The Australian non-profit sector and the challenge of ICT

First Monday ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Denison ◽  
Larry Stillman ◽  
Graeme Johanson
Keyword(s):  
Business Plan ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Extensive Consultation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Effective Use

In recent years, the Australian Government has been encouraging the adoption of information and communications technologies (ICT) by non-profit organisations. In 2006, as a part of that process, the Government initiated a project to develop a possible model and business plan for a National Non-profit ICT Coalition (NNIC), conceived of as a coalition of leading non-profit organisations and social enterprises that would assist the sector in making more effective use of ICT. This paper draws on data collected during an extensive consultation process conducted to inform that model, and examines the data in terms of the response of non-profit organisations to the challenge of ICT within an Australian context. It then considers the implications for both the management of non-profit organisations and government policy.

The virtual Colombo plan: Implications for developing countries

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Rooksby
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World Bank ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
The World ◽  
Colombo Plan

This paper considers the available documentation on the Virtual Colombo Plan (or VCP for short), launched by the World Bank and the Australian Government in 2001. The Plan is one of the World Bank’s key projects for encouraging greater use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in developing countries, with a focus on the using ICTs for education, as well as for economic benefits.

Arbitrary Detention: A Challenge Faced by Muslim Minority in India

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-179
Author(s):  
Aijaz A. Turrey
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Muslim Minority ◽  
The Government ◽  
Fact Finding ◽  
Effective Use

Muslims form the largest religious minority in India. Census of India 2011 registered about 14.4 per cent of India’s total population as Muslims. Being minority Muslims are one of the weaker sections of society and the most oppressed ones. Majority of the Muslims especially youth are going through distress and trauma of terrorism tags. Muslims are the prime targets of anti-national activities and often jailed and killed in fake encounters. They are the most suffered section of the society and a little is being done for their upliftment. An attempt has been made to analyse the condition of the Muslim minority in India in the present democratic scenario. The study mainly focused on the consequences of false charges and fake encounters on the socio-economic conditions of Muslims and their families in India. The study is actually an investigation in some thrust areas in which Muslim section of the society is being demoralized deeply in India. The government of India established The Ministry of Minority Affairs on 29th January 2006 to look after the issues of minority communities and suggest development frameworks for their benefit. The 2017 World Report of the Human Rights Watch[1] also finds India as the violator of human rights with respect to freedom and treatment of minorities.[1] Human Rights Watch is a non-profit, non-governmental human rights organization, known for its accurate fact-finding, impartial reporting, effective use of media, and targeted advocacy.

scholarly journals Small Business and Social Enterprise: To Thrive Not Fail

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Tina Barton
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Business Ecosystem ◽  
The Government ◽  
Business Financing

<p>Small businesses (those with up to 99 employees) are the most common business type in Canada – comprising 97.9 per cent of businesses, and contributing close to one-third of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). Yet a significant number of these businesses fail, with only about 50 per cent lasting at least five years, according to Industry Canada. Social enterprises – businesses that provide valuable products or services while delivering social and sometime environmental returns – struggle even more than small businesses to attract finance, grow, and sustain. What are the similarities and differences between these two groups’ needs, and how can Canada’s three levels of government and the broader business ecosystem better support small businesses and social enterprises to thrive? This paper takes a comprehensive look at key business needs, barriers to success, enabling factors, and policy incentives, drawing upon academic literature, studies and reports from the government, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors, as well as recommendations from business advocacy groups primarily from Canada and the United States. </p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Small business, social enterprise, business financing, business growth, business ecosystem, procurement policy</p>

Delivering More Effective Community Consultation and Support for Regional ICT Programs

2008 ◽  
pp. 778-792
Author(s):  
Lynne De Weaver ◽  
Allan H. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Community Consultation ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Community Technology ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Effective Community

This chapter looks at the role of language and the community consultation process in overcoming the digital divide by facilitating the uptake of information and communications technologies (ICT) in small regional communities in Australia. It focuses on one of the ‘telecentre’ programs funded by State and Federal governments in Australia – the Community Technology Centre at New South Wales (CTC@NSW) program. The authors look at some of the key issues that emerged in communities that applied for CTC@NSW grants when a more culturally relevant consultation process, based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, was developed and implemented. This consultation process was successfully used in targeted regional communities to build social capital, facilitate regional economic development and empower communities through the use of ICT. The chapter also includes projects that demonstrate the diversity of ICT usage in the communities that received funding to establish a CTC.

On Legitimacy of WISEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 310-336
Author(s):  
Tingming Chen ◽  
Yichun Weng
Keyword(s):  
Professional Practice ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Public Benefits ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
The Government ◽  
Work Integration

AbstractAmid the increasing diversification of social development, the services provided by the government hardly satisfy all sorts of needs. The establishment of non-profit organizations (npos) timely addresses the government’s deficiency in handling public affairs. As a result, thenpos almost turn into private enterprises and social enterprises aim to deliver public benefits, which has aroused disputes and doubts like “mission drift” and “for-profits in disguise.” This article adopts Suchman’s pragmatic, moral and cognitive legitimacy analysis to reexamine the work integration social enterprises (WISEs) which enable the disadvantaged or those with disabilities to join in the labor market after training, coaching and professional practice. Based on literature review and in-depth interview, this article makes a case study of CANYOU, an exemplary social enterprise set by persons with disabilities by leveraging advanced technologies.

The Electronic-Mediated Public Sphere and Environmental Public Participation in China

2014 ◽  
pp. 134-145
Author(s):  
Ying Xu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Public Discussion ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Information ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
The Public Sphere

This chapter offers a critical analysis of the new pattern of public participation in the electronic-mediated public sphere. By reviewing the development of Chinese environmental activities that led to an active, electronic-mediated public discussion concerning environmental protection, the findings reveal that new Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have made the public sphere more easily seen and heard by everyone, including governmental departments in the bureaucratic system. Thus, the electronic-mediated public sphere is providing a third power that could help Non-Profit Organizations' (NPOs) development in relatively conservative societies such as China. The implications of using ICTs in the management of NPOs are also discussed.

Delivering More Effective Community Consultation and Support for Regional ICT Programs

2011 ◽  
pp. 298-312
Author(s):  
Lynne De Weaver
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Community Consultation ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Community Technology ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Effective Community

This chapter looks at the role of language and the community consultation process in overcoming the digital divide by facilitating the uptake of information and communications technologies (ICT) in small regional communities in Australia. It focuses on one of the ‘telecentre’ programs funded by State and Federal governments in Australia – the Community Technology Centre at New South Wales (CTC@NSW) program. The authors look at some of the key issues that emerged in communities that applied for CTC@NSW grants when a more culturally relevant consultation process, based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, was developed and implemented. This consultation process was successfully used in targeted regional communities to build social capital, facilitate regional economic development and empower communities through the use of ICT. The chapter also includes projects that demonstrate the diversity of ICT usage in the communities that received funding to establish a CTC.

DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SOUTH AFRICAN TELECENTRES: SELECTED TELECENTRES IN KWAZULU-NATAL

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blessing Mbatha
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
The Government ◽  
Types Of Information

This study investigated the usage and types of information and communications technologies (ICTs) accessible to community members in four selected Thusong Service Centres (TSCs or telecentres) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The telecentres that participated in the study were: Nhlazuka, Mbazwane, Dududu and Malangeni. The study was informed by Rogers’ (1995) Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) theory. Through a survey, four TSCs were purposively selected. A questionnaire was used to collect data from community members in the four telecentres involved. The data collected was tabulated under the various headings and presented using tables, frequencies, percentiles and generalisations with the help of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicated that a variety of ICT tools have been adopted in the TSCs to provide the local community with the much-needed access to information and improved communication. The government should ensure that adequate varieties and levels of ICT competence are offered to all the citizens. In conclusion, there is a need for sufficient and coherent government policies regulating the training of the local community to use these ICTs effectively.

ROLE OF LIBRARIANS IN TEACHING INFORMATION LITERACY IN ZIMBABWEAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mugwisi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
The University

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet have to a large extent influenced the way information is made available, published and accessed. More information is being produced too frequently and information users now require certain skills to sift through this multitude in order to identify what is appropriate for their purposes. Computer and information skills have become a necessity for all academic programmes. As libraries subscribe to databases and other peer-reviewed content (print and electronic), it is important that users are also made aware of such sources and their importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of information literacy (IL) in universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the role played by librarians in creating information literate graduates. This was done by examining whether such IL programmes were prioritised, their content and how frequently they were reviewed. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 12 university libraries in Zimbabwe and 21 in South Africa. A total of 25 questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that IL was being taught in universities library and non-library staff, was compulsory and contributed to the term mark in some institutions. The study also revealed that 44 per cent of the total respondents indicated that the libraries were collaborating with departments and faculty in implementing IL programmes in universities. The study recommends that IL should be an integral part of the university programmes in order to promote the use of databases and to guide students on ethical issues of information use.

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