ICO Web Site and Internet Plan, May 2000

Attachment B: Environmental Analysis

This attachment reports on the analysis of the external and internal environment for the ICO, which provided perspective for definition of the Web Site and Internet Plan.

The participants in the planning session listed trends that are likely to affect international ophthalmology and the ICO in the next five to 10 years. They also listed the strengths and weaknesses of the ICO and current Web site.

These perceptions should be verified and monitored for continuing validity over time to assure that the foundation for the Plan is sound.

External Environment

Critical Trends:

- Continuing loss of vision and preventable blindness around the world

- Huge gap in the availability and quality of eye care in rich and poor countries, with most people unaware of the inequities and inequalities

- Oversupply of ophthalmologists in developed countries and undersupply in developing countries, resulting in overtreatment and undertreatment

- Continuing subspecialization and fragmentation of ophthalmology

- Proliferation of ophthalmologic organizations and acronyms, resulting in the lack of a single voice for ophthalmology and confusion for WHO, IAPB and other decision makers

- Competition among ophthalmologic organizations and non-governmental development organizations (NGDOs)

- Growing expectation that the ICO will communicate effectively through the Internet

- Lack of understanding of what the ICO does, particularly among IFOS organizations

Other Trends:

General:

- Aging population, with resulting increase in ophthalmic complications, such as glaucoma and diabetes

- Two-thirds of the world population in poverty

- New and changing technology

- The Internet is the most effective and least expensive means of communication internationally

- Patients are turning to the Internet to get medical information

- Eye conditions compete with other diseases for attention and funding

Ophthalmology and Eye Care:

- The WHO/IAPB's Vision 2020: Right to Sight program provides potential for cooperation

- Ophthalmologists, residents, medical students and allied personnel want to have educational materials available through the Internet

- Lack of emphasis on basics in the education of ophthalmologists

- Many countries have closed educational systems and do not train those from other nations

- Resentment of "academic colonialism"

- Most ophthalmologists tend to focus on the their own practice

- The Internet offers opportunities to make candidates aware of practice positions and to refer patients to ophthalmologists

IFOS and ICO:

- The ICO has defined an International Ophthalmology Strategic Plan that it wants to get people involved in implementing

- Ophthalmic companies are increasingly competing with the ICO by offering educational materials and other programs, which are sometimes biased toward those companies' products

- Societies don't know what the ICO is doing for them and therefore are not motivated to pay their dues

- Societies and others are not aware of the Web site address for the ICO

- ICO could potentially lose its importance and be outdated

Critical Strengths of the ICO:

- Great leadership

- The Basic and Clinical Examinations for ophthalmologists

- The World Ophthalmology Congress

- Ophthalmologists are needed to deal effectively with prevention of blindness

- There's no obvious competitor for the ICO

- The current Web site and Internet provide potential for appropriate, prompt communication

Other Strengths:

- Dedicated people service on the Council and Committees

- It's a federation, with the potential for 135 national societies to work together: "social capital"

- A reasonably good name and visibility

- Work is done by volunteers

- Formal relationship with and recognition by the WHO

- One of the founders of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness

Critical Weaknesses of the ICO:

- Unclear role, responsibilities and priorities for those outside the ICO: we haven't established our turf

- Insufficient contact, communication and relationship with IFOS organizations and with supranational societies

- It's a voluntary organization, with no executive offices or professional infrastructure

- We don't have a good idea of what IFOS societies want from the ICO

Other ICO Weaknesses:

- Lack of a track record for performance, other than some specific programs

- Lack of recognition and appreciation by world ophthalmology

- Minimal budget

- Top down organization

- Leadership are overloaded with other responsibilities

- Not many young people involved

- Lack of plan for leadership development and succession

- Murky selection process

- No clear structure of committees and responsibilities

- IFOS General Assembly only meets once every four years

- The Congress happens every four years

Weaknesses of the ICO Web Site:

- The Council doesn't use the Web site

- People don't know the address

- It doesn't show up at the top of search engine results

- World ophthalmology is unaware of it

- We're uncertain of what it can and should do

- Ophthalmologists don't find it useful to them

- Lack of medical information and links to Medline and other educational resources

- Need educational resources that are relevant around the world

- Pages load too slowly on slower connections

- Hard to find specific information

Introduction: Mission, Primary Target Audiences and Strategy

Attachment A: Desired Results and Other Strategies and Ideas

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