Individual people and community groups across the Highlands and Islands are being invited to participate in a short-lifespan online forum – www.businesslab.co.uk/hieforumfeedback – to help the HIE Network review how it might make best use of the world-wide web in support of its Strengthening Communities agenda. The forum will go live between 8 and 20 September.

The exercise, part of a wider review, will analyse the HIE Network’s current and proposed future internet presence and feed back valuable comments and information to HIE’s staff.

To demonstrate the potential of the web in community development, community e-business specialist BusinessLab has been commissioned to build a ‘web-map’ which helps illustrate how the web could be used to provide information, services and support to those working in community economic development. This 'mind-map' will include best practice from across the Network and beyond.

The online forum will give HIE’s Strengthening Communities customers – from arts, culture and heritage organisations to people thinking of forming a community group or business – an opportunity to comment on how the web could be used by addressing questions such as:

• Is this the right kind of information that the Network should be providing?
• Are the examples of ‘best practice’ of value to HIE clients?
• Does the proposed website structure make sense from a user perspective?
• Are any expected services missing from the current online presence?
• Is any information not required?

Such a review will allow HIE’s Strengthening Communities staff to get a good understanding of the web information and services required by their customers in the future. The use of a forum site also allows all participants to see and respond to views from across the whole of the Highlands and Islands.

The Strengthening Communities web-map has been posted as a website - www.businesslab.co.uk/hiesociety/web and can be used to stimulate online discussion

The web discussion forum itself has been set up at: www.businesslab.co.uk/hieforumfeedback/  

Comments will be collated by BusinessLab and used to refine the Strengthening Communities web-map and support the review’s final report.