Today the news came down from Anthony Wilhelm (Director, Technology Opportunities Program-NTIA/DoC):

"The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) did not receive an appropriation in the just completed FY 2005 Consolidated (Omnibus) Appropriations bill.

With over a quarter-billion dollars invested since 1994, the TOP program has successfully served as a catalyst for innovative nonprofit organizations and public institutions to tackle pressing social challenges using advanced information and communications technologies. The Program has leveraged over $313 million in non-Federal resources.

During its operation, the Program made 610 grants."

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We're at a crossroads. We've fought for TOP's continuation for the past several years despite strong opposition. It's not clear that this need be the end of TOP. And if it is the end of this program, we can work to advance other initiatives that may build upon the TOP legacy. Let's identify what we wanted for and from TOP.

TOP was established to promote technological and social-organizational innovations. TOP was there to leverage community resources and to establish sustainable models that could be replicated. To what extent was this succesful?

What more can we learn from TOP?

What should have been learned from TOP?

It's clear that dissemination of the successful models is an aspect that requires more strategic attention. We're reinventing the wheel because we need a wheel and aren't enough aware of the efforts already invested in the project.

If a model is worthy of replication, the nation's community technology investments should reflect the achievements of the model. There should be funding streams that promote and extend the fruits of the funding streams aimed at innovation.

If innovation isn't going to come from Dept. of Commerce, where can it come from? If replication likewise won't come from there, where shall we look to establish investments in human and organizational capital?