Key functions of community networking

by Terry Grunwald <terry@makingthenetwork.org>

Terry Grunwald, in her book Making the Net Work, identifies 12 key functions for the process of enabling non-profit organisations and the wider community to make effective use of the Internet. They are summarised and adapted here.

• Access in the home, at work, within organisations
  
• Public access points
  
• Training and technical assistance for people
  
• Training and technical assistance for organisations
  
• Information brokering (e.g. helping people find and use information in libraries etc.)
  
• Creating and monitoring local content and a good interface which organises content online
  
• Electronic democracy and problem-solving forums
  
• Connecting local communities and communities of interest
  
• Providing/recycling hardware and software
  
• Promoting online collaboration networks
  
• Supporting entrepreneurship in cyberspace
  
• Supporting online learning

Some of these issues are explored and demonstrated on the Getting Connected pages on this site. See also Seven steps to building electronic communities

*Making the Net Work is available from david@partnerships.org.uk