THE UNDERSTAND PROJECT: STATE OF THE ART

With the final conference held in Poznan, the UNDERSTAND project has come to its formal end, but the 12 Understand regions agree on keeping on working in the benchmarking field.
This means on one hand working on fundraising opportunity. On the other this implies also keeping on disseminating the idea that Information Society benchmarking and monitoring at the regional level is pivotal, stated the growing role of regions in this field, also in the incoming Structural Funds turn.
Furthermore, the UNDERSTAND partners have committed in Poznan to keep on surveying the regional Information Society deployment using the UNDERSTAND methodology and to revise the methodology in order to improve it, even out of the EU cofunding. This committment witnesses their strong belief in the usefulness of this shared effort.

Project materials and outputs are available on the project web site (dated 31st July 2006).
Enquires and information to info@understand-eu.net or to the coordinator Regione Emilia-Romagna (CMancini@Regione.Emilia-Romagna.it, progeur@regione.emilia-romagna.it).
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE PROJECT AND IN BENCHMARKING REGIONAL INFORMATION SOCIETY!

UNDERSTAND FINAL CONFERENCE - DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATIONS

"Developing the information society in the regions: benchmarking indicators, leading projects and policy support"

Thank you for your interest in the UNDERSTAND Final Conference!
Presentations are available for download

NEW! THE "RESULT REPORT" AND THE "VALIDATION QUESTIONNAIRE" ARE ON-LINE

The Result Report, delivered during the Second Understand Conference, briefly presents the results of the second round of surveys (October-december 2005) comparing data with 2004 surveys and giving a first interpretation.

You can download the RESULT REPORT in .pdf version

We are glad to say that the Commission showed some true interest in the project and in particular in the possibility to widen the benchmarking to new regions. If you are interested in contributing to the follow-up of UNDERSTAND, please fill-in the validation questionnaire and send it to info@understand-eu.net

You can download the VALIDATION QUESTIONNAIRE in .doc version

UNDERSTAND CONFERENCE - DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATIONS

"Learning from benchmarking to make i2010! a reality in the regions: data analysis, impacts on ICT policies, emerging needs"

Thank you for your interest in the UNDERSTAND Second Conference!
Presentations are available for download

Cick here for further information about the Second UNDERSTAND Conference.

THE FINAL VERSION OF UNDERSTAND HANDBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE

After the first year surveys, Understand proposes the FINAL VERSION of the Handbook with a more refined methodology.

It is available to partners and new partner regions.

IF YOU ARE A PARTNER DOWNLOAD THE HANDBOOK FINAL VERSION NOW!

If you are interested in joining the project and using the new methodology, please fill in the Memorandum of Cooperation.

Click here for further information about the handbook final version.

JOIN THE UNDERSTAND PROJECT

From march 2005, joining Regions are involved in the project as full partners: this means that joining Regions can participate to the project mailinglist, access the website restricted section and documentation, carry out surveys and input data in the DB, thereby accessing all other partners data.
Joining Regions are now actively engaged in the handbook revision.
If you are interested in joining the project, please fill in the Memorandum of Cooperation.
Click here for further information.

UNDERSTAND First Conference

Thank you everybody for your interest in UNDERSTAND FIRST CONFERENCE!

Presentations are available for download.

Remember that you can join the project as “tester Region”, by filling in the form for the Memorandum of Cooperation and providing a feedback on the methodology.

As “tester Region” you will receive the Methodology Handbook to carry out surveys in your region and compare data with UNDERSTAND partner regions.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRST CONFERENCE

NEW! The "handbook lite" is on-line

Non partner regions can download and validate a lite version of the methodology handbook, with indicators on each domain, in the "Project output" area. You can ask for the Methodology complete version after answering the feed back questionnaire.

The Project

UNDERSTAND (European Regions UNDER way towards STANDard indicators for benchmarking information society) is an Interreg IIIc project lead by the Emilia-Romagna Region in partnership with 9 European Regions (Piedmount, Aquitaine, Hessen, Islas Baleares, Comunidad Valenciana, Mellersta Norrland, Yorkshire & The Humber, Wales, Wielkopolskie). UNDERSTAND starts with the conviction that regional benchmarking for the information society in support of regional investment on information society remains an urgent priority. UNDERSTAND main objective is infact to compare and evaluate regional development of the Information Society by defining and applying a set of common regional e-indicators on Internet usage by citizens and business, e-government and broadband infrastructure. This will enable policymakers to better understand the impact of Information Society investment.