The focus of benefit
 

These pages are
draft v.1 30/6/03
Comments to
David Wilcox
 

 

Using this tool

Research suggests that there are three key areas - besides day-to-day management - where housing association might use ICTs: providing services online; supporting community development to promote social inclusion; and providing residents with personal opportunities including those for life long learning. See introduction >

Benefits can generally be provided - or achieved - through the Internet in four main ways: getting information; communicating and collaborating; achieving greater visibility, promoting and publishing; managing effectively. More on benefits >

This sheet should help you get a clearer focus on where you may wish to deliver benefits, and how. As a housing association or other service provider:

  1. Draw up the 'focus of benefits' sheet on a large piece of paper with some sticky notes to hand
  2. Think about the situation you are trying to address - what's the problem? Providing addition information to residents? Enhancing participation? Increasing skills and capacity? All of these? Develop the scenario: who is involved, what are their needs and concerns.
  3. What are you doing to achieve this? Face-to-face services, phone, print, events, training? Write activities on sticky notes and place them in the appropriate square.
  4. Where are the gaps? How might technology help? Review the project ideas and Net tools sections, and generate more sticky notes - a different colour will help distinguish.
  5. Analyse the results of the exercise. You might plan next steps in several ways:
  • use the planning framework to think through steps needed
  • use the planning sheet to chart these
  • feed the results of your 'focus' exercise into the planning game. For example, you could include insights from the 'focus' exercise in the scenarios you generate for the game; and make sure that you write in project ideas during the game if they are not on the cards.

The exercise could also be used by residents - either simply taking a resident perspective, in joint discussion with the housing association. As residents:

  1. Draw up the sheet as above
  2. Think about and describe your situation and needs
  3. What is on offer to meet these needs?
  4. Where are the gaps - what technology might you welcome?
  5. Analyse as above

The wording used on the sheet is indicative - you may wish to change to suit your circumstances.