On April 4, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) released its State Digital Equity Implementation Manual: a guide with resources + best practices for those implementing digital inclusion strategies at a state level with funds allocated through the Digital Equity Act in 2021.
The publication comes just as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) releases the Notice of Funding Opportunity for its Digital
Equity Capacity Program, which provides more than $800 million for states, territories, and the District of Columbia to begin implementation of State and U.S. Territory Digital Equity Plans. In support of this work, the manual includes information on topics including:
- Building Ecosystems
- Implementation Strategies
- Best Practices
- Serving Covered Populations
- Measurement, Evaluation, & Sustainability
The Director of METRO’s Digital Equity Research Center, Dr. Colin Rhinesmith, authored the Digital Inclusion Ecosystems section and provided editing support across the publication. The section draws from Dr. Rhinesmith’s ongoing research on Digital Equity Ecosystems, or the interactions between individuals, populations, communities, and their larger sociotechnical environments that play a role in shaping the work to advance more equitable access to technology and social, economic, and racial justice. His forthcoming book on the subject will be released by the University of California Press in 2025.
The NDIA manual also mentions our Center’s work with Dr. Rafi Santo to develop a measurement framework for digital equity coalitions and the situated logic model example in our Digital Opportunities Compass white paper co-authored by Dr. Rhinesmith with support from the Quello Center for Media and Information Policy at Michigan State University.
To learn more, access the State Digital Equity Implementation Manual or visit NDIA’s website for additional resources for digital inclusion practitioners.
