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BUSINESS PLAN
1 June 1997
1 Aims
The Coalition for Public Information (CoPI) works to ensure that the developing information and communications infrastructure will empower commerce, communities and individuals so that they can participate fully in social, economic and democratic activity. CoPI aims to influence information-related policies and legislation.
2 Objectives
a) To advise and influence government and other relevant institutions in pursuance of the goals of the CoPI Manifesto current at the time.
b) To set up a membership scheme for organisations and individuals, from as wide a base as possible, that have an interest in the issues that CoPI wishes to address.
c) To provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of information about issues of concern to CoPI and its members.
d) To co-ordinate and disseminate information about initiatives of relevance to CoPI and its members, in order to avoid duplication of effort and waste of resources. This will be achieved via digests of information, articles in relevant journals, conference papers, and documents disseminated via Internet Web pages and discussion groups.
e) To facilitate research into issues of interest to the membership.
3 Historical background
May 1996 Idea of Coalition floated by Professor Charles Oppenheim of de Montfort University, at an open meeting at the School of Oriental & African Studies.
July 1996 Steering group met at London Business School to focus ideas, rejected campaigning stance in favour of advisory role.
August-November 1996 Taskforce met regularly, either at the Library Association or the Institute of Information Scientists, to come up with firm proposals for the Coalition and its early programme of work.
November 1996 Inaugural meeting at the Library Association; interim executive board charged with creating CoPI as a legal entity and carrying out an initial work programme.
February 1997 Meeting with senior civil servants, convened by the Cabinet Office, at which CoPI representatives outlined the Coalition's aims and objectives. Later CoPI responded formally to government.direct and commented on the Government's response to the Lords report Information Society: Agenda for Action.
March 1997 Inaugural conference, on Information and the Citizen: a Two Way Street, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre; speakers included Public Service Minister Roger Freeman and Data Protection Registrar Elizabeth France.
April 1997 Further meeting with civil servants, at which CoPI presented its Manifesto and Business Plan.
May 1997 Annual General Meeting at the Library Association, at which the interim executive board presented CoPI's Constitution, Business Plan and Manifesto, and invited institutions and individuals to become members of the Coalition.
4 Services
a) Providing advice to Government and other relevant bodies, and responding to reports.
b) Providing information and advice to CoPI members and representing membership needs and views to Government and other relevant bodies.
c) Disseminating information about relevant issues.
d) Co-ordinating the activities of key CoPI representatives and spokespeople.
e) Maintaining a Web site and Internet discussion group.
f) Running conferences and other events, either alone or in collaboration with other organisations.
5 Management
Overall management will be undertaken by an elected Executive Board, drawn from the membership and including individuals of long standing experience in one or more areas of information collection and dissemination.
Day to day running of the Coalition will be undertaken by one full-time paid Administrator. This person will initially work provide their own office accommodation. Research into the initiatives that CoPI chooses to pursue will be undertaken by one half-time paid Researcher. This person will probably also provide her/his own office accommodation..
6 Legal status
Initially, CoPI will be an unincorporated body governed by a Constitution to be ratified at the first AGM (to be held on May 20). Thereafter it may seek company and charitable status.
7 Marketing
Mailshots will be undertaken to all those who have already expressed an interest in CoPI and its activities, and to other organisations which could benefit from CoPI and might be expected to subscribe and/or subsidise specific activities. For this purpose, a general publicity leaflet will be prepared and revised as required. This will be supplemented by information supplied via CoPI's Internet Web pages, and through press releases, articles in targeted journals and conference papers.
8 Income & Expenditure
The financial year will run from April to March. CoPI will be non-profitmaking.
| 1997/1998 | 1998/1999 | 1999/2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME | |||
| Grants/sponsorship | £ 49,000 | £ 48,000 | £ 45,000 |
| Subscriptions | £ 8,300 | £ 21,000 | £ 33,000 |
| Conferences | £ 3,500 | £ 4,000 | £ 4,500 |
| Publications | £ 500 | £ 2,000 | £ 5,000 |
| Total income | £ 61,300 | £ 75,000 | £ 87,500 |
| EXPENDITURE | |||
| Fees (incl o'heads) | £ 40,000 | £ 47,500 | £ 50,000 |
| Travel | £ 1,000 | £ 1,200 | £ 1,400 |
| Copying, printing & design | £ 5,000 | £ 5,000 | £ 5,500 |
| Postage | £ 1,000 | £ 1,150 | £ 1,000 |
| Telecoms | £ 750 | £ 700 | £ 800 |
| Web pages | £ 1,500 | £ 1,750 | £ 2,000 |
| Conferences & meetings | £ 4,500 | £ 5,000 | £ 5,500 |
| Stationery | £ 300 | £ 350 | £ 400 |
| Periodicals | £ 1,800 | £ 2,500 | £ 2,750 |
| Auditing & bank charges | £ 1,250 | £ 1,500 | £ 1,750 |
| Additional research | £ 3,000 | £ 6,000 | £ 12,000 |
| Total expenditure | £ 60,100 | £ 72,650 | £ 83,100 |
| Balance | £ 1,200 | £ 2,350 | £ 4,400 |
Notes
a) Grants/sponsorship: Large organisations which would benefit from the work of CoPI will be approached to provide a grant or sponsor an activity.
b) Subscriptions: these will be levied on the basis of size of organisation and will be approved in advance at each AGM. The exception will be the first year (1997/98), when subscriptions will be levied immediately for 10 months pro rata, and subscriptions for 1998/99 will be agreed.
c) Fees: this item covers recruitment plus 9 months pro rata for the first year (1997/98).
d) Communication: the costs of communication will grow as the membership grows; however the balance of costs will move towards electronic communication and away from postage of hard copy documents, and this is reflected in the figures.
e) Telecommunications: the first year's charges include installation of a dedicated phone line for the Administrator.
f) Periodicals: includes the purchase of publications for the information digest.
9 Proposed subscriptions
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
| 500+ fte employees | £1,000 | £1,050 | £1,100 |
| 250-499 fte employees | £600 | £630 | £660 |
| 100-249 fte employees | £300 | £315 | £330 |
| 50-99 fte employees | £150 | £158 | £165 |
| 25-49 fte employees | £100 | £105 | £110 |
| 10-24 fte employees | £75 | £79 | £83 |
| 2-9 fte employees | £50 | £52 | £55 |
| 0-1 fte employees | £25 | £26 | £28 |
| Individuals | £25 | £26 | £28 |
| Expected membership | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| Expected actual subscription income | £8,300 | £21,000 | £33,000 |
| Average actual subscription | £415 | £525 | £550 |
Note 1: Year 1 subscription income is for 10 months pro rata.
Note 2: Subscription rates for 1997/8 were approved at the AGM on 20th May. Rates for 1998/99 will be voted on at the next Members Meeting on 10th November 1997, by which time the Honorary Treasurer will have consulted the membership as to appropriate rates and bring forward a revised structure if necessary.
| CoPI c/o the Institute of Information Scientists, 44-45 Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Tel: +44 (0) 171 831 8003. Fax: +44 (0) 171 430 1270. E-mail: iis@dial.pipex.com |
© CoPI
COPI is a coalition working to encourage the development of an information and communications infrastructure which will enable full participation in social, economic and democratic activity.
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 07, 1997