Why a New Victorian Community Information Network?

A Position Paper

1. Introduction: A New Victorian Community Information Network?

In the 1970s and 80s, there were a number of community and government provider organisations concerned with the production, management, and distribution of community information to the general public and particular target consumer groups in the government and community. A number of them established a voluntary organisation which constituted the VCIN. This group had some influence on government (local and state), and there were links to federal community information initiatives

In 1990, VCIN producted a major policy document framework for comunity information, called Community Information: A Collective Responsibility, which emphasised that the production and management of community information services was very much an interagency activity, though there was little coordination of this activity.

Around the same time, the Victorian Government producted a policy document based on an extensive study of the information needs of government, called Government Information Provision, Current Practices and Proposals for Improvement. This document called for the development of common protocols in the production and provision of government information. The Municipal Association of Victoria had also produced a major study of community information in 1987, Councils and Community Information in Victoria.

From what we know, there has been little coordinated activity around policy issues in this area for nearly 10 years.

We feel that here are number of reasons for the current knowledge gap:

• The increased difficulty of voluntary organisations to involve members at a policy level
• Linked to this were the decreased levels of support by government for voluntary agencies, including community information agencies in the 1990s.
• The impact of information provision by government agencies themselves in isolation from other coordinated activity
• Technological change and complexity, and the challenge posed to tightly-held conceptions of what consituted community information provision and services in conservative voluntary organisations.
• Large-scale initiatives like Vicnet, Infoxchange or Infowest have changed for ever our conception of community information. Furthermore, commercial 'portals' such as ninemsn offer an enormous amount of community information to those able to access the internet.

Given such structural changes, and the impact of the internet in particular, a number we feel that the time is right to reinvigorate the policy debate by reorienting the conception of community information to the needs of the 21st century, so that they meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse and demanding community.

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2. What is Community Information?

Community information is information for everyday living. Many types of information are contained in it: stuff about rats, rates, and rubbish, business information, recreation, health and community services, the sort of information about which the front counter and phone lines of voluntary organisations, government at all levels, and libraries are besieged, constantly. Some of this information is published (in brochures, handbooks, or leaflets), and a lot of it is expert knowledge that is orally passed on over the counter, in an office, or on the phone.

Community Information is a resource intensive business, and traditionally, it has depended on voluntary organisation or non-profits to organise and maintain. One of the biggest challenges is to keep such information current, accurate and comprehensive, and any number of databases (paper and electronic) have been developed over the years, though there is an ongoing need for skilled information personnel to maintain such systems and distribute the information.

Traditionally, the concept of community information has also been linked to that of personal, face-to-face service, what is sometimes called 'information mediation', or 'mediated access'. Agency workers have explored the information needs of clients and helped them problem solve. Often, voluntary organisations such as Citizens Advice Bureaus, community houses and public libraries have taken an enormous burden off the direct service obligations of other professional agencies and government departments.

Today, however, the practice of community information is inextricably linked to electronic information flows. Most community and government organisations that we know of which engage in community information collection, management, or provision, are using electronic resources in this business. However, critically, what is missing is a metaphor that explains this new business information mix and makes sense to community organisations and government in their discussions of what is best practice and where to invest resources.

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3. Today's Challenge

We see that there has been an enormous challenge on several fronts, particularly in response to the rise of online services. Government and community innovation is focussed on technological systems with which the consumer or customer interacts, preferably without third party intervention. These online, as well as automated telephone services reinforce the notion of consumer autonomy, without questioning if this is appropriate (or accessible) in all circumstances.

Aspects of current environment include:

• The rise of 'unit-based costing or pricing' and the corresponding attempt to automate information provision to cut costs
• A loss of knowledge about good information practices, including the continuing production of printed products by most government departments, without any evaluation as to consumer use. For example, a leaflet for older users with low vision is produced in small fonts on glossy paper, clearly indicating that the bureaucrat and the designer have little, or no understanding of user needs.
• The development of community information portals, including Vicnet, InfoXchange, local government, and public library websites, as well as commerical portals.
• Continuing problems with the provision of information to 'traditional' targets, including people of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, people with disabilities, older people, and people in rural and regional communities who have borne the brunt of service cuts over the past decade. Harping on about on-line information won't be of much help to poeple who can't even afford a phone.

4. Questions we want to explore

We'd like to explore the following sorts of questions in a new network:

1. Mapping the economics of community information provision at this time, including the social costs of particular forms of service provision to different groups in the community, particularly older people, disadvantages men, women, and young people, people of diverse cultural and linguistic background, people with disabilities, and people in rural and regional Victoria
2. The use of electronic services between agencies and directly to consumer
3. Knowledge of what works, doesn't work, or what might work in the personal/electronic mix
4. The relevance of the 'mediated access' model in the electronic era.
5. The promotion of best practice models in the community sector and within government
6. The relationship between a new VCIN and large forums such as the Community Networking Conferences

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Document created: 3/5/00
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