“Pane e Internet in the Library”:

e-Facilitators in Emilia Romagna region

Stefano Kluzer – RTI* for Regione Emilia-Romagna (IT)

* Ismo – Simki - Aeca

Digital Empowerment – All Inclusive Conference

Telecentre-Europe Summit 2013, Malta 24-25 October

• “P&I” is the main e-inclusion programme of the

Telematics Plan of the Emilia-Romagna Region (PiTER)

pilot started in 2009

current phase 2011-2014 (1.6 M€ budget)

• Targets:

mature adults, elderly people

housewives, unemployed, immigrants

• Activities:

free digital literacy courses (20-hour)

collaboration/support of local intermediaries

“Grannies on Internet” in some schools (Mondo Digitale)

“P&I for jobs” (see Mireia evaluation)

“P&I in the libraries”

Pane e Internet (P&I) Bread and Internet

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Pane e Internet (at September 30, 2013)

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• 8300 participants (+ 3000 from pilot)

• 507 courses finished

goal (June 2014): 652 courses – ca.11,000 trained

• 5000 in waiting list

• 25,000 calls to free P&I phone number

• 157 teachers > 200 tutors

• 120 day-visits by the camper van

• 190 municipalities reached (out of 348 in ER)

• >150,000 leaflets and 1500 posters

“P&I in the library” - pilot phase /1

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Initial motivation: provide post-course support

Pilot with 22 libraries in Bologna city and surroundings

Training (Spring 2012)– 20-hour course on e-Inclusion and ‘e-facilitation’ services

– 20 participants x 3 courses -> 60 people

– librarians & volunteers (adequate digital proficiency + accept new task with no additional monetary reward)

– ISMO trainers using F2F and eLearning (SELF Moodle platform)

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Service trials (Fall&Winter 2012-13)

Design/organisation of customized assistance services (with library manager)

Target:

– former P&I trainees

– citizens with weak digital competence wanting to use digital services

Welcome customers + understand support needs + provide free assistance in

the library

– NO: technical assistance (e.g. hw or sw configuration, trouble shooting

etc.)

– NO: full service interactions (with authentication) on behalf of customer

– YES: e-mail accounts; explaining e-government and other online

services; orientation on social media use; Internet searches and

navigation in general

“P&I in the library” - pilot phase /2

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Purposes of trials:

• assess demand for the new services

• identify most common user needs

• identify operational and service delivery requirements

and problems

• better define role and competence of e-facilitators

• assess additional training and support needs for e-

facilitators, in view of consolidation & scaling up

“P&I in the library” - pilot phase /3

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Trials assessment workshop (February 2013):

• services deployed in very different ways (supply and demand conditions)

• very high customers’ response (beyond original expectations)

• wide range of customers’ needs (basic digital literacy -> complex requests)

• assistance by appointment (waiting lists of up to 4-6 weeks in some places)

• limit individual support (e.g. max. 3 sessions in 1-2 months)

• assistance sessions with small groups (for simple but frequent requests)

• focused, simple and short training sessions

• ‘homeworks’ with simple exercises and materials given to customers

Aim of e-facilitation “we help you learn how to help yourself”

“P&I in the library” - pilot phase /4

“P&I in the library” – scaling up phase

114 libraries joined P&I

45 activated e-facilitation services

213 trained e-facilitators (50% library staff, 50% volunteers)

30/09/2013

Bologna

22 Libraries

20 active

Ravenna

9 Libraries

3 active

Modena

21 Libraries

10 active

Reggio Emilia

12 Libraries

7 active

Rimini

14 Libraries

3 active

Piacenza

8 Libraries

1 active

Forlì - Cesena

16 Libraries

Ferrara

6 Libraries

Parma

7 Libraries

1 active

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April - June 2013: five x 3-hour workshops with 15 e-facilitators (pilot

phase)

IBM consultants - Cynefin method (knowledge management in complex

organisations):

• mapping actors and work processes

• identification of knowledge disclosure points and knowledge assets

• work scenarios and related significant taxonomies (sense-making

process)

• initial community organisation (‘core team’)

• first steps towards community public launch (early 2014)

“P&I in the library” – e-facilitators community /1

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Needs to be addressed:

• day by day communication and information sharing at a distance

• continuous evolution of e-facilitation -> monitoring changes&solutions

+ continuous learning

• multiplicity of assistance requests -> mutual support, exchange of

information and solutions

• high turnover (esp. volunteers) -> training + peer support + useful

resources for new comers

Next steps:

• online community based initially on Moodle platform (SELF) used for

training process ….. then ???

• offline activities and events (training, annual meeting etc.)

• e-facilitation as main pillar of next P&I project phase (2014-2016)

“P&I in the library” – e-facilitators community /2

Thank you very much !!!

Stefano Kluzer (s.kluzer@gmail.com)

For further information

• Grazia Guermandi

Regione Emilia-Romagna

Email GGuermandi@regione.emilia-romagna.it

http://www.paneeinternet.it/

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