Case Study 10 – Please put into your own words

Case Study
10: Government as Catalyst: Can It Work Again with Wireless Access

The
Philadelphia MWN collaboration efforts is a usable model for other cities or
groups to utilize for any venture, I am not necessarily speaking of the end
results of the MWN project, but the overall approach and process the city to
took to implement a MWN. Governance, Philadelphia employed various groups to
come up with rules to govern relationships and created a structure for
decision-making, starting with the hiring CIO Neff, to work with Wireless
Philadelphia and Stakeholders/Focus groups and Verizon.  Administration:
The mayor?s creation of Wireless Philadelphia to oversee the creation operates
the MWN. Autonomy: The City, Wireless Philadelphia and EarthLink all
maintained their identities and organizational authority separate from the MWN
project. Mutuality:  There were mutual benefits to all parties;
Philadelphia, Wireless Philadelphia and EarthLink, the city got new income
coming in to their coffers with little or no investment, and EarthLink funded
the entire project and paid revues to install MWN and maintain the use of city
assets, with the sole rights to provide the service in the city.
 Trust/Reciprocity: Philadelphia trusted EarthLink to pay for the cost of
the MWN and EarthLink trusted the city to keep their end of the deal with
providing assets to install hard ware and the right to be the internet provider
for the city.

The
city sanctioned a city task force that also included 120 stakeholders, and 12
focus groups for the project. They in turn provide the data and information the
city needed to write the business case. The task force interviewed potential
vendors and other MWN leaders in other cities and conducted a detail analysis
of the wireless pilot program in ?Love Park?. The key to the city?s success was
getting the 120 stakeholders involved to identify end user issues and helping
create the frame options before implementation anther stroke of genius was the
creation of nonprofit Wireless Philadelphia to separate the city from the MWN.

I
cannot say that my ideas, would have avoided problems in this case, hindsight
is 20/20. I see that the city put the right people in the right place to handle
the problems that did arise and keep the project on track. One could say, I
would have gotten the necessary paper in to the state to get the waivers for
the MNW project without having to make unknown compromises? with Verizon.
Governments sometimes make laws or change laws in a vacuum without consideration
to the implication to local governing bodies

Please put into your own words!!!!!!!!!!