Digital Pulse - Ch 2 - Sec 1 - Open Society Institute (OSI) Strategy

Summary

The Open Society Institute is an organization dedicated to the expansion of democratic access to information throughout the world, with a particular focus on those countries transiting from former communist regimes. The organization is part granting agency, part operational agency and part think-tank. In its role as a direct provider of services and funds it has developed a comprehensive strategy aimed at advancing access to knowledge in all its forms as a prerequisite of truly open societies. This strategy paper examines some of the concrete organizational and operational goals that OSI intends to pursue in the near future.

Key Points

The OSI Information Program is based on three premises: first, that humans are active civic beings with the power to change their environment rather than passive subjects or self-interested economic agents. Second, that citizenship and true participation are dependant on the ability to exchange ideas and information. And third, that the new ICTs hold enormous potential for enhancing civic life. The Information Program's mandate flows from these premises and is aimed at facilitating the equitable deployment of information and communication resources in a way that is primarily social rather than technological. The ultimate goal is to improve the state of civic empowerment and democratic governance in the regions within its reach. The program has five discrete components that contribute towards these aims:

1. A policy component aimed at developing an enabling environment for civic actors to utilize the democratic capacity of ICTs. This effort involves several sub-components including:
• Efforts to reform local regulatory frameworks that are so critical to the infrastructure investment that is a prerequisite for widespread Internet access and the creation of knowledge resources like libraries and books. In many countries this area is faced with a policy vacuum, one that OSI aims to fill with initiatives guided by principles that balance market driven solutions with public intervention for disadvantaged groups.
• Efforts to ensure both the free-flow of expression and communication and the maintenance of personal data-privacy. OSI seeks to prevent government or private sector censorship or surveillance of individuals and or other organizations.
• Efforts to improve access to public sector information, primarily through the universal introduction of Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation. Direction is needed to promote effective e-governance models and to enhance civic participation in decision-making.
2. A content component designed to develop a global consortium for affordable, online information production and distribution. OSI plans to transform the EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) consortium, with its e-access to several thousand journals, into a powerful structural solution to the ‘digital divide' in content access. This project is based on leveraging two important features of the Internet: demand aggregation and the zero marginal cost of data reproduction. The intent is to expand EIFL both with Western information sources as well as improving lateral, South-South, information exchange.
3. Initiatives designed to develop low-cost ICT application toolsets for civil society. OSI has observed that non-profits require specifically designed pieces of software for their ‘mission critical' needs, but often can not afford the high costs of development. The use of off-the shelf systems in many cases reduces their efficiency and effectiveness as service providers. OSI plans to support the development of open-source software and to develop partnerships to implement an ASP (Application Service Provider) model that allows NGO's to access the necessary applications over the Internet by paying a monthly fee and avoiding the system maintenance costs.
4. A networking project designed to empower and connect civil society and provide ICT support. The goal is to create regional networks and to build local capacity to deliver strategic ICT consultancy services. This will allow NGO's to pool their resources and improve coordination of efforts and initiatives. Resources that facilitate strategic ICT deployment by the non-profit sector will also be made more readily available. OSI recognizes that the power of ICT-based communications can only be truly grasped when an organization's structure and culture changes to work in a networked mode. OSI also wants to improve on the ability of local individuals and firms to provide the necessary implementation oversight and direction.
5. A local communities informatics project that attempts to make abstract ideas like open societies and access to knowledge more tangible for individuals and organization. The intent is to build on existing Information Program components to create models of how ICTs can be used to enhance local democracy and civic participation. Pilot projects will be used to overhaul the local information flow in communities like a small town. While OSI will only underwrite the research and preparatory phases, it is expected that many local governments will wish to seize on this opportunity to reorganize their communities through the development of libraries as civic information centres and other avenues to improve access.

The specific projects that will be supported will be of three kinds: Initiatives that produce a systemic effect by altering the environment in which ICTs are deployed (e.g. policy projects), projects which are highly scaleable or that have a strong multiplier effect, and pilot or demonstration projects that OSI hopes will be replicated by other organizations.

Source: Open Society Institute, “Information Program Strategy 2001-2002” Discussion draft for OSI board, Budapest 7 March 2001.