Partnerships Online
projects
Partnerships Online is an experiment on two fronts: first, using online methods to influence the development of 'real world' organisations and communities, and second, doing this through a 'virtual organisation' - a network of partners.
The balance that I and others involved aim to strike is between learning - and also earning enough to keep the process moving forward. Funds for work over the past few years have come mainly from the development of UK Communities Online, supported by BT, DTI, GPT and others. More here on that history, and thanks to those funders for their support.
Future funding will come from development of projects which will benefit from a common communications platform, and in doing so will also contribute to the content on this site. Well, that's the theory!
Main fields of activity
We are currently working in three main fields of activity, each of which involves understanding communities of locality or interest; using appropriate technology; understanding processes of participation, collaboration and partnership.
- Community networking. Providing the 'how to' for Digital cities and villages, local electronic networks.
- Creating learning communities for organisations, formal and informal networks.
- Local testbeds, of which the first is Sussex Online.
The projects
Projects currently under development in these fields include:
- The second phase of the Making the Net Work programme to create communications infrastructure which already includes...
- Creation of The Community Channel to connect practitioners and policy makers.
- An International Guide to Community Networking.
- An online course in the use of new media technology in community developed with Northern College - Dundee Campus. Participants will use this site and the guide as a resource, and contribute their project work to help build more content.
- Sussex Online as a network for organisations and individuals wishing to use new media for community benefit.
- Internal communications networks for the Community Action Network and for the People for Action group of housing associations.
- A Web site and communications system for the Development Trusts Association.
- A Web site for the Town and Country Planning Association.
David Wilcox <david@partnerships.org.uk>.
December 31 1998