Telecentre-Europe Summit 2012 - Keynote Presentation of Gianluca Misuraca: "Assessing the socio-economic impact of Telecentres"

1. Assessing the socio-economic impact of Telecentres
Gianluca Misuraca, Senior Scientific Officer
The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the EC
October 29, 2012 1

3. Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
IPTS: one of the seven
institutes of the EC JRC
IPTS Mission:
to provide support to EU
policy-making process
by developing science-
based responses to
policy challenges that
have both a socio-
economic as well as a
scientific/technological
dimension

4. Information Society Unit of JRC-IPTS
October 29, 2012 4

5. Outline
1. The evolving eInclusion policy landscape
2. The role of eInclusion Intermediaries in the Information
Society
3. MIREIA - Measuring the Impact of eInclusion
Intermediaries
4. The Way Forward and what´s in for you

6. Setting the stage:
the EU eInclusion policy
 ICT play an essential role in supporting daily life in today's digital society
 e-Inclusion means both inclusive ICT and the use of ICT to achieve wider inclusion
objectives
 e-Inclusion policy aims at reducing gaps in ICT usage and promoting the use of ICT to
overcome exclusion, and improve economic performance, employment opportunities,
quality of life, social participation and cohesion
 Launched under the i2010 Agenda for realising the inclusive pillar of the
Lisbon Strategy
 Riga Ministerial Declaration in 2006
 Vienna Ministerial Conference in 2008
 It now features as an important element in the Digital Agenda for Europe, a
flagship of the current Europe 2020 strategy
 Under Pillar 6 - Enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion, the Commission
proposes a series of measures to promote take-up of ICT by potentially disadvantaged
groups, such as elderly, less-literate, low-income persons, etc.

7. A changing Policy landscape for eInclusion
 Renewed focus on Growth and Jobs in the current socio-economic context
(e.g. New Employment Package adopted on 18/4/2012)
 it becomes crucial to assess the impact of eInclusion initiatives so to convince “ICT
outsiders” and to support mainstream of ICT use in non-ICT policies
 eInclusion is closely related to EU policies on social inclusion, education and
culture, regional development, innovation, industry and internal market
 An agenda for new skills and new jobs
 Youth on the move
 European platform against poverty and social exclusion
 Regional cohesion
• especially in light of the current debate on the reform of the EU policy and
instruments for social and economic cohesion

8. Unleashing the power of the ´I2 paradigm´
• eInclusion is about both inclusive technological innovation and
innovative ways to deliver inclusive policies by using ICTs
• ’There are probably few fields where Inclusion and Innovation are so entwined
and can in principle virtuously feed each other as that of inclusive services
supported by ICTs
• Technology driven innovation in service provision has an impact on economy
and society and finds market sustainability only inasmuch as the adoption and
appropriation of such services in everyday life activities are wide and
expanding among citizens and across all value chains.
• Yet this potential will not be unlocked until innovative policies and regulatory
solutions, as well as investments by industry, expand their adoption.
Source, EC Vienna Study (2009).

9. The role of the eInclusion intermediaries (eI2) in
the Information Society
 eI2 play a crucial role especially due to their potential multiplier effects in
promoting socio-economic inclusion at various levels (regional, local,
community, thematic, etc.) and thus contribute exploiting the I2 paradigm
 In spite of their crucial role, eI2 have received limited policy attention and
there are important ‘knowledge gaps’
 The variety of eInclusion intermediary actors in Europe is high
 ‘Telecentres’ are assumed to be representative of the types of organisations
and network organisations populating the vast field of eInclusion intermediary
actors

10. MIREIA
Measuring the impact of eInclusion Intermediary actors
on Digital Literacy, Skills, and Inclusion Goals
 Characterising the role of eI2 actors involved in
implementing eInclusion policies and better
understand their policy potential
 Developing a conceptual and methodological
framework to assess impacts of ICT-enabled MIREIA la estrella
services (eI2-mediated) in support of groups at (MIREIA the star)*
*http://www.casadellibro.com/libro-mireia-
risk of exclusion and to promote social inclusion, la-estrella-un-libro-musical-para-mirar-tocar-
y-escuchar/9788434885240/864859
integration and employability

11. MIREIA’s Rationale
 The rationale of the research relies on the need to develop a shared
methodological framework to measure the impact of eI2 actors on the
socio-economic conditions of the target users they address
 This project, done in close cooperation with key stakeholders, is
expected to involve practitioner and design jointly a methodological
framework to further enhance capacity, mobilise stakeholders and
engage them to collect data so as to measure their impact
 An indirect objective of the project is also to further link its results with
EC supporting funding schemes (e.g. ICT-PSP-CIP, European Social
Fund – ESF, and others)

12. Research design: MIREIA’s Building Blocks
Explanation and theories
Task 1 – Literature Review
Task 1 – Literature Review
LR on Employability
WP1 – eI2A
WP1 – eI2A
Characterisat
Characterisat Task 2 – Locality
Locality Mapping
ion &
ion & mapping in 3 selected
Mapping
Mapping areas
Task 3 – EU Mapping EU Mapping
Task 4 – Review of
Methods
indicators & methods
WP2 – eI2
Impact Task 5 – IAF Development Design of IAF
Assessment
Framework Task 6 – Test of IAF ‘Piloting & Testing’

13. Key activities
Explanations and 2 Expert
theories Workshops
June 2012
June 2012
Task 1
Task 1
WP1 –
WP1 – 1- MIREIA
LR on Employability
Characteris
Characteris June 2012
June 2012 2- Employability
ation &
ation & Task 2 Locality Mapping May 2012
May 2012
Mapping of
Mapping of Oct 2012
Oct 2012
eIA
eIA
Task 3 EU Mapping
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
Task 4 Methods Stakeholders
June 2012
June 2012
WP2 – Consultation
Impact Task 5 Design of IAF Workshop
Assessmen Sept 2012
Sept 2012
Draft IAF
t Task 6 Pilot&Test
2013
2013 Sept 2012
Sept 2012
Framework

14. MIREIA eI2-IAF
 Objective:
 To build and test an IAF to systematically collect end-users micro-data through
grassroots organisations and aggregate it at various levels, in order to facilitate the
measurement of outcomes and the estimation of the impact of those actors on
employment, education and social inclusion
Focus on the role of ICT for employability
 'the combination of factors and processes that enable people to progress toward
or find employment, to remain employed, and/or to advance in the workplace'
(Brown, Hesketh, Williams, 2003; Fugate, Kinicki, Ashforth, 2004; Houston, 2005)
 Evidence from literature shows that
• the adoption of ICT increases the demand for skilled workers and reduces that for
unskilled workers
• Employment, wage trajectories and labour supply decisions along the life-cycle tend to
be affected by the level of digital skills possessed by individuals
• Access and ability to use ICT affects employability, by shaping the decision to enter
the labour market and of investing in training, and the likelihood of
obtaining/maintaining a job

15. Unfolding ‘Impact Assessment’ in MIREIA
 'a process aimed at structuring and supporting the development of policies’
 identifies and assesses the problem at stake and the objectives pursued
 identifies the main options for achieving the objective and analyses their likely impacts in
the economic, environmental and social fields
 outlines advantages and disadvantages of each option and examines possible synergies
and trade-offs [European Commission, http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/index_en.htm]
 The MIREIA eI2-IAF is to be considered as an hybrid mix of methodological
approaches and practical methods being, at the same time:
 a methodological framework to measure the impacts of eInclusion interventions
implemented by eInclusion Intermediary actors
 a practical tool-kit to provide guidelines and recommendations for the design and
operationalization of monitoring and evaluation systems to be implemented by eInclusion
Intermediary actors

16. National
Key elements for designing the MIREIA eI2 IAF
Politics and
policies
IC
Target Groups/
Beneficiaries T Socio-economic
PEOPLE AT RISK Impacts
Socio- Transactional environment EU policies
demographic
NEEDS
Third sectorSpecific
developmentseInclusion
Impacts
organisations
CBOs
Intermediaries Contextual
Socio-economic
Inclusion Private
Disruptives
School/training Variables / ICTs environment
Sector
centresSpecific
MISSION Research
GOALS Objectives Outputs Outomes
Government Community
Technology Administrative
suppliers culture and
Economics attitudes
...........
ASSUMPTIONS / RISKS / LIMITATIONS

17. Principles underpinning the MIREIA eI2-IAF
 Under certain conditions, ICT-mediated interventions of eI2 can have a
potential ‘amplifying’ effect capable of contributing to:
 enabling empowerment mechanisms
• (e.g. in terms of improving ICT skills and acquiring other skills than ICT, such as social skills,
communication skills or labour market skills through ICT, as well as self-confidence, etc. which
in turn can increase social capital formation)
 enhancing outreach capabilities of individuals and groups either as part of the local
community they belong too, but virtually at a global scale
• (e.g. through networking and participating in dedicated 'spaces' for socializing and community-
building, thus in turn improving social capital bonding and bridging, as individuals of various
backgrounds are brought together beyond one's immediate social network)
 offering new and innovative ways for economic participation in society
• (e.g. increasing the opportunities for job-related search, training and self-employment or
online activities allowing to engage in social and economic interactions)

18. Methodological approach: A multi-level analysis
Perspective/Target Type of Indicators Level of analysis
Costs and benefits from Contribution of eI2
a policy and broader activities to ‘global
Policy/Macro
socio-economic Impacts’ on society and
perspective economy at large
Role of eI2 from an ‘Mediated effects in terms
organizational/ of indirect outcomes Strategic/Meso
institutional perspective /specific impacts
eInclusion Direct benefits in terms of
Operational/Micro and Exo
Intermediary/services outputs/direct outcomes

19. Outlining the MIREIA eI2-IAF

20. Employability relevant outcomes and (specific) impact dimensions
 Direct and indirect effects of eI2 identified to be employability relevant:
 Skilling: improvement of ICT skills and capabilities, thus leading to better
opportunities to look for and apply for jobs
 Empowerment: enhancement of confidence and motivation for learning,
leading to an increased perception of the possibility to improve
(individual/group) social and economic conditions (social capital formation);
 Networking capacities: strengthening network ties and outreach potential
(social capital bonding and bridging), leading to increase of the opportunities
for socio-economic integration;
 Job-placement: facilitate the possibility for accessing information on labour
market and entrepreneurial opportunities, thus participating actively to the
(local) economic development and contributing to socio-economic inclusion

21. Where are we now?
MIREIA’s Overview of activities
Task 1 – Literature Review
Experts and Stakeholders’ Consultations
Experts and Stakeholders’ Consultations
Task 2 – Locality Mapping
Task 3 – EU Mapping
Task 4 – Review of methods and indicators
Task 5 – Development of the Impact Assessment Framework
Task 6 – Test of the Impact Assessment Framework
Way
forward
2012 2013

22. The way forward
 Continue building the MIREIA Community of practice
 Experts and stakeholders workshops and Online consultation
 Linking to Telecentre Europe and other key stakeholders
 Finalise the three ‘Exhaustive Locality mapping´ analysis
 1. El Raval, Barcelona, Spain - Neighboroud
 2. Sunderland, UK – Urban Area
 3. Zemgale, Latvia – Rural Area
 Start-up the ´Mapping of Telecentres´ at EU27 level
 Executed by Telecentre-Europe (October 2012 – March 2013)
 Characterisation of eI2 in Europe
 to support to gain visibility and policy attention with regard to their
contribution to policy goals

23. The way forward
 Develop the eI2 – IAF and ´test´ its validity in real life settings
through ´applying´ its principles to 5 case study interventions
 1. Community Hubs, UK Online Centres, UK
 2. eSkills and your future profession, LDP/FRSI, Poland
 3. Fast Track to IT, FIT, Ireland
 4. Pane & Internet, Emilia Romagna Region, Italy
 5. Social Innovation & Employability, Guadalinfo, Andalusia, Spain
 Develop a 'full-fledged' operational framework including
 a complete set of monitoring and evaluation indicators
 guidelines, practical tools and instruments for monitoring and evaluation
 Refine and validate the eI2 IAF through discussion with experts and
stakeholders
 develop recommendations for possibly generalising the MIREIA eI2-IAF at
European level, through, for example, a 'large-scale' pilot and/or other policy
and research actions.

24. For further information about MIREIA:
http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/MIREIA.html
gianluca.misuraca@ec.europa.eu
cristina.torrecillas@ec.europa.eu