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Web Posted on: August 24, 1998

FORTUNE

Support to user oriented R&D.

Christian Bühler,
FTB, Grundschöttelerstr.40, D-58300 Wetter, Germany.
Tel: +49 23 35 96 81 11, Fax: +49 23 35 96 81 19, email:cb@ftb-volmarstein.de.

Contents of this Page:

  1. Abstract.
  2. Introduction to Fortune:
  1. Rationale.
  2. Objectives.
  3. Organization.
  4. Approach.
  1. Networking , List of national contacts.
  2. Training.
  3. Methods.
  4. Pilots.
  5. Dissemination.
  6. Acknowledgement.

Literature.

1. Abstract

Telematics has started a new emphasis on user participation in technological R&D. During the TIDE Pilot Action and the Bridge phase user involvement and user participation is recognized as a basic principle for all projects. The TIDE pilot phase evaluation realized, that "the most successful projects had the enthusiastic and active involvement of established, formal user organisations". Therefore it recommended, to make skilled resources available to the projects, by future horizontal actions and concertations. The FORTUNE project corresponds exactly to this issue. FORTUNE is a support action organised as a training and networking for end-users who have a backing form their organisation. After the training the FORTUNE graduates will offer support to R & D projects.

2. Introduction to FORTUNE.

2.1 Rationale.

FORTUNE concentrates on the growing group of customers and with disabilities and high age. Although the R& D community is in principle prepared to interact with these users, not enough skilled users from user organisations are available to act in the R& D context in a professional way. For many user groups a barrier for participation in European R & D is their voluntary character and internal structure, which is not prepared for the procedures in European R&D. FORTUNE takes up these problems and bridges the gap between Telematics and users' organisations.

2.2 Objectives.

The objectives of FORTUNE are: to facilitate participation of user organisations in R&D, to qualify more users (which represent user organisations) with disabilities and elderly people for the participation in European R&D, to improve European exchange of experiences by user information networking; to increase the level of interaction with user societies in the countries of Europe and the European Forum; to disseminate information and encourage the uptake of new Telematics applications, to provide an expert user forum to Telematics for the assessment of the programme and its sector TIDE.

2.3 Organisation.

In FORTUNE important self-help organisations cooperate as partners with knowledgeable institutions skilled in European R&D. The concept of national contacts in the European countries and the involvement of the European Forum and AAATE ensure a European dimension and provide potential for information dissemination.

2.4 Approach.

The core of the project is the users' qualification for full participation in R & D programmes and projects, with the help of peer user experts and assistive technology and project management specialists. The methods and contents for the training courses are taken up and refined from available methods and experiences. A European exchange is implemented by networking of user organisations and participation in the Telematics concertation. An experimental environment that permits interaction between users and creators is set up. Pilot assessments support to projects and enable the refinement of the training.
FORTUNE supports the participation of well trained users (representatives of user groups) for full participation in R&D. The exchange of experience between telematic teams and user organisations and creation of an information network of users is facilitated. FORTUNE provides a resource book, a WWW helpdesk and an expert user forum to Telematics, to support R & D teams and the assessment of the achievements of the programme and its sector TIDE. Guidelines and evaluation criteria for full participation of end-users will support user oriented R&D. The dissemination of information about new and emerging telematics solutions will encourage the uptake of telematics applications.

3. Networking.

The FORTUNE networking is an attempt to exchange information and experiences about empowered user involvement in research and development and related issues. It is planned to build up such a network based on email and Internet communications during the course of the project. It is envisaged to keep this networking after the expiry of the FORTUNE project as a basis for further exchange. The network is set up between the project partners and national contacts first. It was already agreed with AAATE to link with the AAATE listserve. Other interested parties such as TAP projects already joined the network. Special links to other support actions and their players e.g. INCLUDE, TELEMATE, EUSTAT are under consideration. Fig. ....gives an overview of the national contacts as installed today. We expect the network to grow further and everyone interested is invited to join.

Map of Europe with all National Contacts. (Not an Imagemap!) Fig 1. National Contacts.

National Contacts:

  1. Austria: FORTEC, Vienna..
  2. Belgium: VLICHT, Heverlee.
  3. Denmark: DANISH CENTRE,Taastrup.
  4. Finland: STAKES, Helsinki.
  5. France: Yet to be named.
  6. Germany: BAGH, Düsseldorf.
  7. Greece: ICS-FORTH, Crete.
  8. Ireland: DISABLED FEDERATION OF IRELAND, Dublin.
  9. Italy: SIVA, Milano.
  10. Luxembourg: ADAPTH.
  11. Netherlands: IRV, Hoensbroek.
  12. Norway: FFO, Oslo.
  13. Portugal: FORMEM, Lisbon.
  14. Spain: COCEMFE, Madrid.
  15. Sweden: HSO, Stockholm.
  16. Switzerland: FST, Neuchatel.
  17. United Kingdom: CORE/King's College, London.

More information is presented to the public in the FORTUNE homepage:http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/FTB/fortune.

4. Training.

The training aims at the empowered participation of end-users (backed on organisations) in R&D. Empowerment ist mostly connected to competence in knowledge and communication. Basically we consider the end-users to be experts (user experts) in their experience of living with a disability in a environment full of obstacles. Being experts in finding practical solutions for activities of daily living e.g. by usage of assistive technoloy and also the user experts have knowledge and competence in this domain. However, usually they are not involved in R & D and have no knowledge about how work in this field is performed. Therefore the end-users should gain understanding about their role in R&D, of the R & D process, of assistive technology and of methodology through the training. The restricted training time concentrates in this respect on the most relevant knowledge domains, as

  • Terminology.
  • Implementation of AT.
  • Critical factors of service delivery.
  • Value chain.
  • R & D process and project work.
  • European context of R&D.
  • Role identification.
  • Understanding of disability (ICIDH).
  • Methods for user involvement.

The FORTUNE training is performed in two presence training phases prepared by written information and materials. The participants for the training are nominated by the organisations of end-users and finally selected of the umbrella organisations, who are partners in FORTUNE. Thus user organisations have full control about the nominations. They also support the trainees throughout the training in a tutorial concept. It is obvious that the level and kind of organisation of end-users is varying in the different countries The first training phase is therefore carried out on national level and mainly in mother tongues. This enables to deal with country-specific issues. The second training phase is international and the training language is English. Here participants will already be confronted with the situation of working on European level with peers from foreign countries.

5. Methods.

FORTUNE does not intent to invent new methods for user involvement. The appropriate use of existing methods, the exchange of experiences and good practices is predominant. Methods are identified form literature and experiences are collected by the partners and national contacts. A valuable sourcebook is e.g. the user-fit handbook. It provides a short overview of methods with references to more sources. This inventory is provided to the training but will also being published to a wider audience.

6. Pilots.

The consortium considered it to be very important to set up interaction with real projects during the Training. This will allow a support to projects, and also give feedback about the success of the training. Therefore projects have been and are still invited to liaise with the FORTUNE support action. The level of interaction will be agreed on a case by case base where confidentiality in guaranteed. As well national as European projects can apply for the service. TIDE / TAP projects are particularly encouraged to make use of the offer. However, only a restricted number of projects can receive the services. They will be selected case by case, where the main selection criteria consider a good match between FORTUNE graduates and project area. Projects who make use of the FORTUNE services will have the opportunity to provide an evaluation of the support from their point of view.

7. Dissemination.

A main goal of this support action is to stimulate more activities of the same kind in Europe. Of course the number of people trained in this project is still far too small. We need more user experts, who are accepted as competent partners in R & D on project and programme level. Therefore FORTUNE will publish the concept, the curriculum and the experiences made during the FORTUNE activity. The network set up during the project will be the core of the information dissemination network. The partners, and the national contacts will use their information channels to spread the information.

8. Acknowledgement:

The work done in FORTUNE, TAP DE 9231 Forum of user Organisations Training for Usability and Networking in Europe is granted by CEU, DG XIIID under the Telematics Application Programme, Sector Disabled and Elderly. FORTUNE Partners are:

Literature:

  • An evaluation of the pilot action of TIDE, Full Report, European Commission, TIDE-Office, DGXIII-C5, Brussels 1994
  • An evaluation of the pilot action of TIDE, Summary and Recommendations, European Commission, TIDE-Office, DGXIII-C5, Brussels 1994
  • UserFit -A practical handbook on user-centered design for Assistive Technology, editor David Poulson, Martin Ashby, Simon Richardson (HUSAT Research Institute, UK), ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg 1996
  • Placing users at the centre of design for all, Helen Petrie, in: European Telematics: Advancing the information society, Important issues in today's Telematics research, European Commission, DGXIII, Barcelona 1998