated and marginalized by low income, illness,
language, systemic and personal abuse, underemployment and unemployment. They often lack life-skills, housing,
literacy, and social and personal support networks. For isolated people, ‘their’ center provides a familiar, safe and
comfortable atmosphere where they can take on activities, interact, and become
better informed, thereby reducing their isolation. The network builds on existing affiliations and usage
patterns. By easing fear, supporting
confidence-building and encouraging a sense of ownership, the access sites will
provide a greater potential for enhanced access and sustained use.
Some
network partners have recognized and responded to the needs of their members
and clients and are providing various levels of access for them. Public access is also provided in public
libraries and a limited number of community organizations in Vancouver. The
proposed network will enhance sectoral access and broaden the reach of current
efforts of groups to provide safe and secure public access for everyone.
The
distribution and location of sites within the network also supports the fact
that people will have a range of information and communication needs which
might be satisfied by a number of different organizations. An integrated and coordinated implementation
of the project will enable a cross-sharing of resources and expertise that goes
beyond the purely technical and hardware considerations of providing
access. It will also ensure that
orientation, training, support and physical accessibility are appropriate to
both the diversity and commonality of the people in need.
Rationale:
The
partner organizations exist to promote general public education and awareness
of issues faced in their community.
They provide advocacy and help with accessing government, health and
housing information and services.
Integrating public access to the Internet with this work can add an
important tool for empowering those individuals the network organizations work
with and support.
The
expanded network will help citizens become better informed through receiving
and exchanging information on the following:
·
Health
promotion
·
Seniors
benefits and programs
·
Government
services
·
Parenting
resources
·
Housing
·
Educational
opportunities
·
Employment
and business opportunities
·
Life-skills
and literacy
·
Computer
and Internet training
·
Volunteer
opportunities
·
Social
interaction
·
Arts
and cultural opportunities
·
Sources
of food and other basic necessities
Public
access to the Internet in supportive familiar settings will make it easier for
people to find out about services available to them. Over the long term, we expect we will see evidence of this and:
·
More
awareness of government services and how to access them
·
More effective
service delivery
·
Enhanced
health knowledge and practices
·
An
increase in the number of computer-literate adults and seniors
·
Increased
level of online business activities
·
A
diminished sense of isolation for seniors and those who lack adequate housing,
healthcare, literacy, support and access to government and social services
Sustainability
The key to providing
sustainable access at each site will be through the provision of value-added
services to users. By the end of the
first year of operation the network partners will have developed an appropriate
pricing model that will be implemented at each site according to the specific
requirements of each location and constituency. Value-added services to be provided by sites may include:
government services, skills development and educational services. These services could be in the form of
simple facility rental or through charging for particular activities such as
scanning, printing or video-conferencing.
Some sites may implement modest voluntary membership or donation
structures to strengthen their community of users and provide long-term
sustainability.
Vancouver Community Network
will complement the self-sustainability of each site by the continued provision
of such elements as site volunteer orientation and training, drop-in training
for new users, skills development workshops, online and phone help services,
technical support, connectivity and ongoing partnership development.
The proposal partners each
offer important resources to the community, whether through stability or
innovation, but in combination can draw on a huge pool of expertise and support
through their volunteer Boards and committees:
Vancouver
Community Network (VCN) operates
a free, publicly accessible, non-commercial computer utility in the Lower
Mainland of B.C. which provides a public space on the internet (appendix 2). The Vancouver
Community Network provides Internet related services to community groups and
individuals who would otherwise experience barriers to using the Internet. Services include providing leadership in
community development using information and communication technologies, public
education, public access sites, networking, connectivity, training, support and
partnership with the not-for-profit community of the Lower Mainland of BC.
VCN
maintains a 96-line modem bank with both text and graphical access connected
to
a cluster of web, mail and news servers, a high-speed data link that is shared
with the Vancouver Public Library, and 60 community access stations. Applications such as an authenticated web
based mail gateway and others are appropriate for public access site use. Over 7000 individuals and 500 community
organizations use VCN’s services. VCN
processes over 1000 email help-desk questions each month and thousands more
phone and walk-in enquiries.
Progressive
Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) was founded in 1987 to promote harmony and
intercultural understanding, to ensure equal access to jobs and services and to
work with other agencies and institutions.
PICS will host a South Vancouver site at Main Street and 64th
avenue. PICS helps more than 700,
primarily new immigrants and middle to low income people with their employment
programs each year. Home computer
ownership is rare in the community served by PICS so the two terminal site will
enable many residents to access the Internet for career development, health,
immigration and other purposes. (appendix 3)
Akali Singh Sikh Society serves the community for its social, religious and
cultural needs throughout the week. The society
provides Punjabi language and cultural classes for young children, organizes
camps for youth and provides help to the needy. He society will host a two terminal access site that will be
available to the approximately 1000 people who pass through the facilities each
week. As well as providing access to
information on programs and activities of the society, the site will provide
opportunities for information on employment, business development and healthier
lifestyles. (appendix 4)
Inland Refugee Society of
BC is dedicated to assisting
families and individuals seeking refuge in Canada. The society provides
information and referral, assistance to find shelter, orientation, advocacy and
night classes. The centre receives
numerous visits per from refugees seeking advice and support and also hosts a thrift
shop and weekly food bank. The two
terminal site will complement other services to provide important information
and communication services for a vulnerable group of people. (appendix 5)
Self-Help Resource
Society is an agency that
connects individuals with common concerns.
It facilitates people giving emotional support to each other, to learn
new coping skills, improve their situations and help themselves through helping
others. The two terminal site will provide access for those
wishing to complement information on broad health issues from the resource
library, education and training workshops.
The association ahs recorded over 2000 callers and visitors during six
months of this year. (appendix 6)
West Coast Domestic
Workers Association provides
information, workshops, support, advice, and advocacy to domestic workers with
employment and immigration problems.
The association provides free legal assistance to domestic workers and
publishes a monthly newsletter. The two terminal site will provide an important
resource to a population with minimal internet access and skills. (appendix 7)
Society Promoting Environmental Conservation
(SPEC) has remained one of the leading provincial organizations actively
working to protect the ecosystems of
British Columbia, focusing mainly on urban environmental issues. since
1969. The
two terminal access site will be located in the Environmental Resource Centre
at the SPEC offices. The location is
also shared by a number of other non-profit groups and houses two well used
community meeting rooms. (appendix 8)
Salvation Army Vancouver
East Care and Share Centre helps
to provide for basic human needs. It
provides personal counseling and helps facilitate the spiritual, moral and
physical rehabilitation of all persons who come within its sphere of influence
and are in need. The centre provides a number of food programs and
reaches out to the homeless. The two
terminal site will provide users with the opportunity to acquire computer
skills, assistance in finding affordable housing and other benefits of
communication and information. (appendix 9)
Tao
Communications/IndyMedia Media Lab and Resource Centre provides support to women, first nations, the poor,
people of colour and the labour community with basic communications infrastructure. The
centre will provide public access to the Internet, film, video and audio
facilities. It will also provide
education and training to assist marginalized people to learn how to use new
media technologies to share their experiences and work towards
self-sufficiency. The multi-terminal
site will be available for extended hours during the week including weekends.
(appendix 10)
Hispanic
Community Centre assists
the Hispanic community in BC to empower themselves as individuals and as
groups. It aims to foster equality
among individuals and communities. The
centre increases the participation of the community through social, economic,
cultural and educational activities. The centre serves approximately 1500
people a year, often new immigrants and refugees. Visitors to the centre will use the two terminal site to search
for work, gather government information and communicates with others. (appendix
11)
The Broadway
Youth Center (BYRC) offers a safe place that delivers integrated
community based social and health services to the at-risk youth population
between 10 and 24 years of age. The
multi-use centre offers a wide range of counseling, peer support, mediation,
independent living skills development, aboriginal and health related
programming. Three terminals will be
added to an overused network to build an accessible, safe public site at the
busy intersection of Fraser Street and Broadway tailored to the needs of youth
in the area. (appendix 12)
Organization
and Management
Management and
Administrative Ability of the Lead Agency:
Vancouver Community Network
was established in 1993 as a not for profit society and gained charitable
status in a 1996 landmark Federal Court decision regarding public access to
information and communication technology.
It is governed by an active voluntary Board of Directors of 14 members
(appendix 13), a membership of approximately 2000 and is staffed by 3 core
positions and several short-term, project related contracts. Volunteers numbering around 40 per week
provide support to the organization’s users and groups.
In 1994/5 Vancouver
Community Network, then the Vancouver Regional Freenet Association, established
a network of more than 60 public Internet access terminals in collaboration
with Vancouver regional libraries and community organizations (appendix
14). These terminals, while many are
still in use, have become technically obsolete over the passing years. VCN also maintains a community-wide web site
through collaborating with partner organizations. It can be found at www.vcn.bc.ca
Since its formation, VCN has
been working to reduce individual and systemic access barriers to information
technology and community information.
VCN brings strong management capabilities with proven experience to
launch and sustain community-wide endeavours.
The management structure proposed is based on a model used in the “604
Connect!” project, a partnership between Vancouver Community Network (lead agency),
Volunteer Vancouver, Tradeworks Training Society and the United Way of Lower
Mainland to provide an Internet connectivity package to 400 non-profit
voluntary sector groups in the lower mainland under Industry Canada’s VolNet
Program. VCN helps enable the creation
of local content through training and supporting non-profit groups to generate
and maintain their own web sites and online newsletters.
VCN produces annual
narrative and financial reports to account for the activities of the society,
and the receipt and use of society funds. VCN’s financial records are
maintained on-site by an independent bookkeeper and monthly, consolidated
budget comparison and balance sheets are reviewed by the Board of
Directors. Financial Statements
(appendix 15) are presented to the membership by the Board at the Annual
General Meeting. Audited financial
statements will be produced for the end of the 1999 to 2000 fiscal year.
The
Steering Committee and Overall Management of the Project:
The
Steering Committee will consist of representatives from each of the
participating partner organizations (appendix 1). The Committee will oversee the management of the Network’s
implementation and administration through bi-monthly meetings at which they
will exchange reports on implementation activities, requirements, developments
and site-specific feedback from users, volunteers and staff. Should a member of the Steering Committee
have to suspend their activities, the Project Coordinator will approach the
site host partner to ensure a replacement.
Staff:
A
Project Manager and Project Coordinator will report to and be accountable to
the Steering Committee. The Project
Manager will oversee the overall administrative and financial management of the
Network and will be the primary liaison between the lead agency and the
Steering Committee.
The
Project Coordinator will cooperate with the Steering Committee and individual
site liaisons to ensure that each access provider is able to receive support
available through the Network.
Additional technical expertise will be provided by VCN’s System
Administrator and individuals from within the other partner organizations. A Coordinator will be hired for the duration
of the project to ensure an integrated approach to implementation, integration
of newcomers to the Network, continuity and input to the evaluation and
sustainability of the Network when implementation ends. Should an access site cease to function,
after reasonable efforts to revive the operation, the Steering Committee will
reallocate the equipment and connectivity to a new and comparable site or to an
existing site that is able to accommodate the increase in capacity.
Site
activities will be managed through partnering appropriate volunteers with
sites. These activities will be
co-ordinated by the lead agency according to the needs of the site hosting
organizations. “Acceptable use”
policies, developed by fine tuning a template of existing policies, will be
posted at each site as determined by host organizations which have authority
over appropriate usage of the access site.
Implementation
Plan:
Each CAP
site partner will develop site plans appropriate to their organization. The Project Coordinator will assist with
identifying technical requirements, hardware and software supplies and budgets,
assistive and adaptive technologies, security concerns and solutions and will
ensure coordination of all site plans.
Milestones
and Timelines:
|
Month |
Project
Stage |
Milestone |
|
1 - 2 |
Project
approval |
Signing
of Service Contract with Industry Canada and recruitment of Project
Coordinator |
|
1 - 2 |
Steering
Committee consolidation |
Developed
operating guidelines and policies |
|
1 - 3 |
Finalization
of physical site plans and integration |
Purchase
of equipment and site set-up |
|
1 - 3 |
Enhancement
of existing basic training curriculae and materials and development of
training schedule for users |
Ongoing
weekly orientation sessions; New and specific training courses offered in
community |
|
1 - 3 |
Volunteer
Program development and enhancement of training |
Ongoing
volunteer intake and training; new and specific training courses offered for
site volunteers |
|
2 - 4 |
Establishment
of sites, equipment and software installation; connection |
Sites
Connected and ready for users |
|
2 - 4 |
Development
of CAP web page and individual site pages |
Linked
network of online CAP Site web pages |
|
2 - 4 |
Development
of Evaluation Tools |
User
Surveys, Volunteer Evaluation, Training Self-Assessment and Evaluation |
|
3 - 4 |
Public
Awareness campaign |
Implementation
of communications plans as sites available and re: training opportunities,
volunteer opportunities |
|
4 |
Operational
start-up |
Hardware
and software fully functional |
|
4 |
Implement
“Technical Volunteer Web” |
Active
collaboration and support among site volunteers |
|
4 - 18 |
Evaluations |
Review
and Report |
|
Ongoing |
Orientation
of new users |
Training
sessions at VCN and rotating throughout community |
|
Ongoing |
Recruitment,
training and deployment of volunteers. |
Training
sessions and internship at VCN and rotating throughout community |
|
Ongoing |
Checking
and maintenance of site equipment |
Weekly
visits to sites and as needed |
|
Ongoing |
Development
of sector-specific applied skills training curriculae and course offerings |
Bi-Monthly
applied skills training sessions at VCN and throughout community |
|
Ongoing |
Partnership
building with sectoral networks |
New
site proposals to expand Network to broad public |
Physical,
Technical and Human Infrastructure
Physical
Sites:
Site
Information Forms have been supplied by each partner organization and are
attached to this proposal (appendices 3 - 12).
Compliance with CAP site requirements and co-ordination of
implementation and ongoing support will be ensured as outlined under the Human
Resources section below.
Each
site will have a minimum of two terminals available for public use for a
minimum of four days per week. Weekend
and evening hours of operation are available at six sites, for many hours per
week. Some sites will allocate specific
times for the exclusive use of their members and clients.
Each
site will provide support to users, either through their own volunteer and
staff resources or through volunteers scheduled and deployed to the sites by
the Network’s Project Coordinator.
Volunteers will coach users and provide one-to-one support as needed.
The
Network’s users will be supported with weekly, formal orientation sessions (appendix
16) provided to the general public by Vancouver Community Network. These sessions offer general introduction to
the Internet, email, search techniques and browsing and can accomodate up to 20
people. Formal orientation at
individual sites will also be available, either through partner staff and
volunteer resources or central coordination and scheduling by the Project
Co-ordinator. Volunteer support will be
scheduled for sites by arrangement with the Project Co-ordinator.
Technology:
Internet
Services: Vancouver Community Network operates a public network from a cluster
of Sun workstations running mail, web and news servers. The network is accessible through a 96-line
modem bank offering text and graphical access, and 60 public access
terminals. The Vancouver CommunityNet
is connected to the Internet through a high-speed data link that is shared with
the Vancouver Public Library. Telnet,
Gopher and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) connections are also accommodated. Most phone line connections to VCN are at 56
kilobytes per second, though ISDN connections are also used (appendix 17).
Public
access sites will consist of two computer terminals connected through an
Ethernet hub to form a local area network (LAN). The LAN will be connected to a hardware firewall, which in turn
will be connected to the Internet by ADSL lines available through Telus
communications (appendix 18). Provision
for 56K dial-up access, currently available through VCN, is an integral part of
the implementation plan, since considerable delays have been experienced in
some areas of Greater Vancouver.
Four
basic compatible hardware packages have been designed in collaboration with
organizations to meet the varying needs of the locations and their
organizational capacity (appendix 19).
They consist of a quality Pentium set, a less expensive Pentium set, an
iMac set and a mixed Pentium/iMac set.
In all 2 iMacs and 18 Pentiums will be installed.
Software
options will be largely determined by the operating systems of the site terminals. Mac OS, Windows 98 and Linux will be
available for sites. Sites may choose
the operating system that meets their system needs and organizational capacity
to solve problems. A Linux option is
available for sites with minimal technical personnel since it will be possible
to solve all software problems remotely from the VCN office and automatically
wipe clean and reboot the terminal on a daily basis. Anti-virus software will be installed where appropriate.
All the
community access sites (but one) are accessible for people with
disabilities. Adaptive technologies and
special software will be procured as need arises in collaboration with partner
agencies. Scanners will be available at
all of the network locations.
Human
Resources:
The
Network will be supported by paid and volunteer staff provided centrally and by
individual organizations. Vancouver
Community Network has an active, stable partnership with a number of local
educational institutions and regularly accepts student placements for help with
its services. The community network
will be implementing an innovative “technical volunteer web” to provide ongoing
sustainable support to network CAP sites.
Through a partnership with the BC Provincial Government, volunteer
centres and post-secondary educational institutions, VCN will expand its intake
of technical volunteers, streamline its training and deployment processes and
build systems of ongoing collaboration and support for sustainability.
The
centrally hired Project Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring that the
Network meets the Requirements for Community-based Urban CAP sites. Specifically, the Coordinator will work to
ensure an integrated and appropriate level of support to each site by co-ordinating:
·
site
set-up, hardware and software acquisition, installation and maintenance
·
connectivity
options, ordering and configuration assistance
·
Internet
services through VCN for sites lacking an ISP
·
technical
support or training for site technical volunteers and staff
·
volunteer
assistance and support to users during public operating hours
·
orientation
and training opportunities for staff, volunteers and users
·
access
to and registration of Internet accounts for individuals
·
development
of acceptable use policies and security management
·
provision
of print and online training manuals, resources and other sources of help for
users and those who support them
·
creation
of the Network’s CAP web page and assistance with other content development
·
increased
public awareness of the network through promotion and networking
·
responses
to operating issues and evolving service requirements
·
assistance
with promoting the availability of the sites and the Network
Each
partner has committed to a level of on-site staff and/or volunteer assistance
that will be supplemented by the volunteer coordination and deployment
undertaken by the Project Coordinator.
The capacity of each partner to provide this support will be enhanced
through training opportunities coordinated by the Project Coordinator,
including basic and applied Internet skills development, train-the-trainer
sessions, and sessions exploring activity-specific uses of the Internet, for
example, finding government information and services, job-seeking, online
community development and participation, using the Internet as a community
learning tool, etc.
Results
and Performance Measurement
The
Network will use the following tools to measure success:
·
User
surveys
·
Staff
and volunteer interviews
·
Training
Needs Self-Assessments and Evaluations (appendix 20)
The Network will use the following as indicators of success:
·
Number
of visitors and visits to sites (both physical and online)
·
Number
of individuals attending formal orientation sessions
·
Number
of accounts registered with VCN
·
Number
of web pages developed
·
Housing
and jobs found
·
Increased
access to health and other services
·
Sense
of marginalization (identified through user surveys)
·
Educational,
recreational, and cultural opportunities taken
·
Client
satisfaction with physical and human resources
·
Host
organization satisfaction with site activities
·
Number
of volunteers engaged and turn-over rates