Introduction

What follows is a draft outline of some of the elements of CPI's proposed 3-year strategic plan. The issues we have been working on for the past three years have evolved and it is clear that CPI must now broaden its approach, while simultaneously narrowing its focus. We have enunciated clearly the importance of access to information, the serious concerns around copyright, and intellectual freedom. What is needed now is a new approach that will put those issues into context. With this planning exercise, we are proposing that CPI begin to focus on the strategies and mechanisms that will enable us to move toward becoming a 'knowledge society'. CPI's new, relevant role could be to facilitate the transition to a knowledge society in Canada.

How this is to be achieved is the challenge that now faces CPI. The "old" issues are still critical, but critical in the context of an information society. What we are proposing for discussion at our CPI strategic planning meeting is an exploration of the ways in which we can use the information and communications infrastructure (ICI) to do things that we are not doing now, and to do some of the things we already do, but in a better way.

The ICI is a powerful solution, but exactly what are the problems that it can address, and perhaps solve? What are the enabling capabilities of the information highway? Over the past 3 years, CPI has looked at some of those capabilities and has begun to assess them. We must now consider the differences that the information infrastructure will make to the everyday and personal issues and concerns that affect us as individuals, rather than to institutional, or abstract needs: The things that will enable us to move toward the formation of a Knowledge-Society.

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VISION of Canada as a Knowledge Society

In order for Canada to become a knowledge society, every individual must have the opportunity to participate in and contribute to the development of such a society, at whatever level is relevant and appropriate to the individual. A knowledge society could be defined as:

• a society that enables personal empowerment, by providing the means by which people can become more self-dependent, self-governing, and more involved with locally-controlled organizations or institutions.

• a society of the imagination, where artistic and innovative initiatives and approaches are fostered and encouraged.

• a society that facilitates more interpersonal discussion; that makes it easy for people to talk to one another, individually and in groups; that encourages the sharing of ideas, experiences and solutions.

• a society that is closer to an "ideal society" characterized by communities of informed, active, healthy people, with low levels of unemployment and crime, and high levels of achievement, accomplishment and life-satisfaction.

• a society where the opportunities for exploitation of the 'have-nots' by the 'haves' are minimized because of a decrease in the number of 'have-nots'.

• a society where decisions are made from a global perspective, and implemented on a local level; where individuals in a community work together to think globally, but plan and act locally.

Until now, the kind of society described above was difficult to achieve, in part because of the fact that such a society must be inclusive, and everyone must have access to participation in the decision-making process for that inclusion to be a reality. The information and communications infrastructure provides the means to remove the "problem" because it allows for the timely, inexpensive and broad dissemination of information from a multiplicity of sources, to the majority of people. It also allows for immediate assessment and internalization of the information that is provided, because of its built-in capacity for interactivity, and because the information is fluid rather than fixed. At the moment, that capacity for interactivity, i.e. the ability to access and exchange information is not universal. For the principle of universality of access to be applied in a way that moves us toward a 'knowledge-society', our understanding of access must be expanded to include 'interactive participation'.

CPI, since its beginnings, has spent a great deal of time and effort on the issue of access. That time has been well spent, and has laid the groundwork necessary to move the discussion to the next level: Access to information as an enabling feature of a 'knowledge-society'.

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GOAL of CPI's 1996-98 Strategic Plan

To ensure that the developing information and communication infrastructure in Canada serves the public interest, focuses on human communication and provides universal access to information.

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OBJECTIVES of CPI's 1996-98 Strategic Plan

a.) To define issues and shape public policy positions with regard to

Canada's information and communications grid;

b.) To act as a public interest voice, in particular for disadvantaged

groups not traditionally represented, with the governments of Canada,

the Provinces and Territories, Municipalities and public institutions;

c.) To develop public awareness and educational programs;

d.) To gather information on issues and matters related to the

information and communications grid;

e.) To promote Canadian content on the information and communications grid;

f.) To encourage development of linked community networks;

g.) To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the

attainment of the above objects.

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CPI's 1996 ACTION PLAN (Year 1 ending December 31, 1996)

Internal Objectives

• Completion of the incorporation of CPI
• New organizational structure in place
• Develop plan to diversify and grow CPI membership
• Develop a clear program focus for CPI
• Conduct self-sustainability study
• Establish working group to plan for self-sustainability

External Objectives

• Completion of at least one major conference
• Investigate partnerships for providing training and skills-building programs that will increase the participation of disadvantaged groups in a knowledge-based society
• Initiate the creation of a "change report" on "An Action Plan for a Knowledge Society in Canada"

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CPI's 1997 ACTION PLAN (Year 2 ending December 31, 1997)

Internal Objectives

• Implement a membership growth and diversification plan
• Assess viability of membership growth as a component of a plan for self-sustainability
• Investigate internal revenue generation potential to contribute to self-sustainability
• Secure outside funding to update and upgrade CPI Web page

External Objectives

• Conduct major public awareness event concerning the benefits and issues in the development of the information highway
• Undertake a highly visible project to assess and improve the access of rural and remote communities to the information and communication infrastructure
• Launch and participate in skills building and training program in targeted (disadvantaged) groups

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CPI's 1998 ACTION PLAN (Year 3 ending December 31, 1998)

Internal Objectives

• Review and assess impact of membership development initiatives
• Complete self-sustainability study and prepare report

External Objectives

• Completion of a major conference
• Produce online directory of relevant and valuable listservs (on issues of public access and affordability of the information highway) for CPI members
• Publish a source book for community activity in skills building and training in the area of the information highway

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Contribute to CPI's Strategic Plan

The above is a draft of a 3 year strategic plan for Canada's Coalition for Public Information (CPI). This served as the basis for discussion at CPI's Steering Committee meeting on Saturday, April 27th 1996.

For those of you who did not attend the meeting, your comments, questions and/or suggestions about the plan are most welcome.

Julia Shiu
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Administrative/Research Assistant,
Canada's Coalition for Public Information (CPI)
Suite 303, 100 Lombard Street,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1M3
Tel: (416) 363-3388, Fax: (416) 941-9581 or 1-800-387-1181
E-mail:moorel@gov.on.ca
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