COBOLS

From AMI@Work Communities Wiki

(cooperative building of local skills)

[edit] Background

Socio-economical divides are increasingly plaguing European countries. Hopes of narrowing the gap between densely populated areas where the bulk of economical, medical, educational and cultural services are concentrating and the sparsely inhabited and equipped in between areas rest primarily with the potential for hatching a better life of Small and Medium Communities. SMCs have the unique capacity to initiate a revival that ITC by being free from physical constraints can clearly help.

But while PMCS have an essential part to play in the rejuvenation of the country wastelands, they suffer,just like SMEs, from an on-going lack of resources which prevent them from devoting enough means and time to build up and implement ITC usage policies that meet their specific requirements and to launch stimulating projects. More often than not, they fall back on ready-made solutions which don’t live up to their citizens needs and expectations. Identified best practices pave indeed the way for innovative initiatives but stress as well the quantitative and qualitative gaps between requirements and achievements.

[edit] Aims of the project

The COBOLS project aims to

• offer SMCs ITC solutions suited to their requirements and constraints, using a WEB2.0/semantic supported service/user-centered approach.
• bring identified best practices to inform SMCs ITC policies through operational guidelines, training programs and supporting networks.
• help set up a network of local CL.I.C (Club Internet & Communication) which would play a multifunctional development role (information , demonstration, training, resource center and meeting place for local innovators)
• use a Living Lab/ test-bed approach to evaluate technical, functional and societal performances of COBOLS based local projects with a view to actively participate in a Living Lab network

Because of the crucial role played by portals in local community ICT/Internet policies, initial efforts by some european regional authorities to promote interactive networked portals (henceforth on a WEB2.0 perspective) in cities and communities groupings of their jurisdiction has been taken as a starting point by COBOLS. Such initiatives will be made more relevant and efficient with a european dimension and intercommunication channels operated within a virtual clearing network.