About the Report

March 2004

Dear Colleagues,

As the First Steps partners, it is our pleasure to present the report by Prospect Point Consulting Inc, A National Electronic Collaboration and Conferencing System for the Canadian Literacy Community. The report documents research conducted on our behalf to investigate the feasibility and affordability of creating a pan-Canadian electronic conferencing system that would meet the literacy community's needs for communication and collaboration.

We came together to do this research because we shared a vision apparent since 1996. In that year the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) commissioned Consulting and Audit Canada (CAC) to conduct a needs assessment for an electronic infrastructure to support the Canadian literacy community. The CAC report describes the potential benefits of a national communications system:

• Access to a wider range of information, knowledge, and experience than a series of independent provincial systems.
• Communication and information sharing among groups that share common interests right across the country.
• Potential cost savings and efficiencies through the collaboration and sharing of resources.

Two of the First Steps partners, Centre AlphaPlus Centre and the National Adult Literacy Database, are identified in the CAC report as important providers of electronic services and central to the evolution of the electronic infrastructure. Since 1996 the landscape has changed as new initiatives, eLit.ca and The Hub, were established in the western provinces, and in the Northwest Territories. As a consequence, many individuals and organizations in the literacy field have come to rely on electronic conferencing as an essential tool in their work.

Our experience demonstrates that electronic conferencing offers powerful and accessible ways to provide professional development, share ideas and knowledge, build community and networks, distribute resources and information, and reduce isolation. However, these benefits are currently distributed unevenly across the country. That is why we formed the First Steps partnership to explore the potential for a pan-Canadian system. The research report that follows is the result of our exploration.

We would like to thank the 245 people from every province and territory who participated in the research. Almost all expressed their belief in the value of a national electronic conferencing system. As one participant commented: "I think essentially the literacy community wants to be able to talk to each other nationally, to find those areas of commonality coast to coast, as well as appreciate the differences."

The First Steps research and recommendations represent an important milestone in the development of a literacy electronic infrastructure for the Canadian literacy field. We look forward to receiving your comments at http://www.nald.ca/firststeps/.

Warm regards,

The First Steps Steering Committee

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First Steps Partners

• Centre AlphaPlus Centre: AlphaPlus operates AlphaCom, a bilingual electronic discussion system for the literacy community in Ontario.
  http://alphaplus.ca/
• eLit.ca: A cooperative among Literacy Alberta, the Saskatchewan Literacy Network, and Literacy Partners of Manitoba West Region, eLit.ca offers electronic conferencing for the literacy community in the prairie provinces.
  http://www.eLit.ca/
• The Hub: A partnership between Literacy BC and Capilano College, The Hub offers electronic conferencing for the BC literacy community.
  http://www.literacy.bc.ca/ [Electronic Conferencing Network]
• The National Adult Literacy Database (NALD): NALD provides information and resources, including listserves, to the Canadian literacy community in both official languages.
  http://www.nald.ca/
• The Northwest Territories Literacy Council / North of 60: The NWT Literacy Council uses the Government of the NWT North of 60 electronic conferencing system to provide services to the NWT literacy community.
  http://www.nwt.literacy.ca/N60/n60_1.htm

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First Steps Steering Committee

For more information, contact any member of the First Steps Steering Committee:

• Linda Mitchell, Executive Director
  Literacy BC
  lmitchell@literacy.bc.ca
  604-684-0624
  1-800-663-1293 (toll-free in BC)
• Charles Ramsey, Executive Director
  The National Adult Literacy Database
  ramseyc@nald.ca
  1-800-720-6253
• Chantal Samuel, Assistant Executive Director
  Centre AlphaPlus Centre
  csamuel@alphaplus.ca
  1-800-788-1120, ext. 308
• Marnie Schaetti, Member, Executive Leadership Team,
  Literacy Alberta
  marnie_schaetti@eLit.ca
  403-297-4969

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