NICS CoP Meeting - April 12, 2005 (2PND)
Moving from Learning to Action Discussion (2PO7)
- Can we go any faster? (2PO8)
- As with the Interagency Council on Federal Statistics, which is now a functioning collaborative --it took the leadership of Katherine Wallman, and years just to develop the relationships necessary to build a functioning group. Relationships, rather than the actual product (a service, a platform) will take time. (2POA)
- Along with the organizational challenges, time will inform us about technology. The use cases will be very helpful in giving us a better sense about how long this will take and how much it will cost. (2PO9)
- Projects can move quickly, but instituions change (behavior, actions) slowly. (2POB)
- One of the challenges we face with the American Community Survey, is the time and cost of implementation. We need to start the process now to get NICS-Ready when ACS is fully on line in 2010. It take time. (2POC)
- In 15-18 Months, if we want people to "go to NICS" we need to think through the portal. We need to consider if we build a portal will it hurt, or duplicate efforts at FedStats or at Census? We should note there's a lot of work we need to do up-front not listed here: The portol, the guides on using data -- all the content on that NICS portal, because if the content isn't there, and it's not rich, then we'll loose an opportunity to make the case to NICS to future participants. (2POD)
- I'm not sure if we really want to build another portol. We want to get to a place where people can use the data, rather than a directory. Directories already exist. (2POE)
- Something that doesn't exist now, is a list of all indicators projects and systems. That would be unique, and not duplication, and something NICS may want to do for that rich content piece. (2POF)
- We need to think about staging. Rich content is something that is needed, but not just yet. Similarly, metadata standards, comprehensive documentation aren't things we need to have complete in the next year to make the case for NICS in 2 years time. We need to just improve a particular decision, to make the case. (2POG)
- We shouldn't agonize over product, the CoP we've built here, is a process and a resource that will be fecund, but those relationships, that building of trust, takes time. The CoP itself, could be considered and interim "product" before that NICS portal we envision is up and fucntioning. (2POH)
- There is not enough emphasis on strategic communication in your plan. Selling "offerings" or product can be done by a marketing firm. What are we doing here? What do we really need to do? (2POK)
- Yes. There is a need to further develop this CoP, a wonderful consequence of this process. But there is also a clear need to meet the very clear needs of NICS participants, the reason why this community first gathered. (2POJ)
- Let's remember there's a very real product we need to have after 18 months -- a business plan that will turned into the grant proposals. So there are some questions we need to constantly remind ourselves of along these ways. (2POL)
- Let's also be clear NICS does not plan to have a single source of funding, from a single sector, or from a single type of support. We envision in-kind, staff time, moneatary, institutional support and other forms of supporting NICS. (2PON)
- One thing we haven't talked about is taxonomy - we build the taxonomy and just use the indexing tools that are there. E.G. Google Desktop automatically indexes one's computer. So we can use the computing tools of indexing to get to a shorter list. (2PP2)
- The taxonomy and metadata are out there, they are simply not being used. (2PP3)
- I didn't see this on the presentation; Where will data quality be handled? (2POQ)
- We haven't explicitly said much about quality, but it still is a priority. But we need to first to create the structures to handle these functions and organizaitonal areas, since we're at a juncture that the core planning committee of 12 or so cannot drive this process without re-organizing. (2POR)
- What is the plan for the decision-makers survey? (2POS)
- The tentative plan is to launch in the next 6-8 weeks, with results back by early Fall. (2POT)
- There are questions that remain, but are we close, are we heading down the right path? Are we in the ball park? How is the process? (2POO)
- It's easy to spiral into how tough this will be, but I think, we should restate that the process is the right approach. We need to now move ahead, sign up for committees, and start the workgroups. (2POP)
- So, the CoP is meeting quaterly. Fine. Let's also consider ways to keep the CoP up-to-date on where NICS is -- electronically, listservs, a web site? (2POU)
- Let's discuss this in the CoP Workgroup this afternoon. (2POV)
- Can you give me some metaphors about what is NICS? (2POW)
- NICS is a Google, organizing information so that it's accessible to make it knowledge. (2POX)
- This is not just a Google, in that Google does not tell you how to participate. We're asking you how to provide us ways to provide the data (2POY)
- You're right it's not a Google, in that Google would tell you very efficiently that you cannot obtain small area data. (2POZ)
- This is a transformative enterprise. So it would be great if we had a metaphor to sell this, but the nature of a transformative enterprise is that it will create the metaphor. Did we say anything was "like Google" before Google existed? (2PP0)
- This is a Community. We can use the language of Community of Practice, to elucidate what we are from the language of trust, community and shared enterprise. (2PP1)
- NICS is a Publisher, not just an indexer. (2PP4)
- Not only about providing services, but a common format (using metadata, standards), in a common location. (2PP5)
- NICS is A market place for services. (2PP6)
