Carpenter’s Estate Wired Up Communities Project

Steering Group Meeting

Monday 18th June 2001 3pm

 

                                               

Attendees:       

Brian Taylor (BT)

Richard Stubbs (RSs)

Steve Tyler (ST)

Paul Whiteman (PW)

Linda Salim (LS)

Tee Fabikun (TF)

Jan Bless (JB)

Helen Kaczmarek (HK)

 

Apologies:

Richard Steel (Chair) (RSl)

David Bill (DB)

Pallavi Malhotra (PM)

 

1.      Minutes of Last Meeting and matters arising

·        Agreed.

·        DfEE is now called DfES – Department of Education and Science

·        Evaluation – DfES to provide info on the evaluation process.

·        Student Database – PW had problems issuing the database of students in surrounding schools. This will be looked at by RSs

 

1.      DfES Project Progress

2.1 Technical Infrastructure

·        There will be a demo of the set top box this Thursday to check the functionality of the box.

·        Blick have conducted the site survey and proposed the cable layout.

·        Costs of trenches have been received.

·        Orders not yet placed. RSs to chase RSl on this.

·        Free Digital TV channels. These can be transmitted via servers and viewed on STB by MPEG2 players. Need to check the legal issues of transmission in this method. RSs.

 

2.2 Content

·        BT has arranged a meeting with StartHere, an organisation that provides advice and information for “life events”. Looking to have StartHere provide a resident’s information service to the WUC project. Meeting arranged for 28/6/01 at 2pm in Chiswick.

·        DKTV demo is now available

·        PLATO software needs a plug-in on the set top box to run. RSs to sort out.

 

2.3 Users

·        Letter sent to residents and 50 people have volunteered. LS to sort out work for these residents.

 

2.4 Management

·        There are problems with the orders being placed due to the Contract Compliance team at London Borough of Newham.

·        RSs requested extra resources to help manage the project. BT to raise with RSl. There is the option of using up to 10% of the budget on management.

·        Health and Safety check on the STBs was raised. Need to look at the legal aspects of checks and whether the STBs should be given to the residents. If checks are required, the work will need to be contracted out to a 3rd party, e.g. NDITS.

·        If ownership of the boxes is passed to the residents the DfES will need to be involved. RSs to sort out.

 

1.      SRB Project.

·        Funds have been agreed to end of March 02 for 2 staff. Recruitment is currently underway. LS to check what happens to 2nd years funding. JDs have been returned by Housing Department at scale 6. BT to arrange with CCS to recruit these staff into existing posts at CCS and so avoid any further delays in recruitment.

 

1.      DfES contract Requirements

4.1 Equal Opportunities

·        The project needs to have a statement in the project plan on EO. A discussion took place around the EO issues on the project. The main point raised were:

·        Languages – need to look at how to include residents who do not speak or read English. Look at providing overlays for the keyboards, translation of key pages or navigation buttons, look at audio translations of pages.

·        Mobility/Disabilities  - need to examine how the system will work for residents with mobility problems or other disabilities. E.g. look at having text based pages with large text, large navigation buttons, extra training/support for housebound residents.

 

4.2 Modernising Government

·        BT produced a report on how the project would assist with the modernising Government programme. This was agreed and will be included in the project plan

 

4.3 Delivery Plan

·        RSs produced a report on the delivery timescales. This was agreed and will be included in the project plan.

 

4.4 Risk Assessment

·        RSs outlined a report on the risk assessment of the project plan. This was agreed and will be included in the project plan.

 

 

4.5 DfES need to review the final project plan and sign the contract so that orders can be placed.

 

1.      Media Trust

·        BT outlined the report he had sent to Media Trust about the content provision for the project. This was welcomed and BT reported that we were waiting for Media Trust to get back with their plan. BT to chase with Media Trust.

 

1.      eLearning Foundation

·        JB outlined the plans for the developments at the Carpenter’s school. £138k to be spent on staff training and electronic wipe-boards. JB is still waiting for confirmation of agreement. There is the issue of the cost of teacher training and it is hoped that this will be included in the cost of the purchase of the equipment. JB to chase up.

·        Phase 2 includes the provision of laptops for children.

·        New head teacher at Carpenter’s School is Cheryl Alexander. She has been involved in ICT work at other schools in Newham and it is hoped she will have a positive role to play on the eLearning project at the school.

 

1.      CyberAngels

·        Minutes of the meeting on 8/6/01 were discussed and agreed. JB asked to be brought up to date with the project. Need to arrange meeting at the school with Parry Aftab. The CA Action group to sort out the details of the meeting. This group should include TF, JB, LS, BT and Gavin Sealey from NYPO.

 

1.      AOB.

·        HK asked whether the DfES Project Board could meet on the Carpenter’s Estate in September 01. LS to organise a date and venue with HK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BT

 

 

 

RSs

 

 

 

LS

 

 

 

 

 

BT

 

 

 

 

RSs

 

RSs

 

 

 

 

LS

 

BT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSs

HK

 

 

BT

 

 

 

 

 

JB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All

 

 

 

 

LS