A Framework for Evaluating CommunityNet in Saskatchewan School Divisions

By: Ron Klassen

SSTA Research Centre Report #02-03: 21 pages, $11

Table of Contents

A System of Indicators and a Process

CommunityNet Stakeholders

Service Providers

Administration and service development approach

End users

High Level Technical design

Indicators to be considered

Evaluation Process

Appendices

Overview

The Saskatchewan School Trustees Association commissioned the development of this work by Ron Klassen to develop a framework for evaluating CommunityNet.

The Government of Saskatchewan launched CommunityNet on April 1, 2001 to provide high speed Internet access to Saskatchewan schools, health facilities and libraries.   As boards of education are required to pay more than $3.73 million annually for CommunityNet, it is important that an appropriate system of indictors be established to monitor and ensure a high quality of service from CommunityNet. 

The proposed system of indicators offers an evaluation  framework including information about the intent of CommunityNet, the design of CommunityNet, the expectations for CommunityNet and to report on:

  • how CommunityNet is delivering on its intended benefits, 
  • how CommunityNet is being embraced by the K-12 education system,
  • how CommunityNet administrators and service providers are performing, 
  • how CommunityNet’s technical design is holding up under pressure and 
  • how CommunityNet is doing in terms of delivering cost savings and performance benefits.
 

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The opinions and recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author and may not be in
agreement with SSTA officers or trustees, but are offered as being worthy of consideration by those
responsible for making decisions.


 

A System of Indicators and a Process

Rationale for a System of Indicators

On April 1st 2001, the Government of Saskatchewan launched CommunityNet.  The Government of Saskatchewan positions CommunityNet this way; 
‘CommunityNet is a broadband, high-speed, province-wide telecommunications network that will connect more than 800 educational facilities, 310 health facilities, and 256 government offices in 366 Saskatchewan communities. The network will have a wide-ranging positive impact on the province, resulting in better educational, health and government services, along with potential economic opportunities. 

Options and technologies are being explored for expansion of CommunityNet to even more communities. Other types of public organizations can also participate in the network, depending on the type of organization and their funding framework. 

While CommunityNet is only available to public institutions, SaskTel has committed to expanding high-speed service to the majority of individuals and businesses in the province over the next five years. High-speed expansion plans will be evaluated on a yearly basis, and service will be provided in communities where it is economically feasible.’

Boards of education pay $3.73 million, plus PST, annually for CommunityNet and represent the largest investor group in the project.  Saskatchewan Education withholds grants to school divisions for payment.  Over six years, approximately $70.9 million will be spent to develop the network. 

It is important that boards of education understand the value and account for the money invested.  To that end a system of indicators should be implemented and studied on a regular basis.  The system should be broad based while at the same time be manageable and sustainable.  The best-case scenario would be for all stakeholders in the K-12 education system  to align with the final system of indicators.  This would enable common understandings and language to be used in resolving issues or developing new opportunities. 
 
CommunityNet
began
April 1st 2001
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Boards of Education
pay $3.73 million, plus
PST, annually for
CommunityNet

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Overview of the Indicator System

The Indicator System, once implemented, should be a broad based study of CommunityNet value to the education system.  Value is a perception based on individual preferences and needs.  To that end, the system of indicators needs to incorporate a range of factors in order to deliver a credible assessment.  The proposed indicator system should include:
  • stakeholder survey,
  • stakeholder interviews,
  • technical evaluations and
  • price/technology research.
The central promise of CommunityNet is better educational services and opportunities.  A key assumption is that ComunityNet will be dynamic and responsive, perceived to be providing better service and opportunities than individual school systems could acquire in the market. 

The technology research component of the system will offer an understanding of what new technology is on the horizon and what other educational jurisdictions are doing with networking technology.

Both the technical evaluation and the price research component require that some process be implemented to establish benchmarks for accurate comparison of costs year over year.  The point is that unless the indicators are compared to a standard and the same standard is used for each evaluation, the results will be meaningless.  More over, unless the standards are meaningful to begin with, the results are going to be meaningless.

Benchmarking technical performance should not be a major concern , at least in the early stages, as currently  CommunityNet is offering little more that higher bandwidth and security.  SaskTel through Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (SPMC) is able to, for a fee, provide a yearly report that outlines throughput performance.  This would be money well spent.  It needs to be noted that vision for CommunityNets future include a host of value added services.  Once this starts to happen, throughput becomes only one small part of the equation and the notion of technical performance evaluation becomes far more complex.  That said, performance evaluation will always be a necessary activity and as stated earlier, the best case scenario would be for all stakeholders in the K-12 education system  to align with the final system of indicators.

It is important to understand that throughput is dependent on many variables.  For example, if the information coming over the network is located or cached on the host server or on a server in close proximity to the host server and has a high bandwidth connection to the host server, the throughput is likely to be very good.  If the information exists somewhere outside of CommunityNet, the throughput performance is going to be dictated by the poorest performing link in the network connection.  The fairest measurement will be one taken from the host server to the end user. 

Benchmarking cost on the other hand is going to be more complex.  Schools will be able to tell us what they were paying for Internet service prior to CommunityNet.  What they won’t know is how much they are paying for their CommunityNet.  The best we can do is to take the amount of money the government is withholding and establish an average cost per school for the service.

If this approach is taken we know that some schools would be paying about double what they might have paid prior to CommunityNet.  Other schools would be paying only a quarter or even less than what they were paying prior to CommunityNet. 

The other factor that is problematic here is that the grade of service CommunityNet is providing is significantly different than that which schools bought prior to CommunityNet.  It is now a business class service with significant service guarantees and security feature their previous service did not offer.  The equation is further complicated by the fact that CommunityNet will not be fully rolled out for three years and we’re not certain what level of service will be deployed where.  This is because SaskTel will deploy the most appropriate technology for a given time in the evolution of the technology and location as well as the proposed value added services that are being planned for the future. 

All in all, it will be very difficult to benchmark cost.  The point is that we’re not really talking apples to apples.  Non the less, value for the money spent is still an important need to know and, again, the  best solution to this problem is if all education CommunityNet stakeholders support the idea of service evaluation indicators and agree to use one common benchmark.  It is believed that some form of the grant distribution equation be engaged to find a more accurate benchmark.

It is important to include indicators that reflect how the schools are using the new CommunityNet service.  Again, value is only a perception based on individual preferences and needs.  At the 1998 SSTA Convention, boards of education passed a motion to lobby government for high-speed Internet service for all schools.  The perception was that speed and cost were making it difficult for the potential of the Internet in the classroom and as a teaching and administration tool to be fully realized.  It should be noted that many individuals at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education as well as at Industry Canada commonly held this belief.  In order to understand if CommunityNet is making a difference the system of indicators must offer insights in this area.

 Indictor System
Includes:
  • a stakeholder

    • survey
  • stakeholder 

    • interviews
  • technical

    • evaluations
  • price/technology

    • research.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

How
do costs
compare?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 How
are schools
using
CommunityNet?

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Context

CommunityNet is a network designed and developed as a business grade ‘intranet’.  It is being offered to schools, healthcare facilities and government departments in Saskatchewan.  CommunityNet is a response, by the provincial government, to the growing demand for high-speed Internet services in these sectors.

The provincial government wants to leverage the money spent on Internet communications in these public sectors in order to enable the deployment of high-speed Internet service in the rural communities of Saskatchewan.  High-speed Internet service is seen as a possible economic development tool for rural Saskatchewan.

The following is the Government of Saskatchewans roll out plan and vision for CommunityNet.

In December 2000 there were only eight communities in the province with high-speed Internet service. By October 2001, more than 185 communities were connected, providing the foundation for improved services in distance learning, telehealth and e-commerce. A further 125 communities will be connected by spring 2002. All 366 communities will be connected to the network within three years.

In addition to its public sector benefits, CommunityNet has the potential to allow small businesses to develop e-business options that are not impacted by distances and location. With the public sector acting as an anchor tenant, the province's Crown telecommunications supplier, SaskTel, will now be able to reassess its high-speed Internet service strategy for small communities. This will be done on a business case-by-business case basis.

Over the next six years, $70.9 million will be spent developing the high-speed network. Provincial funding will come from a combination of new money and a reallocation of existing resources. The Government of Canada is contributing $5 million toward the project.

Only through a co-operative effort between provincial agencies and the federal government is it possible to build the critical mass necessary to develop the infrastructure needs of rural Saskatchewan. By doing so, CommunityNet fulfills the goal of bridging the digital divide and providing high-speed Internet access to rural communities. That goal was one of a number of IT initiatives identified in the province's economic strategy consultation document, Partnership for Prosperity.

At the time Saskatchewan becomes one of the few jurisdictions in North America to develop such a comprehensive high-speed network. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The goals as stated in
Partnership for
Prosperity, consultation
document, Septemer
2002.

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CommunityNet Stakeholders

The current stakeholders are:
  • The School Divisions of the province
  • The Ministry of Education
  • The Health Districts in the province
  • The Ministry of Health
  • The Post-Secondary Institutions in the province
  • The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training
  • Executive Government
  • The Information Technology Office (ITO)
  • Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (SPMC)
  • SaskTel
  • SCN 
Rural Communities

CommunityNet offers future promise for network and value added services for First Nations Schools, SUMA, SARM and possibly Provincial libraries.

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Service providers

Information Technology Office (ITO) is a branch of government under the Ministry of Economic and Co-operative Development.  Their role is to bring together information about the needs of the various government departments as it pertains to information technology. 

Saskatchewan Property Management Corporations (SPMC) mandate is to provide accommodation and commercial services to all government departments, boards, agencies, commissions and treasury board crowns.

SaskTel is the Saskatchewan crown corporation who have been contracted to design and deploy the land-based service and infrastructure required to provide the CommunityNet service.

Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN) is a crown corporation whose role it is to provide educational networking services to Saskatchewan education institutions.  Their infrastructure is satellite based and has traditionally provided video services to these institutions for ‘Distance Education’.  Their role in the CommunityNet will be to provide a Satellite based Internet service to those locations in Saskatchewan that land based solutions are economically impractical. 

It should be noted that the design of the network was a joint effort between ITO, SPMC and SaskTel.

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Administration and service development approach

The ITO, SPMC and SaskTel are responsible for evaluating the technical requirements of the network and negotiating the cost of providing the service through a consultative process with the current service providers, SaskTel and SCN, and the end users.

The Ministry of Education has created the On Line Operational Consortium, a representative team drawn from the stakeholder group, to research and bring on-line new network services.  These may include services such as e-mail, video conferencing, voice over internet and hosted applications.  The consortium will have committees looking at four points of focus:

  1. Web Based Resource Development
  2. On Line Teaching
  3. E-Business
  4. Communications
These new web centric offerings will increase bandwidth demand on the network.  This team and the network administration will have to work closely to ensure a cost effective, equitable service for the stakeholders.

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End users

The end users of this service are the students, teachers, school administrators and government administrators who require access to information and the ability to share information.  Conceptually it should allow for anywhere, anytime access to information.

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High Level Technical design

The CommunityNet is designed to be an Intranet.  This means that the service is provided using Internet TCPIP protocol technology but it is separate from the internet.  It is private to the defined stakeholders and has significant security features applied to it.

The design of the network is a hybrid service using several technologies dependant on location.  CommunityNet uses fiber-based connections, copper-based DSLAM technology and Satellite access depending upon location.

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Indicators to be considered

Before getting into those indicators that will allow us to evaluate the benefits and shortcomings of CommunityNet for the K-12 education system we must recognize two things:
  1. CommunityNet is just now being rolled out and will take 3years to complete.  The point is that increased bandwidth to rural and remote locations and lower costs to the school divisions is likely the best we can expect.
  2. During the roll out of CommunityNet, some school divisions are going to run into difficulties with connecting and continuing to use the net in the same way as they did prior to CommunityNet.  The reason being is that the CommunityNet is not just Internet access any longer. CommunityNet is a business class intranet service with significant security applied.  What we should expect is an efficient resolution process.

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Performance

The demand from the education sector for higher bandwidth access was the first order of business for the provincial government.  The Saskatchewan School Trustees Association, in 1998 put forth a motion to lobby the government for pervasive high-speed Internet access in the schools at prices they could afford.  The issue at the time was the need to access the Internet for learning resources, communication and new learning and teaching opportunities.  Without the higher bandwidth these resources and opportunities were seen as something in the distant future and a pipe dream for most of our rural and remote locations.

Significant indicators would be:

  • Have the schools Internet access bandwidth increased since 1998?
  • Is the school using the Internet more for learning resources than in 1998?
  • Is the school using the Internet more for teaching resources than in 1998?
  • Has the school developed some new or different approaches to learning and teaching since 1998 as a result of the increased bandwidth?
  • Is the division now able to provide all their institutions with the same bandwidth?
  • If not, does this cause inequity?

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Functionality

Prior to CommunityNet, school divisions in Saskatchewan have, on their own and largely without direction from the Ministry of Education, adopted and developed network applications allowing them to operate more effectively and form efficiently.  All school divisions have connected to the internet for the purposes of accessing new, current and cost effective learning resources, e-mail communication and developing new teaching and learning opportunities, network centric applications and so on. 

CommunityNet, given that it is providing higher bandwidth to all schools in the province, should allow for all of these existing practices to continue and create even more opportunities for the future.

Significant indicators would be:

  • Is the school division able to use their network applications in the same way they did prior to connecting to CommunityNet?
  • Is the division using applications that are different from those used prior to CommunityNet?
  • Is the school division finding the higher bandwidth offers better administration practices?
  • Is the school division finding the higher bandwidth offers better learning opportunities?
  • Is the school division finding the higher bandwidth offers better teaching opportunities and practices?
  • Is the school division researching new administration, resource, teaching and learning opportunities as a result of the increased bandwidth?
  • If so, is the school division receiving adequate support from the CommunityNet administrators to make their research fruitful?
  • Is the bandwidth adequate enough to allow for deploying new applications?

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Flexibility

Some school divisions feel obligated to provide bandwidth equity to all the schools in their division.  New technologies, ie: wireless high-speed communications offer this opportunity.  CommunityNet should be flexible enough to allow for this to happen.

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Equality

CommunityNet is a network using several different transport technologies.  These technologies are being deployed depending on the location.  The following table represents how what speeds will be available in different locations around the province:

Source: CommunityNet Administration 
This will inherently present inequities between school divisions, urban and rural, and in many cases within a school division.

Significant indicators might take this approach:

  • Has your school division got speed inequities as a result of technologies used in CommunityNet?
  • Do these inequities create problems for you currently?
  • Have you raise this as an issue with your service providers?
  • If you have an issue, have you been able to find a solution?

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New opportunities

The real value of CommunityNet will be recognized only if new ways of doing things allow for the school division and the education sector in general become more effective and more efficient.  It is the role of the CommunityNet organizational team to ensure this happens.  And, it should happen with input from all stakeholders.

Some key indicators might be:

  • Has the school division been offered new administration, learning resource or teaching resources since CommunityNet was deployed?
  • Has the school division been notified of new opportunities to come?
  • Has the school division been asked for their opinion and their needs?

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Cost of service to the school division

One of the goals for CommunityNet was to provide high-speed internet access at equal or reduced cost from those days prior to CommunityNet.  A simple cost comparison will be very useful in determining if this will happen.  The CommunityNet administrators suggest that CommunityNet will be cost effective and provide cost savings of 20% over the one off approach and higher bandwidth at the same or less cost.

Indicators might include:

  • How many schools in the school division?
  • What Internet access speed did the schools have prior to the deployment of CommunityNet?
  • What was the cost per school per year for these services?
  • What Internet access speed do each of the schools have since CommunityNet was deployed?
  • How much in the way of grants was withheld from your division for the purposes of paying for CommunityNet?

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Cost of the same level of service bought outside the CommunityNet

This piece of the evaluation tool is best run as a small research project.  It’s recommended that several service providers, including SaskTel, be requested to provide prices for similar services outside of CommunityNet.  It is recommended that a sample be taken.  The sample should cover off relevant issues such as speed and location.

This piece should also take into consideration what is happening in other provinces.  New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia are known to have provincial education networks of some description.  Interviews should be conducted with SSTA sister associations in those jurisdictions in order to make comparisons on price and quality of service.  This is not meant to be used as a direct comparison, but rather to provide valuable information that will support the growth and development of CommunityNet.

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Evaluation Process

This framework outlines how an evaluation of CommunityNets performance might be conducted.  In order for this to be a truly valuable tool, all members of the stakeholder group should align to it or some variation of it, and the stakeholder group should agree to appropriate benchmarks.  An evaluation should be conducted and a report should be delivered to the stakeholder group at least once per year, six-month intervals would be more effective.

This approach will allow for a close working relationship between all stakeholders.  It will allow for the swift resolution of issues and the effective development of value added services through a common desire for an effective, efficient education network.

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Appendices

Saskatchewan School Divisions: A Survey About CommunityNet

Saskatchewan boards of education pay $3.73 million, plus PST, annually for CommunityNet and represent the largest investor group in the project.   School division perceptions are an important component of evaluating CommunityNet. Please complete the following questionnaire and return your responses to research@ssta.sk.ca
 
1.  CommunityNet is strengthening educational services and opportunities in our school system.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
2.  CommunityNet is provided good value to the education system for the price being paid.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
3.  CommunityNet has increased Internet Access Bandwidths in your schools.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
4.  CommunityNet makes the Internet a vialble and trusted learning and teaching tool.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
5.  CommunityNet makes the internet a viable and trusted administration tool.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
6.  CommunityNet is, in part, accountable for increased use of the Internet for learning and teaching.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
7.  CommunityNet, with its improved access speeds, is encouraging different approaches to learning and teaching.
1 2 4 3
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
8.  While CommunityNet does not provide equal access to all schools, it does not impact the operation of the School Division.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
9.  CommunityNet allows our school division to communicate in the same way as it did prior to CommunityNet.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
10.  CommunityNet has created opportunities for our school division to use the network for applications it could not have used prior to CommunityNet.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
11.  Our school division uses CommunityNet for the same purposes and in the same way as we used our previous network solution.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
12.  CommunityNet, with its increased bandwidth, allows our school division to deploy the network in new ways.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
13.  CommunityNet offers different speeds to different locations.  This situation has not created operation challenges for your school division.
1 2 3 4
Agree
Strongly		 Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly
Comments:

 
14.  What Internet access speed did the schools have prior to the deployment of  CommunityNet?

 
15.  How many schools in the school division are connected to CommunityNet?

 
16. What was the cost per school per year for these services?

 
17. What Internet access speed do each of the schools have since CommunityNet was deployed?

 
18. How much, in the way of grants, has been withheld from your division for the purposes of paying for CommunityNet?

 
19. What questions or concerns do you have about CommunityNet?
20. What are two requests you would make of CommunityNet to better serve your school system?

 

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Facilitator’s Guide: School Division Focus Group Discussion Evaluation of CommunityNet

Context
Saskatchewan boards of education pay $3.73 million, plus PST, annually for CommunityNet and represent the largest investor group in the project.   It is important that boards of education understand the value and account for the money invested.  A survey of school divisions has identified some questions that the SSTA would like to discuss with you.  Your perceptions will helpful in contributing to the evaluation and improvement of CommunityNet.

How has CommunityNet contributed to changes is use of ICT in your school system?

What are two requests you would make of CommunityNet to better serve your school system?

How has CommunityNet impacted the operation of your school division?

How is the school division using CommunityNet that is different from how it used its previous network solution?

What opportunities has CommunityNet created to develop better administration practices?

What has CommunityNet done to create better learning opportunities?

How has the higher bandwidth offered by CommunityNet created opportunities for innovative teaching practices?

How is the school division approaching the research of new administration, resource, teaching and learning opportunities created by CommunityNets increased bandwidth promise?

How has the school division been supported by the CommunityNet administration to make their research fruitful?

Who is it that your school division relies on when it comes to question about CommunityNet?

How do you feel about the way your inquiries have been handled?

What has your experience been as far as deploying new network applications?

How many different CommunityNet technologies are being used to serve your school division, fiber, DSLAM, Satellite, etc.?

How do these service differences affect the way you use the network in your school division?

What have your found to be the most significant changes your school division have undertaken to get the most out of CommunityNet?

How have you been able to find a solution?

Has the school division been offered new administration, learning resources or teaching resources since CommunityNet was deployed?

Has the school division been notified of new opportunities to come?

Has the school division been asked for their opinion and their needs?

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Interviewers Guide: Consultation with Other CommunityNet Stakeholders - An Evaluation of CommunityNet

Context
Saskatchewan boards of education pay $3.73 million, plus PST, annually for CommunityNet and represent the largest investor group in the project.   It is important that boards of education understand the value and account for the money invested.  It is also important for the school boards to understand how other stakeholders in CommunityNet benefit from CommunityNet so as to adopt best practices.

How has CommunityNet contributed to changes in use of  ICT in your organization?

What are two requests you would make of CommunityNet to better serve your organization?

Is your organization able to use their network applications in the same way they did prior to connecting to CommunityNet?

Is your organization using applications that are different from those used prior to CommunityNet?

Is your organization finding the higher bandwidth offers better administration practices?

Is your organization researching new administration and resource opportunities?

If so, is your organization receiving adequate support from the CommunityNet administrators to make their research fruitful?

Is the bandwidth adequate enough to allow for deploying new network applications?

Has your organization got speed inequities as a result of technologies used in CommunityNet?

If yes, do these inequities create problems for you currently?

If yes, have your raised this as an issue with your service providers?

If you have an issue, have you been able to find solutions?

How is your organization evaluating the value of CommunityNet?

How do you feel about the technical performance of CommunityNet compared to your previous networking solution?

How do you feel about the value you are getting for the money you are spending?

Have you any other comments you’d like to share?

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Technical evaluation: How is CommunityNet performing technically?

Context
Saskatchewan boards of education pay $3.73 million, plus PST, annually for CommunityNet and represent the largest investor group in the project.   It is important that boards of education understand the value and account for the money invested.  Part of the evaluation is the technical performance of the network.  This evaluation will monitor the technical performance committed to the education sector by the service providers.

Speed evaluation should be conducted on a per location basis and performed by the division staff responsible for the network.  The evaluation should be compared against the service installed.

Services installed are:

Source: CommunityNet Administration
Note: speed should be measured to the service provider.

Service should be evaluated based on mean time to respond and mean time to repair.  CommunityNet commitments are:

Note:  This technical report should be developed using the Ministries input as well as SPMC’s input.

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Price-Technology Benchmarks: How does CommunityNet price out using other providers and Compared to other locations?

Context
Saskatchewan boards of education pay $3.73 million, plus PST, annually for CommunityNet and represent the largest investor group in the project.   It is important that boards of education understand the value and account for the money invested.

SSTA will need to perform an annual study of prices for the services their members are using.  This information can then be extrapolated to estimate what the cost of the service would be if purchased from SaskTel outside the CommunityNet offering as well as what it would cost if it were purchased from other service providers in Saskatchewan and in other provinces.

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