Last month we announced the launch of ConnectCP, the online international database of cultural policy experts. As that news item was the most popular in December, we thought we would provide more detail about ConnectCP, the process of developing the database, how we think ConnectCP will be used, and our plans for the next 12 months.

The idea of the database was first discussed by Diane Dodd and Sarah Gardner in April 2003 at a cafe in Zagreb, Croatia! Sarah confirmed IFACCA's potential interest in such a resource so Diane proposed the idea to Cas Smithjuisen at the Boekman Foundation and he also agreed to support the development phase. In consultation with IFACCA and the Boekman, Diane explored the feasibility of the project and developed a detailed proposal. With such a good idea, backed up with Diane's experience and professionalism, this was an opportunity not to be missed. Diane presented a proposal for ConnectCP to the meeting of IFACCA researchers, in Montreal in August 2003, who supported IFACCA's involvement in the development of the database. As a result, IFACCA joined with the Boekman Foundation to support the establishment of ConnectCP, and construction of the database began. Throughout 2004 and 2005 the database was designed and developed by Paul Hosking of Innovetec, Barcelona.

Throughout the process, the database was tested and refined with the help of an international reference panel comprising each of the partners and: · Lluís Bonet, Spain · Jo Caust; Australia · Sanjin Dragojevic, Croatia · Máté Kovács, Mozambique · Saskia Leefsma, the Netherlands · Christopher Madden, Australia · Colin Mercer, United Kingdom · Greg Richards, Spain · Irene Schwartz, Austria · Lidia Varbanova, Canada · Michael Volkerling, New Zealand · Margaret Wyszomirski, USA We have also been grateful for the support of Culturelink during the development phase. ConnectCP has two main aims: 1) to increase the international flow of ideas, skills and knowledge about developments in cultural policy; and 2) to improve the quality of cultural policy debate by increasing access to and interaction between experts in the field. By making it easier to find and contact people in cultural policy, we expect there will be a number of other benefits and uses for the database. ConnectCP will help conference organisers to find world class speakers, and will make it much easier to locate biographical information on speakers - an often laborious process. It will help government agencies, management consultants and arts organisations to find research partners or analysts from diverse backgrounds on a diversity of issues. Journalists will be able to find experts to comment on cultural policy issues in the media. The ability to search by topic, will provide access to publications that might not be available on any other bibliographical databases. And of course, the experts listed in ConnectCP have the great advantage of always having an up-to-date profile readily accessible to peers, students and research partners. ConnectCP will help with any task that involves providing or finding information on a cultural policy expert, or searching for people with particular expertise.

In future, we hope to create an active online community of experts, and in this way help break down the barriers between researchers and policymakers in arts and cultural policy. ConnectCP already contains publicly available profiles for over 100 experts from 36 countries - from CEOs of arts funding agencies, to professors of cultural policy, to directors of international networks. Profiles of an additional 250 experts are currently being completed in a non-public area of the database. To be considered for inclusion on ConnectCP, a person needs to be recognised in the field of arts and cultural policy as holding a senior research, policy, teaching or management position and/or having demonstrated expertise, at national and international level, in research, analysis or commentary. Experts also need to be prepared to periodically provide and update information about themselves and their work for ConnectCP, and may be asked to provide referees.

The full criteria are described here: http://www.connectcp.org/profiles/criteria.htm. By the end of 2006 we aim to have closer to 400 experts from all regions represented - a daunting task but one which we hope that other networks and national, regional and international cultural policy organisations will assist us with. Over 2006, we will be contacting IFACCA members for help in identifying experts from their countries to add to the database. It is crucial that ConnectCP has a comprehensive global coverage, and we will target regions that are under-represented. Financial support for ConnectCP is currently provided solely by the partners, IFACCA and the Boekman Foundation. Over the next twelve months, as the database expands, the partners will be seeking to enlist support from other sources, including partnerships and sponsorships.

We already have a number of supporting and partnering options and would be interested in considering any proposals. If your organisation would like to become involved in supporting ConnectCP, contact Diane Dodd at [email protected] or Sarah Gardner at [email protected]. As always, we welcome your submissions, feedback and comments on ConnectCP.