Attaining social value from electronic government

We define and elaborate a Social Value framework supporting evaluation and attainment of the broader socio-political and socio-economic goals that characterise many electronic government initiatives. The key elements of the framework are the willingness of citizens to (positively) recommend an e-government service to others, based upon personal trust in the service provider, and personal experience of the service, based upon experience of service provision and outcomes. The validity of the framework is explored through an empirical quantitative study of citizens' experiences of a newly introduced e-government system to allocate public social housing. The results of this study include evidence of generic antecedents of trust and willingness to recommend, pointing the way to more general applicability of the framework for designers and managers of electronic government systems

Direct deliberative local governance using online media – consensual problem solving or a recalcitrant pluralism?

This paper describes and analyses distinct patterns of 'governance conversation' observed in interactions on a discussion list that aims to support local, direct, governance in a geographically colocated community in South Africa. Although each pattern relates to governance, making 'binding decisions', which has been seen as a key attribute of deliberative democratic processes, is almost entirely absent from the observed interactions. Nonetheless, the exchanges appear to be relevant and useful to the broader process of local direct deliberative governance. We investigate the extent to which the patterns feature instrumental or expressive dialogue, and subsequently support consensual or pluralist outcomes. The results propose that online interaction is particularly suited to facilitating the pluralist deliberation required to manage complex local governance problems. The outcomes observed in the case study further suggest the potential value of an infrequently investigated context of online deliberation – that of citizen-to-citizen deliberation of geographically local issues; and presents a broader conception of the role of online deliberation in local governance, where formal decision making is frequently over privileged in research

e-Governance: Supporting pragmatic direct deliberative action through online communities of interest

Authors often report on the limited success of e-Government initiatives in developing nations. Top down, national strategies are developed to target improved government services, but maintain hierarchical, citizen-state conceptions of governance through representative democracy. An alternative conception, direct deliberative democracy, frames the potential role of the internet in governance differently. Web based platforms might support locally animated deliberations, which target pragmatic outcomes, while the resulting social networks afford collective learning through connections across traditional boundaries. This paper presents an investigation of direct deliberative governance as it occurs in online 'communities of interest', and is based on research with such a community in southern Africa. We investigate contributions to the online governance process and develop an action typology distinguishing between degrees of 'agency freedom'. Network analytic techniques are then used to understand how acts of varying degree are expressed in terms of the structure of a social network. The aim, more broadly, is to understand how the environment shapes acts of direct deliberative governance, and, in turn, how the acts shape the evolution and effectiveness of the community. The preliminary results suggest design considerations for online governance communities, and highlight their role to not only provide deliberative space, but to mediate social network connections

Gaining the world and losing the soul? trust change in electronic government

We describe an empirical study of reported changes in citizens' trust when an electronic government system supporting the allocation of public housing was introduced by a local government body in south east England. (Similar systems have been introduced in most local government districts of the UK.) We present an analysis of survey data (521 respondents) showing that users of the electronically-mediated service were much more likely to report a reduction in trust as a result of their experience whilst people who used a more traditional mode of service delivery were much more likely to report improved trust. Using multivariate modelling approaches, we identify those aspects of respondents’ experiences which most influence the reported changes in trust, both positive and negative. We interpret these experiential factors in terms of clients’ needs when they are frustrated in their ability to contribute to the co-production of a public service. We suggest that the origin of the problem with the ICT-mediated mode of engagement with the service may be rooted in the deployment of a model of coproduction based upon e-commerce which was driven by central government targets and the related political agenda for service reform

Direct deliberative governance and the Web: The collaborative work of democratic decision-making mediated by an online social environment

Direct deliberative democracy presents a conceptually attractive model of civic governance – particularly relevant at local scale. We outline the 'work' of direct deliberative democracy by considering its underlying principles and objectives, and discuss four fundamental challenges that are commonly proposed: the difficulty of coordinating direct participation, the expertise required of participants, the often underestimated dynamics of power in direct action, and that deliberation is not necessarily the sole, ideal mode of participation. At hand of a case study of an online 'community of interest', the paper investigates the potential role of social media to facilitate this work, and to mitigate the challenges cited

TriG - A GNSS Precise Orbit and Radio Occultation Space Receiver

The GPS radio occultation (RO) technique [1] produces measurements in the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere [2] that contribute to monitoring space weather and climate change; and improving operational weather prediction. The high accuracy of RO soundings, traceable to SI standards, makes them ideal climate benchmark observations. For weather applications, RO observations improve the accuracy of weather forecasts by providing temperature and moisture profiles of sub-km vertical resolution, over land and ocean and in the presence of clouds. JPL is currently flying a handful of RO instruments [3] on various satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Although these receivers have served to pioneer occultation measurements, various advances in technology and understanding of the RO technique along with availability of new signals from GPS and other GNSS satellites allow us to design an improved next generation space-based Precise Orbit Determination (POD) and RO receiver, the TriG receiver. The paper describes the architecture and implementation of the JPL TriG receiver as well as results obtained with a prototype receiver demonstrating key technologies necessary for a next-generation space science receiver

Model-Based Systems Engineering Applied to the Detection and Correction of Object Slippage Within a Dexterous Robotic Hand from the Laboratory to Simulation

Now more than ever, it is important to have the ability to replicate robotic tasks in simulation and be able to validate the simulation against stakeholder requirements and verify the simulation against simulation requirements. In a previous study, a five-fingered robotic hand, the Shadow Dexterous Hand, with haptic BioTac SP sensors attached was used to detect the moment of slip of an object from the robotic hand while weight was continuously being added and stop the object from falling from the grasp while not overcorrecting. This work was accomplished by Dr. Zhenyu Lin, Dr. John S. Baras, and the author in the Autonomy Robotics Cognition Laboratory at the University of Maryland. This thesis will present the use of Model-Based System Engineering techniques to replicate the detection and correction of object slippage by a five-fingered robotic hand using force feedback control in simulation

A matter of security, privacy and trust: A study of the principles and values of encryption in New Zealand

Cybersecurity is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of the general public, businesses, government, and the country as a whole. New Zealand has a reasonably comprehensive and well-grounded legal regime and strategy for dealing with cybersecurity matters. However, there is one area that deserves further attention and discussion – encryption. Encryption is at the heart of and underpins many of the technologies and technical processes used for computer and network security, but current laws and policies do not expressly cover this significant technology. The principal objective of this study is to identify the principles and values of encryption in New Zealand with a view to informing future developments of encryptionrelated laws and policies. The overarching question is: What are the fundamental principles and values that apply to encryption? In order to answer this question, the study adopts an interdisciplinary approach that examines the technical, legal and social dimensions of encryption. With regard to the technical dimensions, this requires exploring the technical elements and aspects of encryption and how they can impact law and society. In relation to law, existing and proposed encryption law and policies in New Zealand and other jurisdictions are examined in terms of how they affect and are affected by encryption. On the social dimension, the perceptions, opinions and beliefs of three groups of stakeholders most concerned about encryption (i.e., the general public, businesses and government) are recognised and considered

Time to get real: the case for critical action research in purchasing and supply management

In fragile and often complex supply chains, PSM failures continue to be reported in the media, often with severe economic, social and environmental consequences. To encourage organisations to engage in responsible PSM, we need engaged research. In this paper we argue that Action Research (AR) is an influential, participative method to challenge the more dominant versions of PSM impacts, which tend to focus only on the positive, and often only monetised elements of what is valued. AR places change at the core of the research process, requiring critical reflexive practice of the impact of assumptions, values and actions on others. We argue that PSM research has more potential for influence if it starts from a ‘real’ problem anchored in practice, and that crucially, the problem itself should be challenged dialogically by scholars, practitioners and diverse stakeholders. Critical AR can reframe performance from a technical, company-centric notion to explore broader relationships between inputs and outputs over a longer time frame. We explore the risks and rewards of Critical AR for PSM scholars and draw conclusions on our role as engaged advocates of change