28

The Stages, Three-Layer Infrastructure, and Functional Level Regulation

for Development of Information Society within the Scope of Information
Technology Volunteer Actions

Rinda Cahyana
1

1
Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Garut
rindacahyana@sttgarut.ac.id


Abstrak The general objective of every person in the information society is to
achieve a competitive advantage through information technology (IT) utilization.
Therfore human resource development in the field of IT must be carried out which
in the practice can involve IT volunteers. This study formulates the stages of
information society development and infrastructure in the scope of IT volunteer
actions, as well as the functional level of IT volunteers. The formulation is made
based on a review of relevant literatures. The study found that stages of
information society development life cycle which involving IT volunteer to increase
the number of IT literacy population, including stage of IT provision, Information
Society Propulsion Group (ISPG) development, IT awareness, basic IT skill
training, and capacity building. And also found a three layer infrastructure
required for execute life cycle, including layer of service, personnel, and platform.
ISPG sustainability guaranted by the functional level regulation of IT volunteers,
where anyone who join ISPG should provide time, energy, and ability to carrying
out trainer and manager function. Volunteers who have carried out these functions
are encouraged to carrying out pioneer function in order to increase number of IT
literacy population.

Key Words Human Resource Development, Information Society, Information
Technology, Volunteer.


1 Introduction

Information technology development has led to a rapid production and distribution of information, and
allow information to be stored and accessed anytime and anywhere via the internet. These conditions
are very beneficial for human life because information is the key to economic resources and one of
very valuable or important assets for the company (Moody and Walsh, 1999; Drucker, 1992; Huang et
al, 1999). Internet as mediumof global communication and media access to various online services is
a potential economic resource for individuals, companies, and contries (International
Telecommunication Union, 2002; Rab, 2007)

These benefit realized when information systemas an information provider for organizations equip
itself with IT, which include software, hardware, network, and data management (Turban et al, 2006;
OBrian and Marakas, 2005). If the competitive advantage gained by information society through IT
utilization, then each individual should information literacy and IT literacy. A person is considered
information literate if he or she know what information is needed by themselves, have ability to access
and find the information and process that information to create a values. This information literacy
should be supported by IT literacy, for example a person must be able to use a search engine to find
information in the library catalog which stored in an online database (Rab, 2007; Andretta, 2005)
Cahyana International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

www.insikapub.com 29
Human resource development in the IT field to be prioritized so that everyone can participate fully in
the information society. The objective of development is to make everyone has basic IT skills so that
they can use IT in their daily lives, improve IT literacy in the population as a whole, and increase the
number of trained personel in advanced areas (International Telecommunication Union, 2002). Efforts
to achive these objectives can be done by volunteers, the philanthropist individual or group of people
who are committed to give time, energy, or ability to carry out the services on behalf of the charity and
without pay, through or for non-profit organizations (Estonian Ministry of the Interior, 2006;
CIVICUS, IAVE, and UNV, 2007; United States Bureau of Labor Statistic, 2008; Statistic Canada,
2006). This study formulates the stages of information society development and infrastructure in the
scope of information technology volunteer actions, as well as the functional level of information
technology volunteers. The formulation is made based on a review of relevant literatures.


2 The Stages

Internet access to communicate globally and access online services obtained through telecenter, which
the place or facility that provide services to share information and IT-based communications for local
communities, which is also used for the development of economic, social, and cultural (Fuchs, 1997;
Colle and Roman, 1999; Cisler, 1998). The impact of telecenter include (Ariyabandu, 2009) :
a. Empowering people, especially woman in rural remote areas;
b. Provide access to IT devices that cant be owned by itself;
c. Making available the economic of world knowledge to the poor and disabled;
d. Provide social engineering, such as giving the opportunity to the poor to improve their
knowledge of computer education; and
e. Promoting IT for development.

In relation to computer education, educational institutions, especially at the level of compulsory
education, is an important place for the community, because everyone will pass through it. Mentioned
in Brussels declaration that IT education and training can be integrated with the regular school system
(International Telecommunication Union, 2002). Training of human resource, especially teachers and
students, is very important because will increase the need to use and apply information and
technology, promoting the growth of content and infrastructure, facilitate the development of IT
services industry in particular developing countries (Bamako Declaration, 2002). Therefore,
educational institution must have internet access and IT devices for IT education as well as produce,
store, dan disseminate valuable information to society.

Telecenters and educational institutions can be the center of human resource development in the field
of IT by IT volunteers. Many telecenter successful because of volunteer contributions, where
telecenter used to reach local people, provide training and capacity building for local people, mobilize
volunteers, and make it as a local development center (Acevendo, 2005). Volunteer can also contribute
in educational institutions, because schools or universities accept volunteer culture, participate in
bulding these culture, is a type of organization that is most widely supported by volunteers, and
became places of recruitment or regeneration of volunteers aged 16-24 years old (Attwood at al, 2003;
Musick dan Wilson, 2008; Low at al, 2007)

Recruitment and mobilization of volunteers in schools or universities optimistic successful due to
teenagers interested in joining a volunteer because of the free training (Ellis, 2004) or they are satisfied
with incentives in the formof skill development (Low et al, 2007). The incentive money, although will
make volunteers feel more appreciated and can be encourage to do more work, but it can lower the
value of volunteerism, disturbing their motivation and reduce satisfaction (Ellis, 2004). The teens can
be formed into a trained personal in advantaced area to assist in human resources development. This
mean that they can use basic IT devices and teach it to the people, also can install and become the
first-level technical support in troubleshooting. Their presence beside to ensuring sustainability of IT
International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

Cahyana

30 Insan Akademika Publications
education, as well as to maintain the availability of IT devices. Many teenagers around telecenter can
also be formed into trained personal / volunteer.

In respect with the wishes of information society to gain competitive advantage with IT, so human
resources development unable to stopped at the stages of IT awareness and basic IT training, but also
up to the capacity builing, through monitoring and assistance against users effort in applying basic IT
skills and build or expand their capabilities so that they can can receive the actual advantages fromIT
utilization (Acevendo, 2005). A group of volunteers who focus on human resources development
hereafter called ISPG.



Fig. 1: ISPGs position in increasing IT literacy population

Due to the increase IT literacy should occur in the population as a whole, so ISPG must be formed in
many telecenters or educational institutions. An experienced volunteers should be encouranged in
order to pioneer new ISPG. Based on these idea, the stages of information society development
conducted by IT volunteers will look like in figure 2.



Fig. 2: The stages of Information Society Development conducted by IT Volunteers

Basic IT skills learned and taught to the people or new ISPG member by IT volunteers are required by
overall users and related to information literacy. In relation to requirement, skills should include skill
group of computer, files, offline applications, computer network, and online application, so that each
person can carry out information work either alone or in goup, and in the network or not. In addition,
skills must support information literacy, especially in activity such as searching, presenting, and
storing information (Eisnberg and Berkowitz, 1990). In relation to IT volunteers requirement, each
group of basic IT skills should include basic installation and maintenance. And all skills should make
the users become IT literacy and do not make anyone harmed / smart IT. Thereby the structure of basic
IT skills will look like figure 3.
Cahyana International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

www.insikapub.com 31

Fig. 3: The Structure of Basic IT Skill


3 The Infrastructure

In view of the IT utilization by everyone in the information society, so the bottom layer of
infrastructure is IT platform. The layer above it is personnel as user of IT platform, and services that
executed by personnel. Personnel and services can be identified fromthe list of volunteer actions in
Acevendo (2005) which when grouped by type of service would become following:
a. Information Provision Service, such as :
Find information proactively for users (both teachers, doctors, farmers, local officials,
housewives, or businessman) who have no access to IT.
Producing content / local information in a variety formats (text, multimedia, and so forth)
b. Human Resource Development Service, such as :
Carrying out offline or online basic IT skill training for end users in order to be proficient
in the relevant application, and accompanying thereafter up to they were able to use these
skills to gain an advantage.
Carrying out offline or online basic IT skill training for IT volunteers (Ministry of
Communication and Informatic of Indonesia, 2011) to increase number of trained
personnel in advanced area (International Telecommunication Union, 2002)
c. IT Development Service, such as :
Identify the information required by community and the resources necessary to meet those
requirement.
Creating or customizing and managing Free and Open Sources based applications, website,
or geographic information system which provide tools for monitoring and reporting related
to volunteers project to domestic or foreign stakeholders.
Build a network in order volunteers could communicate with stakeholders through mobile
devices.
Overcoming technical issues about the use IT device (such as installation or maintenance)
from time to time, which is experienced by users or managers of IT public facilitiy (such as
telecenter), in urban and rural areas or in disaster or post-conflict situations.
d. Collaborative Service, such as :
Increasing the involvement of other volunteers in procurement and management of online
knowledge network.
Cooperating with other project which have similar development issues.
Facilitating the participant of marginal group (eg. People with a particular disease) or
disadvantaged (eg. People with disabilities) in the IT project.
International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

Cahyana

32 Insan Akademika Publications
Fromthe list of volunteer actions, identified personnel who can be grouped into :
a. Users group that include all users and potential users,
b. Propulsion group that include IT volunteers in ISPG who running services besides IT
development service,
c. Developers group that include the developers fromIT volunteers, creative industries, education
institutions, government, and so forth,
d. Stakeholders group that use information and provide fund or project for ISPG.

The infrastructure scheme for information society development, it layers and components as show in
figure 4.



Fig. 4: The infrastructure scheme for information society development

Based on the list of volunteer action, ISPG website requires the following items :
a. Collection of knowledge related to information literacy, IT literacy, information provision
service, and so forth, stored in knowledge management system.
b. Cloud storage containing files, especially applications, that support or related to volunteers
actions or capacity building, which sourced frominside or outside KPMI.
c. Remote education or training involving the use of video tutorials and lab modul, in elearning.
d. IT volunteers contact list in geographic information system, which include information about
competence and contact address.
e. Technical support or service desk which can be contacted via live chat, email, or milis.
f. Online summary report about volunteering performance which make easier for stakeholders to
know the result of any volunteering project.


4 The Functional Level

General overview of volunteer action in every ISPG and volunteer function required for ISPG
sustainability and increasing number of IT literacy population based on the volunteer actions list is as
shown in figure 5. ISPG require volunteers with trainer function to execute human resource
development service. Meanwhile, volunteers in manager function required to performall service.
Besides carrying out collaborative service, volunteers in manager function also carrying out
information provision service for the community or stakeholders through information systemor other
media, as well as communicate platformrequirement to developers group. And in order to forma lot
of ISPG, volunteers who have carried out the trainer and manager function should be encouranged to
carrying out pioneer function.

Cahyana International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

www.insikapub.com 33


Fig. 5: Propulsion Group

The functional level of IT volunteer in ISPG should be regulated to ensure sustainability regeneration
and services. Volunteers may come fromacademia, corporate, government, woman association, and
professional associations (Acevendo, 2005) as well as from a variety of faith and forms, both old and
young, men and woman, professional and amateur, disablility, rich and poor (CIVICUS, IAVE, dan
UNV, 2007). Anyone can join as volunteer in ISPG declaring their commitment to provide time,
energy, and ability (Estonian Ministry of the Interior, 2006) to learn basic IT skills, teaching skills
to new volunteers, managing all services at least a few hours in a day every week, and publish
all volunteer action related to services on the internet through ISPG website at least once a
month for a year or twelve year issue. And encouraged to pioneer new ISPG in other places.



Fig 6. The functional level of IT volunteer in ISPG

5 Conclussion

An increasing number of IT literacy population can be done by IT volunteers through information
society development life cycle, including the stage of IT provision, ISPG development, IT awareness,
basic IT skill training, and capacity building. These effort involves a three layer infrastructure,
International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

Cahyana

34 InsanAkademika Publications
including the layer of service, personnel, and platform. ISPG sustainability guaranted by the functional
level regulation of IT volunteers, where anyone who join ISPG should provide time, energy, and
ability to carrying out trainer and manager function. Volunteers who have carried out these functions
are encouraged to carrying out pioneer function in order to increase number of IT literacy population.


6 References

Acevedo, M. (2005) Volunteering in the information society.
http://ictlogy.net/bibliography/reports/projects.php?idp=1284
Andretta, S. (2005) Information literacy: a practitioners guide. Chandos Publishing, Oxford.
Ariyabandu, R. (2009) Role of telecentres as knowladge networks:successes and challenges.
http://www.unescap.org/idd/papers.asp
Attwood, C., G., Singh, D., Prime, R., Creasey, dan lainnya (2003) 2001 home office citizenship
survey: people, families, and communities, Research study 270, London : Home Office.
Cisler, S. (1998). Telecenters and libraries: new technologies and new partnerships.
CIVICUS, IAVE, dan UNV (2007). Volunteering and social activismpathways for participation in
human development. http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/resources/research-
reports/global/doc/volunteering-and-social-activism.html
Cole, R., D., dan Roman, R. (1999). Communication Centers and developing nations: a state of the art
report.
Deklarasi Bamako (2002) World summit on the information society, Africa regional conference.
http://www.geneva2003.org/bamako2002/index-02.html
Drucker, P. (1992) : The Economys Power Shift. Wall Street J ournal, September 24.
Eisenberg, M. dan Berkowitz, L. (1990) Information problem-solving. New J ersey: Ablex.
Ellis, A. (2004) Generation V: Young people speak out on volunteering, London: Institute of
Volunteering Research.
Estonian Ministry of the Interior (2006) Civic inisiative action plan 2007-2010 / development plan of
voluntary action 2007 2010.
http://www.vabatahtlikud.ee/failid/vttstrat/vta_2007_2010_31_jaan_2007.pdf.
Fuchs, R. (1997). If you have a lemon, make lemonade: a guide to the start-up of the african
multipurpose community telecentre pilot project. http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-8785-201-1-
DO_TOPIC.html
Gudauskas R. (2011) National information policy, information infrastructure and libraries.
http://www.lmba.lt/en/event/conference-libraries-science-studies-society
Huang, Huan-Tsae, Lee, Y.W., and Wang, R.Y. (1999) : Quality Information and Knowladge. Prentice
Hall PTR.
International Telecommunication Union (2002) Element and principles on th information society.
http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/wsis-themes/access/
Ministry of Communication and Informatic of Indonesia (2011). Relawan TIK Indonesia: bersama
membangun masyarakat Indonesia informatif. J akarta : Direktorat J enderal Aplikasi
Informatika.
Low N., Butt, S., Paine, E., A., dan Smith, D., J. (2007) Helping out a national survey of
volunteering and charitable giving. London: Cabinet Office.
Cahyana International J ournal of Basic and Applied Science,
Vol 03, No. 01, J uly 2014, pp. 28-35

www.insikapub.com 35
Moody, D. & Walsh, P. (1999) : Measuring the Value of Information: an Asset Valuation Approach.
European Conference of Information System(ECIS).
Musick, M. dan Wilson, J . (2008) Volunteers: a social profile, Bloomington, London: Nacro.
OBrian, J ., A., dan Marakas, G., M. (2005). Management Information System. Edisi Kedelapan.
McGraw Hill.
Rab, A. (2007). Digital Culture Digitalised culture and culture created on a digital platform. Diunduh
dari internet tanggal 6 Mei 2013, http://www.ittk.hu/netis/doc/ISCB_eng/11_Rab_final.pdf
Statistic Canada (2006) Sattelite account of nonprofit institutions and volunteering: 1997-2001.
Otawa: Statistic Canada.
Turban E., McLean E., Wetherbe J . (2006). Information Technology for Management: Transforming
Organization in the Digital Economy. Edisi kelima. J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2008) May 2008 national industry-specific occupational
employment and wage estimates. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/50/17/37478585.pdf