icegov2012 proceedings

Technologies, Tools and Web 2.0 in Support of Public
Administration Workplace Communications
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to investigate which are the technologies,
tools and web 2.0 applications that support public administration
workplace communications. The paper begins with e-
Administration and web 2.0 uses in the context of public
administration 2.0. Then the attention is focused on workplace
communications review and technologies, and tools, which
influence their efficiency and effectiveness. For the purpose of
detailing the used public administration technologies and tools,
O*NET database is investigated in terms of the governance and
public management and administration occupations. In order to
determine, to what extent the identified technologies, tools and
web 2.0 applications are used in practice, an empirical survey is
developed and carried out in “Information services and
technologies” Directorate at Sofia Municipality. The paper
concludes with a proposed PA 2.0 workplace communications
model.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
H.3.5 [Online Information Services]: Data Sharing, Web-Based
Services; H.4.1 [Office Automation]: Groupware, Spreadsheets,
Time Management, Workflow Management; K.4.3
[Organizational Impacts Automation]: Computer-Supported
Collaborative Work
General Terms
Management, Performance, Economics, Human Factors
Keywords
ICT, Web 2.0, Public Administration, Communications
1. INTRODUCTION
“E-Government” refers to the use by government agencies of
information technologies that have the ability to transform
relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.
These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better
delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions
with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access
to information, or more efficient government management,
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ICEGOV '12, October 22 - 25 2012, Albany, NY, United States, NY, USA
Copyright 2012 ACM 978-1-4503-1200-4/12/10…$15.00.
Milena Krumova
Technical University – Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia 1000, bul. Kl. Ohridski 8
+359 899 283987
mkrumova@tu-sofia.bg
301
increasing revenue or re-structuring of administrative processes.
[27]. The use of ICTs reflects on: (1) simplify and improve the
internal administrative operations of government and their
relations with other bodies involved in public management and
service delivery; (2) facilitate public service interaction between
government, citizens and other stakeholders, thus enabling better
citizen participation and overall monitoring and evaluation of
decision-making processes and their implementation; and (3)
ensure inclusiveness and equal opportunity for all [14].
According to M.Batorski and D.Hadden, e-Government did not
achieve expected results because enabling technology was Web
1.0 oriented. Social networking provides governments with a new
paradigm: knowledge release rather than knowledge control.
Government software technology can be categorized with the
following framework [1]:
o Internal: internal by governments
o External: external to government with government
involvement
o Structural: follow government structure and mandate
o Social: enable collaboration.
eGovernment, both in practice and in concept, has been one of the
important developments in public administration. The dynamic
changes within the e-government reflect on the public
administration internal and external communications and the
services. The changes are strongly related to the people - public
administrators and working requirements to them. Are they
prepared to use technologies, tools and web 2.0 at their daily
activities and communications?
1.1 Research Objectives
Fundamental and vital to public administration (PA) workplace
communications is the information transmitting and making
oneself understood by another or others. Communications are one
of major challenges because they are a key for providing
information, which results in efficient and effective performance
in PA. The main goal of this study is to examine what are the
main technologies, tools, in particular web 2.0 applications that
support PA workplace communication? It seeks to increase the
understanding that the effective use of technologies, tools and web
2.0 (TTW2.0) possesses potential for communications
improvement.
1.2 Research Questions
What are the major characteristics of e-Administration and PA 2.0
in the context of TTW2.0?; How can PA workplace
communications be improved by TTW2.0?; What are TTW 2.0