Re: What to do as part of the NSF online discussion on collaboration

Jillaine Smith (jillaine@benton.org)
Thu, 27 Mar 1997 11:28:01 -0400 

Bill Wright, thanks for encouraging us to introduce ourselves.

I'm Jillaine Smith, a senior associate at the Benton Foundation, working
with Andrew Blau and others on communications policy and practice as it
relates to the public interest and the noncommercial "community".  My focus
is on practice.  We are currently updating a report we did in 1995 called
the Learning Connection (www.benton.org/Library/Schools/) that surveys
policy and practice issues in schools seeking to implement the NII in their
districts and classrooms.

I am participating in this conference (and in the online forums) as part of
our research and our service to the noncommercial sector.  We are extremely
interested in the challenges and successes experienced through
collaborations.
Your shared experience feeds a knowledge network that will benefit others.

I have many years of experience encouraging nonprofits to explore the use
of communications technology to collaborate on social change and
environmental concerns, predominantly from my tenure as Associate Director
with the Institute for Global Communications (home of EcoNet and PeaceNet).

A recent collaborative experience (at an institutional level) with a
federal agency taught me a great deal about the importance of being really
clear about expectations and agendas.  I think cross-sector collaborations
are very difficult and need to be well thought out and clearly outlined.
Otherwise, hard feelings, unmet expectations and disappointment can
threaten the success or even life of a project.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Jillaine Smith, Senior Associate      Communications Policy Project
Benton Foundation                               jillaine@benton.org
1634 Eye Street NW #1200                      http://www.benton.org
Washington DC 20006                v: 202/638-5770; f: 202/638-5771

"Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens.  It must
therefore foster and support a form of education and access to the
arts... designed to make people of all backgrounds and wherever
located masters of their technology and not its unthinking
servants."
        - Declaration of Purpose, National Arts and Humanities Act