Lowell Community Technology Consortium
6/01/01 (Camp Maude Eaton, North Andover, MA)

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INFORMATION / RESOURCE SHARING

• How to make the most out of resources
• listserv
• tech to free us
• Groove net (P2P) / IRIS database
• Need for standardized system / tools
• Low technology
• volunteers
• Meeting less but for longer 3-4 times a year
• Learn to use new tools
• New teaching models
• clients able to find resources
• Action plans
• sources for resources
• training / procedures
• systems that are culture / language sensitive (icono graphic??)
  multi-layered access (admins, users, managers) & simple to use
• Action plan
• technology
• procedures
• training
• How to make human part less central
• Who is responsible for assigning jobs?
• Users - outside world (web)
• admin
• Users (chat, share files, calendars)
• connections already exist

STRUCTURE

• Contingency plan
• Might need a code of ethics, by-laws
• Would orgs specialized, offer a smorgasbord, or offer a bit of a smorgasbord and specialize
• Would a parent org structure like the United way be appropriate (probably not) - too centralized
• Setup own 501c3, not now but in future
• Put out a bid to see who wants to sponsor project
• Perhaps charge dues at some point
• Setup and advisory cmte (3-8) persons that represents interests of consortium
• create a long term governance plan
• revisit handling of technical resources, funding, HR

FUTURE

• with no funding would need to conduct an immediate needs assessment to figure out what is most vital
• we would loose personnel
• there would be not tech support
• need to mobilize now to build support to continue staff
• possible strategies
• reallocation of existing staff and hours to these programs
• More aggressive internship (CMAA, SCORE, RSVP, UML, MCC)
• volunteers that trade time for training
• fee for service
• teens
• staff needs - technical, trainers, monitors
• create self-paced tutorials
• cooperative funding strategy
• inventory what we have and be more efficient in sharing