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!!!!!!!!!!