Seminar on Internet accessibility; issues in information policies, structures and technologies

United Nations, New York
16 December 1998

Project Design

Participants are expected to complete a project that will allow them to apply the knowledge from the seminar to their work and benefit from interaction with the facilitators. The project should involve four dimensions, reflecting the segments of the seminar. These include:

• Planning of information use (including determination of the policy issues involved, the purpose of the use and the target constituencies)
• Organization of data bases (including determination of information needs, sources of information, structuring of information in a data base and organization for presentation)
• Distance collaboration (including use of e-mail, on-line chats, list serves, televideo and other techniques)
• Creation of an accessible web site

Each participant will create a web page that will use the Internet to obtain and disseminate information on a subject on which they are currently working.

The first step is to determine the subject of the project. The subject should be related to a current or known future work assignment. For example, a participant might be working on a policy analysis of the effects of the Asian financial crisis on social safety nets, or on policies for youth. The topic selection should be ready by the December 16 introductory seminar. Individuals wishing to consult about topics are welcome to contact any of the facilitators.

Then, over the period January-April 1999, participants will develop their projects sequentially. Space has been arranged on the website of Associates for International Management Services at http://www.intlmgt.com/partweb.html/ for each participant to post an individual project web page. Arrangements will also be made for discussions with the facilitators over the Internet.

The schedule is notional, and will vary by project, but should try to meet the following deadlines:

• Completion of the planning phase (1 February 1999). An on-line seminar session will be held during the week of January 25-29.
• Completion of the organization of the data base (1 March 1999). An on-line seminar session will be held during the week of February 1-5.
• Integration of the distance collaboration components (15 March 1999). An on-line seminar session will be held during the week of February 22-26.
• Completion of the web page (1 April 1999). An on-line seminar session will be held during the week of March 22-26.

The projects will be presented during the hands-on seminar in April.