Panel: @dministration 21 Public Administration in the Era of the Internet

Inherently, public administration is a paper-based information business that handles sensitive data and includes citizens, enterprises and various authorities. It is embedded in a legal framework of defined administrative processes based on the principle of the division of labour. Recently, the demand for a close contact to citizens and restricted financial resources show the need for a change in public administrations in order to become fast and efficient organisations. Present reform approaches in public administration are driven by information technology. Within distinct authorities and administrations isolated IT-applications were replaced by partially integrated information systems. Meanwhile first network- and Internet-technologies are successfully implemented and support the E-Government-approach of an interconnection between public administrations, citizens and enterprises within the public-private-partnership. Concerning the organisation of administrations, first steps into a new public management were taken with controlling approaches and decentralised organisational units. At the beginning of the 21st century, the growing „House of Europe“ generates new requirements for its public administrations. New dimensions of trade, environment, infrastructure and migration will cause a paneuropean communication and co-ordination challenge for the public sector, its organisation and information technology. Are public administrations able to work with paperlessprocesses and what kinds of administrative processes are suitable for an electronic treatment? How can public administrations interconnect their inter-organisational processes on a national or international (European) base? How can the concerned legislation or administration behaviours be aligned? Which technical means are necessary to integrate citizens and enterprises into electronic administration processes? Innovative information systems for integrated electronic and inter-organisational administration processes embedded in a common legal framework may be a powerful instrument for public administrations to become more effective and customer-oriented organisations. To continue this process of reorganisation and modernisation the ECIS 2000 track „Public-Administration“ focuses evolutions that challenge public administrations as well as IC/IT research and development in the 21st century. The contributions to the track focus on • Organisational concepts, information systems and system architectures for a new public management, based on new information or Internet technologies. • Reflections concerning electronic business between citizens, enterprises and administrations (E-government). • Requirements for electronic intra- and inter-organisational administration processes, e.g. aspects of legal regulations, data security, virtual products and services, procedural models for implementation. • Knowledge Management and informatization in the public sector: developing the learning administration. • Reference models and scalable solutions for similar administration procedures. • Concepts and case studies about successful change programs in public organizations. • Standards (technical/content) for interadministrative business processes and communication. The different sessions and the panel discussion handle these questions from a wide range of perspectives but with the common goal of making the theory and practice of EGovernment and the evolution of information systems in public administrations work

An Application of Multimedia Services on Transportation: The Use of the World Wide Web (WWW)

INTRODUCTION In recent years, there is an ever-increasing demand and interest in the use of multimedia technology and applications in industry, government and academia. Multimedia is often seen by researchers as the next step forward in interfacing science, technology and community. Yet, the terminology of multimedia bears several meanings. It may refer to Compact Disc (CD), moving pictures or video-conferencing. The multimedia technology referred in this paper is the World Wide Web (WWW) hypertext publishing information system which was developed by and started at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. Since the introduction of WWW, its use has increased dramatically within a couple of years in a widely diverse community including government departments, university and research establishments, and commercial organisations. It has significant influence to our communities and our daily lives. Yet, in most cases, applications of WWW services are largely restricted to electronic library referencelcatalogue search facilities, electronic mail systems, electronic conference and discussion systems, electronic news and publishing agents, and remote access to computing resources on the Internet. The primary objective of this paper is to exploit the potential of this multimedia technology as a simple, easy-to-use and effective means of telematics application in transportation research. It is hoped that initiatives are highlighted via this study and hence encourage participations and collaborations from different sectors of industries. In this paper, a brief history of WWW is given in section (2). An overview of the technical aspects in providing a WWW service is presented in section (3) in terms of computer hardware requirements, software installation, network connections, application maintenance and administration, and system security. Compared to most commercially available multimedia software in the market, WWW services are cheap to run, userfriendly and readily available to the public on the Internet. In order to exploit the potential of WWW on transportation research, a study was carried out and results of the findings are reported in section (4). To further substantiate the level of usefulness, two particular WWW applications were chosen amongst other web services and they are reported in section (5) for illustrative purposes. The selected applications are the 'Transportation Resources on the Internet' developed in mid-1994 in the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) at the University of Leeds in England, and the 'Southern California Real-Time Traffic Report' developed by Maxwell Laboratories, Inc. in collaboration with the California State Department of Transportation in the US. Finally, a set of issues are raised in section (6), highlighting the directions of future development of WWW as an easy-touse, cheap and effective multimedia telematics application on transportation

Social Aspects of New Technologies - the CCTV and Biometric (Framing Privacy and Data Protection) in the Case of Poland

The purpose of this paper is to review the institution responsible for the protection of personal data within the European Union and national example - Polish as a country representing the new Member States. The analysis of institutional system - providing legal security of communication and information institutions, companies and citizens against the dangers arising from the ongoing development of innovative new technologies in the European Union and Poland. This article is an attempt to analyze the possibility of using security systems and Biometry CTTV in Poland in terms of legislation. The results of the analysis indicate that, in terms of institutions Poland did not do badly in relation to the risks arising from the implementation of technology. The situation is not as good when it comes to the awareness of citizens and small businesses. This requires that facilitate greater access to free security software companies from data leakage or uncontrolled cyber-terrorist attacks. With regard to the use of security systems, CCTV and biometrics, Poland in legal terms is still early in the process of adapting to EU Directive. The continuous development of technology should force the legislature to establish clear standards and regulations for the application of CCTV technology and biometrics, as it is of great importance in ensuring the fundamental rights and freedoms of every citizen of the Polish Republic.Wyniki analizy wskazują, że pod względem instytucji Polska nie wypada źle w odniesieniu do zagrożeń wynikających z wdrożenia technologii. Sytuacja nie jest tak dobra, jeśli chodzi o świadomość obywateli i mniejszych firm. Wymaga to ułatwiania szerszego dostępu do darmowych programów zabezpieczających firmy przed wyciekiem danych lub niekontrolowanych cyber-ataków terrorystycznych. W odniesieniu do stosowania systemów zabezpieczeń CCTV oraz biometrii, Polska pod względem prawnym jest wciąż na początku procesu dostosowania do dyrektywy UE. Ciągły rozwój technologii powinien zmusić ustawodawcę do stworzenia jednoznacznych standardów i przepisów obowiązujących w zakresie stosowania technologii CCTV oraz biometrii, gdyż ma to ogromne znaczenie w zapewnieniu podstawowych praw i wolności każdego obywatela Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej

Innovative public governance through cloud computing: Information privacy, business models and performance measurement challenges

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze challenges and to discuss proposed solutions for innovative public governance through cloud computing. Innovative technologies, such as federation of services and cloud computing, can greatly contribute to the provision of e-government services, through scaleable and flexible systems. Furthermore, they can facilitate in reducing costs and overcoming public information segmentation. Nonetheless, when public agencies use these technologies, they encounter several associated organizational and technical changes, as well as significant challenges. Design/methodology/approach: We followed a multidisciplinary perspective (social, behavioral, business and technical) and conducted a conceptual analysis for analyzing the associated challenges. We conducted focus group interviews in two countries for evaluating the performance models that resulted from the conceptual analysis. Findings: This study identifies and analyzes several challenges that may emerge while adopting innovative technologies for public governance and e-government services. Furthermore, it presents suggested solutions deriving from the experience of designing a related platform for public governance, including issues of privacy requirements, proposed business models and key performance indicators for public services on cloud computing. Research limitations/implications: The challenges and solutions discussed are based on the experience gained by designing one platform. However, we rely on issues and challenges collected from four countries. Practical implications: The identification of challenges for innovative design of e-government services through a central portal in Europe and using service federation is expected to inform practitioners in different roles about significant changes across multiple levels that are implied and may accelerate the challenges' resolution. Originality/value: This is the first study that discusses from multiple perspectives and through empirical investigation the challenges to realize public governance through innovative technologies. The results emerge from an actual portal that will function at a European level. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Keberkesanan carta pembelajaran Omygram terhadap tahap pencapaian pelajar PVMA dalam mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggeris bagi topik plurals

Pembinaan bahan bantu belajar untuk tujuan PdPC sememangnya digalakkan oleh Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia bagi meningkatkan kualiti pendidikan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk membangun dan mengenalpasti keberkesanan carta pembelajaran Omygram terhadap tahap pencapaian pelajar PVMA dalam mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggeris bagi topik plurals. Kajian ini adalah kuasi-eksperimen yang melibatkan dua buah sekolah menengah harian di daerah Batu Pahat. Instrumen kajian yang digunakan ialah soalan ujian pra dan pasca, soal selidik dan senarai semak. Dapatan kajian telah dianalisis menggunakan perisian Statistic Package For The Social Science Version 22.0 (SPSS). Analisis deskriptif dalam bentuk frekuensi, peratus, min dan sisihan piawai digunakan semasa penganalisaan data. Ujian-t pula digunakan untuk melihat perbezaan pencapaian antara ujian pra dengan ujian pasca bagi kumpulan rawatan dan kumpulan kawalan. Kumpulan rawatan diberi set soal selidik tentang motivasi pelajar selepas menggunakan carta pembelajaran Omygram dalam PdPC. Hasil dapatan kajian mendapati bahawa, terdapat perbezaan pencapaian yang signifikan antara skor ujian pra dengan skor ujian pasca bagi kumpulan rawatan. Motivasi pelajar selepas menggunakan carta pembelajaran Omygram juga berada pada tahap tinggi

Watching You: Systematic Federal Surveillance of Ordinary Americans

To combat terrorism, Attorney General John Ashcroft has asked Congress to "enhance" the government's ability to conduct domestic surveillance of citizens. The Justice Department's legislative proposals would give federal law enforcement agents new access to personal information contained in business and school records. Before acting on those legislative proposals, lawmakers should pause to consider the extent to which the lives of ordinary Americans already are monitored by the federal government. Over the years, the federal government has instituted a variety of data collection programs that compel the production, retention, and dissemination of personal information about every American citizen. Linked through an individual's Social Security number, these labor, medical, education and financial databases now empower the federal government to obtain a detailed portrait of any person: the checks he writes, the types of causes he supports, and what he says "privately" to his doctor. Despite widespread public concern about preserving privacy, these data collection systems have been enacted in the name of "reducing fraud" and "promoting efficiency" in various government programs. Having exposed most areas of American life to ongoing government scrutiny and recording, Congress is now poised to expand and universalize federal tracking of citizen life. The inevitable consequence of such constant surveillance, however, is metastasizing government control over society. If that happens, our government will have perverted its most fundamental mission and destroyed the privacy and liberty that it was supposed to protect

E-voting in Brazil - the risks to democracy

Literature has shown that countries with strong democratic traditions, such as the United States and Canada, are not yet using electronic voting systems intensively, due to the concern for and emphasis on security. It has revealed that there is no such thing as an error-free computer system, let alone an electronic voting system, and that existing technology does not offer the conditions necessary for a reliable, accurate and secure electronic voting system. In this context, then, what are the risks of e-voting to democracy? In what ways, if at all, can more fragile, less mature democracies be buttressed with e-voting systems? As a key component of e-democracy, it seems that e-voting technologies are to become more secure and increasingly reliable in the near future and will indeed be adopted in many countries. In what ways, if at all, will the introduction of such systems increase voter confidence in the political system, promote citizen engagement in political life, and nurture the evolution of democracy? If both e-voting and edemocracy are emerging based on popular demand - that is, as a demand-driven alternative to current processes, then there is no doubt that they are likely to enhance and improve the efficiency of traditional democracy. However, if e-voting technology is being introduced based on a supply-driven fashion - the technology exists therefore it should and must be implemented - then the implications for democracy should be considered. Brazil's introduction of e-voting offers a cautionary tale of supply-driven technological implication. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the introduction of e-voting in Brazil is highly risky to democracy due to the lack of emphasis on security and the lack of a sociallyinformed and socially driven approach to technological innovation. The Brazilian example illustrates the democratic implications of a market-driven approach. The lack of a technology strategy designed to promote and extend democratic principles is not surprising given the closed door, market-based negotiations that led to the adoption of e-voting in Brazil. The promise, and indeed, the imperative of a democratic, voter-centered approach as an alternative for the development of an electronic voting system, is explored in the paper