MISTICA
_________________________________________________________

Methodology
 and 
Social Impact
 of 
Information Technology and Communication 
in 
America

(Official  IDRC denomination: RED SAMANÁ: Network for research and social action on NCIT’s in Latin America and the Caribbean)

A project of the Networks and Development Foundation (FUNREDES)
Presented to the International Development Research Center (IDRC)

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Final version for external presentation (Dec. 9, 1998)

NOTE: GLOSSARY CONTAINED IN THE LAST PAGE

table of contents
1- SUMMARY	3
2- background	5
2.1 CIID/IDRC (http://www.idrc.ca)	5
2.2 FPH (http://sente.epfl.ch/fph/)	6
2.3 FUNREDES (http://funredes.org)	7
3- PROJECT DEFINITION	7
3.1 JUSTIFICATION	7
3.2 OBJECTIVES	9
3.3 PRODUCTS	10
3.4. METHODOLOGY	11
3.4.1. Theoretical Framework and Conceptualization	11
3.4.2. Members of the MISTICA Network	12
3.5 collective work process	12
3.6 GENDER PERSPECTIVE	13
3.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS	14
4- GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PROJECT	15
4.1 PRINCIPLE STAGES	16
4. 3 STRUCTURING SCHEME	16
ANNEX 1:  PAD AND EMEC PROJECTS	18
A1.1.  PAD Project	18
A1.2. EMEC pROJECT	19
ANNEX 2: GLOSSARY	21

1- SUMMARY
 
This document presents a series of activities supported by the IDRC and the FPH.  The main implementing institution is FUNREDES, which will base its administration on a set of regional partners.  The agenda has a 24 month duration.  The set of projects has a unique framework with two mutually supported objectives:

- the strengthening of the social actors of the NCITs of Latin America and the Caribbean, through the constitution of a human network for research and appropriation of new technologies, with the support of advanced means of communication and information and pilot applications. 

- the experimentation of a structuring methodology for virtual communities:  adequately integrating resources of information and communication, offering solutions to language obstacles and allowing participation of persons lacking NCIT resources, thus accommodating participation at a distance by people in localized conferences. 

Both objectives, with the purpose of reducing project dimension, center their definition in the Internet and its applications.  Therefore, the first one will support the Internet as means of information and communication and will promote pilot applications based on said platform.  The second one will employ tools on the Internet to structure and link virtual communities related to the project.

The two promoters of the project are IDRC (International Development Research Center of the Canadian Government – http://www.idrc.ca) and the FPH (Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind – http://sente.epgl.ch/fph/). The main implementing organization is Networks and Development Foubndation, FUNREDES (Fundación Redes y Desarrollo - http://funredes.org ) and will receive support from other regional partners.

The project inserts itself within a series of reference actions of the main partners, contributing and receiving the project within a mutual framework of synergy.

•	The regional IDRC PAN program  (http://www.idrc.ca/pan/prospectus.html) for the promotion of collaboration between research and development, by means of the NCITs.  This program has been developed with great strength in Asia (Pan Asia Networking – http://www.panasia.org.sg/.

á	The new “thematic workshop” opened by the FPH in conjunction with this project titled “Citizenship and CIT”, as part of the program “social mutations and innovations” (INO- http://sentenext1.epfl.ch/fph/French.wlproj/ino.html).

á	The Alliance for a Solidary and Responsible World (http://echo.org), a movement inspired by the FPH and its efforts towards the creation of conditions for radical and positive changes in the course of humankind.  This movement experimented with conferences in which participation at a distance and automatic translation have been basic ingredients (PAD project).

á	The EMEC (http://funredes.org/funredes/emec.htm) and SI-NCITs projects (http://funredes.org/is-ntic) of FUNREDES, both offer a conceptual framework for the effective and integral management of electronic conferences with an automatic translation component and a “clearinghouse” embryo for the social sector of the NCITs of the region.

á	Of common interest to all of the above, directed towards the construction of a “clearinghouse” of the social actors of the NCITs of the region.  This information resource, in free internet access, would allow the user to know each individual actor and project in an organized manner and would also play a central roll in a policy of promotion of cooperation between actors, in addition to the effective evaluation of joint actions.   

The realization of the project has been contemplated to have five main stages:

1)  The identification of the principle participants and the preparation of a regional meeting with associated information and communication resources.  The objective of the meeting would be the production of a document orientating the FPH regarding the main line of action to be implemented in the field of application research of the NCITs with great impact and to identify  a set of pilot applications to be developed within MISTICA.  The preparation of the meeting includes:
á	Creation of a “clearinghouse" about actors, projects and relevant activities.
á	Experimenting with methodologies of discussion at a distance prior to the meeting.
á	Conduction of preliminary studies for regional diagnosis and the drafting of a set of documents that will serve as the base for the meeting.

2) The regional meeting of approximately 25 regional actors. Supported by some actors from other regions and the people responsible for programs from participating institutions.  The objectives of this meeting were explained above. 

3) The compilation and production of the results of the conference, accompanied by the preparation of an advance methodology for the management of information and communication resources associated to the main stage of the project.

4) The creation of the human network of social actors of the NCITs, supported by experimenting with well structured information and communication resources, accompanied by a series of pilot applications, to include, at the beginning, the elaboration of the Thematic Workshop “Society and ICT” of the FPH and the strengthening of the information and communication resources of the Alliance.  The meeting will define other pilot applications.

5) The evaluation of the project and its products and the definition of future perspectives:
- Human Network of Social Actors of the NCITs in Latin America and the Caribbean and associated pilot applications.
- Information and communication resources related to the network.
- Information and communication resources of the Alliance.
- Thematic Workshop “Society and CITs” of the FPH.
- Methodology for structuring communication and information resources.

2- BACKGROUND

The project has different backgrounds, according to the perspective of each one of the organizations involved and certain transversal situations existing amongst other actors that contribute their own synergy to the process.

 2.1 CIID/IDRC (http://www.idrc.ca)

The International Development Research Center (IDRC) is a Canadian government development agency supporting all research applied to research.  NCIT is one of the technical areas were it concentrates its activities and its strategy is to link different actors belonging to each thematic area.  The PAN global network program, which contemplates stimulating the use of NCITs, promotes cooperation between research and development by means of better access to information, its use and exchange.

In 1997, the PAN program began to extend itself outside Asia to include Latin America and the Caribbean.  IDRC organized consultations in the internet near the end of 1997 directed to groups and persons of Latin America and the Caribbean who were committed with the development and impact of the NCITs.  These consultations were organized inside a web based conference site called "Panconsultation", moderated by a person hired by IDRC and which had the participation of some 30 people.  The process ended with the Montevideo meeting dated from December 11 to December 12 of 1997.  "Pan  Americas Consultation" (see products in: http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/docs/conferencias/panamericas.htm and evaluation in: http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/docs/conferencias/pan15.htm).  The evaluation of effort by the IDRC has been positive; nevertheless, several aspects remain that could be improved in the future and that should be discussed in the MISTICA project:
- links between discussions held in electronic conferences and face to face meetings.
- maintenance of focus in established topics.
- expanded thematic coverage. 
2.2 FPH (http://sente.epfl.ch/fph/)

The fundamental objective of this non-profit Swiss Association is to prepare humanity for the 21st. Century.  The center of all its actions is to open the associative movement, improve the autonomy of human networks and their capacity to respond and the search for alliances.  The FPH develops seven research-action programs, one of these considers the relationships existing between technological innovations and society (INO).  The work of the FPH in the NCIT sector is distributed by continents.  In Europe, the FPH has been one of the promoters of an exchange network on the use of the NCITs within a citizen viewpoint: VECAM (European and Citizen Vigilance on Information Highways and Multimedia: http://www.globenet.org/vecam/). A meeting held in Parthenay, on the topic "democracy and multimedia networks", represents the European equivalent of what FPH intends to accomplish in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The FPH has been the principle promoter of a movement in the civil society called "Alliance for a Responsible and Solidary World" (http://echo.org) of global and integral vision. The project is constructed with a combination of local actions, regional or world meetings and distance communication and information systems.  The last meeting took place in Sao Paulo.  Simultaneously, a system for participation at a distance, with the automatic translation component, has been used in the cities of Kigali, Alger, Barcelona, Bangalore, Tolga and Roubaix.  This methodology, called Participation at a Distance (PAD), is a valuable contribution to experimentation with discussion techniques and methodology and represents; therefore, a sufficiently solid base on which to construct.  In order to expand, it must confront challenges such as structuring populations in places where the Internet is not available and structuring different rhythms of the interactions: face to face and via NCITs.

In summary, the Alliance conducts efforts towards the creation of conditions that will enable radical and positive changes to occur for the medium and long term development of humanity.  
2.3 FUNREDES (http://funredes.org)

The Foundation Networks and Development (FUNREDES) is an NGO dedicated, since 1988, to the dissemination of the NCITs in the south, with a vision centered in users and content.  FUNREDES has always focused methodological research as its center of gravity, under the concept of research-action.  For FUNREDES, experimentation in the field must accompany conceptualization of methodologies after experimentation in the field.  This is its methodology to construct networks of researchers in developing countries:
 http://funredes.org/funredes/html/castellano/metoesp.htm has served as the base for the constitution of three national networks of researchers (RCP-Peru, in 1991; REDID-Rep. Dominicana, in 1992; REHRED-Haiti, in 1993).  Likewise, its methodology for negotiation of non-profit networks with telecommunication operators (http://funredes.org/funredes/html/castellano/telecesp.htm) has allowed support for the growth of two national networks (REDID and REHRED) and contributed to the constitution of its own Internet server.  Funredes has dedicated many projects to training, organization and moderation of virtual communities and has conceptualized a methodology for efficient management of same (http://funredes.org/funredes/emec.htm), product of experience and reflection.  On the other hand, the impact of the NCITs at social-cultural and language levels is one of the principle aspects of research of this NGO having its main office located in the Dominican Republic (http://funredes.org/funredes/html/castellano/sociesp.htm). Funredes has completed a first effort for identification of social actors of the NCITs in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the results are presented in its web site: http://funredes.org/is-ntic.
3- PROJECT DEFINITION
3.1 JUSTIFICATION

Since the end of the 80s, several groups of the civil society were convinced of the possibilities offered by what was called the CMC "communication by computer".  They invested time and energy in trying to give power to the users of these technologies in order to transform them, through a process of appropriation, into a key instrument for development, susceptible of reducing the differences existing between North and South.  These groups grew as technology evolved, integrating the information component and transforming; during the second part of the 90s, into a new media attracting the attention of all actors of society, from those running businesses to those in public office.  The somewhat Utopian visions of the initial period have been adapted according to new realities where the same technology seems to be capable of serving different interests, such as economic globalization or democracy with participation.

This very quick evolution, the transformations of a society in which information has a central roll and the real difficulties existing to measure the impact of this technology, from the users viewpoint, left us with a collection of very optimistic working hypothesis, regarding the advantages of the use of the NCITs in communities working for development.  Nevertheless, hypothesis have not been confronted with the reality of the field.  The studies measuring impacts are scarce as in the case of descriptive data about groups of users.  In addition, such studies are not easy due to the need for establishing differences between the levels of appropriation of technologies contributing towards development. 

On the other hand, in many regions and particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, the actors participating in development have suffered from accelerated economic changes in the traditional cooperation patterns and to survive, they have had to adopt more competitive attitudes which have not facilitated cooperation within the sector.

If the initial promises of the CMC continue and express themselves with greater firmness even with the NCITs, if the opportunities are greater, as well as the challenges and threats due to the growing and sometimes uncontrolled presence of market forces in the center of said technologies.  On the other hand, in the same period the movement of social actors has been weakened at a global level as a consequence of geopolitical changes.  Quantitative data on the social impact of these technologies, continues to be scarce and it becomes therefore urgent to think about mobilizing efforts strengthening the sector and allowing the creation of mechanisms for a true knowledge of the impact of said technology in society; especially in sectors of the civil society.

The problems of infrastructure for the NCITs have not disappeared and continue to be serious in regions far away from urban centers; nevertheless, they have lost their initial urgency of the beginning of the decade.  With the accelerated evolution of technological media, with the clear risk of reduction of transforming elements of society, due to the imposing forces of the great actors of the market, the focus must be reoriented towards methods and mechanisms susceptible of causing cultivation and rebirth of pro-activeness and integration of social actors.

Mobilizing and enterpreneuring projects are required which may become catalysts of change and offer real cooperation opportunities to this key group for development.  It is necessary to empower the numerous actors, helping them to establish frameworks of cooperation, to make them sensitive regarding the importance of measuring the impact of their actions and to make them stronger so that they may play their role within the process of redefinition taking place in our societies.

The actors that we wish to unite in order to work jointly do not need any financing for the purchasing of equipment or for Internet access at this point: they do need financial support in order to become capable of working jointly, to reflect collectively, and to experiment with applications and new methodologies that may open the innovative ways in the social use of information technologies for Latin American civil society.  To initiate this joint road  requires resources that are sometimes hard to find through international cooperation, since said international cooperation is more interested in equipment installation and transfer of technology. The specific niches of the IDRC, in research for development, and of the FPH, in the reflection and the exchange of experiences for the dynamism of social movements, make possible the celebration of activities such as those proposed herein.  This project, due to its information products, its applied methodologies, its pilot applications oriented towards the need of social impacts of the NCITs, as well as due to its own exemplary value in terms of open cooperation, pretends to make contributions to aid the social sector of the NCITs in its need to fully play its role in Latin America and the Caribbean.

3.2	OBJECTIVES

The main objective is the structure and reinforce a network of researchers and institutions  using the NCITs for cooperative research, development and community work in Latin America and the Caribbean.

To support this objective, some efficient methodological tools are necessary.  The conceptualization and experimentation of said tools is another main objective of the project which reach goes beyond the group contemplated in this project.

The project will also produce publications and construct a reference Internet site (clearinghouse) to collect and present information, experiences, contacts and links to other sites related to the social use of the NCITs.

The two main objectives are distributed into several specific objectives:

Specific Objectives:

1.	To identify and contact active researchers and institutions working in social development in Latin America from the NCIT perspective.
2.	Develop and reinforce exchanges and cooperation in research between key actors.
3.	To debate collectively, in face to face meetings or through the Internet, agenda and priorities regarding the challenges of the NCITs for the development of the region.
4.	Organize a regional meeting (in Samana, Dominican Republic, in April 1999), to debate key problems and define strategic priorities for research and action regarding NCIT for development.
5.	To organize and experiment with tools of virtual community before, during and after the regional meeting.
6.	To organize and maintain a reference web site (clearinghouse) with the regional information related to projects, activities, experiences and contacts of the NCITs for development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
7.	Follow key ideas and support the definition of projects with seed funds.
8.	Construct an association with the Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation regarding an institution supporting the project with a view to other possible future projects.

3.3 PRODUCTS

The first three products of the project, corresponding to the construction of capacities beyond the project itself, are the following:

1) To construct a human network for research and appropriation of the NCITs, with the perspective of conducing and interpreting social changes, with the capacity and information resources to implement actions of cooperation.

2) Design, apply and validate a methodology for the articulation of virtual communities and allowing participation at a distance in localized meetings.

3) To create, in form of a "clearinghouse", a network of decentralized information about actors, projects and activities related to the social impact of the NCITs in Latin America and the Caribbean..

It may be expected therefore, that the number and the quality of the actions of cooperation generated and executed by the target group may grow as a medium term result.

Several additional products must be accomplished during the project:

á	Elaboration of the Thematic Workshop "Society and CIT" of the FPH.

á	Strengthening of the C&I system of the Alliance. 

á	Definition the agenda of priorities on challenges confronted by the region of Latin America and the Caribbean for the development of the NCITs with a vision towards social impact, integrating perspectives of gender and other discriminated groups. 

á	Conduct preliminary studies and pilot applications making contributions to the diagnosis of the impact of the NCITs in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean in different flows, which may serve as a base for discussions during the meeting (possible topics, issues of gender, social exclusion, experiences and challenges in civil society, implications for education, health and community organization, etc.)
 .

á	To have a regional meeting of actors and researchers specialized in the use and social impact of the NCITs in LAC, in Samana, Dominican Republic (April 1999), with the purpose of analyzing preliminary studies and defining strategies and action plans regarding pilot applications to be developed in the future. .

á	To experiment with a series of pilot applications for the social use of the NCITs for development (possible applications: strengthening of the presence of women in the networks, decentralization of  the access of the Haitian network for research on development, with access and training of communities, establishment of a methodology for the evaluation of impact of the projects of electronic networks and virtual communities, etc.)

3.4.	METHODOLOGY 
3.4.1.	Theoretical Framework and Conceptualization

With the purpose of accomplishing the objectives proposed by this project, it is necessary to determine and use a set of efficient methodological communication and information  tools.  The process of conceptualization and experimentation of these tolls, is part of the objectives of this project.  The methodologies that the project will produce are the scientific responses to the complex challenges of articulation set forth in a society of quick evolution towards new models in which information must play a central role: 
á	amongst field actors,
á	between field actors and development agencies,
á	between field actors and other actors of society,
á	between the NCITs and social challenges,
á	between North and South
á	within the NCITs, between information and communication components.
á	between men and women, before the NTIC.

Due to the above, the approach of this project concentrates, at all levels, in the articulation between its contained objectives and its methodological objectives, with the purpose of demonstrating the existing possibilities of synergy.

3.4.2.	Members of the MISTICA network

The members of the network share the interest of studying the social impact of the NCIT in several areas of application.  Some of them are focusing mainly on the NCIT with secondary interests in areas of application (such as community construction, training in NCIT, network infrastructure, education, health, environment, peace, civil society and democracy).  Others are interests in the applications themselves in have only a secondary interest in the NCIT. 

Each one of these groups shall place special interest in the active participation of women; likewise, individual and global criterion have been established as pre-requirement for project participation.

The following categories of members have been acknowledged:
á	The coordination team (manages the budget according to the rules of those institution which support it)
á	Project partners (will receive a budget item for specific actions)
á	Associates (will cooperates from their institutions without receiving funds)
á	Participants (will be invited to participate in electronic discussions and regional meeting)
á	Electronic participants (will be invited to participate in electronic discussions)
á	Other actors (groups identified by the project or which will be presented and which will finally be mentioned or linked through the "clearinghouse”).
3.5	COLLECTIVE WORK PROCESS

The project has been conceived separating, for analytical clarity, the contents of the actions from the methods used for its implementation.  This decision is explained by the difference of the nature of the actions and the profiles required and by the need of designing, developing and verifying a methodology of the development of efficient and culturally approved virtual communities, based in principles of collaboration and mutual support, solidarity and self-administration. 

The purpose of the "contents" is to strengthen a specific community, researchers, regarding applications of the NCIT with social impact in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Said strengthening will take place based on the following activities and on the processes related to them: 

- Creation of information and communication resources to allow evaluation of the work completed by the members of said communities, creating opportunities for exchange of information between actors or development of common global or sector actions.
 
- The celebration of a meeting of a group of these actors to permit establish the base of the strategic guidelines for the creation of the human network, responsible for the development of pilot activities to be effected.  Likewise, it is expected that this meeting, initiated several months before and by electronic means, produces the necessary empathy amongst the actors in order to fill the virtual community with life.

The meeting is conceived as a space for structured conversation that, based on collective and individual experience, constructs and reinforces institutional and personal ties expressed in relationships of solidarity, friendship and shared work) and allow  the advance towards a joint vision and a collective action plan.  The reaffirmation of a group with more cohesion, more concrete plans and more solid conducing threads on which to continue threading are made possible on the basis of previous work at a distance and three to four intense days of contact and open and constructive interaction.
  
- The development of pilot application to be selected and defined during the project, which will also correspond to the priorities identified collectively by the group in reference with the social impact of the CIT in the region.  In said pilot application, participants will be motivated to present proposals directed towards the study and visualization of the level and the forms of participation of women in the NCIT.

The main point methods, deals with experimentation with a well structured methodology for virtual communities; which will occur based on the synergetic function between two complimentary efforts in a relatively advanced stage (Efficient Multilingual Management of Electronic Conferences - EMEC, developed by FUNREDES, and Participation At a Distance - PAD, developed by FPH, a brief description of which is presented as attachment to this document), for their combination and mutual improvement.  These efforts intend to develop an efficient system adequate to improve structuring between electronic conferences and information systems (EMEC), and to associate distant persons  with the debates of a meeting, through the Internet as well as by other means (PAD).

3.6	 GENDER PERSPECTIVE 
The gender concept is about relationships, whereby it refers to the power relationships of power existing between men and women, which culturally and traditionally privilege what is masculine in detriment of what is feminine in political, economic, social and cultural aspects.  Access to resources of information technology evidence this lack of equality.  The activities of this project intend to be sensitive of this inequality and, if possible within the project, it will be eliminated or at least minimized.

In today's modern world, information and the manner in which said information is socialized is the principle product of exchange and; therefore, it generated wealth; and, in this same measure, it is a generator of power.   Consequently the NCITs represent essential elements in the restructuring of power relationships.  Therefore, participation of women in the development and appropriation of said technology is an indispensable requirement for the insertion of women in developing conditions of equality.

The definition of gender establishes in itself a close relationship with culture.  Therefore the existence of a need to structure culture and the perspective of gender in any proposal of sustainable human development, since we are dealing with the production of permanent changes and transformations, that must insert new values, absorbed deeply by each being, negating patriarchal structures still predominating.

With these references multiple possibilities exist to contribute to the advancement of women from this project.  In this regard, we have established, in its design, the following basic principles:
á	Promote active participation of women in its different stages.
á	Motivate same pilot application so that they address the study and visualization of the level of participation of women in the NCITs.
á	Give priority to issues of gender in the agenda regarding challenges faced by the region in matters of NCITs, and establish forms of participation of women to maximize criteria of gender equality.
á	Explicitly evaluate the gender relationships and the manner addressed during the implementation of the project..

3.7	ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 

Ethical considerations of this project are intimately linked to the relationship existing amongst the participants and associated communication resources to create a structuring scheme, at an institution as well as a personal scale; the become formalized based on the behavior criterion established for participation.  These criteria intend to establish a collective work style, based on collaboration, solidarity, respect for diversity and equality of gender.  Therefore, ethics, responsibility and commitment are fundamental principles.

The general organization of the project has been defined based on the following behavior criterion for integration, participation and collective work: 

Participation and active transparency 
In the process of collective construction of the network, the institutions as well as people interested in participating, must integrate themselves with enthusiasm, transparency, openness and clarity. This as a way to guarantee everybody's contribution and adequate remuneration.  

Animation and pro-activity:  
For a virtual community to develop there is a need for someone to animate, moderate, sustain and coordinate.  It is not casual that the word animate comes from the Latin alma;  expressing the need to imprint a soul to this project at all levels and in order to accomplish this the human team must have a vocation to animate continuously.  This implies that more action capacity will be required from everyone: pro-activity!

Action plan, horizon, common platform:  
A common platform, a working horizon, and a set of basic principles must be established through which each member of the team may recognize where the magnetic pole lies.  To belong to the team implies subjection to said principles or platform.  To stop belonging, does not necessarily mean to stop believing in them. 

Network culture
Characterized by:
		Fluid and rapid use of electronic mail. 
		Respect to intellectual property and confidentiality and its sources. 
		Appreciation and receptiveness regarding criticism and the collegial or collective construction process.
		Importance given to solidarity. 
		Autonomy and self-administration expressed as genuine forms of enthusiasm towards participation.

Global Criterion
	correct representation of plurality and diversity
	manageable size
	work prior to the meeting
	appropriate balance between persons and institutions, gender, diversity of approaches, etc.
	clear vision of commitments between strategy and tactics, between important and urgent..

It is very evident that if these criterion are applied with greater force in the coordination group their validity is applicable to all partners and actors involved in the project. 
4- GENERAL PROJECT ORGANIZATION 

Two components exist in the project that must be completely structured, if they are going to have a guaranteed active interaction and generate mutual benefits:

á	Contents component based on the constitution on the human and information network.
á	Method component in reference to the creation of the information and communication systems associated to it.

4.1 PRINCIPLE STAGES

STAGES	CONTENT	METHOD	
1: 6  months	Preparation of the project and the meeting (contents).	Preparation of the project and meeting (method and logistics).	
2: 1 week	Administration of the meeting.	Administration of the meeting.	
3: 3 months	Meeting results.	Meeting results and organization of the advanced methodology for the virtual community.	
4: 11 months	Creation of the human network and contents to the clearinghouse.
Use of pilot applications.	Support to the human netwrok with tools and esxperiments with the methodology.	
5: 4 months	Evaluation of content.	Evaluation of methods.	
6: 1 week	Establishment of a sustainable chart after the project.	Establishment of a sustainale chart after the project.	

4. 3 STRUCTURING SCHEME 

The following scheme presents different layers of Communication & Information associated to several groups to be structures.

The drawing intends to illustrate a ball bearing system to express the sensation of a fluid transmission of communication and information (C & I) between the layers, conducing to a controlled but creative behavior.  Each one of the dark circles between to balls represents an area of C &I having its own requirements.

ANNEX 1: PAD AND EMEC PROJECTS

Note: both methodologies presented are independent from possible WWW system utilization.  In other words, not inscribing these methodologies within an automated programmed system within a web site may be considered. In addition, it is not wise to compare an existing implementation used in the web with said methodologies in different aspects of the methodology itself.

A1.1.  PAD Project

It deals with allowing remotely located persons to regroup in a limited number of sites and participate in a conference being held in a different location.  The operation scheme that allows persons to participate in a conference at a distance has been designed as follows: 

Infrastructure.
Each parallel discussion hall of the conference has a terminal and a printer connected to the local net towards a central hall.  In the central hall there is a computer server with an internet connection and fax service.  Each city offering participation at a distance has a terminal connected to the internet, a printer and a fax.. 

Logistics
Each conference discussion hall has a person entering a synthesis of what is being discussed, live.  There is another person responsible to enter comments and questions originating in distant places.  The central discussion hall has personnel for coordination and a person responsible for translations supported by translation software and translators.  In the remote discussion halls, there is a person responsible for links used to channel comments.  All documents relative to the conference have free access via the worldwide web.

Dynamicsa
During the conference, the person reporting the synthesis issues reports at frequents intervals.  These are processed by translators and resent immediately to remote discussion halls via electronic mail (or fax if no installations for remote electronic mail exist).  Remote participants have discussions based on the synthesis and express their questions and comments that are also summarized and issued by the coordinator.  Upon reception these are provided to the personnel responsible in the conference room, who decide and determine the appropriate moment to proceed to retro-action in reference to the participants.  All exchanges of information and the synthesis are discussed and included in the minutes of the meeting.

Requirements
This methodology has certain requirements in terms of:

physical resources: one PC per discussion hall, local network with PC server, Internet connection and fax, translation program.
human resources; a person for remote discussion rooms, 3 persons for the control center (translator, dispatcher, coordinator)

Limitations
Experimenting with this valuable methodology allowed the discovery of certain weaknesses or limitations that could be improved during the next experiment:
- reports put into circulation must be as summarized as possible in order to be usable,
- when the person typing in the synthesis receives the information via direct translation in the conference room, it may cause comprehension difficulties and deformity,
- there is a lack of codification in order to transmit emotional information (laughter, tension, etc.),
- coordination conflicts exist between the person moderating  the discussion in the discussion room and the person who must express the retro-action o those participating at a distance,
- discussion times do not easily correspond between the moment of synthesis and the moment of retro-action.. 
- unless the entire procedure is integrated to the design of the conference, there is high risk of lack of coordination.

A structuring mechanism needs to be created and retro-actions must be limited to points of a global vision.
 
A1.2.  EMEC project

Deals with the creation of an electronic conference system based on listed serves and moderation alleviating existing inconveniences that limit participation::
- information overload
 - loss of focus
- linguistic obstacles in multilingual communities
takes advantage of advanced installations for the management of information resources to promote a spirit of participation in respect of transparency and time made available by professionals.

Devices
Two types of devices are considered:
á	Those allowing greater focus and management of information overload
á	Those promoting and expanding community communication..

Moderation and systematic animation, delivery through the net of structured summaries compatible with documentation and organized message filing standards for voluntary and easy recovery are the main ingredients from the focus point of view.  Translation of messages, support for users and training to reinforce network culture are the basis of the facilitating component.

Requirements

Physical Resources:
- Internet Node
- 4 working stations.

Human resources:
- Coordinator, moderator, animator
- Technical Assistant for administration of  Internet node and its applications 
- Web site designer
- Persona responsible for documents and content
- Translator

ANNEX 2: GLOSSARY

TERM	MEANING	REFERENCE	
AH	Alain His, FPH project boss.	ahis@fph.fr	
ALIANZA/
ALLIANCE	Alliance for a Solidary and Responsible World.
An international civil participation movement under the auspices of the FPH.	www.echo.org	
CIID	Spanish translation of IDRC.	www.idrc.ca	
CLEARINGHOUSE	The concept of an Internet site systematizing the collection and presentation of information on a given subject.		
DP	Daniel Pimienta, Director of FUNREDES. Project coordinator	pimienta@funredes.org	
EMEC	Efficient Multi-lingual Management of Electronic Conference. A FUNREDES Project.	funredes.org/funredes/emec.htm	
FPH	Fondation Leopold Mayer pour le Progrès de l’Humanité. A Swiss NGO, one of the promoters of the project.	http://sente.epfl.ch/fph	
FUNREDES	Fundación Redes y Desarrollo (Foundation Networks and Development), a Caribbean NGO in the field of the NCITs, responsible for project implementation.	funredes.org	
IDRC	International Development Research Center. A Canadian government agency.  One of the two project promoters.		
INO	Technological Innovation. One of the FPH “workshops”.	sentenext1.epfl.ch/fph/
French.wlproj/ino.html.	
SI-NCIT	Social Impact of the NCITs. A Funredes project in collaboration with RG.	funredes.org/is-ntic	
NCIT	New Communication and Information Technologies. CIT also used.		
PAD	Participation at a Distance. An FPH project.		
PAN	A CIID/IDRC regional project.	www.idrc.ca/pan/prospectus.html	
RG	Ricardo Gomez. Project official designated by CIID/IDRC.	rgomez@idrc.ca	
SAMANA	The name of a city located on the north coast of the Dominican Republic considered for the celebration of the regional meeting.