| Community Leadership/IT
Planning
Success Stories
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Aurora,
Nebraska
In
Nebraska, Aurora is a good example of an Information Age community and
the synergistic outcomes of Information Age development.
Through a strategic planning process, Hamilton County developed
a strategic information technology plan in 1994.
The plan was updated in 1999.
The community utilized a six-step
process to develop their plan:
Step 1: Community Assessment.
The task force identified and assessed the community's strengths,
weaknesses, threats, and opportunities related to information
technology deployment and use.
Step 2: Developing a mission statement.
Through task force discussions, personal contacts with other community
members, and feedback from surveys, a mission statement was developed
which defined the mission of the task force.
Step 3: Determining what the community
wants in terms of information technology.
The task force received input from the public through presentations to
numerous organizations and small groups. A half-day technology fair
provided an opportunity for citizens to learn about available
information technology and to provide comments and feedback to the
taskforce. Additional information was gathered through two additional
survey instruments. A short, general survey was used to gather input
from the general public. Key institutions, organizations, and
individuals were asked to fill out a longer survey.
Step 4: Putting the community goals in
writing. The task force
published a plan in 1994 listing seven goals. The plan was updated in
1999.
Step 5: Developing the action plan. The
task force worked with individuals, entities or consortiums within the
community to develop action plans.
Step 6: Evaluating progress.
Periodically the task force has evaluated their progress. The task
force has recently repeated the planning process, publishing an
updated strategic plan in 1999.
By bringing representatives of the key institutions in the county
together and systematically addressing the IT needs of the county,
Aurora and Hamilton County have begun to realize the benefits of the
Information Age.
Aurora's initial technology fair in 1994 increased community
awareness of the importance of information technology and helped build
community support for the deployment of information technology in the
schools.
The videoconferencing system in the hospital is used primarily
for consultations and training for medical center and hospital staff,
but is also available for use by local businesses.
Hamilton Telecommunications has a telemarketing center and
provides TDD services for five states.
As demand for advanced services has grown, Hamilton
Telecommunications has deployed DSL and ISDN in the community.
Recently a software company moved to Aurora, attracted by the
availability of office space, advanced telecommunications services,
and the quality of life.
A business incubator is set to open in 2001. In
addition to attracting and assisting new business start-ups, the
incubator program will provide local e-commerce services and
educational programming for all businesses in the community.
Lessons we can
learn from Aurora
Information Age development is more
than infrastructure. Many
people equate Information Age development with infrastructure
development. Although the availability of advanced services is
certainly an important component in Information Age development,
education and training are also important. Aurora's strategic plan
recognizes the need for training and education. Aurora has hosted
several Information Technology Fairs to provide an opportunity for
community members to learn more about the technologies currently
available. The Information Technology Task Force is exploring
additional training and educational opportunities. The task force is
also working to facilitate and encourage the utilization of
information technology tools by local businesses.
Information Age development is
synergistic. Information Age
communities promote the use of information technology in all sectors
of the community. Because the development efforts of one sector or
entity often spillover into other sectors, the outcome is synergistic.
Aurora's initial technology fair increased community awareness of the
importance of information technology and helped build community
support for the deployment of information technology in the schools.
The videoconferencing system in the hospital is used primarily for
consultations and training for medical center and hospital staff, but
is also available for use by local businesses. As demand for advanced
services has grown, Hamilton Telecommunications has deployed DSL and
ISDN in the community. Recently a software company moved to Aurora,
attracted by the availability of office space, advanced
telecommunications services, and the quality of life.
Information Age development takes time.
Aurora began the strategic
community information technology process in 1993. In seven years, the
task force has achieved its early goals and has begun tackling more
ambitious goals. The task force expects that in a few years, they will
have to go through the planning process again as developments in
technology and society impact their community.
Community information strategic
planning works. In seven years,
Aurora has achieved the goals set in the 1994 plan and is well on its
way to achieving the goals set in the 1999 plan. One only has to look
around the community to see the results.
Hamilton
County's 1999 Strategic Plan
For more information
on Aurora's efforts, contact Gary Warren, gwarren@hamilton.net.
(Back
to Success Story Index)
South
Sioux City, Nebraska
Identified
at a recent National League of Cities Conference as one of the nation's most
progressive technology communities, South Sioux City continually seeks ways to:
- Meet
the goals of an aggressive council;
-
Attain
the community’s vision statement through enhancement of services;
-
Provide
a sustainable, professional, easy to use, adaptable, entertaining technology
system;
-
Expand
interactive citizen access to government personnel;
-
Minimize
taxpayer expense through public/private partnerships;
-
Stimulate
and support information based economic development;
-
Establish
and maintain a leading edge technology system and workforce.
TECHNOLOGY
With South Sioux City’s innovative vision, the following
projects enable the city to meet technological demands of the 21st
Century and citizen requests to be kept informed:
1.
An Eight-Mile
Fiber Optics Ring. Through a
one-of-a-kind joint agreement with the city, school, and private cable company,
an eight-mile fiber optics ring around the city was constructed by the city and
school. The ring allows access to access to city/county/school buildings, homes,
businesses and,
provides households with virtual library, billing, and meter reading services.
2.
“Freenet” web site. A state of the art joint “Freenet” web site www.sscdc.net
was creatively developed by private and public sector representatives.
The "Freenet" is a low-cost means of providing telecommunications and
has ensured coordinated development of telecommunications infrastructure. The “Freenet”
provides a web-based interactive site with local access for contacting
governmental officials/departments, meetings, special announcements, weather
information, events, links to local state/federal government, newspaper
headlines, and service club information. The “Freenet” is designed to
improve government accessibility without a continuous government
subsidy for operations; costs are paid through private sector advertising.
Capital costs of $25,000 were paid by private sector donations, State of
Nebraska, and four local governments.
3.
Paperless
City Council.
South Sioux City is the first city in Nebraska to have a “Paperless City Council”
where all of the council agendas and attachments are posted on the “Freenet”
for public viewing.
4. E-City
Program.
Through a joint E-City Program, administered
by the Chamber of Commerce, the City received state funds, matched by
businesses, establishing Nebraska’s first Cyber City.
5. Cisco
Networking Academy. Through a private donation, A Cisco
Networking Academy was established at the high school.
6. Joint
City/School Technology Center.
A free standing Joint City/School
Technology Center, funded through private donations and a state grant,
provides training and access to information technology.
STAFF
DEVELOPMENT
The City
considers motivation and training of all staff as the key to the success of any
organization. To benefit the city
employees, the city implemented:
1.
An employee bonus program to pay for classes for employees, if
needed, to attain a high school degree;
2.
An education program to pay for and encourage employee
training/educational courses;
3.
Foreign language classes for
employees to aid in communications with the growing number of minorities
moving to the community;
4.
A
bonus
program for
employees upon completing the foreign language classes;
5.
A rightsizing program, involving the entire staff and council, to
improve efficiency;
6.
Staff retreats to encourage new ideas and council retreats to provide a plan of
action;
7.
An employee of the month and employee incentive pool program;
8.
Networking
of all city computers for e-mail and Internet access;
9.
A computer literacy program for all employees;
10.
An employee computer purchase program.
(Back
to Success Story Index)
Norfolk,
Nebraska
Norfolk
is building leadership capacity through a futures-oriented leadership
program. Leadership
Norfolk's 12 day-long sessions focus on 21st Century and traditional
leadership skills. Topics covered include effective
communication, time management, strategic planning, small group facilitation,
negotiation, and dispute resolution. Community information specific
to the needs of Norfolk is integrated into program topics.
Leadership
Norfolk has six goals:
1. To develop awareness of the
Norfolk community, its problems, challenges and opportunities, by examining the
major systems which contribute to patterns of life in the city.
2. To enhance leadership skills
and qualities in participants which lead to creative and insightful community
solutions.
3. To ensure broad community
future leadership by recruiting diverse participants who are emerging leaders.
4. To motivate and encourage
participants to assume leadership roles in community affairs.
5. To supplement the training
received by these potential leaders in such a way as to maximize their
contributions to their sponsoring organization.
6. To encourage networking and
the formation of an alumni association after completing the course.
The program's Web site includes
an intriguing list
of futures-oriented articles.
(Back
to Success Story Index)
Blacksburg,
Virginia
Blacksburg,
Virginia pioneered the concept of an Information Age community.
Back in the late 1980s, Virginia Tech proposed using
telecommunications to connect residents by building a community
network.
Today, Blacksburg has the highest per capita use of the
Internet in the world.
Over 60 percent of Blacksburg's residents have high speed
broadband access in their businesses and apartments.
Over 24 technology companies have been started in Blacksburg in
the last five years and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center is
one of the fastest growing business parks in the nation.[i]
The Smart
Communities Program in Canada also has featured Blacksburg
in its list of smart
communities from around the world.
Town
of Blacksburg's 2001 Comprehensive Plan
- Blacksburg
Electronic Village Digital Library
If you would like to success story, please e-mail abyers@notes.state.ne.us
12/22/2003
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