We hosted the 1st Rural Infrastructure Challenge Summit event on March 1st, 2023 with 17 participants in the Sky Room at the Phelps County Courthouse. Participants divided into 4 teams that included industry professionals, government officials, rural residents, students, and faculty. Two teams focused on energy issues and the other 2 focused on broadband issues. Each team conducted a series of exercises to:
- Describe issues and choose what to focus on
- Determine the root cause using the 5 Whys Exercise
- Draft a clear problem statement
- Identify potential adopters and key stakeholders
- Create a persona and generate a user story
The goal of these exercises is to support problem identification. This event piloted the proposed activities for the larger events we are hosting in Fall 2024. Some of the key issues that we highlighted include:
- Disconnect between consumer understanding of infrastructure systems and operational requirements
- Lack of visibility and awareness about infrastructure systems
- Affordability is a pervasive issue
- Challenges in hiring and retaining a specialized workforce
More details about the discussions are available in this report.
