Assessing the impacts of digital government transformation in the EU

This report presents the results of the conceptual and empirical work conducted as part of the JRC research on “Exploring Digital Government Transformation: understanding public sector innovation in a data-driven society” conducted within the framework of the “European Location Interoperability Solutions for eGovernment (ELISE)" Action of the ISA2 Programme on Interoperability solutions for public administrations, businesses and citizens, coordinated by DIGIT. Building on the systematisation of the state of the art carried out in the previous phase of the research, the report presents an original conceptual framework for assessing the impacts of Digital Government transformation in the EU and discusses the results of case studies carried out using an experimental or quasi-experimental approach to test and validate it, carried out in different policy areas in various EU countries. The report concludes outlining the final proposal of DigiGov F 2.0, which defines the dimensions and elements of analysis for assessing the effects that can be generated by digital innovation in the public sector and the impacts they have at social, economic and political levels in different policy-cycle phases and governance contexts.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

An investigation of the propagation of 2 GHz radio waves over sea paths

Three long-range 2 GHz radio paths have been established in the British Channel Islands in order to investigate the characteristics of long-range propagation of UHF radio waves over the sea as part of a project supported by Ofcom, UK. The relationship between specific over-sea propagation mechanisms (such as evaporation ducting and super-refraction) in the lower troposphere and signal strength distribution patterns has been examined, modelled and correlated with meteorological parameters. A number of radio meteorological statistics specifically related to evaporation duct propagation in a temperate region such as the English Channel has been presented to confirm the capability of this key propagation mechanism to guide radio waves to distances well beyond the normal radio horizon. Evaporation ducting and diffraction appear to be the dominant propagation mechanisms at most times. Signal strength enhancements have been observed on all three radio paths, primarily in the late afternoon and evening periods, in the spring and summer months. During periods of enhanced propagation, which occur approximately 8% of the time of a 50 km path, the presence of additional higher-level ducting/super-refractive structures has been verified and their influence has been modelled with reasonable success. Additionally, the statistical variation of bulk meteorological parameters in the context of enhanced signal propagation has also been examined. The relatively long-term observations made during this study confirm the fact that the constantly changing weather patterns in the troposphere (e.g. the occurrence of anticyclonic weather) are directly responsible for the occurrence of enhanced signals at certain periods of time. The various issues under investigation are of direct relevance in the planning of radio communication systems operating in the UHF band (e.g. GSM and UMTS) in marine and coastal regions