How will function groups coordinate with each other?
What do function groups want from hub and what does hub want from function groups?
Function groups need someone to attend the hub.
Formal votes? Or dose it need to be more fluid?
Things will go together e.g. food and education, where education is not specific to food but is an overlapping need common to all function groups and the hub.
Need for basic information e.g. what is Transition?
The terms “wiki” and “sandbox” were not understood by several in this group. Attempts to describe it had mixed success demonstrating how important and difficult clear simple information for beginners is to compose and deliver – especially if the person explaining is primarily an expert or has relevant experience in the topic rather than as an educator.
It is often better to meet in real life rather than rely on emails and web pages, especially for those with limited or no online access.
The current Google ttBrighton web site was criticised for being poorly laid out and confusing. The constraints of the template Google has provided were blamed. But also subject lines in discussion topics were not always kept to making it hard / impossible to find relevant information.
A tailor-made website using wiki freeware (free licence computer software), php (a computer language) with our own domain name (the name of the site) and a local company volunteering to host the new site were touted as solutions. Links to the ‘official’ TT national network would be easy. Someone needs to be tasked with teaching others, and a web site / communications administrator and / or a ‘technology officer’ were cited as needed - for the whole of Transition Brighton & Hove.
The hub has information that other groups would need too. It must be clear what the decision-making powers of the hub are.
A constitution is needed. But some thought the process of creating a constitution is a very time consuming, frustrating and long winded. Perhaps a group needs to be set up tasked with overseeing the creation of the constitution and ensuring it is regularly modified as needed.
Appropriate skills and experience of hub members are vital to its success. Holding meetings every 2 weeks is a high requirement.
Access statistics “city stab” based on each ward or on neighbourhoods? Groups to integrate with each other but also to make them coherent and be known in the local community.
Advertising without the web is important too.
The hub and web site can have information on existing models from other transition towns.
Where and when should the hub meet with other groups? Perhaps rotate the spokes person role within each function group?
How will Function Groups & Hub coordinate?
