The Public Health Networking Project
Strategic Use of the WWW
A Community Development Approach
The workshop covered:
- The Project’s background and progress.
- Issues
- Useful Functions
- Trends.
1. Background and progress:
The Project has been active for 4 years. After checking the need and
interest level within the Public Health field, training and strategy
support has been provided throughout Aotearoa.
Training and support is free, and often provided in the workplace. Maori,
Pacific Island, and smaller providers are given priority. It is
recognized that there are many people working (often voluntarily) to
promote health and well being within our many communities. As well
as meeting the needs of larger health promotion providers (e.g. the
public health units) the project does seek out the community groups
who are interested in health promotion. This is done by working in
partnership with local leaders and using local networks and
facilities. The Council of Social Services is often a good starting
point for contacts, and local Runanga and Pacific Island Trusts.
Sometimes the local Wananga, Polytech or High School can provide free
access to a computer suite and the training can be made available in
that setting. Over 360 groups and 2500 individuals have taken part
since the project began in 1997. This is the basic level of support
and training, which is needed to build skills and understanding of
the potential of the Internet for collaborative activity and
learning.
On another level, the project encourages strategic thinking,
particularly within the following sectors and has brought people
together for strategy workshops as follows:
- Alcohol and Other Drug Health Promotion (2000).
- Injury Prevention (2000 and 2002).
- Nutrition and Physical Activity (1999 and 2001).
- Mental Health (2001).
- Sexual Health (1999 and 2001).
- Smokefree/Tobacco Control (2000 and 2001).
2. Issues:
- Patterns of Use
More people using the Internet for more purposes e.g. banking, shopping,
hobbies. This makes a difference in their acceptance of the WWW and
their skill levels, which affects how they might be amenable to using
it for other (collaborative) purposes.
- Access
Telephone access still a problem in rural areas, although cable and satellite
alternatives might become cheap enough to be an alternative for some.
Access at work is still an issue, with many organizations limiting access.
This is sometimes despite a real need for workers to be more
efficient.
Literacy levels are a barrier for some. Reading and writing skills are
important for using the WWW efficiently.
- Costs
Financial barriers still very real for some people, but costs have come down,
and more community organizations, schools, libraries, training
institutions are offering cheap or free access to the Internet.
- Easy-to-maintain web sites
Writing directly on to a dynamic web site provides easy, low cost, and
convenient management of information. This way of working is
promoted by the PHWWW Networking Project, and part of training as
required.
- Control and empowerment
Relates to the above. No longer does one person need to control a web site.
Authority can be delegated as appropriate for different sections of a
web site, with minimal training, and greater control.
- "Virtual" workplaces
The WWW is increasing our ability to participate at regional, national
and international levels of health promotion. Distance is no longer
the barrier it was, and although not a substitute for “face to
face” opportunities, the WWW offers enormous savings and
innovative ways of working together.
- Communicating, Strategic Thinking and Training.
As always, no gain is made by the WWW functions being available, unless
there is communication of purpose and action, understanding, learning
and skill development. Avoiding duplication of effort, and
strengthening through combined effort, does require ongoing
evaluation, planning and communication as well as training.
All of these were discussed, and issues highlighted were related to
literacy and access.
3. Useful Functions:
- Information for the Workforce: policy, submissions, media releases.
- Discussion (closed to membership).
- Training opportunities.
- Job Vacancies.
- Discussion (open).
- On-line resources, models, templates.
- Research references and abstracts.
- Standards for accreditation.
- Information for the Public.
- Application Service Provision (ASP).
- Linking and Mapping Who’s Who and Who’s doing What.
- Calendar of events.
- On-line training.
4 Trends: Paul Duignan’s Six Principles of Web Theory
- Quality Control.
- Collaboration.
- General/Specific Information.
- Organising documents using the WWW.
- Group Bargaining.
- Transparency (see details below.)
TRENDS: Paul Duignan’s Six Principles of Web Theory
1. Quality Control
What is it?
Endorsement and/or accreditation of sites and information.
Why do it?
To provide reassurance that information is correct, up to date, and from
a trusted source.
How will it be done?
At a lower level: endorsement is implied by linking from one site to
another. Selected links where a brief description is given imply a
greater level of endorsement than a large list of links. “Less
is more”.
At a higher level, by formal accreditation of approved experts and by
assurance of a described set of standards.
Who will do it?
The basic level is the responsibility of those who create links from
their own web site to other sites.
Accreditation may emerge within specialty sectors and could be collaborative.
Examples
Basic endorsement: ALAC links to local sites which it has knowledge of, but
its international sites are provided through IAS who link to
international alcohol health promotion sites.
Formally, this can be done as with the Cochrane Collaboration which invites
scientists to work together to peer review research. There is an
agreed set of standards that are applied. www.cochrane.org/
Somewhere between these examples of informal/formal might be placed the kind of
reviewing from an independent enthusiast/expert of a particular topic
or field, who creates a "portal" site and offers brief
descriptions of approved content, with links to the full text.
Forum for Health Science Librarians: caphis.mlanet.org
Medline is a source of information used by medical practitioners. They link
to consumer information, which is an indication of endorsement of that source: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
Want to know more about how to validate information you find on the
Internet? Visit the following link “Internet Search FAQ written
by Charlie Harris:
www.purefiction.com/pages/resfaq.htm#validate
2. Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration
What is it?
Working together to identify what information is needed, and the range of
audiences and then allocating the work to appropriate experts.
Why do it?
You can get into more depth if you do not have to spread your efforts so
widely. There will be better quality through collaboration.
If every organization develops WWW information in isolation, there will
be duplication and confusion to users. The collaborative approach
will be reassuring to the target audience, and will raise credibility
for both the audience and the funders.
There will be a positive element of peer review and accountability through
working in collaboration.
How will it be done?
Those of us who network and collaborate anyway, will have no problem
applying the same approach to WWW resource and information development.
A number of organizations/individuals can work together to share the
tasks, set standards and present a collaborative venture.
Sharing the role will be easier with increased speed and flexibility of
electronic communication including list serves (and much cheaper than
before).
Service plans and contracting could be used to encourage higher-level
collaboration. If there was a collective web site, it could foster this.
Who will do it?
Experts in the various sectors
Examples
There might be a number of competing organisations providing tobacco
control information on their sites. Each of these organisations will
have limited resources to put into their research.
On the other hand another collection of organisations could get
together, set up a generally approved set of standards for peer
review of their material, and allocate research topics amongst them
so that the work is divided, and resources go further. This could
lead to more depth of research.
3. General/Specific Division
What is it?
The need to separate the general from the specific (by country, target
community groups, perspective) within each sector and topic of
interest to public health.
Why do it?
To make the best use of experts, and to logically weave the strands
together so that basic concepts and descriptions lead on to more
detailed and specific descriptions for particular audiences.
How will it be done?
By “pulling apart” sections of information and identifying the
common core, before “re-integrating” them for particular
audiences.
Core information, which is generic, can be identified, and linked to a
range of different perspectives, approaches, and presentation styles
for a range of audiences. This will require collaboration and
planning by a range of experts.
Who will do it?
Researchers, educators and consumer information experts.
Examples
Internet Mental Health has a web site, which whilst catering for the American
audience, organises its information in the following categories;
European, Treatment, Booklet, Magazines
www.mentalhealth.com/fr20.html
4. Integration
What is it?
Linking of pieces of information for a range of different purposes, rather
than replicating the information many times over. If the pieces are
created separately, but linked, then when one piece is updated, it
only has to be done once.
Why do it?
There is pressure to integrate information structures for ease of
management and for cost and time benefits. Vital information can
easily be kept up to date. There is value in standardising the
information, and creating different levels of detail for different
purposes.
Because all information can now be saved as html (web pages) as easily as
Word, it can all be linked back to guiding principles, goals and
objectives if stored on a web site. The logical progression can more
easily be traced, linked and shaped.
In addition there is now the prospect of "XML". Historically
we would have said that information has to reside on the “source”
site. In the future XML sits behind the scenes, sorting the text in
to headings, subheadings and reports. By agreement with the source
provider, you could glean the information related to the headings for
a range of purposes.
How will it be done?
Whole project plans can be documented on a shared web site. For example a
smokefree strategy could be displayed so that it is possible to
"drill down" to see who is funded and what they are doing
in relation to that strategy.
This would assist with comparisons and evaluations. Then, XML could be
behind all the projects so that other pages could be created which
brought together a cross-section from different parts of the project
pages.
Who will do it?
The larger organizations through their intranet sites, and shared project
web sites.
Examples
The typical organisation would have its Strategic Plan, then its project
plans, purchase agreement with funder, performance agreements, job
descriptions etc.
Organisational objectives described within a web site can be integrated and updated. A set of terms could be used across the sector e.g. "statements
of purpose" might be used to collate mission statements;
"guiding principles" might be used to collate underlying
values and philosophies; "projects" could be used to
collate activities, and "progress reports" could be used to
collate measures or outputs achieved.
5. Group Bargaining
What is it?
The changed dynamics of collective purchasing power.
Why do it?
To reduce costs for products and services which are being provided for
many small customers. They can create the same purchasing power as
one large customer.
How will it be done?
By creating or using web sites designed to get people together for the
purpose of registering their intentions to purchase at lower prices.
Who will do it?
? A role for the MOH
Examples
www.coshopper.com/network/NineMSN/default
You can go to a web site and register that you want to buy a CD player
for $200. When you get enough people subscribing to a demand, to
increase bargaining power.
Below is a Site, which demonstrates
bargaining:
6. Default Transparency
What is it?
Access to information being the norm.
Why do it?
Because of the traditional time and resource constraints on access to
information, reporting is often requested on a regular, say 6-monthy,
basis that takes a fair amount of preparation time.
How will it be done?
If in the future progress, insights, developments and recommendations
can be entered on to a web site on a more regular basis, then there
may be no reason why funders could not have access to parts of our
reporting templates so that they could view progress whenever they
wanted.
This is not recommended, but is presented as a likely outcome of the
changing nature of information management on the WWW.
Who will do it?
Provider organizations will do this if it makes their life easier.
Examples
The NZ Aids Foundation provides details of its strategic plan and Financial Plan.
www.nzaf.org.nz
Guidelines for planning and developing a good Web Site: “Market Research”
This is a list of preferences, which comes from the workshops held by the
Public Health WWW Networking Project. The participants are all
public health and health promotion workers, with a range of
interests, and a range of experience on the WWW. The suggestions
tended to be put forward by those with more experience, and are
ranked according to how many times the suggestion was made across the
five workshops.
Ref Ranked Suggestions for a Good Web Site
- Fast download, but quality not compromised (5).
- Sites that are easy to navigate, well signposted. Logical and simple in design (5).
- Accreditation/credibility assured information (4).
- Less is more in terms of words and links. Keep it simple. Small bites of quality information (4).
- Sites updated regularly (3).
- Efficient search facility with in a large site (3).
- Good use of metatags to assist search engines (3).
- Good links to quality sites kept up to date (3).
- Easy contact with people behind the site and quick reply (3).
- Quick and easy to see source of information (2).
- Sites that are simple to understand, good layout (2).
- Information, which prints easily, not wasting paper (2).
- Good use of graphics, fun, clever, load quickly (2).
- Plenty of content, meaty and up-to-date (2).
- Text size large enough to be easily read (2).
- Accessibility for all; to those with modest systems (2).
- Minimal advertising - gets too crowded (2).
- Careful use of language for general audience. Pre-testing with target audience (2).
- Sites, which do not require registration "joining" (1).
- Good use of colour (easy to read text on backgrounds) (1).
- Interactive facilities - not just "shop windows" (1).
- Community consultation where they are the target audience (1).
- Training for skill development to keep up with technology (1).
- Culturally appropriate design and functions for diversity (1).
- Resources made freely available, rather than just shown (1).
- Low cost access (1).
- A choice of how to download articles e.g. Word as well as PDF (1).
- Sites that are ready to use, rather than "under construction" (1).
- A good site map for a large site (1).
- Clear branding on each page (logo) (1).
- Innovative, surprising sites (1).
- Media Clippings kept up to date (1).
- Templates and publications which are useful (1).
- A warm interface, e.g. using faces and local "feel" (1).
2000
2002
Auckland
papers