EU project highlights e-gov barriers: An EU-funded research project has identified seven main barriers to successful e-government. The "Barriers to eGovernment" project, led by the Oxford Internet Institute, listed the stumbling blocks as leadership failures, financial inhibitors, digital divides, poor coordination, workplace and organisational inflexibility, lack of trust, and poor technical design. According to Professor Dutton, director of the Oxford Internet Institute, the project findings are "shattering the very common view that there is one 'killer issue' -- a single major barrier to e-government. To the contrary, we are finding a wide range of barriers at many levels, from individual resistance to change to regional economic constraints." The three-year project also conducted a survey to identify the most prevalent barriers as perceived by e-government experts and users. These were seen as coordination across central, regional and local levels of government; resistance to change by government officials; and lack of interoperability between IT systems. For more information, see www.egovbarriers.org.
EU aims to expand digital library: The European Commission has urged EU Member States to establish large-scale digitisation facilities and accelerate the process of getting Europe's cultural heritage online. In a recommendation on digitisation and digital preservation, the EU is calling on Member States to act in various areas, ranging from copyright questions to the systematic preservation of digital content in order to ensure long-term access to the material. By 2008, 2 million books, films, photographs, manuscripts, and other cultural works should be accessible through the "European Digital Library," the Commission said. This figure will grow to at least 6 million by 2010, but is expected to be much higher as, by then, potentially every library, archive and museum in Europe will be able to link its digital content to the online archive. The European Digital Library is a flagship project of the Commission's overall strategy to boost the digital economy, the i2010 initiative. More information on the European Digital Library is available here.
South Korea is tops for e-government: South Korea has topped the chart for global e-government, in an annual study by researchers at Brown University. Asian countries dominated the top of the list, as they did last year, with Taiwan and Singapore securing second and third place, respectively. The US and Canada followed in fourth and fifth place. The UK ranked sixth, just ahead of Ireland, which was up two places from last year to seventh position. The study assessed the government websites of 198 countries around the globe in terms of a number of criteria, including disability access; the existence of publications and databases; the presence of privacy and security policies and contact information; and the number of online services. The report suggests a number of steps that governments can take to reach their full potential for accessibility and effectiveness. Governments should make their sites more user-friendly by improving site design. When governments have a portal page, the page should have links to other departments or ministries, the study says. Feedback forms, e-mail addresses, polls, and other means of communication are also vital to helping sites to cater to citizens' needs.
Scottish NHS to provide emergency patient info: Scotland's National Health Service is set to introduce an electronic Emergency Care Summary (ECS) for every patient. The summary, which can only be accessed by NHS staff using a password, aims to make patient details available much faster than they can currently be accessed. The ECS will contain vital information such as name, date of birth, Community Health Index number, medication prescribed by a GP and any adverse reactions to prescribed medicines. "The Emergency Care Summary might be important if you need urgent medical care when your GP surgery is closed, or when you go to an accident and emergency department," said Health Minister Andy Kerr. NHS staff will have to seek the patient's permission before they can access the ECS, except in cases where the patient is unconscious or unable to give consent. The NHS plans to store and link up all health records electronically in the future.
UK to benefit from discounted hardware: The UK public sector will now be able to purchase IT hardware at discounted prices of up to 45 percent, thanks to a deal struck by the Government and suppliers. The Office of Government Commerce and its trading arm, OGCbuying.solutions, worked together on the 'Great Deals' initiative to attract a total of 400 bids from pre-qualified IT suppliers for desktops, laptops and monitors. "With high-specification, quality laptops available at around STG430 and desktops at around STG280, this is a significant breakthrough for public sector customers and will save them time and money in the purchasing process," said Hugh Barrett, chief executive of OGCbuying.solutions. Barrett added that the specifications were designed to handle current proprietary software packages and subsequent releases. The Great Deals initiative will be re-assessed on a quarterly basis, said the OGC, to ensure that public sector customers continue to benefit from the most competitive products and pricing in the IT hardware market.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Sylvia Leatham
Quelle/Source: ElectricNews, 30.08.206
