Meeting the Challenge of Interdependent Critical Networks under Threat : The Paris Initiative

NARisques à grande échelle;Gestion des crises internationale;Interdépendances;Infrastructures critiques;Anthrax;Initiative collective;Stratégie;Préparation des Etats-majors

What do they know about me? Contents and Concerns of Online Behavioral Profiles

Data aggregators collect large amount of information about individual users and create detailed online behavioral profiles of individuals. Behavioral profiles benefit users by improving products and services. However, they have also raised concerns regarding user privacy, transparency of collection practices and accuracy of data in the profiles. To improve transparency, some companies are allowing users to access their behavioral profiles. In this work, we investigated behavioral profiles of users by utilizing these access mechanisms. Using in-person interviews (n=8), we analyzed the data shown in the profiles, elicited user concerns, and estimated accuracy of profiles. We confirmed our interview findings via an online survey (n=100). To assess the claim of improving transparency, we compared data shown in profiles with the data that companies have about users. More than 70% of the participants expressed concerns about collection of sensitive data such as credit and health information, level of detail and how their data may be used. We found a large gap between the data shown in profiles and the data possessed by companies. A large number of profiles were inaccurate with as much as 80% inaccuracy. We discuss implications for public policy management.Comment: in Ashwini Rao, Florian Schaub, and Norman Sadeh What do they know about me? Contents and Concerns of Online Behavioral Profiles (2014) ASE BigData/SocialInformatics/PASSAT/BioMedCom Conferenc

Spartan Daily, October 30, 2001

Volume 117, Issue 43https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/9748/thumbnail.jp

Meeting the Challenge of Interdependent Critical Networks under Threat : The Paris Initiative

The growing globalization of activities translates into large-scale area of operation, just-in-time processes and increasing interdependencies among national and international networks. Combined with the emergence of a wide spectrum of threats -sabotage, terrorism, disease, natural disasters- one faces a whole new arena of large-scale emerging risks and crises involving critical networks in which failure to operate can have debilitating impacts on an entire country and even abroad. Strategic and operational answers have to be developed to deal with such events and improve collective preparation through the creation of specific partnerships. In the aftermath of 2001 Anthrax crisis we suggested launching an ambitious debriefing process on the Anthrax episode: a large pilot study, with a clear strategic view consisting on bringing some hallmarks to help postal operators at the highest executive level. This led to the "Paris Initiative", with senior executives of postal sectors from 30 countries meeting in Paris one year after the international crisis to share their experience gained throughout this "out of the box" episode and suggest new avenues of international partnerships. An innovative international platform for immediate cross-organizational response capacity resulted from that initiative too; a partnership enabling the necessary common learning process. To date postal operators have been among the very few to launch such an innovative process to understand and meet the collective challenge of an increasingly interdependent world. After discussing some key challenges associated with the operation of critical networks today as well as some behavioral barriers and financial issues associated with the development of an adequate set of possible actions by top decision-makers, this paper presents the Paris Initiative in more detail (challenges, preparation, choice of a strategic team within and outside organizations, success through measurable outputs). Beyond this specific pilot initiative, some strategic clues are suggested for successfully applying the developed framework to other critical sectors.Appendix 1: Strategic Check-List for Senior Executive

(Mis)Attribution Symposium: Government Speech

In this Essay, I evaluate three issues of attribution and misattribution that arise in the so-called area of government speech. \u27 First, I explore when an individual might have a constitutional claim for misattribution by the state. Second, I discuss the citizen\u27s interest in proper attribution by the government when it is speaking. Third, I consider the government\u27s interest in avoiding expression being improperly attributed to it. This concern arises less often than is commonly assumed; what many scholars (and governments) claim to be a state interest in avoiding attribution or endorsement is in fact a state interest in not providing a platform for certain types of private speech. As such, the matter cannot be resolved according to the categories of public forum or government speech, and instead we must decide how much content-based decision- making is appropriate for the state when creating speech opportunities that fall into neither of these more doctrinally understandable forms

Behavioral Economics and Institutional Innovation

Behavioral economics has played a fundamental role historically in innovation in economic institutions, even long before behavioral economics was recognized as a discipline. Examples from history, notably that of the invention of workers’ compensation, illustrate this point. Though scholarly discussion develops over decades, actual innovation tends to occur episodically, particularly at times of economic crisis. Fortunately, some of the major professional societies, the Verein fur Sozialpolitik, the American Economic Association and their successors, have managed to keep a broad discourse going, involving a variety of research methods including some that may be described today as behavioral economics, thereby maintaining an environment friendly to institutional innovation. Further, the broad expansion of behavioral economics that is going on today can be expected to yield even more such important institutional innovations.Economic innovation, Invention, Psychological economics, Institutional economics, Social insurance, Workers’ compensation, American Economic Association, Germany, Verein fur Sozialpolitik

Enabling Future Sustainability Transitions: An Urban Metabolism Approach to Los Angeles Pincetl et al. Enabling Future Sustainability Transitions

Summary: This synthesis article presents an overview of an urban metabolism (UM) approach using mixed methods and multiple sources of data for Los Angeles, California. We examine electric energy use in buildings and greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, and calculate embedded infrastructure life cycle effects, water use and solid waste streams in an attempt to better understand the urban flows and sinks in the Los Angeles region (city and county). This quantification is being conducted to help policy-makers better target energy conservation and efficiency programs, pinpoint best locations for distributed solar generation, and support the development of policies for greater environmental sustainability. It provides a framework to which many more UM flows can be added to create greater understanding of the study area's resource dependencies. Going forward, together with policy analysis, UM can help untangle the complex intertwined resource dependencies that cities must address as they attempt to increase their environmental sustainability

A Brave New World for Latin America

With variations across countries, Latin America’s economic agenda will change over the next few years. Fiscal policy will be monitored more independently, and may lean more against cycles. Financial regulation will be heavier, and less attuned with a single international model. Innovation will be at the center of trade strategies. Equity will begin to replace equality as the driver of social programs. More state agencies will be managed by results, starting the long process of earning citizens’ trust. The region will play a larger global role, led by Brazil. And if the world’s economy holds, most Latin Americans will be on a faster development path.Latin America, fiscal policy, financial regulation, equality, equity, social programs, innovation, trade, Brazil, development