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Skills Development
in
Rural Areas
A debate among practitionners, policy makers, programm designers, ..... Rules for discussing |
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join the debate click on this Plugin-Icon
Request an ID and Password to contribute |
Rules for discussing
(SDRA-Debate)
While there is an
ongoing debate over a particular topic, the rules below apply for using
the InstantTeam platform (enter with plugin to the left). A particular
topic can only occupy the space of the platform for a maximum of three
months after which a synthesis must be formulated by the initiators of
the topic. In between defined topics anybody can use the english-language platform for discussing anything they find important concerning SDRA. This also includes the efforts to propose a topic or to propose to work on a case, and to find at least 5 people who want to debate it as a defined topic. This applies for the general english-language InstantTeam. Regional groups may decide on other rules when they operate their own InstantTeam. The debate is organized in cycles or three months each. Each cycle starts with a one-month intensive discussion, followed by a months pause for synthesis, and a month of feedback and reaching consensus. For each month of intensive discussion an "inner circle" of debaters discuss intensively, while the "outer circle" watches. For each cycle a number of participants volunteer to lead the debate in the inner circle. For details refer to "How this effort is organized ". You can only contribute, if you are a registered participant of the effort. For this you need an own ID and a Password. Find all the registered participants on " profiles of participants. .". Inner circle and outer circle: The difference simply is, that the participants in the inner circle have explicitly promised to involve themselves more. The minimal requirements for participating in the inner circle and in the outer circle are as follows: - in the inner circle you will have to open your emailbox at least once a week and read the entries to the ongoing debate. You will be required to contribute your own thoughts and ideas at least once per week. We expect that this will take you a minimum of 2 hrs work in a week. And this is for the one month duration of an inner circle discussion. - in the outer circle, you will need a minimum of 2 hours per month to read through the debate and understand what is going on. However, you can also simply wait for the synthesis and then comment on that. Commenting the synthesis of each cycle will take you probably about 2hrs. These are minimum requirements. Hopefully the debate becomes so interesting, that more intensive involvement will happen. Important: During an intensive debate, also people from the outer circle are allowed to contribute, if they wish. How to contribute: There are two possibilities a) Email: You can contribute by sending an email-message to deza@skilldevrural.net b) Web: You can contribute by surfing onto our InstantTeam (via the Plugin-Icon at the top of the bar on your left), open "Discussion" and click on "new". Then after formulating your message click on "save". How to respond to a contribution: There are again two possibilities: a) Email: Each contribution is sent to you automatically as an email-message. At the top of the message there is a link on which you must click in order to respond to that message. This results in a long and strange Subject-line of your reply-mail. Do not change anything with this subject line. Important: You must use this provided link at the top of the email-message in order to reply to it. The complicated subject-line allows the computer at IDESO to identify to which contribution you are responding, and will then attach your response at the correct place in the overview-threading-window of "Discussions" on the InstantTeam. Do NOT use the reply-button of your email-system. If you use the reply-button of your email-system, your reply will be added as a new message to the overview-threading-window. b) Web: Surf onto the InstantTeam (see Plugin-Icon on your left) "Discussion" and browse through all the contributions you find there. You can open them one-by-one. You can reply to each of these contributions by clicking on "reply" in the grey bar at the top. After making your entries, click "save". Remember that when you do this, an email with what you have just written is sent to all the participants, including yourself. Keep contributions short! As a rule, a contribution should be seen completely on one screen, ie. without having to scroll. If you can't manage this, make a short summary and make sure that it has space on one screen. One point per mail! Each contribution should be just one point. If you have several points to make, try to split them up into various mails. This will help us in keeping mails short, and it helps for threading the replies and following the evolution of an argument. No attachments without a short summary! You may attach documents. But in the email make a short summary of those aspects in the document, which are interesting for the point you are making. Do not just send "I believe this is an interesting document for everybody" and attach a big file. Experience says, it will not be read. Facilitation/Moderation: Ueli Scheuermeier is the on-line moderator, assisted by Ernst Bolliger. Both of us will also take part as normal participants in the debates (in the inner circle). The moderators therefore have "two hats". We will completely separate our contributions to the debate from the messages we send in as moderators. You will immediately see when we are moderating when you see *** in the subject line. Nobody else should use ***. In case you have a question or a suggestion with regard to moderation, send a personal email "backchannel" to Ueli. Important: Respond to a contribution with *** as though you are sending in a new contribution, as in "How to contribute" (above). Hope this works. In case you have any questions, do not hesitate to send me an email Ueli Scheuermeier, LBL |
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