Communicating local governments: Implementing community informatics, Knut H. Sørensen, NTNU
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The document discusses two projects examining Norwegian local governments' strategies for implementing information and communication technologies (ICT). The first project analyzes strategies to support local industrial development using advanced ICT based on interviews and documents. Most governments are not very active, but some exceptions pursue different strategies varying in technological integration and government engagement. The second project analyzes local government websites, finding variations in information quantity/quality, communication/service options, and configurations of users. The majority of sites provide information, while a growing number offer services, and few enable democratic participation, indicating geographic digital divides.
Communicating local governments: Implementing community informatics, Knut H. Sørensen, NTNU
- 1. Communicating local governments: Implementing community informatics Knut H. Sørensen NTNU
- 2. Briefly about the project The project examines the visions and strategies of Norwegian local governments with respect to the implementation of advanced ICT-based communication. We study the challenges local governments and local firms meet through such efforts and identify characteristics of successful efforts to improve services and increase their social value. Two sub-projects: Local governments’ strategies to support local industrial development based on advanced ICT (to be finalised by summer, 2011) Vision and strategies of local government with respect to implementing ICT to improve services (PhD project to be finalised fall, 2012)
- 3. In this talk Local governments’ strategies to support local industrial development based on advanced ICT, based on interviews and analysis of documents, newspapers and professional journals. Analysis of local governments web pages, based on quantitative content analysis of all such web pages, and in-depth qualitative analysis of the web pages of 10 municipalities
- 4. I. Local governments’ strategies to support local industrial development based on advanced ICT Main finding: Most local governments are not very active, but there are some exceptions We have studied four local communities, pursuing different strategies. Strategies differ along two main dimensions: Technological integration – the degree to which ICT is woven together with established industry or is a prominent feature of local industry. Degree of engagement of local government – seems most decisive in terms of outcome
- 5. Two main forms of local government engagement Ambassador Engaging in talent scouting and networking Demanding in terms of level of activity Depends on a strong interest in innovation and local development Usually carried out by the mayor in small communities Results in a feeling of empowerment with respect to coping with technological opportunities Substitute chief officer Less demanding and thus more tempting Does not require innovative thinking of local politicians Initiatives are delegated to consulting companies Hired expertise tend to be transitory, making local politicians frustrated and helpless with regard to identifying ways of making new ICT contributing to local value creation.
- 6. II: Web pages of local communities Some findings All 430 municipalities have Web pages All offer information, but with large variations in terms of quantity and quality All offer at least a simple form of communication (a common email address) Only 9% offer more advanced forms of communication (chats or instant messaging services) 60% offer at least one type of electronic service 18% offer interactive access to several local community services (kindergarten application, job vacancies, building licenses, after-school programmes) Almost all Web Pages offer electronic contact with politicians, but there is nearly no interactive access to politicians 14 % of the municipalities offer electronic forums for political matters.
- 7. A new geographical digital divide?
- 10. Web pages as assemblages Three main types of assemblages: Information assemblages – web pages mainly offering information, configuring users as information seeking Citizen assemblages – facilitating mediated democratic participation, configuring users as politically active Client assemblages – offering interactivity with respect to municipal services, configuring users as ICT competent clients
- 11. What characterise the web pages of local governments The majority is based on more or less comprehensive information assemblages A growing number display a hybrid of information and client assemblages Only a small number of the municipalities offer a hybrid of all three assemblages
- 12. Some conclusions There are very substantial differences between national visions about local governments’ use of ICT and the actual practice There are very substantial differences between local governments in terms of level of activity, strategies and what they offer to the public As a consequence, there are geographically caused digital divides that