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7.3. Participants in DIALogue

For the purposes of the DIALogue prototype, it was decided to have a reasonably small number of participants, as the facilities were only to be a prototype for testing purposes.

Participants in the prototype fall into four categories: Panelists; Member Country Users; ADB Office of General Counsel Users; and Project DIAL Users. The last three categories together form the `Authorised Users'.

7.3.1. Panelists

Role of DIALogue Panelists

It is expected that the DIALogue Panelists will provide a general level of guidance such as brief statements of general principles, where to find resources, which country's legislation is worth considering, other people to contact, etc. DIALogue Panelists are not expected to provide detailed guidance on particular situations.

DIALogue panel members are participating in Project DIAL as a public service: no payments will be made to panel members, and no user charges will be levied on authorised users of the DIALogue facility. DIALogue panel members may withdraw from participation at any time.

Panelists involved in the prototype

Using information provided about potential Panelists by the Office of General Counsel of the Bank, the project consultants sent invitations to over 30 potential panelists with experience in various areas of development law.

The invitations were accepted by the following persons for inclusion in the panels specified:

Profiles of Panelists

In a fully-developed version of DIALogue, there would be a brief biographical profile of each panelist available as a web page, to assist Authorised Users in deciding whether to communicate with that Panelist. A `profile' link next to each Panelist's name would allow users to access this information. Ideally, each Panelists would be able to edit his or her own profile, in order to reduce maintenance.

7.3.2. Officials in Member Countries of the Bank

The main Member Country users of DIALogue will be officials involved in the development of legislation, if the project becomes a permanent facility. However, for the testing of the prototype it was more important to have a group of Member Country users who were interested in the project and willing to participate, without adhering strictly to the target audience.

Member Country Users in the prototype

Following the Round-Table Meeting of Chief Justices and Ministers of Justice hosted in Manila by the Bank in August 1997, where an early version of the DIAL prototype was demonstrated, an invitation was issued to the attendees at that meeting to become test users of the DIALogue prototype. The following persons accepted the invitation:

7.3.3. Staff of the Office of General Counsel, ADB

Mail can be sent to all of the twenty seven Counsel in the Bank's Office of General Counsel, or to specific selections of Counsel. The Bank's Counsel are Authorised Users of DIALogue and each has considerable knowledge and experience in particular areas of development law with which they may be able to assist other Authorised Users. If this occurs, the Bank is not providing any expert advice or consultancy service, it is merely a case of one user of the facility assisting another.

7.3.4. Project DIAL local survey assistants in DMCs

For the purpose of testing the prototype, the project consultants and survey assistants form a separate group of Authorised Users, the `Project DIAL Users'.

7.3.5. Conditions of use and Disclaimer

Authorised Users of DIALogue are required to agree that use of DIALogue is on the basis that information provided via the DIALogue facility, whether given by Panelists, Authorised Users or any other party, is given without liability attaching to any person, including the provider of the information, and organisation with which that person is associated, the Asian Development Bank, and the Project DIAL consultants. A disclaimer of liability concerning Project DIAL can be found at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/dial/about.html#Disclaimer

In addition, it is a condition of use of DIALogue that no messages are sent using the DIALogue facilities which breach any applicable laws, including but not restricted to copyright, defamation and criminal laws. We do not of course expect any inappropriate communications to be sent using DIALogue, given the restricted access to DIALogue and that all Authorised Users are distinguished officials and legal panelists. All Authorised Users are informed of these conditions.

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