Ensuring Community-wide Ownership of Ballarat ICT 2030 Strategy

Specific mechanisms will be needed to ensure that the vision of Ballarat ICT 2030 continues to be owned by the whole community. Recommended measures include:

Adequate and regular processes of review to occur;
A clear understanding of the roles and capacities of all stakeholders, including the role of Council and;
Continual promotion of the credibility and purpose of Ballarat ICT 2030 and critical linkages with Blueprint Ballarat to its target audiences.

To that end it is proposed that Ballarat ICT Ltd be given responsibility for ensuring that all agencies, organisation and groups that exist to foster regional development and represent the interests of the Ballarat ICT community are actively committed to and involved in realising the direction and projects of Ballarat ICT 2030 and for the conveying of these to the community.

Ballarat ICT's principal roles in ensuring community-wide ownership of Ballarat ICT 2030 would be:

To institute practices which are complementary to those established to support the Blueprint Ballarat Community Committee.
To design an implementation framework for the delivery of Ballarat ICT 2030 that will identify and coordinate the involvement of the various sectors of the Ballarat ICT community, including business, education and government agencies;
Facilitation and leadership - to bring related agencies, organisations and individuals together to work on projects, participate in forums and to develop the Ballarat ICT 2030 vision and project list in more detail.
To analyse the overall progress made on Ballarat ICT 2030 and make recommendations on further action;
To develop joint advocacy and lobbying strategies that are to be realised by the Ballarat ICT Board and various agencies and organisations, including the Council;
To develop and implement measures to communicate progress on Ballarat ICT 2030 to the community at large, in conjunction with Council's own marketing and communication activities;
To organise and develop annual forums with the key stakeholders and members of the Ballarat ICT community to seek ongoing feedback about Ballarat ICT 2030 in light of changing regional, national and international circumstances;
To regularly revise the vision in the light of changed circumstances and knowledge;
To develop a Report Card of major performance measures that can be used when communicating the progress of Ballarat ICT 2030 to the community;
To develop various working parties and other structures that may be necessary to further examine and advance various aspects of Ballarat ICT 2030;
To commission further research and forums into aspects of Ballarat ICT 2030 that require further detail during and beyond 2007;
To link with existing organisations and other structures in Ballarat to obtain feedback regarding Ballarat ICT 2030 on a regular basis;
To nominate specific spokesperson/s for a range of issues and projects associated with Ballarat ICT 2030.

The Vision and projects outlined in Ballarat ICT 2030 are very broad. Some are the direct responsibility of Council, some will be joint efforts involving Council, other service providers, State Government, Federal Government, volunteers and community groups.

It is proposed that an annual Report Card be produced and distributed to the entire community to communicate what Council and other agencies are doing to achieve the Ballarat ICT 2030 vision for the future. It will detail the projects that have been given priority, inform on progress and advise on areas that need further attention and consideration.

Developed by the Ballarat ICT Ltd Board, in partnership with Council, the Report Card will contain a number of elements including:

A list of key projects within each area of Ballarat ICT 2030:
Laying the foundations and improving the infrastructure
Improving the skills
Leveraging the strengths
Raising the profile and demonstrating the value
Working together
Building critical mass and attracting investment
Creating and accessing new knowledge
Giving something back
An update on these key projects from Council and other agencies and organisations committed to achieving the Ballarat ICT 2030 Vision:
What projects were achieved
What projects remain outstanding
What projects are still in progress
The key indicators identified as part of the Ballarat ICT 2030 strategy development
Global ICT developments and trends
Economic, social and business trends
Where Ballarat is as a vibrant and dynamic ICT Centre
Industry profile
University of Ballarat Technology Park
Ballarat ICT Cluster
Critical Mass
Level of employment
Locational benefits
Industry champions
Entrepreneurship
Financing
Information networks
Education, research, development and commercialisation
Physical infrastructure
A list of Council's future short term, medium term and long term plans.
A list of Ballarat ICT Ltd future short term, medium term and long term plans.

Following the distribution of the Report Card, an annual Summit will be held as part of the overall process. At the Summit, Ballarat ICT Ltd and Council will discuss relevant issues relating to both the Report Card and Ballarat ICT 2030. Stakeholder representatives and members of the community will have the opportunity to contribute to revisions of Ballarat ICT2030 according to achievements and possible changes that may have occurred in the environment.