23 - Building a Statewide Digital Equity Plan through Empowerment Evaluation

Abstract Information: Using an empowerment evaluation framework to center a research practice partnership (RPP), two North Carolina universities collaborated with a state agency to bring together local stakeholders from across North Carolina to identify available resources and barriers to access of digital resources, programs, and training in local communities. This work is being used to support the development of a 5-year Digital Equity Plan for North Carolina.

Empowerment evaluation is frequently used in contexts where program participants have little power and aims to address real-life concerns to positively influence participants’ sense of self-efficacy (Rossi et al., 2004). It emphasizes a participatory and collaborative approach to support initiative, advocacy, and self-determination among participants and stakeholders to support change and gain greater control over the evaluation and their own lives (Fetterman et al., 1996).

We focused specifically on targeting the needs of covered populations as defined by the Digital Equity Act Sec. 60302(8), which includes veterans, people who live in rural areas, people with disabilities, people with low literacy, English learners or whose first language is not English, and racial and ethnic minorities, aging populations, incarcerated individuals, and low-income populations (150% of the Federal Poverty line or below).

To ensure this work included the voices and representation of all regions and covered populations across the state, researchers collaborated with digital equity and inclusion leaders (e.g., Institute for Emerging Issues, Hispanic Federation, HBCUs, local digital inclusion collaboratives, libraries, device refurbishers, rural centers, etc.) to identify representative groups and locations to gather information and support efforts to identify the state’s assets and needs related to digital equity and inclusion in North Carolina and to help stakeholders use those results to advocate for change and experience greater control in their lives (Wandersman, et al., 2004). The goal of this design was to provide a timely, comprehensive, and accurate overview of the state’s assets and needs from multiple stakeholder perspectives while also empowering those stakeholders to better advocate for themselves.

Within this evaluation, we employed a concurrent mixed method embedded design (DeCuir-Gunby, & Schutz, 2016) in which qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously to examine the current state of digital equity and inclusion efforts for the state of North Carolina. Within this work, key activities were used to synthesize results and provide comprehensive recommendations for the state’s Digital Equity plan. This included 1) a searchable digital asset inventory, 2) twenty listening sessions identifying the digital assets and needs of specific communities and covered populations, 3) deployment of a statewide digital needs assessment survey, and 4) analysis of all digital inclusion plans approved or submitted to the state of North Carolina.

This roundtable presentation will explore the development of this research practice partnership through an empowerment evaluation framework and how the lasting and trusted relationships among digital equity and inclusion experts allowed the state to respond efficiently and effectively to build a 5-year digital equity plan that was formed and informed by diverse groups of stakeholders from across the state.

Relevance Statement: At least 1.1 million North Carolina households lack access to high-speed internet, cannot afford it, or do not have the skills needed to participate fulling in the digital economy. In today’s world, having access to affordable high-speed internet, reliable devices, and knowing how to use digital tools (internet adoption) are necessary for full participation in most sectors, including healthcare, education, economic development, agriculture, and beyond (NC DIT, 2023).

In 2021, North Carolina became the first state in the nation to create an Office of Digital Equity and Literacy (ODEL), part of the state's Division of Broadband and Digital Equity. In the same year, North Carolina allocated $971 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and state funding to address internet access and another $50 million to advance internet affordability and adoption. With this investment, ODEL is 1) prioritizing internet affordability through Affordable Connectivity Program enrollment, 2) creating device access for low-income households, 3) increasing digital literacy training and building, and 4) building capacity for community partners. As part of this work, funding was awarded to the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University (NCSU) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) (a highly regarded HBCU) to support the development of the state’s 5-Year Digital Equity Plan.

The research teams at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NCSU and NCCU were uniquely positioned to serve as the program managers and evaluators for this work as they serve as representatives on the state's Digital Equity and Inclusion Collaborative, have conducted extensive evaluations and research in the digital equity field, and worked closely with digital equity- and inclusion-focused organizations across the state. They serve as leaders across digital equity and inclusion working groups, and have a deep understanding of the needs of diverse communities and populations across the state.

Several principles that guided this work which are overlapping and interactively reinforcing, and in practice encourage and promote internal accountability. These include: Improvement, Community Ownership, Inclusion, Democratic Participation, Social justice, Community Knowledge, Evidence-Based Strategies, Capacity Building, Organizational Learning, and Accountability.

A number of theories also guided this work including:
1) Empowerment theory: focuses on gaining control, resources, and understanding of one’s environment (Zimmerman, 2000).
2) Self-determination theory: motivational theory suggests all humans have basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and when conditions exist where these are fostered, it leads to higher motivation, engagement, persistence, and performance (Deci & Ryan, 1985).
3) Comparisons of theories of action and use of how organizations function. Empowerment evaluation is an iterative and ongoing process constantly comparing theory of action to its actual use in order to more closely align them (Patton, 1997).

This work not only helped to inform policy in North Carolina, it helped to connect critical partners working in the digital equity space to better leverage their expertise to address the diverse needs of the state. This work could serve as a model for other states as they begin to develop and implement similar digital equity plans.