Feb 18 2008
Support the Knowledgebase and Suppliers Directory
Amongst all the rumours seeping out of Capacity Builders regarding the future funding of ICT as a national support service, the fate of the online Knowledgebase and Suppliers Directory has been curiously absent.
We can only speculate this may be because Capacity Builders believes it holds the copyright to Knowledgebase content and will simply “hoover up” legacy content from the Hubs as they expire, gasping for breath. We hope the 9 new national workstreams fare better.
However, a quick browse around the Knowledgebase shows that content is protected by a variety of Creative Commons licences that ensures copyright resides with the author, not the funder.
We’ve been lobbying our local Capacity Builders rep along the lines of:
- Knowledgebase and Suppliers Directory are unique resources that have been developed by experts in sector ICT, and are crucial to helping the regional Champs and other providers of technology support to the sector increase sector skills and knowledge – or to put it another way, where else is the sector going to get freely available plain English, jargon-free articles on planning and managing ICT? Answers on a postcard from Netgain and Experts Online.
- These web based resources are of unique value to the sector and are a good fit with Capacity Builders stated objectives of efficiently and effectively delivering high quality support services with impact on local delivery.
- These resources account for 30,000 hits per month and are helping the sector to make better informed choices about their ICT
Prior to ChangeUp, the Treasury and others described a dynamic voluntary sector – albeit one lacking in the awareness and skills to plan and manage their ICT, which could help improve their service delivery. The Knowledgebase and Suppliers Directory are continually evolving as sector leading resources – there’s nothing else like them.
We hope you’ll agree that Knowledgebase and Suppliers Directory are vital, so blog about it or let us know by commenting.
Disclaimer: This post reflects the views of the author, not the ICT Hub, it’s delivery partners or funders.
2 responses so far
“Where else is the sector going to get freely available plain English, jargon-free articles on planning and managing ICT? Answers on a postcard from Netgain and Experts Online.”
POSTCARD
Dear Miles
Having a lovely time; horses for courses. We’ve been signposting to the Knowledgebase since it was a young LASA initiative. Ditto: we make sure folk can make good use of the supplier’s directory. Collaborate to accumulate. Wish you were here, Love Jane and the team xxx
PS: As you’ll know, net:gain is a programme at strategic level, for Trustees and CEOs, who (mostly) will not think to search an online ICT Knowledgebase. net:gain engages trustees/CEOs in thinking strategically about ICT, and then plugs them into a supported environment – through a net:gain centre and partner’s programmes such as circuit riders locally; using free or low cost resources that may be available locally or nationally – for up to 12 months until they’ve got a strategy in place.
PPS: Experts Online isn’t a pre-written knowledgebase – the service provides just-in-time answers to specific members’ questions – on ICT and a range of other issues. Here are the latest ICT questions in EOL: http://www.expertsonline.org.uk/taxonomy/term/1/9
Hi Miles, well put. I’ll aim to blog about this later in the week.
Even though I am not directly involved in much of the hub work and activity on the ICT Hub site, it has been invaluable in my workshops for VCS orgs, and supporting groups with their advice to point them to a real resource which has been well used and received, especially from rural groups who, often are disconnected or need confidence with finding answers to their needs. I too have been aware of what will happen to the ICT Hub website and it’s key areas of vital content, post April 2008. The ICT Hub website to me has been a flagship of all the other Hub websites (many of which are good and useful – in my outside of tech role, I’m a Chief Officer of a CVS, and have wonderful resources to support our work in supporting orgs), but the ICT one has really provided so much more. The Suppliers Directory too, in addition to the Knowledgebase has been a vital and much needed unique resource for many.