Outline of Brainstorming

The main objective of this Tampere event is to produce a draft of the “Conceptual Development” pilot project proposal from each regional group. This will include a series of plans and recommendations related to computer based broadband Internet telecommunication applications in distance learning, tele-health and tele-medicine. The proposals in the range of $500,000 to 1,000,000 will be submitted by each regional group to the InfoDev of the World Bank and other financial sources in the North America, Europe and Japan.

During the brainstorming sessions, each participant will be placed into one of three regional groups;

A.Pacific/Asia Group,

B.North/South America Group,

C.Europe/Africa Group.

The proposal of each regional group will focus on the following issues;

1.Applications and Infrastructure,

2.Assessment of Needs,

3.Implementation Issues,

4.Knowledge Content, and

5.Institutionalization for the Role and Management of Multiple Stakeholders.

Group Facilitators

Regarding the brainstorming sessions, some simple guidelines will apply. Participants are asked to abide by these guidelines to support the accomplishment of the mission proposed for each regional group.

Coordinators:Individuals responsible for coordinating the proposal effort across all Regional Group during the conference. Coordinators will not be assigned to any particular Regional Group. They will circulate among the three Regional Groups to provide assistance when needed and to insure the brainstorming sessions stay focused on the assigned purpose.

Moderators:Individuals assigned to a particular Regional Group during the brainstorming sessions. Each Regional Group will have one Moderator and one Alternate Moderator.

Each Moderator is responsible for the completion of the Regional Group proposal for his/her respective Regional Group. Consequently, Moderators will be committed to attending the full length of the conference. This commitment also applies to Alternate Moderators, who will be asked to support sub-group breakout sessions and facilitation of the full Regional Group when needed.

The source document and all verbal presentations throughout the conference will be in English. Therefore, Moderators will be fluent in English to assure a reasonably consistent proposal across the Regional Groups.

Moderators will be responsible for the dedication of participants to the assignment of the group in the following ways;

1. Facilitating an open discussion.Moderators will NOT impose their opinions on members of their Regional Group. Similarly, Moderators will help to ensure that no single Regional Group participant unduly dominates the group’s discussion and activities.
   
   
2. Organizing and focusing the Regional Group.Moderators will assist in establishing subgroups of reasonable size to insure productive use of participants’ time. In addition, those discussions should not focus on any one product or country; Regional Group proposals will be broader in focus.
   
   
3. The Rapporteur will need sufficient material from the Regional Group to draft the Regional Group proposal in the specified format.
   
   
4. Adhering to the schedule.

Rapporteurs:Individuals identified by the participants in each Regional Group. Rapporteurs will be responsible for recording and presenting the Regional Group’s draft proposal at the final plenary session. Rapporteurs will be present throughout the conference.

In summary, Coordinators, Moderators and Rapporteurs will need to orient Regional Group efforts towards the construction of the draft proposal.