1. Structuration, ICTs, and Community Work Larry Stillman, Centre for Community Networking Research, Monash University Randy Stoecker, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Toledo Prepared for: Community Informatics Research Network Conference Monash Centre, Prato, Italy, 29 September - 1 October, 2004

2. From the mid-1990s to 2004 the State government of Victoria (supported by politicians across the political spectrum) invested as much as $50million Australian dollars to support community- focused ICT infrastructure. provided start-up funding and training, and infrastructure organizations such as VICNET funding cuts eliminated training, technical support, and hardware replacement, and downsized VICNET staff turnover, aging hardware, and outdated software created sustainability challenges. The Problem:

3. to diagnose the ICT gaps surfacing from this unsustainable community ICT funding model among one sector of the community work industry— neighbourhood houses—in the western suburbs of Melbourne. 513 square miles, 650,00 people, 7 local government areas old industrial and new immigrant region region of highest poverty, worst public transport, fewest services 34 neighbourhood houses, concentrating on literacy and social service delivery The Project:

4. Structuration theory--the ‘structures’ of everyday life and institutional life are reproduced on a daily basis through the interaction of institutionalized rules, the distribution of material resources, and human agency. a focus on how ICTs are redefined through practice a focus on how material resource distribution effects the adoption of new ICT practices. a focus on liminal spaces, such as neighborhoods, where structure and agency interact. The Theory:

5. Community-based research, or CBR, sees research as a collaboration between researchers, who have access to abstract knowledge, and community members, who have expertise in the experience of their own communities. early planning meetings with neighbourhood house coordinators a survey of neighbourhood houses site interview interviews and focus group planning meeting to interpret data and develop recommendations The Method:

6. The data seemed to suggest six categories of sustainability issues: computer troubleshooting, quality technology support, resource directories, web page development, communication costs, and relationships with local councils. lack of basic troubleshooting skills among neighbourhood house staff absence of timely, sensitive tech support lack of knowledge of existing directories and need for specialized directories lack of budget and time for web page development technology, time, and budget pressures due to information cost downloading lack of visibility with local councils The Findings:

7. The data seemed to suggest six categories of sustainability issues: computer troubleshooting, quality technology support, resource directories, web page development, communication costs, and relationships with local councils. troubleshooting training program write a bid for group tech support sharing knowledge of existing directories and methods for creating specialized directories write a big for group web page development engage in education campaign with government about information cost downloading use next round of research to publicize communication issues with local councils The Proposals:

8. As a social action project, this project has become embedded in the (re- )structuration processes of private sphere-public sphere-neighbourhood relations themselves, and consequently is helping to build neighbourhood house agency. Presentation of report in university settings to leverage service and technology resources Presentation of report in government setings to shift funding priorities Use of report by neighbourhood houses in grant proposals Planning for a launch event to build momentum for change Next Steps: