Specifications include, but are not limited to: A. Develop the State Digital Equity Plan of the State. i. The plan shall include the following information: a. Detailed understanding of the barriers that exist for the covered populations as noted in the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program NOFO (Attachment G); b. Measurable objectives for the challenges identified in paragraph 2 of this narrative; c. A rationale for these objectives and how they will impact the state’s economic, educational, public health, and civic institutions; d. A narrative of its outreach process with the organizations that represent covered populations; and e. A roadmap for ongoing engagement for the state can continue to engage with covered populations and its affiliated institutions; ii. The plan shall also incorporate the following requirements: a. A stated vision for digital equity; b. A digital equity needs assessment, including a comprehensive assessment of the baseline from which the State is working and the State’s identification of the barriers to digital equity faced generally and by each of the covered populations in the State; c. An asset inventory, including current resources, programs, and strategies that promote digital equity for each of the covered populations, whether publicly or privately funded, as well as existing digital equity plans and programs already in place among municipal, regional, and Tribal governments; d. A coordination and outreach strategy, including opportunities for public comment by, collaboration with, and ongoing engagement with representatives of each category of covered populations within the State and with the full range of stakeholders within the State; e. A description of how municipal, regional, and/or Tribal digital equity plans will be incorporated into the State Digital Equity Plan; f. An implementation strategy that is holistic and addresses the barriers to participation in the digital world, including affordability, devices, digital skills, technical support, and digital navigation. g. An explanation of how the implementation strategy addresses gaps in existing state, local, and private efforts to address the barriers identified pursuant to Section IV.C.1.b.i, item 1, of the NOFO; h. A description of how the State intends to accomplish the implementation strategy with state and local agencies; i. A timeline for implementation of the plan; and j. A description of how the State will coordinate its use of State Digital Equity Capacity Grant funding and its use of any funds it receives in connection with the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, other federal, or private digital equity funding.
