eGovernance as a Challenge for
the Knowledge Society
By: J. Berce
IPTS, DG JRC, European Commission
http://fiste.jrc.es
http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int
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The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, IPTS
Part of the DG JRC of the
EC: 7 Institutes across Europe
IPTS mission: “to provide customerdriven support to the EU policy-making
process by researching science-based
responses to policy challenges that
have both a socio-economic as well as
a scientific/technological dimension
Institute for Prospective
Technological Studies
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IPTS tools for research:
Participation in FP projects
Open Calls
…
Content
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Background
Reflections and Interpretations
Conclusions
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Introduction
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Information Communications Technology (ICT)
• iGovernment - converting existing processes and
paper objects into digital form
• eGovernment - representing the Internet - based
digital services to non-government clients (citizens
and businesses)
• iGovernment and eGovernment with Infrastructure
form ICT
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Knowledge Management (KM)
• Issues related to managing the knowledge assets of an
organization, including:
–
–
–
–
–
–
experts
lessons learned
documents
artifact templates
best practice and
process improvement
• To manage knowledge in an organization, there is a need to
understand:
–
–
–
–
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what (organizational) knowledge is
how it is used
what its management consists of, and
how we could improve organizational knowledge processes
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Learning Organizations (LO)
• [are] organizations where:
– people continually expand their knowledge and skills-based
capacity to create the results they truly desire
– new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured
– collective aspiration is set free and
– people are continually learning to see the whole together
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eGovernance
• Is the next step to link public sector performance and
behaviour to achieve:
–
–
–
–
improved democracy
wider social inclusion
participation
literacy, etc.
• Is understood in this paper to be the strategic exercise
of political and administrative authority to manage the
nation’s affairs economically at all levels
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Public administration
• Some quotes:
– The carrying out of policies established by the political (or
policy making) elements of the government (Skok)
– A public administration’s managerial approach is dependent
on a structure arranged hierarchically (Rosenbloom)
– A practice best understood as a system, with multiple
external and internal factors that shape the behaviour of
participants, activities of programmes and ultimate
outcomes (Johnson)
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The Knowledge Society
• Where the older measures of competitiveness (Nath):
– labour costs
– resource endowments and
– infrastructure
• become superseded by dimensions such as:
–
–
–
–
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knowledge generation
patents
research & development and
the availability of knowledge to citizens (or their ability to
afford it) and their capacity to learn
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Background
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Slovenia
• A small European country (2 million
inhabitants) situated between Italy,
Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. It
joined the European Union (EU) in
May 2004
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Research model and relations
eGovernance
Knowledge
Management
eGOVERNMENT
INSTITUTION
iGovernment
eGovernment
ICT - infrastructure
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Learning
Organization
A survey
• Sample of 288 different organizations, selected from
the public sector in Slovenia, was chosen for the
survey
• 50% (143 organizations) responded to the
questionnaires. The reply rate was as follows:
–
–
–
–
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from Ministries: 100%
from Government offices: 83.3%
from Local government offices: 94.6%
from Municipalities: 22.9%
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Research Question
• This research addresses (some) public administration
institutions from the point of view of the broad
strategic impacts of effective eGovernance, with its
scope focused on the roles of:
– Information Communications Technology
– Knowledge Management and
– Learning Organization behaviour
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Reflections and Interpretations
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ICT Role
• The data show that within the Slovenian
administration ICT is well applied
• 100% Internet availability reported at ministry level
• A reduced willingness to use electronic doorways to
open public sector services - fear of becoming more
transparent – was perceived
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Development of KM
• The absence of a responsible person
• No organizationally defined system of rewards that
could stimulate KM
• Slovenian Ministries tend to rely mainly on short
training courses
• Employee knowledge is not accurately monitored
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Level of LO Culture
• Respondents perceive that a paper format is the
most important means for “storing” knowledge
• Approximately half of the organizations in the OECD
countries have reorganized their offices, whereas
only one-third of those in Slovenia have done so
• About 30% of respondents reported reorganization
efforts and/or changes in the delegation of authority
to lower hierarchical levels
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eGovernance
• Research showed that if a “poorly” organized system
is digitalized, the efficiency gain from ICT is minimal
• Results show the deficiency of new governance
mechanisms - within researched Slovenian
administration
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Multidimensional Method
eGovernment - Stage 4
Stage 3
Infor
matio
n
Awa
renes
Visio
s
n and
scope
Rewa
rding
K&
I Sha
re
Netw
orkin
g
Ta
ng
ibl
iGovernment
Lev
e
Re
s il
ea
nd
i
Stage 1
ien
t to
nta
ng
ibl
Stage 2
er
eso
ch
urc
an
Ch
g
es
an
ee
gin
nv
ir o
gb
nm
eah
Le
en
vio
a rn
t
rs
ing
an
org
db
Pe
an
ele
rm
i
z
ive
ati
an
s
on
en
tL3
pro
Inv
ces
(l i
fes(
olv
l
go
o
ing
ng
als
- le
all
,p
a rn
LO
lan
sta
i
ff
ng
s)
cu
)
ltu
re
ICT
LO
l of
Slo
ven
ian
eGo
ver
nan
ce c
apa
bili
ty
Opportunities to improve
KM
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Conclusions
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Conclusions - 1
• Only a strong interconnection between social,
economic and Information Communications
Technology factors can drive good eGovernance
• These factors have an important impact on the
evolution of public administration itself
• Their interconnection involves:
– knowledge management and networking
– learning organization culture and behaviour
– Information Communication Technology and
good eGovernance delivery
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Conclusions - 2
An organization must know:
– what new things to embrace and
when to embrace them.
– what old things to discard and
when to discard them !
To do so, it must strive to become a Learning
Organization using Knowledge Management,
supported by Information Communication
Technology
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eGovernance action plan (proposal)
• With the ensuing strategic decisions, measures and
priorities:
– commitment of top government officials
– an independent in-depth examination of current status
– vision and goals to achieve eDemocracy through better
eGovernance
– predefined measurement system and priorities
– responsibility of key actors to carry out selected tasks
– a defined time-frame and
– budgetary support
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Thank you !
Website: http://fiste.jrc.es/
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