October 17 th, 2022
Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D.
Dire c tor
Broa d b a nd : Dig ita l Inc lusion Pa ne l
NADO’s Annua l Tra ining Confe re nc e
Regional Digital
Inclusion: Two Case
Studies

To be a leader in innovative and adaptive partnerships empowering
re g ions to find solutions for e q uita b le , susta ina b le , a nd re silie nt
d e ve lop m e nt. Colla b ora te with p e op le to liste n, id e ntify, a nd e nha nc e
a sse ts uniq ue to the ir story re sulting in p rosp e rity a nd q ua lity of life .
Who Are We? Established:
PCRD He a d q ua rte rs
Sc howe House
Vision + Mission:
p c rd .p urd ue .e d u
2005

Two Case Studies
Southeast Indiana Regional Planning
Commission (SIRPC): 9 Counties
Indiana Uplands (also known as Rural
Opportunity Initiatives or ROI): 11 Counties

• Top- down
• Regional Digital Advisory Team (RDAT)
• Indicator analysis
• Survey data
• Transformation from RDAT to county
ambassadors
• Public Input
• Duke Energy Foundation Funds
• Regional Economic Acceleration and
Development Initiative (READI)Funds
• Read more: Southeast Indiana Regional
Planning Commission - Digital Inclusion Plan
(sirpc.org)
SIRPC
Mission : c re a te a re g iona l e nvironm e nt whe re
a ll southe a st Ind ia na c itize ns a nd b usine sse s
thrive throug h c onne c tivity a nd d ig ita l inc lusion.
Goal 1: Build / up g ra d e a fford a b le , sc a la b le , a nd
future p roof b roa d b a nd throug hout the
c om m unity a nd im p rove a d op tion.
Goal 2 : Ensure a ll re sid e nts ha ve re a sona b le
a c c e ss to q ua lity, a fford a b le a nd re lia b le
d e vic e s a s we ll a s a truste d te c hnic a l sup p ort to
m a inta in, up g ra d e , a nd use the se d e vic e s.
Goal 3 : Provid e a p e rp e tua l d ig ita l lite ra c y
e c osyste m – m ulti- fa c e te d a c ross m ultip le
te c hnolog ie s – offe ring sup p ort a nd e q uita b le
a c c e ss to p e op le of a ll a g e s a nd a b ilitie s for the
re g ion’s d ig ita l a c tivitie s.
Goal 4 : Inc lud e c onne c tivity, d e vic e s a nd d ig ita l
skills into loc a l a nd re g iona l c om m unity a nd
e c onom ic d e ve lop m e nt stra te g ie s throug h
p ub lic p riva te p a rtne rship s, c oord ina tion, a nd
a sse ssm e nts re sulting in a susta ina b le d ig ita l
e q uity e c osyste m .

• Bottom - up
• County Digital Advisory Teams (CDAT)
• Public Input
• Regional Digital Advisory Team (RDAT)
• Indicator analysis
• Survey data
• Regional Economic Acceleration and
Development Initiative (READI)Funds
Indiana Uplands
Mission : ig nite c olla b ora tion a m ong
sta ke hold e rs to le ve ra g e re sourc e s a nd
a d va nc e d ig ita l tra nsform a tion re sulting in a
m ore p rosp e rous a nd inc lusive Up la nd s re g ion.
Goal 1: e ng a g e with re g iona l le a d e rs to g row
e c onom ic p rosp e rity throug h d ig ita l inc lusion
a m ong b usine sse s re sulting in a d ig ita l sa vvy
workforc e , inc re a se d c a p ita l, online p re se nc e
a nd ultim a te ly d ig ita l tra nsform a tion.
Goal 2 : b uild a nd im p le m e nt d ig ita l inc lusion
re sourc e s for und e rse rve d p op ula tions tha t a re
a fford a b le a nd a c c e ssib le re sulting in a
he a lthie r, ha p p ie r a nd m ore p rosp e rous re g ion.
Goal 3 : e xp a nd a c c e ss to hig h- p e rform ing ,
a fford a b le b roa d b a nd .
Goal 4 : b uild a strong a nd inc lusive d ig ita l
e c osyste m re sulting in a re sp onsive a nd
e ng a g e d re g ion.

• Awareness on Digital Inclusion
• Competing priorities
• Regional process (bottom - up or top - down)
• Modularity
• Open - minded