to be done, and what the implementation team expected.A good implementation team, like a good educator, will know how to trade offbetween its own beliefs and the community choices. The suggestion is that thisstage should be six months long.Consolidation or maturity is the laststage, marked by no more dependency on the implementation team, who will workonly as an eventual consultant for a suggested period of one more year, beforeconsolidation is complete. Experienced popular educators say that, after beginningthe project, two years are needed to confirm if it is really self-sustainable.3.2 DescriptiveguidelinesNead sponsored an experimental telecenterwith emphasis in education. It sponsored another where supporting productionwas the most important task. Which one is the best? It is preferable to haveboth of them, besides developing digital and e-learning culture. But the mostimportant goal is to be a self-sustainable project.Digital Territories, as a country-wideproject, cannot have a rigid methodology or it will not be able to respectlocal specificities, which is an important condition for self-sustainableprojects. Instead, it defines the main goals that have to be pursued. The maturationstages are some of these goals they give directions on the global time of theimplementation process. Other main parameters are presented below.They are the result of the planning meetings held in the beginning of 2008.3.2.1 PrinciplesNo matter who isimplementing a Digital House, these principles must be respected: preferable use of FOSS (freeand open source software); respect for personal diversity; search for sustainability; promote shared management; transfer of technology andsharing of knowledge; use of free licenses andstandards for all knowledge produced by the community (all community knowledgemust be open source). be a non-profit communityspace, connected to internet; avoid political mishandling; guarantee minimum accessconditions; adopt social and environmentalresponsibility.3.2.2. MissionContribute to theconsolidation of the Citizenship Program by promoting access to information andcommunication technology.3.2.3 Objectives The generalobjective is to provide access to information and communication technologies,infra-structure and education to the Citizenship Territories, strengthening itsactions.To reach the general objective, four specificobjectives are defined: integrate digital inclusion publicpolicies; implement national infra-structure(physical, technological, and human resources); implement Digital Territories; accomplish active participationof the communities.3.2.4 Conditions to have a Digital House in acommunityTo be able to receive aDigital House, a community has to be within the Citizenship Territories, it hasto be indicated by the Territory Council, and must attend some technical conditions: to be located in a rural area; to have access to electricalpower; to be a formal socialorganization; to have, preferably, a school nearby; to have the intention ofinstalling the telecenter in a public access place, to keep it open seven daysa week, 24 hours a day; to provide secure conditionsfor users and equipment.3.2.4 DigitalTerritories WorkplanThe Digital TerritoriesProject planning considers four dimensions. The first one public policies is the starting point. This strategic level refers to the decision, by theFederal Government, to carry out such a project and to deal with establishingnationwide partnerships, setting up a nationwide team, and defining generalgoals as shown in this document.The second dimension, also within a nationwidescope, is an executive one. It refers to the implementation and maintenance of anational infra-structure supporting the telecenters of the territories andallowing their interaction.The next