Stuart Corner
Thursday, 20 September 2007 19:28
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 2
The Government's expert task force has issued the guidelines against which it will assess proposals for high speed urban broadband networks, but they are fundamentally flawed.
Google "definition" and "objectives" and your number one hit is likely to be "Definitions of Objectives on the Web". Almost without exception the dozen or so definitions contained on that page require that objectives be quantifiable and measurable.
For example: "Objectives are statements of attainable, quantifiable, intermediate-term achievements that help accomplish goals contained in the comprehensive plan"; "Objectives are operational statements; that is, they are written in terms which make it evident when they have been achieved"; "Expected achievements/products that are well-defined, specific, measurable and derived from the goal(s)"; "Clearly quantified targets set within a specified timescale".
Am I labouring the point? Stating the obvious? Perhaps I am but the attributes of an objective seem to be something of which the Government's Expert Task Force seems blissfully ignorant, for all its supposed expertise.
The task force was established to draw up guidelines against which Telstra, G9, Deutsche Telekom and any other aspiring broadband network builder can submit proposals to provide a high speed, most likely FTTN, network in Australia's capital cities and major regional centres.
It has now done that and has
released its final guidelines. It's next job is to accept, review and publish proposals and make a recommendation to the minister on which one(s) to accept. All this by June 2008.
