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UNDP Inter-regional meeting

04.12.2006 - 08.12.2006

4-8 December was held in Estonia UNDP Inter-Regional Europe and the CIS/Asia-Pacific e-Governance Community of Practice Meeting. The meeting includes the brainstorming seminar and e-Government Case Study Review.

The seminar’s “Understanding the Information Society: Leveraging ICT for Better Governance and MDGs” objective was to learn about the fundamentals of the Information Society and brainstorm UNDP’s policy responses in the context of its development work, regionally and globally. The seminar lectures and debate were focused around the following topics:

I Digital Revolution phenomenon in cultural, socio-economic, and political contexts: Promises, Benefits, Concerns and

II ICT and the Millennium Development Goals. Mainstreaming ICT into core development areas

III Demystifying e-Governance: Myths and Reality

 

The meeting e-Government Case Study Review “Advancing ICT-enabled Public Sector Modernization and Reform: Identifying e-Government Solutions for Efficient Administration and Friendly Public Service” had four main goals: (1) understand how e-Government can be integrated into the Public Sector reform initiatives, (2) create a pool of knowledgeable UNDP CO colleagues and external experts ready to provide advice – online and through missions – upon demand in e-government business process re-engineering and OneStopShop portals, (3) acquire new skills and knowledge, and (4) foster partnerships.

The objective was to review – through presentations, discussion and work group sessions – and specific cases of government business process re-engineering and agree on (i) existing barriers, and (ii) possible solutions. A special task force was established to coordinate the preparation of a future How-To Guides: Modernizing the Public Service Organizations through e-Governance.  Recommendations were also be sought on what UNDP can do in increasing their host government capacities to plan, design and implement successful public sector modernization initiatives, what competencies are needed and how should be the partners. An expected output was a new knowledge on how to integrate e-Governance into Public administraiton and vice versa.

 

Agenda

Monday, 4th of December

8.45 Registration
9.30 Welcome and Introduction
10.00 Morning Session I: Digital Revolution phenomenon in cultural, socio-economic, and political contexts: Promises, Benefits, Concerns.Moderator: Yuri Misnikov, ICTD Policy Advisor, Democratic Governance, Bratislava Regional Centre, UNDPInternet Governance—what is that and why such heated debate? – Jovan Kurbalija, Director, DiploFoundationNew virtual reality: Impact of digital multimedia and communications on real life policies and politics – Phil Noble, PoliticsOnline (USA)

Controlling Internet content: Policing, public policy or creeping censorship – Rafal Rohozinski, Advanced Network Research Group, Cambridge University (UK)

How ICT can change a country? An Estonian case – Ivar Tallo, Director, eGA, (Estonia)

Moderator’s concluding remarks

12.30 Lunch
13.30 Afternoon Session I: Digital Revolution phenomenon in cultural, socio-economic, and political contexts: Promises, Benefits, Concerns.Moderator: Shahid Akhtar, Programme Coordinator, Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP), Bangkok Regional Centre, UNDPFree/Open Software: A global community for local interest – Sunil Abraham, UNDP – Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP)Building the Information Society on dependable fundaments: The need for Information Assurance – Maarten Botterman, Director, GNKS Consult (The Netherlands)

Multi-stakeholder partnerships in and for the Information Society: How it works – Simon Willis, Global Head for e-Government, Cisco Systems (UK) Moderator’s concluding remarks

15.00 Concluding discussion & brainstorming Session I Moderator: Raul Zambrano, Senior Policy Advisor, ICT and Governance, Democratic Governance Group, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDPKey questions: What is the impact of an unfolding digital and communication revolution on development? What are the new demands? How to respond?Format: First, participants will comment on presentations and provide feedback in terms of top priority needs and issues for their offices/organizations. Afterwards, each presenter will provide his/her comments on how the above questions could be possibly answered.

Moderator’s closing remarks

16.00 Visits to PM Office and Skype Centre

 

Tuesday, 5th of December

9.15 Session II: ICT and the Millennium Development Goals. Mainstreaming ICT into core development areasModerator: Ivar Tallo, Director, e-Governance Academy (Estonia)Report on the online discussion on ICT and MDGs – Vikas Nath, Digital Governance (Switzerland, India)All MDGs: e-Development: Global trends, policies, comparisons – Bruno Lanvin, Senior Advisor, E-Strategies, Regional Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia Head, Client Capacity Building Global Information and Communication Technologies Department, World Bank

MDG 1 case: Poverty eradication – Local e-Governance and community networks to empowering the poor – Raul Zambrano, Senior Policy Advisor, ICT and Governance, Democratic Governance Group, Bureau for Development Policy;

Pro-poor e-Governance for the MDGs – Lars Bestle, Programme Specialist, UNDP-APDIP

Pro-poor e-Government Case Studies from Asia-Pacific – Subhash Bhatnagar, Indian Institute of Management (Presentation via Skype video)

ICT and broadband for economic and social growth – Nicole Hill, Alcatel (France)

Empowering grassroots communities through ICT cooperative enterprises – Sean O Siochru, Director, NEXUS Europe (Ireland)

MDG 3 case: Gender Digital (In)Equality – Heike Jensen, Humboldt University, Berlin (Germany), Association for Progressive Communication (APC)

MDG 8 case: Principles and models of e-partnerships for development – Linnar Viik, Associate Professor, IT College (Estonia)

Moderator’s concluding remarks

12.30 Concluding discussion & brainstorming Session IIModerator: Bruno Lanvin, Senior Advisor, E-Strategies, Regional Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia Head, Client Capacity Building Global Information and Communication Technologies Department, World BankKey questions: Which ‘sectoral’ MDGs can benefit most from ICTs; How to approach MDG 8? What are the new demands? How to respond?Format: First, participants will comment on presentations and provide feedback in terms of top priority needs and issues for their offices/organizations. Afterwards, each presenter will provide his/her comments on how the above questions could be possibly answered.

Moderator’s concluding remarks

13.00 Lunch
14.00 Session III: Demystifying e-Governance: Myths and RealityModerator: Phil Noble, PoliticsOnline (USA)e-Democracy—Driver of Democracy? – e-Inclusion. European policy and practice priority – Paul Timmers, Head, e-Inclusion, EC, Brusselse-Participation. Participatory policy making – Liia Hänni, e-Democracy Coordinator, eGA (Estonia)

e-Consultation. Lessons of politika.lv – Krista Baumane, Publisher, Providus Public Policy Centre (Latvia)

e-Government—Driver of Public Sector Change and Modernization?

e-Leadership. Embracing the challenge of transformational change – Joe McDonagh, Director of Executive Education, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)

e-Services. Front-office imperative – Juergen Nenz, Alcatel (Germany)

Adaptive and networked local government – Simon Willis, Global Head for e-Government, Cisco Systems (UK)

Interoperability challenges. Some preliminary lessons from Asia-Pacific – Shahid Akhtar, Programme Coordinator, and Sunil Abraham, Asia and Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP), Bangkok Regional Centre, UNDP

17.00 Concluding discussion & brainstorming Session IIIModerator: Rafal Rohozinski, Advanced Network Research Group, Cambridge University (UK)Key questions: How to integrate e-Democracy into democratic governance? How to integrate support e-Government into public administration reform? What are the new demands? How to respond?Format: First, participants will comment on presentations and provide feedback in terms of top priority needs and issues for their offices/organizations. Afterwards, each presenter will provide his/her comments on how the above questions could be possibly answered.

Moderator’s conlcuding remarks

17.30 Evaluation & final remarks

 

Thursday, 7th of December

9.00 Registration
 9.30 Welcome and Introduction
10.00 Session A: How to start and plan? Politicians as the driving force for changeModerator: Ivar Tallo, Director, eGA (Estonia)Keynote speech: Initiating and managing change in central government – Mart Laar, former Prime Minister of Estonia

Initiating and managing change in local government and in municipalities – Hannes Astok, Deputy Mayor of Tartu (Estonia)

ICT-enabled change management in practice: Estonian reform experience – Liia Hänni, former Minister of Reform and Property and Member of Parliament (Estonia)

Moderator’s summary conclusions

11.30 Coffee break
11.45 Session B: Implementing and Communicating ChangeModerator: Linnar Viik, Associate Professor, IT College (Estonia)What is ICT-based change management and modernization? Definition by experts and participants – Moderator

Change through appropriate skills and involvement – Christine Leitner, Head of Center for European Public Administration (CEPA) Danube-University, Krems (Austria)

Change through executive education. Irish and British experience – Joe McDonagh, Director of Executive Education, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)

Change through public service transformation. European experience – Jeremy Millard, Danish Technological Institute (Denmark)

Key questions: What is change and how to define it? How ICT can drive public sector modernization? How to plan it? How UNDP can help?

Format: Participants will comment on presentations and provide feedback on what should be included into the TOR for How-To Guide: Modernizing Public Service Organizations through e-Governance in terms of priorities. Afterwards, presenters will provide their view on the TOR.

Moderator’s summary conclusions

13.15 Lunch
14.15 Session C: Can change be driven by technology and ICT policies?Moderator: Jeremy Millard, Danish Technological Institute (Denmark)How to fail and how to succeed in e-Government – learning from best state-of-the-art practices and predicting the future – Juergen Nenz, Alcatel (Germany)

Role of ICT policies. The Estonian case – Margus Püüa, Head of Department of State Information Systems, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications

Role of CIO-s. Interoperability framework. The Estonian case – Arvo Ott, Member of the Management Board, eGA (former Head of central government IT department)

Key questions: What is change and how to define it? How ICT can drive public sector modernization? How to plan it? How to respond?

Format: Participants will comment on presentations and provide feedback on what should be included into the TOR for How-To Guide: Modernizing Public Service Organizations through e-Governance in terms of priorities. Afterwards, presenters will provide their views on the TOR.

Moderator’s summary conclusions

16.30 Field visit: Parliament of Estonia

 

 Friday, 8th of December

9.30 Session D: e-Government – Driver of Public Sector Change and Modernization. How to Re-engineering Government Business Process and How to Balance Backand Front-offices. Case Studies ReviewModerators:Christine Leitner, Head of Center for European Public Administration (CEPA) DanubeUniversity, Krems (Austria)

Joe McDonagh, Director of Executive Education, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)

Conceptual model of ICT-enabled business process re-engineering. Objectives and Tools – Yuri Misnikov, ICTD Policy Advisor, Bratislava Regional Centre; Jeremy Millard, Danish Technological Institute (Denmark)

Case study review:

Estonia case: Government-wide OneStopShop/Single Window type Web portal case study;

Georgia case: Business processes re-engineering for anti-corruption, greater transparency and accountability (Chamber of Control)

Moldova case: Central Government reform

Asia-Pacific country cases: Interoperability challenges

Other cases studies upon interest

Key questions: What can be learned from the presented case studies? How to link public administraiton reform and e-Governance strategically and practically? What are main obstacles/barriers? How to overcome them? How to respond?

Format: Participants will comment on presentations and give answers to the above questions and suggest what should be included into the TOR for How-To Guide: Modernizing Public Service Organizations through e-Governance in terms of priorities. Afterwards, presenters will provide their views on participants’ comments.

Moderators’ summary conclusions

13.00 Lunch
14.00 Work Group session: Discussion Chief Facilitator: Ants Sild, Director, Baltic Computer Systems (Estonia)Task: What should be donors and supporters do to help build government capacity and competency?
16.00 Coffee break
16.30 Work Group session: Reporting
17.00 Establishing a Task Force to finalize TOR for How-To Guide: Modernizing Public Service Organizations through e-Governance
17.15 Closing: Evaluation and Concluding Remarks

 

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