Rialtas.net - Government 2.0

Helen Milner highlights the importance of digital inclusion as she discusses a recent report from the UK Online Centres which found that £2.6 billion can be saved by the British Economy if they could bridge the digital divide.

What price happiness? The question is of course rhetorical. How can you put a price on something so intangible, or calculate the cause and effect of wealth to well-being? How can you, in short, quantify the unquantifiable? But that’s exactly what UK online centres have set out to explore in new research. What price, then, digital inclusion?

When such a question moves from the poetic to the practical, the next questions it inevitably begs are Who pays? followed eventually by Who benefits? We can be fairly certain that, on the whole, technology adds value to our lives and to the economy. How much value it can add is the focus of the research, written by FreshMinds, and due to launch at the end of April. It attempts to break down the benefits and associated costs of digital inclusion for five core groups - individual people, private sector organisations, the government, society and the wider economy.

The flipside of our increasing reliance on ICT - in public, economic and social life - is that the digitally excluded, by default, also become excluded from public services, modern working life and society itself. Digital inclusion is at the heart of the debate not just around skills and the knowledge economy, but around social justice and personal well-being. The new research is a continuation of UK online centres work in this area, and stems from a previous report which examined the links between digital and social exclusion. It found 75% of those counted as being socially excluded were also digitally excluded*. Those already at a social, educational or financial disadvantage are therefore three times more likely to be off-line, and missing out on the potential benefits, conveniences, opportunities and savings computers and the internet can provide….

Full article on eGoV Monitor

Link to the research report

The Global Information Technology Report is the world’s most respected assessment of the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the development process and the competitiveness across the planet. This year, after covering 127 economies across Earth, Denmark came out on top.

The report notes the importance and benefits of strong government leadership and vision in identifying the importance of ICT for government and governance in Denmark.

“Denmark, in particular, has benefited from very effective government e-leadership, reflected in early liberalization of the telecommunications sector, a first-rate regulatory framework and large availability of e-government services.”

The Report features four thematic parts.

Part 1 includes the findings of the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2007–2008, together with a number of insightful essays on selected issues of networked readiness, with a specific focus on how it can foster innovation.Topics covered stretch from the link between innovation and ICT to recent trends in innovation (such as Unified Communications) and e-skills and telecommunications regulation in emerging markets.

Part 2 focuses on country/regional case studies showcasing best policies and practices in fostering networked readiness.This year, Singapore, Qatar, and EU cases are analyzed in depth.

Part 3 provides detailed profiles for each of the 127 economies covered in the Report, presenting a comprehensive snapshot of each economy’s current networked readiness status and allowing for international and historical comparison on specific variables or components of the NRI.

Lastly, Part 4 provides detailed data tables for each of the 68 variables composing the NRI this year, with global rankings.

The NRI rankings for 2007–2008 confirm Denmark as the most networked economy in the world for the second year consecutively, as a culmination of an upward trend observed since 2003.The other Nordic countries also continue to show their prowess in leveraging ICT for increased competitiveness, with Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Norway at 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 10th position, respectively. Among the top 20, Switzerland is up two places, at 3rd position, continuing last year’s notable upward trend, while the United States improves three ranks to 4th place. Korea, at 9th, realizes one of the most impressive improvements (10 places) from last year among the 127 economies covered by the Report.

The Networked Readiness Index
2007-2008 rankings (top 50 of 127) download full ranking.

Click here to view and download the report

The UN E-Government Survey 2008: From E-Government to Connected Governance assesses the e-government readiness of the 192 Member States of the UN according to a quantitative composite index of e-readiness based on website assessment, telecommunication infrastructure, and human resource endowment. ICTs can help reinvent government in such a way that existing institutional arrangements can be restructured and new innovative arrangements can flourish, paving the way for a transformed government.

The focus of the report this year, in Part II, is e-government initiatives directed at improving operational efficiency through the integration of back-office functions. Whilst such initiatives, if successful, will deliver benefits to citizens, the primary purpose is to improve the effectiveness of government and governmental agencies. Models of back-office integration, irrespective of the delivery mode, fall into three broad categories: single function integration, cross functional integration, and back-office to front-office integration. The level of complexity, expressed in terms of the number of functions within the scope and number of organizations involved, is the primary factor influencing a successful outcome - with a tendency amongst the more ambitious projects to fail to deliver the full anticipated benefits. The key variables involved in the delivery of back-office integration are the people, processes and technology required.

Here are some excerpts from the report:

E-Consultation

The Survey clearly indicates that few countries are implementing e-consultation applications and tools. Only 7 per cent of the countries surveyed received a score of more than 50 per cent. One way to improve these results is for governments to implement online applications to engage and include citizens in a dialogue.Web 2.0 has generated a class of online individuals and groups that want to share their views through blogs and/or online community networks such as MySpace, YouTube,Facebook and LinkedIn to name a few. As of October 2007, the blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 108.6 million blogs. This recent explosion in online blogging and publishing tools underscores a significant interest of web users in creating and consuming user-generated content. A few governments are beginning to acknowledge this phenomenon.

Countries that Use an Open Web Forum for Discussing Topics

Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia,France, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia,Mozambique, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sweden, Ukraine, and United States of America.

E-Decision-Making
E-decision-making evaluates the extent of a government’s commitment to eparticipation,as evidenced by the definitive acknowledgement of an individual citizen’s input and by a stated commitment to take it into account when making decisions. The Republic of Korea is the leader in this assessment, followed by Denmark and France. With a number similar to e-consultation, approximately 66 per cent of the countries surveyed received a score in this section. To balance the heavily quantitative scoring, a few qualitative questions were still included to allow researchers to rate the general edecision-making performance. Only 11 per cent of countries surveyed committed themselves to incorporating the
results of e-participation into the decision-making process. This figure clearly indicates that the majority of not in position to directly involve citizens into the decision making process.

Governments that Publish Findings/Results of Citizen Opinions,including e-Opinions, on Websites

Australia, Bhutan, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Denmark, Estonia, France, Israel,Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand,Republic of Korea, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom,United States of America and Viet Nam.

Of Interest to Irish Readers

Ireland ranked 19 (out of 35) in the e-government readiness index and 17th out of 35 for web measurement assessment.

The web measurement assessment looks at how governments are providing egovernment policies, applications and tools to meet the growing needs of their citizens or more e-information, e-services and e-tools. It measures the online presence of national websites, along with those of the ministries of health, education, welfare, labour and finance of each Member State.

One Irish Government project was identified as a Regional best practice, this was the Etenders website: http://www.etenders.gov.ie/

“Ireland has implemented a single portal to centralize government procurement. As a one-stop shop for businesses to work together with the Irish Government, this portal handles tender submissions and vendor registration. The portal provides businesses with a simple two-page set of instructions in its “Suppliers-Getting Started page. Subscribers to this website receive e-mail alerts as new opportunities are published, access to business opportunities with the public sector, and clear and concise information on working with the government.”

Also on a positive point, Ireland listed as 1 of only 20 countries that use RSS to update and involve citizens, the total list included was:
Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, ElSalvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Download the full report here:

http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan028607.pdf

Stigmergic Collaboration

I have just finished reading Mark Elliot’s PHD dissertation entitled “Stigmergic Collaboration- A Theoretical Framework for Mass Collaboration” and I found it to be inspiring and profound.

This is one of the most scientific and rigorous examinations of mass collaboration and social networking technologies and their interactions that I have come across, and I highly recommend reading it. In fact reading this paper has reinforced my interest in 2.0 technologies and my view that they are just the beginning of a new mode of working and of communicating. In fact I am now totally fascinated by research in the area of stigmergy and emergence, thank you Mark.

One element covered by Elliot (and I hope he will correct me if I am misinterpreting him) is that the whole web 2.0 collaborative technology framework is an human emergent (stigmergic) structure, emerging spontaneously through the simple actions and interactions of many individuals self-organising and evolving more complex structures as the social and technological conditions necessary for these types of structure to emerge become more prevalent (just as termite mounds and ant hills arise out of the simple behaviour of individual insects). This is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of the web and collaborative work (and of course collaborative art, and entertainment, and play…)

Here is a summary of the dissertation from Elliott’s own Blog:

The core insight of the thesis is that mass collaboration (Wikipedia, open source software, Second Life etc) enables a shift from social to cultural negotiation, shattering the traditional glass ceiling of collaborative participation from approximately 25 members maximum, towards hundreds of thousands and beyond.

Social negotiation is the means by which all traditional collaboration takes place and is characterised by turn-taking communication. In the case of mass collaboration, a digital workspace mediates participant interaction, providing stigmergic cues to negotiate contributions via the various literacies associated with digital technologies and the particular workspace’s norms, languages and ‘netiquette’. While this does not preclude turn-taking communication, it places the interactive focus on cultural information which serves as the first point of engagement.

In other words, the workspace acts as a boundary object that removes social barriers to participation in online contexts (establishing, negotiating and maintaining social relations with thousands of people) and streamlines the creative process through providing a single site of work to a theoretically infinite number of participants.

Many other themes and sub-frameworks contribute to the overall work such as

• an in depth review of the state of stigmergy research and applications;
• a original, general theory of collective activity;
• an etymologically researched, cross-disciplinary, collaboratively informed definition of collaboration and the beginnings of a general theory of collaboration;
• a framework for understanding indirect, mediated communication;
• the documentation of a number of real-world projects which apply and test the findings of the thesis;
• and of course, a framework for mass collaboration which integrates the above as well as preexisting frameworks and theories.

Elliott is also involved in the creation of an Australian ‘Government 2.0′ wiki site

The Australian Bill of Rights Initiative

The Australian Bill of Rights Initiative (ABRI) is a web-based organisation dedicated to the creation of an Australian bill of rights, written collaboratively by volunteers. Currently (in the first stage of this project) anyone can view this site, however contributions are restricted via password. If you are interested in taking part, or would like more information, please email: m.elliott AT vca.unimelb.edu.au

By means of online collaboration, ABRI aims to:

* stimulate a dialogue on the creation of an Australian bill of rights;
* facilitate broad participation in the collaborative process of drafting a bill of rights;
* raise public awareness of the value of preserving and protecting fundamental human rights; and
* provide a forum for determining an ongoing course of action for the adoption of an Australian bill of rights.

http://abri.org.au/bin/view/ABRI/

Raphael Phang, research director of Government Insights Asia/Pacific, a research and advisory firm predicts in the “Asia/Pacific Government 2008 Top 10 Predictions, January 2008″ Report:

In 2008, upcoming next-generation technologies, such as Web 2.0, virtualisation, mobile technologies and biometrics, will take centre stage.

Other top predictions presented and analysed in the study are:

• Infrastructure optimisation and IT resource re-purposing will pick up steam with virtualisation and consolidation strategies;

• “Gov 2.0” will replace “e-Gov” as governments seek to gain additional value from citizen interaction and business transactions;

• Governments will extend ICTs to strengthen national security while striving to ensure the privacy of citizen data. Technologies for disaster recovery efforts, citizenry surveillance and biometrics will still be key

Link to Cio Asia Blog Entry

Fast Forward Blog recently had a short piece on the new report published by Saugatuck Technology “Three Waves of Change:Saas Beyond the Tipping Point”

($1,295.00 USD) …so unfortunately I won’t be reading it but Joe McKendrick at the Fastforward Blog has…

A new report out of Saugatuck Research, for example, declares that “SaaS is now beyond the ‘tipping point .’” The firm’s latest survey of 250 IT executives shows that not only have more than 26 percent of companies installed at least one SaaS application, representing nearly 150 percent year-over-year growth, but resistance has plunged dramatically, in terms of firms that are not planning to deploy SaaS.”…

…Saugatuck calculates that on average, the typical large enterprise now taps into at least three SaaS applications, with one in seven having greater than 10 SaaS applications.”

Read Joe’s full blog entry here:
http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/03/software-as-a-service-passes-the-tipping-point/

The Report is available for purchase here:
http://www.saugatech.com/342order.htm

Last year Project10x released their report on the ‘Semantic Wave’.

The Blurb:

Semantic Wave 2008 Report: Industry Roadmap to Web 3.0 and Multibillion Dollar Market Opportunities. It is the first comprehensive industry study of the next stage of internet evolution — Web 3.0. This landmark 400-page report is written for executives, developers, designers, entrepreneurs, investors, and others who want to better understand semantic technologies, the business opportunities they present, and the ways Web 3.0 will change how we use and experience the internet.

The executive summary (27 pages- the full report is 400 pages long) is available for download from the Project 10x website (you need to register for free to download the summary)

The semantic wave embraces four stages of internet growth. The first stage, Web 1.0, was about connecting information and getting on the net. Web 2.0 is about connecting people — putting the “I” in user interface, and the “we” into Webs of social participation. The next stage, Web 3.0, is starting now. It is about representing meanings, connecting knowledge, and putting these to work in ways that make our experience of internet more relevant, useful, and enjoyable. Web 4.0 will come later. It is about connecting intelligences in a ubiquitous Web where both people and things reason and communicate together.

Project10X’s Semantic Wave 2008 Report tells the story of Web 3.0. Over the next decade, Web 3.0 will spawn multi-billion dollar technology markets that will drive trillion dollar global economic expansions to transform industries as well as our experience of the internet. The Semantic Wave 2008 report examines drivers and market forces for adoption of semantic technologies in Web 3.0 and maps opportunities for investors, technology developers, and public and private enterprises.

http://project10x.com/

I was hoping to have had a chance to finish reading this report before I posted it but decided to post it now in case anyone find it useful. It a report commissioned by the Australian QLD government entitled, ‘Legal Aspects of Web 2.0 Activities: Management of Legal Risk Associated with Use of YouTube, MySpace and Second Life’. The report was created by researchers Jessica Coates, Nic Suzor and Dr Anne Fitzgerald.

As Web 2.0 technologies proliferate, an increasing number of Australians, especially young Australians, are relying
primarily on information and communication technologies to engage and interact with each other and the world. If governments are to have meaningful interaction with young people, it is therefore important for them to explore
the potential of these communication platforms. But legal considerations must be taken into account when strategising how best to make use of emerging technologies.

The report identifies the practical legal risks associated with activities conducted in online participatory spaces. Encompassing Copyright, Privacy, Defamation, Breach of Confidence and other areas of law, the report outlines the main considerations that arise when engaging in the online environment. It also examines the popular social networking platforms YouTube, MySpace and Second Life in detail, analysing legal issues specific to their Terms of Use and functionality.

Link to report

Just thought I would draw attention to New Zealand’s E-Government Website
http://www.e.govt.nz/

The site is a resource for government agency people in New Zealand who need up-to-date, easily accessible and authoritative e-government information & resources to assist them to achieve their agency’s e-government goals.

The e-government goals:

• By 2007, information and communication technologies will be integral to the delivery of government information, services and processes.
• By 2010, the operation of government will be transformed as government agencies and their partners use technology to provide user-centred information and services and achieve joint outcomes.
• By 2020, people’s engagement with the government will have been transformed, as increasing and innovative use is made of the opportunities offered by network technologies.

The site contains information on the E-government Strategy, the history of the programme and the ongoing work programme.

This page outlines how the site can be of benefit to government agencies in NZ and can aid collaboration between agencies.

http://www.e.govt.nz/services/workspace/workspace-tools.html/view

The site also outline standards and best practices in a number of different areas from procurement to policy creation to online authentication.

It also hosts information on the NZ Government E-Government Strategy
http://www.e.govt.nz/about-egovt/strategy/nov-2006/index.html

The site also serves as a portal for access to the NZ public sector Intranet

http://www.e.govt.nz/services/psi

The Public Sector Intranet (psi.govt.nz) aims to provide a single point, accessible by all public servants, where they can share information with their colleagues. It makes it easy for people to find information they need for their work, and make contacts in other agencies. It enables a sense of community, shared interests, and cross-agency cooperation.

The Public Sector Intranet (PSI) is provided by the NZ State Services Commission. The Commission launched PSI as a full production system in mid-June 2006.

The homepage lists some outline information about the Public Sector Intranet:

Why do we need PSI?

To achieve shared outcomes and work across agency boundaries, we need tools which support cross-agency work. We can all use PSI to gather together useful information across agency boundaries.

Benefits of the PSI

We can organise and share information and resources for our colleagues to reuse, reducing duplication of effort and promoting collaboration. We can share good practice and specialised services designed for cross-agency use. We can find and access our online-communities and locate useful contacts.

There is no charge for joining or using the PSI.

What will be on it?

Information you can expect to access through PSI:

• news and links relevant to all agencies
• toolkits and good practice
• online communities and cross-agency projects.

How can my agency join?

• Most public service agencies, non-public service departments and Offices of Parliament have already joined
• State sector agencies that are interested in using PSI, are invited to contact the PSI Team.

The NZ ‘E-Government’ Strategy seems to have been recently expanded into an overall ‘Digital Strategy’ involving a large degree of public consultation

The Digital Strategy is about creating a digital future for all New Zealanders, using the power of information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance all aspects of our lives. It is an action plan for ensuring New Zealand is a world leader in using information and technology to realise our economic, environmental, social and cultural goals, more on the digital strategy…

It seems to me that New Zealand may be leading the way in developing an approach to formulating Government Technology strategy. Hopefully a few of the powers that be in Ireland are paying some attention…

A report carried out by sustainability consultancy Best Foot Forward shows that online council services in the UK can contribute to big cuts in CO2 emissions.

People who use the internet to contact their local authority, instead of writing or driving to council offices, could help save the equivalent of millions of air miles in carbon emissions, according to research commissioned by Communities and Local Government.

The research was based on real life data supplied by Sunderland City Council which showed that increasing the number of online applications for five key local authority services - planning, schools admissions, registrar’s certificates, environmental services enquiries and council tax payments.

The results revealed the city council could save 80,000 kg of CO2 each year. Rolled out nationally this is the equivalent of over 14,000 tonnes of CO2 or 5,362 return air flights from Heathrow to Malaga each year.

Parmjit Dhanda, e-Government minister said:

“We know that driving to the Town Hall to carry out a transaction uses 20 times more energy than doing it online. That’s why it’s so important that we encourage people to talk to their local authority through the web.

“The Best Foot Forward study supports Government plans for a low carbon economy and debunks the received wisdom that increases in IT server capacity negate any CO2 savings arising from the Internet economy.Communities and Local Government News Release

Download the report here:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/carbonefficiencies