This guide

The aim of this guide is to help housing association staff and residents understand why the Internet and other digital technologies* may be important to them, and what they can do to plan their use.

The main focus is on planning tools that can be used in workshop sessions 'for real' or to raise awareness of the potential of the Internet. The tools - a workshop 'game' and other techniques - can be used more widely by anyone planning to use new technology in regeneration. More below on the guide - or go straight to the tools including the game >

* known as information and communication technologies or ICTs for short

These pages are a first draft for comment among the development team only. Please do not disribute or link. If you prefer to view content on your hard drive, you can download a zipped version of all pages. Once downloaded and uinzipped, open folder CS, and index.htm in your browser. (1.1 M). Download here.

Background

In January 2003 Communities Scotland commissioned Eddy Adams and David Wilcox to design, test and develop a digital inclusion awareness raising programme for use by housing associations in Scotland. The commission followed initial investigatory work conducted by Communities Scotland around Digital Inclusion, and the specific aim of the work was to create a suite of tools to support housing associations' work in this developing area. The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) was a co-sponsor of the work, and the organisation has been involved in each stage of the process. Summary report >

Contents of the guide

An introduction to why the Internet and other digital technologies may be important for housing associations and residents. More >

The study carried out for Communities Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations. More >

Stories about how housing associations are using the Internet. More >

Key ideas about the Internet and how it can be used in housing and regeneration. More >

Net tools. Brief explanations of email, the web, other Internet tools and the benefits that they offer. More >

Planning. Workshop techniques and checklists. More >

Resources. Links to other materials. More >

This guide is drawn in part from research undertaken for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Making the Net work for residents and their landlords. The full text is available here >