At the European Telework Development Initiative website
ACTS Telework Chain (GAT: General Access - Telework)
Status Report and Comments from the ACTS Telework Chain (GAT) for the
Concertation Management Meeting 4th November 1996
People, Addresses
The GAT Chair is Paul Devoldere, 100135.2704@compuserve.com (IBCoBN - AC101).
On 4th November Paul expects to hand over to Noel Hodson, 100143.2571@compuserve.com, DIPLOMAT - AC222).
The GAT Secretariat is provided by the ETD Project (European Telework Development) AC223, contact is Christian Van Asbroeck, 100413.2641@compuserve.com.
The Chain has its own www pages at http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/
Activities
The GAT (General Access - Telework) Chain held three meetings prior to and
including 27 June 1996 but a majority of the time was consumed in process discussion, debate about the Commission's intentions regarding
Guidelines and confusion regarding the priority of "Guidelines" relative to other pressing priorities. A long list of potential topics for Guidelines was
produced and one project offered to produce all-encompassing Telework Best
Practice Guidelines for Employers, but there was some discomfort about this
as an appropriate GAT main activity, given the wealth of existing books etc addressing the general field of telework.
As of 4th September 1996 the Commission provided fresh
guidance relating to the work of the Chain and to Guidelines (http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/guides/guide1.htm),
and this has enabled the Chain to make much better progress. New projects
joined at the 27 June meeting, and have started contributing to Chain work. We welcomed the further
inputs from Commission staffs in connection with the 23rd October GA Group meeting at which GAT was represented; a note following the meeting is at http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/agendas/note0410.htm.
Current status
Based on the Commission's new guidance, a Chain
workplan has been produced (http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/guides/wplan01.htm),
which anticipates that both top down and bottom up approaches to guidelines may be appropriate, and Templates have been produced supporting both approaches - see http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/ for details.
To test these templates and our understanding of the Guidelines intentions, the ETD project has produced two initial draft Guidelines:
Telework:
Interoperability - Guidelines (http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/guides/gat-g1.htm)
and Telework: Access to Work Opportunities for Self Employed, Micro-Enterprises and Virtual
Enterprises (http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/guides/gat-g2.htm).
The first uses the bottom up approach and does not in any sense match up to the "short and concise" expectations for a Guideline but we hope provides a sound basis for review and consensus forming. The second is an attempt at a Policy Guideline. Support has been requested from the Commission by way of comments on the approach, style and structure. We hope to have obtained feedback on this prior to the next GAT meeting which is in Vienna on 4 November 1996.
Discussions are in hand with two other projects with a view to them assuming
ownership and editorial responsibilities regarding two further Guidelines,
aiming to have three different topics in play, designed to attract attention
and provide value to the three main constituencies of interest addressed
by the Telework Chain (see Workplan), and Guidelines of each of the main types described in the Commission document
ACTS: Marketing the Guidelines - Action Plan (http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/files/sellgdl1.doc).
The Workplan, Templates, Draft Guidelines and other Chain papers etc can be
seen at the website, which also provides facilities for adding comments
on drafts and moving towards consensus. An email
list is available (http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/info.htm)
for anyone wishing to receive notices about new developments in the work
of the Telework Chain.
Issues
The Chain's work has been hampered by uncertainties regarding the Commission's
intentions for Guidelines and we now need very urgently response (positive
or negative but especially directional) to all new materials produced by
the Chain in this respect, as well as full visibility of all Guidelines
materials and plans from all other Chains. If the network
of chains continues to produce appropriate work products bottom
up this will entail further wasted and duplicated effort unless there is a
focused and sustained effort to enhance communications. Much of the
Chains-related information at the InfoWin site is old material from mid 1996
(including an out of date calendar). We feel it will be more effective for
Chains to use their own sites and for the InfoWin server to act as a hub,
rather than trying to maintain current information there. The ETD project
has made specific recommendations (see http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/agendas/note2810.htm">specific recommendations) on the effective use of www and
other Internet applications in support of Chains Concertation.
ACTS Telework Chain Index Page
European Telework Development Initiative -
Home Page
Page address http://www.eto.org.uk/gat/agendas/stat3010.htm
Page owner Christian Van Asbroeck, 100413.2641@compuserve.com
Last updated 30 October 1996