PRCN Committee Plans and Status Reports Note: This site records plans and progress prepared for the Powell River Community Network (PRCN) Committee as part of Powell River's Internet project.

Management Plan

• The PRCN project operates as a self-contained business unit within the Powell River Chamber of Commerce (PR COC).
• The PR COC has contracted with the project manager to implement the proposal approved by Industry Canada, bringing policy issues to the PRCN Committee and contract issues to the Chamber of Commerce.
• As opportunities for revenues emerge, the project manager is accountable for maintaining a balanced budget.
• Reports prepared by project manager
  • Monthly: report to the PRCN Committee on the technical status, finances, plans, risks and opportunities facing the PRCN
  • Jan 28, '96: Start-up Report to the Industry Canada Project Authority
  • Mar 15 '96: Interim Report to the Industry Canada Project Authority
  • Mar 15 '97: Final Report to the Industry Canada Project Authority
• The plans shown below include the current status

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Master Schedule

1. Oct - Dec '95 - Development Phase
   • Planning successfully completed
   • CAP Grant awarded
2. Jan - Feb '96 - Start-up Phase
   • The upgrade is three weeks behind schedule, now due late Feb '96. Details in other sections below.
   • Team briefed CDPR CDC, Jan 15
   • Team demos Internet to MBPR, Feb 20
   • Tentative date for cutover if all technical points resolved - late Feb 96
3. Mar - Dec '96 - Operations Phase
4. Oct - Dec '96 - Evaluation Phase

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Evaluation Plan

• Bev is recording data for future analysis.
• The project manager will amplify the plan described in the proposal in June '96.

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Partnering Plans

• Community Partners are listed at this link.
• An Educacentre/Club Bon Accueil submission to CAP was not approved. The CAP Director asked PRCN to help them if possible.
  • PRCN will support them with a free account/home page so that someone in Club Accueil can become familiar with the Internet and define their requirement.
  • Denis Deschenes and local reps will join one of our meetings soon.
  • project manger will invite Club Accueil to prepare a statement for the Partner Agreement.
• PRCN welcomes new partners.

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Financial Plan

• Status: A balanced budget prepared by the PRCN team was approved by the Chamber on Feb 14. It meets the commitments of the CAP project.
• Bev/Sharon will record the PRCN financial transactions in the Chamber/PRCN system.
• The Project Manager will prepare a monthly financial report for the Committee.
• The four corporate accounts are not materializing. The PRCN team is addressing this risk; one corporate account is now planned.

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Communications Plan

• Internal to PRCN Implementation Team and Committee
  • e-mail is the prime communications tool. Committee members may send mail to prcn-com@coc.powell-river.bc.ca to reach all members of the Committee who have e-mails, and Bev will fax to the others.
  • Plans, Status are recorded on http://www.coc.powell-river.bc.ca . This location is available to the public as well as the Committee.
  • The PRCN Team also uses a www location/file restricted by login for internal matters.
• Media Releases/Marketing
  • Status: Kim Fischer is preparing a newsletter announcing the upgrade It will be distributed through PRCN Partners in early March.
  • The project has no budget for marketing; the PRCN is relying on the attractiveness of the PRCN to sell new subscriptions.
  • project manger will write press releases as needed.
  • Kim Fischer is preparing a proposal for an on-line PRCN report.

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Human Resources Plan

• The PRCN team is developing a HR Plan that will state the functions, tasks, and remuneration for the participants of the PRCN team.
• The PRCN operates through with one full-time person (Bev) and a small set of partially-paid volunteers. Other volunteers complete the team.

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Improved Internet Access Plan

• Lead: Al Stremming. Team: Dennis, Warren (A/D/W)
• Objective (Startup Phase, Jan/Feb '96): Cut over to insinc 128 k service with more access lines for individual customers and some lines for corporate accounts. Target: late Feb.
• Tasks:
  1. Telephone Line Installation:
     • 12 lines installed 15 Feb. Demarkation/number scheme to be resolved.
  2. UUCP Service
     • Will have separate line for BBS use of UUCP
     • Newsgroup feed to be resolved, perhaps through Discovery Passage
  3. Modem Procurement/Installation:
     • 12 Supra 28.8 modems received 17 Feb
  4. Access Line Through Sprint/insinc:
     • Line due for activation week of 20 Feb
  5. Other hardware/software provision
     Octopus, V35 cable bought
     • Cisco 2511 Router, software, Motorola FT 110s DSU bought 18 Feb from insinc
     • Octopus, Motorola FT 110s DSU
     • UPS/Powerbar: Dennis will select/buy.
     • 1.2 gig drive for akane: Al will test/cutover. SCSI Controller bought
     • CD Rom for Sparc - Al will order
  6. System Cutover:
     • A/D/W have developed the plan to cut over late Feb
     • Operation will include an expressline for e-mail.
  7. Future Capabilities: Majordomo, WAIS or other search tools, hypernews conferences, IRC server, CUSeeme reflector, PPP

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Public Access Plan

• Lead: Lawrence Nazar. Team: Al, Bev, Dennis

• Objective (Start-up Phase, Jan/Feb '96): Have several points of public access now:
  • Malaspina University-College
    • Public has access in the library.
    • Computer practicum is open to the public Mon-Fri, 3:30 to 6:45
    • A Public Access Mac is in the lobby of MUC
  • Chamber Office
    • Al Stremming leads the team installing a 386 for public access in the lobby of the Chamber business office
    • Bev will use the system to demo capability for the public and provide some basic training.
    • To be tasked: Build the Web/homepage, and create software to limit access
  • Commercial Access
    • The Blue Cat mall has/had a commercial access point.

• For activation during the Operations Phase (After Feb '96)
  • Sites identified to date: Public Library, Rec Centre, Club Bon Accueil
  • Lawrence Nazar will lead the development of a concept/strategy/plan to link provision of public access at both the Rec Centre and Public Library with a corporate account for the Municipality/Region. Discussions to date included the provision of a kiosk at the Rec Centre as an initial capability with free access, and a LAN solution for wider access on a cost recoverable basis. Library strategy to date is for free access.
  • Dave Florence provided the PR Public Library with a strategy for moving towards public access.
  • Club Bon Accueil will be offered a free account while they develop their requirements.

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Training Plan

• Lead: Dave Florence. Team: Bev, Jacob Ketler

• Objective: Increase the program of locally-available public education/training on the Internet. Tasks:
  1. Malaspina University-College program
     • Several Courses are already in place (COIN1,2,3)
     • HTML Course - February 3, 1996. Register at Malaspina College. Instructor: Bev Collins
     • More courses will be offered to meet community demand
     • Planned for Delivery: Internet workshop series, March - May (12 weeks), evening class (This is still very conceptual - key potential participants have not been contacted)
       • Build on the market the PRCN enhancement might yield and create a workshop-style evening class with a focus module each week. Concept is to make it a low cost, self-paced "come and try" session that would be effective for both neophytes and experienced users who simply want time on the net.
       • Invite the existing and new presenters of Internet material to deliver the focus session each evening (e.g. Fry, MacFarlane, Collins, Stremming, Dufour, ...). ( fee-sharing arrangement)
       • Ask knowledgeable "user group" resources to attend the sessions (unpaid) as lab assistants
       • Example Focus modules
         • Using Netscape effectively
         • Using offline e-mailers effectively to preserve line time
         • Effective bookmarking, caching, saving to local disks
         • IRC demo
         • HTML
         • Newsgroups, Listservers,
     • User groups
       • Bev's Workshops: The Wednesday evening program for users will continue ($5 per session charge)
       • Mac users: a local group has been established
     • Club Bon Accueil
       • The Educacentre proposed a capability for both French and English language training, but has yet to develop its requirements and a business plan

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Corporate Account Plan

• Prototype Design The plan for an offering of $500/month for a full time 28.8kbps connection for corporate accounts requires development. As a specific example, we will develop a plan for how the municipality might use the system, perhaps to include service for the Rec Centre (internal use and public access), the Municipality building, yard, etc., and the library.
  • Lead: Lawrence Nazar Team: Al, Dennis
  • Dennis will prepare a diagram. The Team will address this item (30 mins) at the 7 Jan meeting.
  • Team will brief CDPR CDC on Jan 15
  • Team will contact MBPR for to present a briefing there in March 96
• Briefs to Potential Sponsors
  • Project manager will lead this effort with assistance from Bev

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Marketing Plan

• Objective (Startup Phase, Jan/Feb '96): Roll out the initial offerings to the community
  • Bev/Kim will develop the marketing material that reflects the plans and offerings by late Jan 96

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For more information, e-mail Bev Collins.

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