Aileen O'Toole is the founder and director of the Ideas Campaign, which is funded by her business, online consulting firm AMAS .
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What is the Ideas Campaign and who are the people behind it?
The Ideas Campaign is an Irish campaign for citizens by citizens. It is grassroots campaign designed to harness people’s ideas for economic recovery. It has been running throughout the month of March. The campaign was founded by me and is funded by my business, online consultancy AMAS. I was the first woman to edit a business publication in Ireland. I am co-founder and former director of Ireland's leading business publication, The Sunday Business Post. In 2000, I left traditional media. The campaign is staffed by people who were previously unemployed and who could not find work, supported by a panel of volunteers. We put in an initial investment of €10,000.
Where did the inspiration for it come from?
A number of sources. I appeared on a TV current affairs programme, RTE's Prime Time, in January about the economy, and said that Irish people needed to focus on solutions, not just problems. This met with a huge response. Also, I felt that much of the debate in media has been about the negative aspects of the Irish economy, and the many positive elements get overlooked.
Is it accurate to describe this a 'grassroots' movement or did it originate in business circles?
It is completely correct to call it a grassroots campaign. Effectively, we have created a platform for citizens to offer their ideas and their perspectives on economic issues. We are reaching out to people from all walks of life – young people, the unemployed, workers, self-employed, public servants and people in business.
How has it been received in Ireland?
Extremely well. In fact, so well that we are struggling to keep up with it. We have over 4,800 ideas logged on the site and almost 50,000 visitors. Around 20% of the traffic is coming from overseas (a total of 103 countries), with the UK and the US particularly strong. We are using Obama-style tactics to get our message out – social media, PR and volunteerism. We have received a lot of media attention and sites like Facebook and Twitter have helped spread the word, not just in Ireland but throughout the world.
What will you do with the ideas you collect?
We have planned a careful process which is outlined on our website. The advisory group met for the first time last week (March 23) and confirmed the criteria for selection. We have also secured expert services to assist in the categorisation process. The campaign team will review all ideas received through the website, and a sample of these will be published each working day until March 31. No confidential data will be included.
An external team of experts will review and evaluate ideas for relevance to the economic renewal and recovery, and present a draft report in April and propose a roadmap for delivery of the action plan to the government. Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said the Ideas Campaign Action Plan will be "fast-tracked to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Economic Renewal for assessment and implementation where appropriate".
Can you give examples of particularly useful ideas you have received so far?
There are so many that it is difficult to choose. So let me select one big idea and also a small idea. The big idea is how Ireland can raise funds through a Patriot Bond, whereby people in Ireland or Irish people overseas would invest on the basis of patriotism. It would mean that Ireland could borrow money at a lower rate. This is similar to the way the US raised funds after 9/11.
The smaller idea relates to how we can attract more tourists to Ireland. Des Bishop, the comedian who was born in the US but grew up in Ireland, has revived interest in the Irish language through a TV programme which followed him as he tried to learn Irish in Galway. The idea logged on the Ideas Campaign website is to do fun courses in Irish and market them to the 40 million people abroad who claim Irish ancestry.
Who will 'own' any intellectual property generated, and who will benefit if the ideas are turned into products or services?
We are not seeking confidential information of ideas that can be turned into businesses on the site. We have published guidance on what to submit and what not to submit. In the next phase of the campaign, we will be alerting people with business ideas or who want to set up their own businesses where they can get help. It seems that not everyone knows about the various support structures that are already available for people with business ideas.
The website includes a page promoting the Irish government's plan for a Smart Economy. Is the Ideas Campaign supportive of the current government's solutions to the economic difficulties?
Good question. The campaign is non-political, so I will answer that question in a non-political context. The Smart Economy document gives an accurate account of Ireland's strengths and weaknesses and identifies key sectors where a small island economy with a high reliance on export revenues can position itself. At the Ideas Campaign, we believe that analysis is correct.
How do you answer negative comments suggesting (a) that genuine entrepreneurs will not be inclined to share their ideas and (b) that broad feel-good suggestions won't have much material impact on the wider economy?
This campaign has met with a hugely positive response. Genuine entrepreneurs are on the site, sharing their experiences and identifying solutions to the barriers they see in terms of turning their ideas into businesses. That is what we want them to do, and they are responding in huge numbers. We do not expect them to divulge confidential information or give details of a business idea that they want to progress and we’re very clear about that on the site.
The action plan, which we will create based on the ideas received, will look at issues such as barriers to setting up businesses and propose practical solutions. Those solutions may not just be for government, but for business organisations, banks and other parties.
Ultimately, this campaign is about action and making a real impact on the economy and on people’s. Some of the ideas, like the patriot bond, could save this country a lot of money, but we need to do further work before to validate that. Others, such as new ways to fund local schools, could have an economic benefit, but also a social one for local communities.
