It's time for a Strategy Refresh for DA4A

For more than a decade, TPF initiatives have emphasized embracing technology and optimizing its benefits to strengthen its work. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in early 2020, TPF immediately became concerned about families and whether they had the tools to keep engaged. Digital access swiftly emerged as a basic necessity for participating in activities that had increasingly shifted to the online environment. Unfortunately, many asset-limited families, older adults, and communities struggled to acquire internet access, computer devices, and training to succeed in this new, technology-driven world.

When the Digital Access for All (DA4A) initiative was created, it began exploring the efforts of national, state, and regional thought leaders who were working to address these issues in ways that connect people while fostering inclusion and well-being. Discovering efforts and entities that are creating change on this issue and how each is working on it created an opportunity to strengthen efforts to overcome the common obstacles to digital access.

Six years later, at an ever-rapidly changing pace of growth and evolution, DA4A took the opportunity to take a fresh look at the DA4A strategy. A strategy refresh team, led by Andrew Spector, Cheri Coryea, Julio Suárez, and Brian Ries, consultants at TPF, was assembled with the purpose to assess the efficacy of current and past DA4A programs, receive feedback from key stakeholders, uncover promising practices in digital access regionally and across the country, and consider positive/negative impacts of the availability and loss of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

The Refresh confirmed that the DA4A approach has been rooted in the following:

• Aspiration: Explore the efforts of multiple sectors working to enhance access to technology that connects people in ways that foster inclusion and well-being.

• Scope: Strengthen digital access among people of all ages and backgrounds, especially those from asset-limited families. Geographic focus on Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, while also connecting, learning, and strengthening alongside regional and national partners.

• Three Essential Elements: The three essential elements of digital access are connectivity (the ability to connect to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet), devices (possessing the right device for one’s needs, and skills training/support (having access to the necessary training and support to use devices and programs effectively while solving technical issues when they arise.

• Four Key Barriers: The four key barriers to digital access are access (one’s ability to connect to high-speed internet), adoption (whether or not members of a community actually subscribe to a high-speed internet plan), affordability (cost is perhaps the most limiting factor when it comes to many asset-limited families and individuals across the country, and awareness (even when low-cost, basic plans are available for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families in our region, residents are often unaware of them or how to qualify for them).

• Strategic Hypothesis: If TPF researches digital access proven practices from around the country, shares learnings with stakeholders locally, regionally, and nationally, and adapts what learnings to Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota, counties, then TPF can strengthen digital access efforts locally, regionally, and nationally, and execute programming in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties that increases digital access (connecting, devices, and skills training/support) among people of all ages and backgrounds, especially those from asset-limited families.

The Refresh is now complete, and over the next several months, we will be sharing learnings from over 30 national, regional, and local partner interviews, research on reports, podcasts, webinars, and program and service data. We will share how DA4A will emerge, with techniques and opportunities that will expand its reach, and how the team will forge ahead in the digital access ecosystem.