In developing these draft principles and recommendations, we have held as essential that this report fit into the larger landscape of efforts and initiatives of partner organizations and community groups working to directly engage with state officials and local stakeholders. As part of this process we conducted a community organization facing survey with a total of ten questions focused on collecting input relating to digital equity, the efforts of existing organizations in addressing needs of what the IIJA calls the “covered populations,” and the relative leadership role and capacity of specific types of organizations and levels of government officials.
In responding to a question ranking relative importance of various aspects, we found that for the organizational representatives surveyed, access, adoption, affordability, were ranked as inextricably linked, with a high degree of interdependence between these factors. We also found that application of technology in advancing equity goals such as accessing education, healthcare, and government services, was also ranked high in importance.