Information governance,records management,and freedom of information: A study of local government authorities in England

In many democratic states political rhetoric gives weight to increasing public participation in and understanding of the political process; (re)-establishing public trust in government decision making; increasing transparency, openness, and accountability of public authorities; and, ultimately, improving government decision-making on behalf of citizens. Access to the public record and freedom of information (FOI) are mechanisms which help to facilitate the accountability of public authorities. Many jurisdictions have introduced legislation related to these mechanisms, and the UK government is no exception with its enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2000. University College London (UCL) ran a research project over 12 months in 2008–2009, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. The research project examined what the impact of the UK FOIA had been on records management services in public authorities, especially local government. This article reports on some of the findings of the study. It considers how FOI compliance and records management functions are organized in local government and the role of information governance which is emerging as an umbrella for such functions. It draws some conclusions about the contributions that records management services make to the ability of local authorities to comply with the FOIA and identifies some ways in which user experience may be affected by the management of records.     

Managing stakeholders in transformational government — A case study in a Danish local government

According to the e-government maturity literature public organizations will move through different stages of maturity implying that more mature e-government is better. For many public organizations the next stage to enter is the stage of transformational government (Dhillon et al., 2008). This paper contributes to this literature by reporting the findings from a case study in a Danish local government who has reached the stage of transformational government. Using a grounded theory approach, information about the local government was initially collected and further analyzed within a stakeholder perspective. The paper reports how they succeeded in involving the most important stakeholders in the process of reaching transformational government. Finally the paper offers six lessons learned, based on the case study, about how to manage the involved stakeholders to reach transformational government.     

Why Australia needs a SAGE: A security architecture for the Australian government environment

The electronic security (eSecurity) applied to government data and information holdings have emerged as a significant issue for nations around the world, including the Commonwealth of Australia. This paper chronologs some of the important eSecurity activities and milestones in the years that preceded September 2001 and the actions taken by Australian governments directly following the attacks on New York City and Washington. The paper also discusses the work that is currently in progress to develop a Security Architecture for the Australian Government Environment (SAGE) and the intended benefits for the broader Australian community.     

Identifying the security risks associated with governmental use of cloud computing

Cloud computing, which refers to an emerging computing model where machines in large data centers can be used to deliver services in a scalable manner, has become popular for corporations in need of inexpensive, large scale computing. Recently, the United States government has begun to utilize cloud computing architectures, platforms, and applications to deliver services and meet the needs of their constituents. Surrounding the use of cloud computing are many risks that can have major impacts on the information and services supported by this technology. This paper discusses the current use of cloud computing in government, and the risks–tangible and intangible–associated with its use. Examining specific cases of government cloud computing, this paper explores the level of understanding of the risks by the departments and agencies that implement this technology. This paper argues that a defined risk management program focused on cloud computing is an essential part of the government IT environment.     

What users want: Assessing government information preferences to drive information services

Access to government information has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. There are many indicators of information use, but it is challenging for service institutions to gain a current and comprehensive view of the research practices and preferences of their users. Information stakeholders must seek out current data to gauge the potential success of new initiatives and policies in order to meet user needs. To that end, a user study was conducted on the University of Montana campus in spring of 2006. The survey was sent to a random, stratified sample of the campus population. The instrument included questions on frequency of government information use, methods of locating and learning about government documents, awareness of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and service and format preferences. The results show that the majority of researchers are using government information at least quarterly and that they most often use general search engines to find it. Respondents indicate a strong interest in alerting services, tutorials, virtual reference, and topic-oriented assistance. Although some respondents prefer printed materials for specific types of information, users generally want to find and access government information online. The results offer current data for program planning, collection development, and information policy creation.     

A prioritization-based analysis of local open government data portals: A case study of Chinese province-level governments

While most data originate within a local context, our knowledge about the realization of open government data (OGD) at local levels is limited due to the lack of systematic analysis of local OGD portals. Thus, we focus on a core question about analysing and guiding the development of local OGD portals. An evaluation framework is developed based on the comparison of related studies and principles. To fill the gap in existing frameworks which lack clarity in the prioritization process, Analytic Hierarchy Process together with an expert survey is used to derive priorities of elements of the framework. To test the capability of the framework in analysing and guiding the development of local OGD portals, a case study of Chinese province-level OGD portals has been carried out. Results show that data accessibility and quality matter more than data quantity for a local OGD portal. Currently, Chinese province-level OGD portals are in their infancy of development, with a great gap between Taiwan and Hong Kong with other portals. Data relating to local statistics, credit records, and budget and spending are well released on portals in China. Population size and the size and wealth of the local government show no significant relation with the number of datasets. By combining priorities of the framework with evaluation results, it could help local governments to recognise their present shortcomings and give them recommendations for recognizing directions for OGD portal's future development.     

Managing information technology in the federal government: Assessing the development and application of agency-wide policies

Growing interest in Federal agencies' management of information technology (IT) has prompted an examination of possible causes for problems in managing information technology. Members of both the Executive and Legislative Branches believe the problems result from ineffective OMB policies. Recent research shows, though, that agency management problems have resulted, in part, from the ineffectual application of OMB policy by agencies. This article examines what factors support or impede agency application and enforcement of IT management policy.     

Freedom of information and ‘vexatious’ requests — The case of Scottish local government

This paper investigates the cost and incidence of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within councils in Scotland and in particular, the cost and incidence of requests which have been defined as ‘vexatious’ in order to investigate if the negative perceptions surrounding the cost and misuse of the legislation are justified. Additionally, the criteria and guidelines that councils are using to define ‘vexatious’ are also examined. The approach taken to the research in this study is a survey of the 32 councils in Scotland using freedom of information requests as the data collection method.     

Providing access to local government information: The nature of public library activity

This article focuses on the problems associated with providing access to local government information. The research on which it is based is from a 1986 survey conducted by the author of 265 public libraries in six library systems in northern Illinois, the largest comparative study of public library providers of local government information conducted to date. Fifty-five active providers of local government information (those that received requests for this information at least every two weeks) were identified: the findings are based on telephone and group interviews with key staff of those libraries. The article examines a variety of methods that might be used to increase access to local government information. It analyzes the nature of requests received and the types of responses given by these libraries. It examines the major problems associated with providing access to local government information and discusses the reasons given by librarians for providing access to local government information sources. The article concludes that a serious local government information gap exists and that librarians who seek to over-come it must articulate a role that addresses the serious barriers that must be overcome before a library can provide meaningful access to local government information.     

Process integration,information sharing,and system interoperation in government: A comparative case analysis

In recent years, government agencies on all levels and in all branches have increasingly engaged in harmonizing business processes, standardizing information sharing, and interoperating their information systems, which indicates a rising need for intra- and inter-government collaboration. Simultaneously, the technical capacity for process integration, information sharing, and system interoperation/interoperability (INT-IS-IOP) has also greatly increased. While a number of INT-IS-IOP projects have faced serious challenges leading to problematic project outcomes, other projects have produced the desired results. Using the amended Scholl/Klischewski (2007) framework this study systematically analyzes documents of nineteen cases of mostly successful projects, which were carried out across Europe. Based on the results of this analysis, we identify and document key foci and characteristics of successful projects. The comparative case analysis also helps assess the explanatory power of the Scholl/Klischewski framework, its applicability to practice, and its utility for evaluative purposes.     

Providing census tabulations to government security agencies in the United States: The case of Arab Americans

In the summer of 2004, it was revealed that the U.S. Census Bureau had provided tabulations in 2002 and 2003 on Arab Americans to the Department of Homeland Security that included detailed information on the number of people of Arab backgrounds living in selected ZIP codes. Although not a violation of law, the Census Bureau realized that this perceived breach of confidentiality would have a negative impact on public trust, and within a few months following the news of the Arab American tabulations it announced that it would no longer assist law enforcement and intelligence agencies with tabulations on ethnic groups and other sensitive populations. In spite of this damage control, we believe that the Bureau's tabulation of Arab Americans provides momentum to a process that adversely affects data quality by increasing both non-response and the cost of obtaining survey and census data. We argue that there are no “methodological fixes” that can repair the damage, and further that public relations campaigns and internal administrative changes are not optimal solutions because of the governing structure within which the Bureau currently operates. Ultimately, the best way to limit the damage already done is to effect a political solution. Toward this end we describe short- and long-term actions. In the long run, we recommend removing the Census Bureau from the Executive branch of government and re-structuring it under a permanent and non-political oversight panel similar to either the Federal Reserve Board or the Congressional Budget Office. Such a move would make a strong statement that the Bureau is non-partisan federal statistical agency.     

The message of the medium: The risks and opportunities of migrating pre-electronic government information products to the Internet

During the mid-1997 to early 1999 period, a major study was undertaken by the United States National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), at the request of the Government Printing Office (GPO), entitled “Assessment of Electronic Government Information Products.” A contractor specializing in survey research, Westat, of Rockville, MD, was engaged to assist the government in the detailed data collection, interviewing, background research, and related tasks. The contractor delivered a final report to the government on March 30, 1999. On behalf of the government, NCLIS accepted the findings and recommendations, and delivered the report to all three branches of government. A limited number of hard copies are available from NCLIS. This article highlights the study's major findings, conclusions, and recommendations, their significance, and speculates on possible future actions the government could take. The major conclusion of the study was that there is a need to pinpoint overall responsibility for public information dissemination and electronic publishing at the top agency level. Presently authorities and responsibilities are unclear, uncoordinated, fragmented, and overlapping among many different agency line and staff units.     

Examining the role of Web site information in facilitating different citizen–government relationships: A case study of state Chronic Wasting Disease Web sites

This paper develops a framework to assess the text-based public information provided on program level government agency Web sites. The framework informs the larger e-government question of how, or whether, state administrative agencies are using Web sites in a transformative capacity—to change relationships between citizens and government. It focuses on assessing the degree to which text information provided on government Web sites could facilitate various relationships between government agencies and citizens. The framework incorporates four views of government information obligations stemming from different assumptions about citizen–government relationships in a democracy: the private citizen view, the attentive citizen view, the deliberative citizen view, and the citizen–publisher view. Each view suggests inclusion of different types of information on government agency web sites. The framework is employed to assess state Web sites containing information about chronic wasting disease, a disease effecting deer and elk in numerous U.S. states and Canada.     

广州网上地方信息资源建设研究

本文对广州网上地方信息资源建设状况进行调查分析，概述了广州网上地方信息资源的类型与特点，分析了其利用效果，并对广州地方信息资源的建设相关问题提出一些看法。     

The accessibility of Chinese local government Web sites: An exploratory study

With the rapid development of Chinese e-government, Chinese citizens are encouraged to access e-government services as their convenience. However, the accessibility of Chinese e-government Web sites has been overlooked. This research study tries to provide an overview of the accessibility of Chinese local government Web sites. Three hundred twenty-four Chinese local government Web sites were examined to find out how accessible they are with reference to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG) published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This research found that all the surveyed Chinese e-government Web sites failed one or more W3C's accessibility measures and thus many disabled Chinese people may have substantial problems to access them. Several valuable recommendations are made based on the research findings and the China's actual conditions.     

Mobile social networking as information ground: A case study

Mobile messaging systems, particularly those that incorporate social networking capabilities, affect how individuals socially interact and how they exchange information. This paper reports the impact of a mobile-device-based social networking service that enables users to form groups and send both text and photos to co-members. Survey and system usage data from 19 participants over 16 months were analyzed using information ground theory, which focuses on how people share everyday information in informal social settings. This study was novel in applying the theory to an online environment. In addition to how the mobile system functions as an information ground, the results highlight the types and usefulness of information shared, the role of information shared in everyday life, and how the system fits into participants' communication and social “ecosystem.” Usage analyses describe message sending frequency and system participation levels in relation to other factors, such as length of time in the system. Findings are discussed in the context of the information ground framework's seven propositions, to which we propose adding an emergent concept: “information capital,” i.e., an individual's capacity to access information based on his/her information grounds extent, and degrees of social capital and information literacy.     

The changing face of a city government: A case study of Philly311

This study explores the transformation of a city government led by a 311 program, which provides a consolidated channel for non-emergency services and information. The paper first discusses the concept of “smart city” as a foundation for the examination of the 311 non-emergency contact program as a practice of government innovation, and then presents the details of the 311 program as instantiated in the City of Philadelphia. In-depth interviews with Philadelphia City government officials and managers responsible for creating and operating the City's 311 non-emergency contact program (Philly311) offer practical insights into the contributions the program is making to a more efficient, effective, transparent, and collaborative city government.