Development of the open budget format

Opening budget information is one of the main approaches to build transparent government. By using technologies and open data people can build new services, innovations and make citizen society stronger. A lot of budget data published already around the world. Russian government also are interested in open budgets projects. But there is no appropriate, simple and flexible format for publishing budget data. In this paper we analyzed budget process, current structure of Russian budget, existing formats, frameworks and platforms for publishing to propose Open Budget Format as a first step to open budgets in Russia in good machine-readable manner

Optimal Diffusion Strategy of Advertising Using a Facebook Application

In 2007, Facebook made a momentous decision to open its platform for independent applications. After that, numerous applications are designed and deployed. From a business perspective, a Facebook application has the characteristics of low development cost and strong word-of-mouth effect, which provide an ideal alternative to traditional advertising format. This paper reveals the diffusion pattern of three leading Facebook applications and concludes that the classic Bass diffusion model can be applied to the diffusion process. Based on Bass model, we further propose a diffusion strategy of advertising using a Facebook application. We find that for a given amount of advertising budget, to achieve a maximum percentage of user installations out of the target population of the application, there exists a unique solution to allocate the budget optimally between activities promoting innovation and imitation effects. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the optimal solution

Three Heads Are Better Than One: Organizational Changes in Collection Management Leadership

Financial pressures, shrinking staff, shifting user expectations, and advances in format access and availability mean that organizational change seems to have become a constant in today’s academic library. The area of collection management has not been immune from change; the increasing emphasis on electronic formats, questions about access versus ownership, and the rise of open access have all required adjustment in managing collections. Even with all this change, most academic libraries have retained an organizational structure with a single person serving as a collection management coordinator or decision maker. This presentation details the shift in one academic library from a hierarchical model with a single collection manager overseeing all selectors to a collection management team composed of three peer selectors representing the major areas of humanities, sciences, and social sciences. The team is charged with coordinating the collection and liaison activities of all selectors as well as investigating new collections initiatives, serving as a bridge between reference and technical services, developing a culture of assessment in collection development, and working with the collections budget, the Libraries’s development office, and administration. Benefits realized, challenges encountered, and “lessons learned” from this team approach will be discussed and suggestions for implementation in other libraries will be proposed

Developing of Institutional Repository in Public Sector University Libraries of Punjab, Pakistan

The target of this analysis to discover the current status of open source institutional repository software’s usage in the public sector university libraries of Punjab, Pakistan. Survey method was used by the researchers and a survey was adopted for information gathering. The target population of the investigation was library professionals of public sector universities in Punjab. Data was gathered from a sample of 135 university librarians using a convenience sampling approach. The analyses explored in which majority of library professionals have incorporated or are currently in the process of incorporating institutional repositories (IR) into their respective libraries which shows that library professionals are well aware about the importance of development/need of IR in this digital age. Further, this study revealed that most of the professionals preferred to use open source software i.e. D-Space for development of IR. Moreover, library professionals are of the view that IR software is a vital tool to organize the digital content/material. Further, IR software provides easy access to the users and enables them to provide efficient and effective services to their users. Furthermore, this study highlights that majority of participants were preferred to use those software which have the facility of customization, E-mail based sharing of books. Library professionals are satisfied with that IR software which is freely available, provide format for conversion of different digital files, and publishing digital contents. The study also highlights barriers which faced by majority of respondents i.e. selection of proper software while developing the Institutional Repository. The respondents also ranked lack of budget is another major barrier that forbade the development of IR followed by the selection of scanner technology, selection of material for digitization, institutional repository knowledge. The investigators will explore additional avenues for additional investigation through the lens of institutional repositories (IR)

Open budget data: mapping the landscape

This report offers analysis of the emerging issue of open budget data, which has begun to gain traction amongst advocates and practitioners of financial transparency. Issues and initiatives associated with the emerging issue of open budget data are charted in different forms of digital media. The objective is to enable practitioners – in particular civil society organisations, intergovernmental organisations, governments, multilaterals and funders – to navigate this developing field and to identify trends, gaps and opportunities for supporting it. How public money is collected and distributed is one of the most pressing political questions of our time, influencing the health, well-being and prospects of billions of people. Decisions about fiscal policy affect everyone - determining everything from the resourcing of essential public services, to the capacity of public institutions to take action on global challenges such as poverty, inequality or climate change. Digital technologies have the potential to transform the way that information about public money is organised, circulated and utilised in society, which in turn could shape the character of public debate, democratic engagement, governmental accountability and public participation in decision-making about public funds. Data could play a vital role in tackling the democratic deficit in fiscal policy and in supporting better outcomes for citizens

2013 Nonprofit Needs Assessment: A Profile of Michigan's Most Crucial Professional Development Needs

A new study from Grand Valley State University's School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration, and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy reveals trends in the kind of professional development programming nonprofit organizations in Michigan need.There are over 48,000 nonprofits operating in the state Michigan, employing over 375,000 nonprofit workers. While many industries are struggling in Michigan,the nonprofit sector continues to grow at a rate of 1.3 percent per year. The demand for nonprofit services is also rising and nonprofit workers must work longer hours and take on additional responsibilities to meet increasing demands.Nonprofit and philanthropic employers are recognizing that in order to reduce employee burnout and turnover as well as maintain positive employee morale, they must provide professional development opportunities to their staff. These opportunities can take place internal or external to the organization. Wherever the professional development takes place, it provides many positive benefits to employees, volunteers and organizations

City Open Data Policies

The capture and analysis of data is transforming the 21st Century. As society becomes more data driven, data has the ability to drive the bottom line for private companies and help the public sector to define where and how services can best be delivered. In City Open Data Policies: Learning by Doing, the National League of Cities identifies how cities can take advantage of the opportunities presented by open data initiatives.SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONSLeadership: Political support stands out as one of the key requirements to implementing a successful open data project.Appropriate Legislation: Enacting legislation or formal policies is a crucial step toward ensuring the growth and sustainability of open data portals. Funding: Open data initiatives do not require high levels of funding. It is, however, important that the programs have their own budget line items where resources are specifically allocated. Technical Approach: Leading U.S. cities rely on commercial platforms that facilitate the implementation of open data initiatives, provide technical expertise, and ensure 24/7 customer support, often at a lower cost than providing these services in-house. Stakeholder Involvement: Open data is a two-way process. It is, therefore, essential to encourage participation and engagement among multiple stakeholders including: community members; non-profits; universities; the press; businesses; city departments; and other levels of government. Many cities adopt a flexible, and usually informal, approach to interact with the stakeholders. Measuring Success: Developing evaluation tools should be an integral part of any future open data policies