CISA Inaugural Community ICT Awards

Pro Bono Australia is one of six winners in the inaugural Australian Community ICT Awards – Presented at the CISA Connecting Up 2007 Conference Dinner in Adelaide on 14 May 2007

For Best use of Software in Not for Profit settings the winner is: Milang Old School House Community Centre

This Award recognises a NFP organisation that has led the way in the innovative use of software products or services that enhance NFP operations through better internal processes. This includes (but is not limited to) financial applications, human resource applications, case management applications etc.

Milang Old School House Community Centre is a local community organisation which reaches into the wider region of Fleurieu Peninsula. They have ‘cherry-picked’ a range of open source and other software to respond to the needs identified in their Centre and in their community. They have utilised a range of software packages, most of which have their origins in Australia, building on the flexibility to deliver learning, communications and resource-sharing capacity in their community.

For Best website/web strategy the winner is: Novita Children’s Services
This Award recognises the NFP organisation that has led the way in the innovative use of websites and web strategies, applying best practice in accessibility, user friendliness, creative use of media etc, in a NFP context.

The Novita Website Accessibility Project endeavours to develop and continually enhance a website that is at the ‘cutting edge’ of accessibility for people with disability.

For Community ICT Innovator of the Year Award the winner is: North Coast Computer Project Inc for their Networking North Coast Indigenous Communities Project (NNCICP)

This Award recognises an organisation that the judges consider has made the most significant contribution in terms of promoting ICT as an essential element in NFP service delivery and striving towards world’s best practice in NFP ICT.

The NNCICP is fostered by an alliance between North Coast Computer Project (NCCP) and North Coast Institute of TAFE NSW whereby Information Technology students volunteer their skills helping to establish E-hubs in local indigenous communities within the Lower Clarence.

For Using ICT to connect to the Community – Business of the Year Award the winner is: Pro Bono Australia
This Award recognises the business which the judges consider has made the most significant contribution in using ICT as an essential element in working effectively with their NFP and community stakeholders.

Pro Bono Australia has a vision of using both websites and outgoing communications such as email to enable the community sector to communicate with each other, to access new information and resources via the web. These include the Pro Bono Australia website, their Directory of Nonprofit Organisations, their News Service, Volunteer Match and the WOW guide. They are an Australian company using an Australian website developer (Infoxchange) and all IP is Australian owned.

For Using ICT to connect to the Community – Government Agency of the Year Award the winner is: The Digital Bridge Unit in the information Economy Directorate of the SA Department for Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology for their Outback Connect project.

This Award recognises the government agency at any level which the judges consider has made the most significant contribution to using ICT as an essential element in communicating effectively with their community.

Outback Connect is a joint initiative of the South Australian and Australian Governments providing IT training and technical support to residents of very remote South Australia through the innovative use of a virtual classroom.

Congratulations to all the winners.