Annexes to COM(2000)727 - An Evaluation of the Bridge Phase of TIDE (Technology Initiative for Disabled and Elderly people) - Main contents
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dossier | COM(2000)727 - An Evaluation of the Bridge Phase of TIDE (Technology Initiative for Disabled and Elderly people). |
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document | COM(2000)727 |
date | November 17, 2000 |
>REFERENCE TO A GRAPHIC>
An evaluation of the Bridge phase of
TIDE
(Technology Initiative for Disabled and Elderly people)
1993 - 94
REPORT
Evaluation Panel
Chairman Jan-Ingvar Lindström
Rapporteur John Stallard
Dominic Bouwhuis Fritz Breimesser Massimo Campo
Roland Pouillie Catherine Varriot
March 2000
Information Society Directorate General Applications relating to the Disabled and the Elderly
Published by
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Information Society Directorate General
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information
Also available on the Internet at http://www.cordis.lu/ist/ka1/special_needs/library.htm
Copyright: European Commission
Printed in Belgium Contents
Preface 2
Introduction
Evaluation of the outputs and results of the initiative 2
Overall impacts of the TIDE Bridge phase initiative 2
Recommendations 2
Annex 1. TIDE Bridge phase evaluation panel members 2
Annex 2. Terms of reference and methodology for the TIDE Bridge Phase Evaluation 2
Preface
The technology initiative for disabled and elderly people (TIDE) was a community technology promotion and application initiative with the main objective of "stimulating the creation of an internal market in rehabilitation technology in Europe to facilitate the socio-economic integration of disabled and elderly people".
The part of the initiative known as the "Bridge phase" covered the period 1993-94. It was intended to act as a link between the Pilot action of TIDE which began in 1991 and the research and development activities that were anticipated in the Telematics Applications Programme which started in 1994.
This report presents an evaluation of the TIDE Bridge phase initiative, performed by a panel of independent experts. It is based on an assessment of the outputs, results and impacts of the activities as required by the Council Decision of 21st September 1993, which is the legal basis for the initiative. The panel has also produced a detailed background document (in English, only), which may be consulted and downloaded from the Internet at the following address:
http://www.cordis.lu/ist/ka1/special_needs/library.htm.
The independent experts, assisted by the Commission Services, have examined, analysed and evaluated the work done and the impacts of the initiative on inter alia the rehabilitation technology sector, the single market and the situation of disabled and elderly people in Europe.
The evaluation took place in the autumn of 1999, that is, after the completion of the last TIDE Bridge phase project. Therefore the results of the evaluation could not influence the succeeding work in the Telematics Applications Programme. However, the longer term assessment of this phase of TIDE has provided results which may be taken into account for the development of the Information Society Technologies programme. Carrying out the evaluation at this stage also provided an opportunity to assess the longer term outcomes from the TIDE Bridge phase.
The evaluation panel wishes to thank all those members of the Commission staff who were involved during the Bridge phase as well as during the evaluation for their strong, competent and service-minded support! It would not have been possible for the panel to fulfil its obligation without help from the Commission Services.
The TIDE Bridge phase evaluation panel
Brussels, January 2000
Introduction
This report presents an evaluation of the TIDE Bridge phase 1993-94 technology initiative for submission to the European Parliament and Council. It was conducted in accordance with Article 4 of the Council Decision 93/512/EEC which requires that "at the end of the initiative, an evaluation of the results achieved shall be conducted for the Commission by a group of independent experts". The evaluation has examined the outputs, the results and the impacts of the initiative.
Evaluation of the outputs and results of the initiative
The TIDE Bridge phase initiative included 55 technology promotion and application projects in six application areas [3]:
[3] The projects are presented in the publication "TIDE Bridge Phase - Synopses" (December 1994), available from the Information Society Directorate General, Applications relating to the Disabled and the Elderly, Fax +32 2 296 4260.
1. Access to technology and related services
2. Life at home and remote care
3. Mobility and transport
4. Control and manipulation
5. Restoration and enhancement of function
6. User and market issues.
The outputs of each of the projects (reports, prototype systems, technical demonstrators, products and services, information materials and dissemination activities) were registered and analysed. Additional information concerning horizontal activities (networking, standardisation activities, and workshops) and broader dissemination of the results was also included in the evaluation.
Particular attention was also paid to the five principles to which the project work should conform:
* User-focused principle
* Market oriented principle
* Innovation and technology adaptation principle
* Multi-disciplinary approach principle
* Technology verification principle.
In examining the results, the evaluation panel found wide variations in the output of the projects and the degree to which projects conformed to the five principles. There were also differences between the six application areas in the overall success of their achievements in terms of exploitation and market take-up.
The responsibility for dissemination of results has been taken seriously by many of the consortia. In particular, communication with the press and media has continued after the conclusion of the projects. There was also a high production of peer-reviewed technical or scientific publications based on the work conducted in the initiative.
Overall impacts of the TIDE Bridge phase initiative
Building on the momentum of the TIDE Pilot action, the TIDE Bridge phase was a technology initiative that, like its predecessor, was successful as a co-ordinated action, bringing together a diverse group of organisations, workers and users throughout the European Community.
The Panel concludes that, although it was not its primary objective, the TIDE Bridge phase contributed significantly to the emergence of pre-normative and pre-competitive research and development work on products and services targeted towards the needs of persons with disabilities and older people in Europe.
Overall, the greatest impact of the TIDE Bridge phase in terms of socio-economic integration may have been in extending ordinary people's perceptions of what can be possible for disabled and elderly people when new technologies are available.
Tools for improving communication, orientation, and mobility for persons with sensory, motor, and/or cognitive impairments helped demonstrate the impact which technology can have in empowering individuals to participate in society. Some application areas show that there has been a marked improvement in the possibilities for independent living through the use of new technologies.
In bridging the gap between innovative research and users, the TIDE Bridge phase increased the possibilities for the creation of a single market for rehabilitation technology in Europe, and facilitated the integration of disabled and elderly people into the community. Horizontal activities also contributed to understanding and developing the broad infrastructure underlying the market.
Recommendations
On the basis of the evaluation of the TIDE Bridge phase initiative - and acknowledging the continued importance of this area of work both for the users and for the rehabilitation technology sector in Europe - the evaluation panel makes the following main recommendations:
The European Union should continue to support a broad and integrated range of measures addressing older people and people with disabilities, in order to promote the development and take-up of rehabilitation technology products and services for different kinds of users.
As an integral part of this, there ought to be convincing and well-funded research and technological development activities for the benefit of elderly and disabled people both within the Information Society Technologies area and in other research areas.
These research and technological development activities should be complemented by a strong European Union social policy framework allowing the dissemination and take-up of new Information Society Technologies systems and services to meet the needs of elderly and disabled persons in the spirit of "access for all".
This overall approach implies greater convergence and complementarity between Community programmes and budget lines, including not only research programmes but also those concerned with policy development and implementation. The evaluation panel is convinced that there is a clear-cut case for inter-linking the various actions to ensure that appropriate technologies are made available to address the needs of disabled and elderly persons.
The evaluation panel specifically recommends the following actions which are structured according to the five principles of the TIDE Bridge phase outlined above:
User-focused principle
1. User involvement should be an important criterion in the evaluation and selection of proposals. Users are made up of very wide-ranging groups of persons and agencies with different needs and responsibilities. User involvement should be included in research and technological development projects at levels and types appropriate to the needs of each individual project.
2. Where applicable, ethical guidelines should be followed in projects. These should be an integral part of a project from the beginning of its work. Appropriate weighting should be allocated to these issues in the evaluation and selection of proposals. Projects should also be closely monitored to ensure adherence to such standards.
Market oriented principle
3. A funding mechanism should be found to support the take-up of products and services from research and technological development projects. New structures and mechanisms are needed to identify and select high-value prototype products and services and to deliver them more quickly to their target markets. The aim should be to improve the outcomes and benefits for disabled and elderly users.
4. A Community-funded study should be conducted to examine the market possibilities for take-up from research and technological development projects in the area of ageing and disability. The study should address the role of small and medium-sized enterprises and large companies, and the rehabilitation technology and consumer markets (for both older persons and disabled persons), identifying the actors, levers and mechanisms that can further the development of rehabilitation technology market(s).
Innovation and technology adaptation principle
5. Work plans for any future programmes in this field should include state-of-the-art technology both in new areas and in existing areas (e.g., robotics). In preparing future work plans, areas which to date have experienced fewer benefits from new technologies (such as the needs of people with cognitive or learning disabilities) should be considered.
6. Future programmes should support the development and use of innovative technologies and the application of available technologies which can lead to marketable solutions for the benefit of users.
Multi-disciplinary approach principle
7. Appropriate independent network(s) of key players should provide a much needed link between research and technological development consortia and those business communities, public bodies and non-governmental organisations in which products and services could suitably be deployed. The group should comprise high-level experts, nominated by the Member States.
Technology verification principle
8. Project outcomes should be disseminated in the public realm for the benefit of future work in this area. This would include the results of all projects, even those which did not fully meet their objectives.
Long-term and other issues
9. Future research and technological development programmes in this field should be supported by well targeted, long-term horizontal actions focusing on "non-technical" issues. These should include legislation, norms and standards, certification, guidelines, and social and demographic conditions. They should also incorporate social and psychological elements relevant to the conditions of the user groups.
10. In future programmes there should be an emphasis on communication and networking to raise the awareness of all the relevant actors - national and European - in the field of rehabilitation technology.
11. Projects should be strongly encouraged to develop their results through other European Union activities such as training programmes, support programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises, and so on.
12. Assessment of the management capacity of the consortia should be carried out as an integral part of the project selection and negotiation process.
13. Suitable indicators and mechanisms should be established to monitor the management and the performance of projects (both during and after their contractual work) against the objectives of research and technological development programmes.
Annex 1. TIDE Bridge phase evaluation panel members
Chair:
Dr. Jan-Ingvar Lindström
Everycom
Träkvista bygata 40
S-178 37 Ekerö, Sweden
Rapporteur:
Mr. John Stallard
ORLAU
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital
Oswestry SY10 7AG, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Other panel members:
Professor Dominic Bouwhuis
Eindhoven University of Technology
PO Box 513
NL-5600 Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Dipl.-Ing. Fritz Breimesser
Siemens AG
Corporate Research and Development
Paul-Gossen-Strasse, 100
D-91050 Erlangen, Germany
Dr. Massimo Campo
FORCE: Worldwide Support for Print Handicapped
Piazza S. Bartolomeo dell'Olivella 85/C
I-16125 Genova, Italy
Mr. Roland Pouillie
Landsbond der Christelijke Mutualiteiten
SOLIVAL Vlaanderen VZW
Haachtsesteenweg, 579
Postbus 40
B-1031 Brussels, Belgium
Mrs. Catherine Varriot
France Telecom
BGP/DMGP/MO/TH
23, place de Catalogne
75698 PARIS Cedex 14, France
Annex 2. Terms of reference and methodology for the TIDE Bridge Phase Evaluation
* LEGAL BASIS
Article 4 of the Council decision No. 93/512/EEC of 21 September 1993 on a "Community technology initiative for disabled and elderly people (TIDE) (1993 to 1994)"
* SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
The evaluation will encompass all activities of the TIDE Bridge phase from the launch of the initiative in 1993 to the conclusion of the last projects in 1998. It will address the efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of the programme and major achievements, especially with respect to the goal of "...stimulating the creation of an internal market in rehabilitation technology in Europe to facilitate the socio-economic integration of disabled and elderly people" (Council Decision, OJ L 240. 25.9.1993, p.45 and Annex I.).
The following aspects will be included:
1. the implementation of the TIDE Bridge Phase initiative: organisational aspects
2. main activities of the programme, RTD projects, support actions, conferences, workshops, other horizontal activities and the work of the Technical Committee;
3. results of the initiative, including exploitation, dissemination and identifiable impact (acknowledging that some of the impact can, however, be expected to occur during the coming years).
* ORGANISATION OF THE EVALUATION
The evaluation will be conducted by an Independent Evaluation Panel of 7 high-level experts (industrial, academic, users) at 12 days per person. The Panel will be assisted by an Evaluation Secretariat provided by the Commission Services DG Information Society, Unit B2, with 3 Experts to the EC and secretarial staff.
The Panel will begin its work in October 1999. Four meetings of the Evaluation Panel will be held in Brussels, in total 6 days. The Final Report will be completed by the end of 1999.
* METHODOLOGY
1. First panel meeting: Identification of the objectives and criteria for the evaluation; identification of data sources, development of the evaluation plan, draft questionnaire to projects, outline of Final Report.
2. Desk study of project dossiers and deliverables, statistical analysis, questionnaire survey of all 55 projects. Non-project-based activities and results, e.g. conferences, workshops, dis sem ination and other horizontal activities. Preparation of the materials for analysis. The Evaluation Secretariat, on behalf of the Panel, will prepare and analyse materials for scrutiny and evaluation by the Evaluation Panel.
3. Second meeting: Presentation and discussion of the initial analysis based on objective input and output measures derived from the evaluation criteria; Record of the analysis: preliminary results; Specific assessment of the themes of the initiative; Global assessment of the results based on criteria as defined by the Evaluation Panel; Agreement of the structure and elements for the Final Report.
4. Third and fourth meetings: Discussion and completion of the draft Final Report.
5. Production of the Final Report and delivery to Council, European Parliament and Economic and Social Committee.