Proposed methodology

The project is characterised by its development according to the following methodological guidelines:

Research - action

Documentary and field research will serve the purposes of formulating the actions to be developed throughout the whole project. Also in order to evaluate and modify the lines of action in order to reach the objectives proposed.

Personalised treatment

The Netizens Project is oriented towards the creation of stable employment in the labour market. Offer (organisations which supply services and teleservices) and demand (the consumers of these services) will be consolidated from the personalised attention services themselves, and according to needs, expectations, and capabilities of the persons participating in the market circuit.

Global approach

This methodological guide supposes the need to establish comparative frameworks, which can be contrasted and interrelated permanently. The consolidation power and capacity of any employment creation opportunity will be assessed in relationship with the capability of integrating into the network and of its capacity to benefit simultaneously from the different European Citizens Networks.

Participation

Actions to be carried out will be validated starting from the premise of co-operation, and collaboration among the project developers. Different fields of co-operation have been defined, which are mutually fed in order to reach technical, cultural, economic and social solutions of which the success is mainly dependent on consensus and motivation among the participants in the project.

Continuous evaluation

Reflection on the results obtained, the methodology and the techniques used in each phase of the project development will be submitted to a strict critical analysis to identify weaknesses, strengths, menaces and opportunities in relationship with the cost-effectiveness of the human teams and technological equipment, and their interrelationship with the performance, motivation, and level of comprehension of objectives, quality deviations in the project management and in the use of financial resources.

Information transparency and marketing applied to the project

The project actions have to be communicated to the European citizens. The methodology designed for Netizens has the have the starting point of commitment with the return of information towards those who finance it, who are the European citizens themselves. At the same time, this characterisation of the systematic information method in communication means will also have the addition of attracting sponsors to Netizens and of a better conduction of the social marketing associated to it.

Target public or geographical area

NETIZENS will be developed in Finland, Spain, United Kingdom and Italy. The target public will be based on a the demonstration of a collaborative experience among NGOs, Local Councils, Companies and Universities among mentioned European countries. In despite of demonstrative experience is restricted to four European countries, the dissemination is expected to be extended to the rest of European countries and to other areas in USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and Latin - America.

Anticipated results and quantification

Although NETIZENS results will be disseminated via a number of networks including the Telecities, Association for Progression of Communication, EAPN and ARIES networks, European Alliance of Civic Network and national community networks in whole Europe and East of Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and Latin America, it is envisaged that there will be a need to create concertation actions to be able to consolidate and extend the NETIZENS collaborative experiences on a as close as possible commercial basis. Benefits will affect to individuals, social agencies, NGOs, local and regional planners through the improved access to information teleservices and guidelines for self-help activities, new telematics services, teletraining, telecooperation and new employment opportunities through teleworking and other support activities.

Given the fact that NETIZENS seeks to explore and arrange cooperation agreements and experiences among third system organisations working on and about Information Society extension and services over Europe, its potential impact can be considerable. Quantify these potential benefits in economic terms, however, present considerable difficulties that may go well beyond the scope of the present project. The important thing is to show to such a needed group the enabling potential of third system organisation within the Information Society, find cost efficient options for continuous education and in so doing increase the chances in services for communities and citizens. NETIZENS experience will base its interest and measure in processes (socioeconomic - oriented cooperation projects) which will be started at the second half of the project life cycle.. Another NETIZENS role is to recognise advanced information and communications technologies and approaches as a major factor for future integration of Third System groups in collaboration with public and private sectors across Europe. At the same time the telematic application provided by partners will provide support services in all phases of the cycle of a European research and social cooperation projects. This provision of services will be oriented to all phases of the programmes and projects on the information gathering (information and remote delivery of expertise), social and economic development projects (communication with potential partners across Europe and third countries, joint editing projects, relations with sponsors), operational phase of research and cooperation (support to logistic items and organisational aspects: dates, travel, joint editing of reports and deliverables, submission to the partners and sponsors, administrative and financial procedures) and the phase of dissemination of projects results.

Notwithstanding the limitations previously mentioned, an initial estimation of the likely impact of the NETIZENS activities can be given by the fact that with a budget of some 0,6 KECU, the situation of perhaps more than 500 persons linked with Civic Networks and mainly belonging to Third System sector can be improved, and the capabilities for job creation of 80 organisations working on Civic Networks enhanced.

Although these figures do not pretend to be more accurate than they might be at this stage, they still give an idea about the interesting value of NETIZENS as a tool for fighthing against the lack of demonstrative actions on the use of Information Technologies from NGOs in cooperation with citizens, public authorities and private companies across Europe.