Public sector employees block customers’ transactions!

.crikey.com.au

Government employees fail to provide proper service to the public, reported Al-Riyadh newspaper on Sunday, quoting unsatisfied customers.

They claim they have nowhere to turn to with their complaints. The customers’ grievances vary widely. They said employees arrive late for work, disregarding the inconvenience they cause. They are forced to search for employees, going from one office to another, while an employee had gone out for a break. Others were on the phone to discuss matters that were obviously not work-related. Employees would excuse themselves from work early, when they had nothing to do. The list of accusations seems endless.Costumers were also annoyed to not receive a response about their complaints. When one customer tried to contact a manager to discuss issues, it appeared he had taken leave from work for trivial reasons.
Complicated

Ali Al-Hamoud, a private sector employee, said he avoids going to government departments unless there is a very urgent matter to resolve, because of the inertia. He said the staff would complicate matters by shifting documents from one employee to another without any justified reasons. He said: “The responsible employee is usually absent, because he had to collect his children from school. This would certainly take time, due to traffic jams and then the work day would end without the return of the employee.” Al-Hamoud also said that his manager would reprimand him if he had left his work to finish a private transaction, let alone collect his children from school. Public sector employees are required to work a number of hours to serve the company’s customers. “My manager used to send me to review documents at a government department, but he would get irritated when I couldn’t get my job done. Even though he knew I failed because of the slow routine of the government employees.

Closing time

Some government departments have very busy days, causing a lot of pressure on staff that are trying to meet all requests as much as possible. There are also those who do not have any sense of responsibility and who perform carelessly. This reflects negatively on a customer who can barely get excused from his work in the morning, and is still not serviced by the time the department closes down for business. Some government departments close at noon, some stay open until later, causing confusion among private sector employees. They are unsure when they should come, in order to prevent a delay that might lead to penalties.

Dedication

Sadiq Jabir noted that some staff members are dedicated to their work, despite the intense pressure. However, others do not have such high standards. “Once I spent a long time waiting in front of a door with a large crowd. We were shocked to find that the staff had not yet bothered to come in.” Such actions make customers lose their patience. Some exploded in anger when they saw staff members leaving to collect their children from school. Customers then entered into fights and bitter debates with the staff. It would have been easy to avoid all this tension through a sense of responsibility and ownership.

E-government

A study, prepared by the Court of Monitoring, revealed that 70% of employees in the government sector are lethargic at work. 94% of them are absent from work continuously. Customers are demanding to quickly implement electronic technology in many government agencies, especially after the successful experiences at Civil Affairs. They are now able to control the movement of clients, facilitate the waiting and terminate proceedings clearly and swiftly.

Motivation

Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Askar, executive director of customer satisfaction in government departments in the Eastern Region, said: “The laziness of the staff has a negative impact on customer satisfaction. Unfortunately there are careless staff members in many departments and government agencies, disturbing the customers.” The director said that leaving to complete private transactions or to collect children from school are unacceptable reasons to leave work. “Our employees can use a driver, or get other forms of help. We should better control and follow-up our employees, distribute the workload fairly and adopt programs to motivate employees to perform their duties the best way possible.”

http://arabnews.com

Faster progress needed on cyber-security, says adviser

Dame Pauline Neville-Jones is the government’s special representative to business on cyber-security. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Getty Images

Ministers need to speed up work on cyber-security because the public and a vast swathe of business have yet to appreciate the threats posed by online crime, a government adviser has said. Dame Pauline Neville-Jones said the strategy was heading in the right direction but needed a push to raise awareness because people were still doing "silly things". "I think the direction is right but the speed is not nearly enough … it needs much more momentum behind this," said Neville-Jones.

She suggested the need for some advertising that would stick in everyone's minds, like the "clunk-click" campaign to encourage people to wear seatbelts. The government could not do the work by itself, she said, but it did need to take a proper lead. "People are entitled to look to government to take a lead and impress upon people the importance of this.

It has a responsibility to strengthen its own systems, and … it needs to strengthen rather modest police capability. "I do think that the Cabinet Office, which is in the lead on this, needs to plot some metrics, have a timetable of various stages that need to be achieved, and audit the progress."
Neville-Jones is a former security minister who is now the government's special representative to business on cyber-security. In a speech for the Global Strategy Forum thinktank, she said people were struggling to understand the threats confronting them, and not nearly enough businesses take the issue seriously. The government had to be prepared to use the "bully pulpit" to raise consciousness and understanding, she said.

"There is a vast swathe of corporates who have valuable intellectual property, much more valuable than they understand, which is inadequately protected," she said.

"They don't even realise it has been stolen. They don't even know they have been the subject of attack. They usually have to be told about it by a third party, most of them do not discover it for themselves. The level of awareness is nothing like it needs to be.

This is a very, very serious state of affairs." She added: "Despite all the scare stories, all the horror stories in the press, people go on doing silly things and careless things. Human nature is a problem." Neville-Jones said she supported the recent decision by Michael Gove, the education secretary, to scrap the teaching of computer science in schools, and said universities needed to design relevant courses that attracted British graduates, "and not just Chinese graduates".

The lessons in school were "no more than jumped up PA studies that are being deserted by children who understand the subject better than their teachers". She said the skills base in this country was "totally inadequate" and that addressing this was "urgent and vital".

Hackers were becoming more sophisticated in the ways they attacked systems, she added, citing the case last year when 2m tonnes of carbon credits were stolen from the EU in the Czech Republic. Neville-Jones said the attack was preceded by a bomb scare that led to back-up computer systems being brought into use. The attack then took place on this back-up system, which was more vulnerable.

guardian.co.uk

Broadband operators are at risk of becoming dumb–pipe providers

LTE is rapidly gaining momentum in the Middle Eastern region. With new LTE deployments and commercial network launches that took place in Saudi Arabia from Zain Saudi, STC, Mobily, and the UAE from Etisalat, LTE subscriptions will grow at an average annual growth rate of 200 per cent. Global LTE subscriptions are racing ahead of initial expectations. They have already passed 3.7 million in the third quarter of 2011, spanning over 36 worldwide networks. The deployment of FTTH services has been steadily growing and boasting speeds of up to 1Gbps, as in the case of the incumbent operator STC in Saudi Arabia. Also, the take-up of IPTV services is noticeable, with the focus of operators such as the Saudi incumbent on international expansion.

Faster speeds and increasingly affordable broadband access has fostered development of a digital economy, encompassing government services (e-government), e-health, e-education and e-commerce. In Qatar, for instance, strategies and specific initiatives have been launched in the areas of e-commerce, e-government, e-health and e-education.

The regulator has also unveiled plans to develop Qatar as a digital media hub, recognising the current underrepresentation of Arabic content on the Internet and hence the potential for growth. Kuwait has also taken steps to develop a digital economy; national level policies for e-health and e-government have been developed, with a number of services available online. For countries that have been lagging behind in the rollout of broadband services like Lebanon, the market is set to enter a new growth phase centred on mobile data services after the two mobile network operators launched the overdue 3G services in 2011, deploying HSPA+ network infrastructure. DSL speeds have also been increased to a minimum of 1Mbps.

Are broadband networks finally catching up with the technological aspirations of consumers, businesses and public bodies?

Reliable and fast broadband networks are paving the road for a new breed of technological solutions based on the so-called Cloud Computing offers demanded by consumers, businesses and public bodies. Cloud Computing technology is being widely adopted worldwide due to its low cost, scalability, security, etc.

Cloud Computing solutions rely on fast broadband access between the end-user and the cloud in order to provide full functionality and features, in addition to remote management. It is noted that in developed countries, cloud computing is growing fast due to the availability of high-speed and robust broadband connections.

In developing countries, cloud computing is a great tool for development in multiple sectors such as education, industrial, financial and telecommunication; however, these goals cannot be achieved where broadband is not fast, reliable and secure. Yet, we note the landing of several broadband submarine fibre-optic cables in MEA and Africa (e.g. IMEWE, WACS, ACE, etc) promises to bring increased connectivity to the region

Will consumers ever fill their super-fast broadband pipes?

Consumers tend to demand more capacity for cheaper prices. Trends show that they are willing to accept offers for new and innovative services. On the operators’ side, as owners of the super-fast broadband pipes, the challenge is to find those services and market them to the “right” customers.

Network providers and operators have an abundance of customer data that enables them to collect a variety of information on user behaviour. Such information could be utilised in building commercial offers, leading to the marketing of the right products to the right customers and eventually raising the demand for and the consumption of broadband pipes.

Service providers are beginning, rightfully, to shift their focus from being mere voice and Internet-pipe providers to working on the right partnerships with application/content providers, in an attempt to tap the potential revenue associated with new, Internet-based services. This is becoming a necessity for them in order to compete in the market and continue to afford the CAPEX and OPEX expenditures required to keep up with increased demand for network upgrades and faster broadband pipes.

What do you think will prove to be the killer application that creates demand for super-fast broadband?

The definition of ‘super-fast broadband’ varies from one country to the other. In some countries such as the UK, super-fast broadband services should be able to deliver more than is currently possible over existing copper telephone lines (i.e. faster than ADSL2+, which tops out at 24Mbps), whereas in other countries, such as South Korea, the speed is 100Mbps. I am not sure as to what will be considered the killer application.

To some, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is gaining momentum as an important application for the next-generation Internet and will provide exciting new revenue opportunities for service providers. Internet Protocol television (IPTV) provides digital television services over Internet Protocol (IP) for residential and business users at a lower cost. These IPTV services include commercial grade multicasting TV, video on demand (VoD), triple play, voice over IP (VoIP), and Web/email access, well beyond traditional cable television services.

IPTV is a convergence of communication, computing, and content, as well as an integration of broadcasting and telecommunication. To others, over-the-top (OTT) video services such as YouTube and Facebook are more popular.

These services refer to video, television and other services provided over the Internet rather than via a service provider’s own dedicated, managed IPTV network. OTT is delivered directly from provider to viewer using an open internet/broadband connection, independently of the viewer’s ISP, without the need for carriage negotiations and without any infrastructure investment on the part of the provider.

What technical challenges lie ahead for the broadband industry?

In developing countries including Lebanon, the main technical challenge for the broadband industry is to cater for advanced backbone and access infrastructures in order to cope with the increasing demand for higher broadband capacities.

Building a robust national and access infrastructure including FTTx requires significant public and private investments. Often public funding and/or subsidies are needed to maintain acceptable Return On Investment (ROI) for the private sector. Moreover, serving rural areas continues to be a challenge.

New solutions are being adopted such as public access femtocells, which are cost effective and easy to integrate, especially for remote areas where the backhaul connection could be provided via DMW or satellite. As mentioned earlier, service providers and operators should tap the application/content business through partnerships and/or acquisitions of existing application/content providers. while benefiting from the operators’ visibility on customer behaviour to create innovative products and services.

How big a challenge does over-the-top video pose to broadband operators and networks?
Broadband service providers and operators are at risk of becoming dumb–pipe providers utilised by so-called over-the-top (OTT) application/content providers such as YouTube, Google, Facebook, etc.

Even though revenues from OTT are small in comparison to those from new IPTV service offerings, they still represent a missed opportunity for service providers. Some suggest that the best approach for operators is to negotiate partnerships with OTT providers.

One way to do that would be to charge for content delivery and guarantee quality of service for certain types of OTT traffic. This could be paid for by either the content provider or by the end-user. However, it remains questionable whether giant OTT providers are willing to enter into such agreements with much smaller service providers.

How can network operator’s best monetise their investments in super-fast broadband networks?
Again, with the rise of application/content providers, network operators may become mere data “pipe” providers, selling only the broadband capacity with no significant ROI. Network operators have many options to avoid such a situation.

The first option is to avoid competition with those providers by delivering an extra layer of value that only they can provide. This layer is based on using data analysis, such as Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), which leads to “customer experience visibility”, resulting in huge opportunities in the advertising world such as targeted ads.

The second option is to leverage the network policy capabilities the network operators have, to deliver an enhanced video streaming service for partners that want to guarantee a certain QoS for their customers.

A revenue sharing model might be used in this case. The last option is to benefit from the synergy created by the partnership with (or the acquisition of) existing application/service providers, allowing the creation of dynamic providers that possess customer visibility and application/content exposure.

How can telecoms regulators further support the MEA region’s burgeoning broadband business?
Governments and telecom operators should promote policies that encourage partnerships, especially in the rollout of services like FTTH. Also, because of the huge cost in the rollout of fibre infrastructure, some governments subsidise investments in fibre infrastructure in the same way they do for other utilities like roads and highways, as is the case in Australia and USA.

In addition, regulators and policy makers may consider transforming existing universal service programs into programs for digital inclusion that support broadband services for all citizens. Policy makers and regulators have several options to provide incentives for the private sector to invest in broadband, such as by adopting enabling policies, simplifying licensing regimes (licensing regulation can be simplified and a unified licensing framework can be introduced with all services unified under a single license or concession), making available more spectrum, reducing regulatory obligations and barriers to broadband build-out and access to broadband networks (e.g. by adopting rules or promoting policies and incentives that encourage infrastructure sharing, particularly involving passive sharing of towers, ducts and other support facilities), and offering tax incentives (reduce taxes on services, devices and equipment which will in turn increase penetration levels and pave the way for increased demand of broadband services).

Policy makers and regulators should also stimulate innovation and the development of applications and services by nurturing the creation and adoption of applications, services and digital content (for instance, the wide diffusion of e-government and e-finance applications and services will considerably raise consumer demand for broadband). Moreover, private investment in research and development (R&D) should be encouraged by all possible means.

It is also essential to protect intellectual property, as this empowers researchers and inventors to lead the way to a smart and innovative digital economy. Innovation can be encouraged through intellectual property regimes that balance monopoly use of inventions with building a rich public domain of intellectual materials.

Regulators and policy makers have a role to play in promoting a first-class training system in all countries to provide creative human resources. It is crucial to facilitate investment in all forms of education, notably in the area of R&D, ICT knowledge transfer and the development of digital applications and content (in particular those related to the local culture).

Sufficient and sustainable funding should be provided to universities, computer labs and other public research institutions, leveraging international partnerships when possible and advantageous.

Dr. Hoballah will be speaking at the Broadband World Forum MEA 2012 event, taking place in Dubai in March 2012.

.telecoms.com

New EU laws to protect data in the cloud

New European Union laws to be proposed next month will oblige companies to act more quickly to tell customers if their data is compromised, reinforce individuals' rights to remove photos and videos from an internet profile without leaving a digital trace, and reduce the regulatory burden of data protection rules so that businesses can maximise the benefits of cloud computing – European Commission vice-president Viviane Reding said today.

  

Speaking at a GSMA Europe conference on cloud computing in Brussels, Reding said she would propose next month to protect internet users and unlock the technology's potential. "Reliable and consistent rules are essential if we want the digital economy and our digital single market to grow." 

These rules make people feel comfortable about using new technologies and services. We need a framework for privacy that protects individuals and boosts the digital economy." The EU is also negotiating a data protection agreement with the United States. 

Among the proposals will be a commitment to ensure users would be able to remove their photos, videos or contacts from a cloud service without leaving any digital trace because "their profiles belong to them, not to the company". The content should be returned to the customer in a widely used format so that they can be transferred to another provider, Reding said.

"Individuals should not be discouraged from switching from one cloud service to another," she insisted, adding that there should be "no downside risk" for someone if they decided to cancel an account or erase data. "Locking-in not only stifles effective competition but, more importantly, deprives users of their effective right to freely choose and freely change the best privacy environments for their personal data. This right to data portability will be an essential element." 

She said businesses would be forced to take security more seriously, including acting more quickly to tell users if their data has been compromised. "We see that large internet companies that hold vast quantities of data increasingly come under constant attack from hackers. We have also seen data breaches on major online game services that have affected millions of users," she said. The data of 77 million users of Sony's PlayStation Network was compromised earlier this year, and the company was criticised for its delay before announcing the security breach to its customers. 

Sony said it took a week to investigate the scale of the data theft. But Reding warned: "There can be no excuses for not letting people know what has happened to their personal information. These data security breaches risk undermining people's trust in the digital economy. 

My proposal introduces a general obligation for data controllers to notify such breaches immediately." Similar legislation has been effective in the telecoms industry since 2009. The commissioner said users should have full control of their data, with companies providing clear information about how it is used and whether it has been passed to third parties. 

Coordination between national watchdogs should be strengthened, she said. In a speech yesterday to the second annual European data protection and privacy conference, Reding said it was 16 years ago that the commission's directive on data protection had been created and the "the world has become much smaller". Today, Reding said she would simplify inefficient data protection rules to reduce the regulatory burden and create a level playing field for EU companies. 

"As a result, companies will be able to sell goods and services to 500 million people in the EU under the same data protection rules." She backed the creation of a "real single online market for online services" in the EU, guaranteeing the free flow of data beyond Europe's borders, warning that the EU should not fall into the trap of restricting users to a European cloud. But she said the cloud would only be valuable if it was trusted – and business would gain a competitive edge if they complied with privacy rules. 

Reding said that the benefits of cloud computing for economic growth could be enormous. "We save space, time and money. It is an opportunity for citizens, businesses and the economy as a whole. Companies cut costs by outsourcing data storage tasks. For European businesses, cost savings are the cloud's biggest attraction. 

Small and medium-sized companies no longer have to worry about maintaining expensive servers at their offices. They have access to the same data storage service as large companies and can compete on a level playing field." She added that cloud computing "shifts resources to where they are needed". She said her proposals would have to stand the test of time because it was impossible to predict changes in technology. 

"Europe's new data protection rules should continue to guarantee a high level of protection of our citizens and provide legal certainty to businesses, no matter what marvels and life-changing innovations arrive in the coming years. The upcoming reform needs to be legally sound, citizen friendly and future proof." She said that Digital Agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes would unveil a European Cloud Computing Strategy in 2012. Last month, the British Information Commissioner's Office said it was vital that the new EU rules were easy to apply. 

publicserviceeurope.com

World’s Worst Countries for Business

As the U.S. and Europe grapple with slowing growth, more businesses are turning attention to emerging markets for expansion and profits. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into countries such as Brazil, Russia, and Indonesia are at record highs, with Brazil attracting $48.4 billion dollars in 2010, an increase of 87 percent over 2009. While it's difficult to resist the growth opportunities provided by emerging markets, running a successful business in many of these countries is far from easy. 

  

We put together a list of the 10 most difficult countries to do business in from 50 of the world's largest economies. Our top 10 rankings are based on the World Bank's "Ease of Doing Business" study, which includes 183 countries. 

The rankings take into account 10 leading indicators, such as the ease of starting a business, getting construction permits, paying taxes, and investor protection laws, to name a few. The 2010 FDI data are from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), while the GDP numbers are from the World Bank. Our list includes some economic superpowers, as well as some minnows. Click ahead to find out which countries are the most difficult to do business in.

10. Argentina

2010 GDP: $388 billion 

2010 FDI: $6.3 billion 

 Argentina is one of three South American nations to make the list of the worst countries to do business in. Out of 10 key indicators for doing business, Argentina has one of the lowest rankings when it comes to acquiring a construction permit. It takes about one year to get a construction permit, compared with an average of about seven months for Latin American countries and the Caribbean. 

Starting a business in Argentina takes 26 days, double the time it takes on average in Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries. Argentina defaulted on its debt in 2002, which led to foreign investors fleeing South America's second-biggest economy. Since then, the government has enforced a number of measures to stem money flowing out of the country, such as nationalizing its $24 billion pension fund industry and limiting the purchase of farmland by foreigners. 

 Last week, Cristina Kirchner's government ordered oil and gas companies to repatriate all future export revenue, forcing miners to potentially increase costs stemming from foreign exchange and taxation. The move may make it harder for Argentina to attract foreign direct investment, which the UN estimates fell by 30 percent in the first half of this year. 

9. Russia

2010 GDP: $1.5 trillion 

2010 FDI: $41.2 billion 

Russia may be one of the world's fastest growing economies, but it is also one of the most difficult places to do business in. The country is the toughest place in the world for a business to get an electricity connection, taking nearly nine and half months — almost double the time it takes in the rest of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

Russia's upcoming presidential elections have further derailed plans to reform the world's fourth biggest power market. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is running for president in 2012, said there would be no hike in electricity prices over the first half of next year, a move meant to appease voters ahead of the March elections. 

Russian household electricity bills are among the lowest in Europe and industry experts say prices need to rise to fund reinvestment and growth in the sector. The lack of capital expenditure in the power sector is also stoking fears of a likelihood of more accidents and power outages like Moscow's blackouts last Christmas, which suspended flights and left thousands without power. 

Russia also ranks near the bottom when it comes to cross-border trade. It takes more than three times longer to export something from Russia compared with the average for OECD countries. Trade with Russia may become easier after December, however, when the country is expected to finally become part of the World Trade Organization (WTO), 18 years after first applying to join the 153-member group. Russia is currently the largest economy outside the WTO. 

8. Brazil

2010 GDP: $2.1 trillion 

2010 FDI: $48.4 billion 

Brazil is the world's eighth largest economy, and its GDP growth in 2010 was 7.5 percent, making it attractive for foreign investment. While this economic giant provides a huge opportunity there are also several major hurdles to doing business here. Brazil has one of the highest tax burdens of any major economy, at around 37 percent of GDP.

Firms spend about 2,600 hours a year, equivalent to three and half months, filling tax forms in Brazil. Firms are charged a total tax rate of more than 67 percent, according to the World Bank, which is 20 percent higher than the average for the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. Another big issue facing businesses in Brazil is getting construction permits. Companies spend nearly 470 days completing 17 procedures to obtain a permit, which is over triple the time it takes on average in OECD countries. 

Brazil is set to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. But construction of stadiums and airport terminals for the events has been delayed amid accusations of government corruption. The country's Sports Minister Orlando Silva is under growing pressure to resign after more evidence emerged last month that he allegedly got $23 million in kickbacks for government contracts, for himself and the ruling communist party. 

7. Indonesia

2010 GDP: $706.6 billion 

2010 FDI: $13.3 billion 

Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, is one of three Asian countries to make the list of the world's worst places to do business in. The country is one of the most difficult places to start a business. It takes one and half months to launch a business in Indonesia, nearly three and half times longer than the average for all OECD countries.

Getting electricity in the world's fourth most populous nation also takes 20 days longer than in the rest of East Asia and the Pacific. Indonesia's infrastructure problems have long been blamed for hampering its growth. 

Four out of its five busiest international airports are operating above capacity and about 15 million households have no access to electricity. The country wants private investors to provide at least two-thirds of the $150 billion needed for infrastructure development in the next five years.

In July, French firms, including engineering heavyweight Alstom, pledged more than $2.5 billion in energy and infrastructure investments. In the same month, three Chinese companies expressed interest in investing about $3 billion to build ports, toll roads and railway tracks in the main Java island. 

China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is keen to tap into Indonesia's abundant coal and other resources. Earlier this year, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged $9 billion in loans to support Indonesia's infrastructure development. 

6. India

2010 GDP: $1.73 trillion 

2010 FDI: $24.6 billion 

India, the world's fourth largest economy, has seen quarterly GDP growth of around 7.5 percent over the past decade, but it is also one of the most difficult countries to do business in. Stories of corruption in the government are rampant in India and it is the second worst country in the world when it comes to enforcing a business contract, behind East Timor.

It takes on average of nearly four years to enforce a contract through India's courts, in comparison to three years in the rest of South Asia and more than one year on average in OECD countries. It also ranks among the bottom three globally when it comes to dealing with construction permits, taking more than seven and half months to get one. 

Recently, there have been growing protests from India's urban middle class against endemic political corruption and bureaucracy. Recent government scandals — including a bribery scheme involving the sale of telecom spectrum that may have cost the state up to $39 billion in revenues — has heightened the public's growing discontent with politicians. 

Despite its unfriendly business environment, UNCTAD forecasts India, home to the world's second biggest population, will be among the top five attractive destinations for international investors over 2010-12. 

5. Nigeria

2010 GDP: $194 billion 

2010 FDI: $6.1 billion 

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, therefore a big draw for some of the world's biggest energy and resources companies. Political unrest and growing ethnic and religious tensions make the country one of the worst places to do business in, however. 

Nigeria ranks among the lowest in the world when it comes to getting electricity and registering property for business. It takes nearly three months to get through the 13 procedures required to register a property, compared to one month in OECD countries. The oil trade has also fueled violence and corruption in the Niger delta, where energy giants, including Royal Dutch Shell, have been forced to shut down production often due to a surge in oil thefts. Despite being an oil-rich country, the majority of its population live on less than $2 a day and are exposed to dangerous levels of pollution. 

Nigeria's political instability reached a head last year, when its then-president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua left the country for medical treatment without transferring power, creating a leaderless state for two and half months before an acting president was reinstated. 

4. Philippines

2010 GDP: $199.6 billion 

2010 FDI: $1.7 billion 

The Philippines is the lowest ranked Asian country on the list of the most difficult places to do business in. It attracted just 2.5 percent of the $76.5 billion of foreign direct investment that flowed to the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2010.

Despite having massive untapped mineral wealth, a key geographical location between Southeast and North Asia and a large, growing English-speaking population, the country has fallen behind its neighbors in economic growth. 

Foreign businesses are wary of the Philippine's unstable legal system, violence, and bureaucracy. Its ease of doing business ranking from the World Bank fell a further two spots this year from 2010. 

The country also ranks among the lowest when it comes to starting a business, and resolving insolvency, with the latter taking more than five and half years, compared with an average one year and seven months in OECD countries. Last month, Philippine President Benigno Aquino made trips to the U.S., China, and Japan to push for investments, as well as to send a message that things are changing in the country, after two previous administrations were dogged by corruption allegations. Aquino's trip to China resulted in $7 billion to $9 billion of potential investments. 

The Philippines also jumped 10 places to 75th in the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness index this year. 

3. Algeria

2010 GDP: $159.4 billion 

2010 FDI: $2.3 billion 

Algeria is one of five oil-rich nations to make the list of the 10 most difficult countries to do business in. Its economy is heavily reliant on the hydrocarbon sector as one of the biggest suppliers of natural gas to the European Union. 

Algeria ranks among the lowest in the world when it comes to starting a business, getting electricity, registering property, and filing taxes. It takes 48 days to register a property in Algeria, compared with about a month in the average of OECD countries. 

Getting an electricity connection takes more than five months, compared with two and half months in the rest of North Africa and the Middle East. The recent political unrest across the Arab world has had a positive impact on Algeria's social and political landscape, however, with the government being prompted to go on a spending spree. 

This has resulted in public sector wage increases, generous food subsidies, and handouts to the unemployed. The International Monetary Fund has also forecast that the Algerian economy will grow 3 percent in 2012. Growth in the long term could be threatened, however, by the fact that gas production from its biggest oil fields has reached a plateau and will soon start to decline. 

2. Ukraine

2010 GDP: $137.9 billion 

2010 FDI: $6.5 billion 

Ukraine is Europe's second largest country and one of two Eastern European nations to make the list of the worst places to do business in. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country has been caught between seeking closer integration with Western Europe and reconciling with Russia, which provides for most of Ukraine's energy needs. 

The country ranks among the very bottom when it comes to ease of paying taxes, dealing with construction permits, and access to electricity, to name a few. It takes 27 days for businesses to pay taxes in Ukraine, with the total tax rate at more than 57 percent of a company's profit.

The amount of time it takes to pay taxes is more than double the time in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Getting a construction permit also requires more than double the number of days than it does on average in OECD countries. Ukraine is not new to political unrest. In 2004, after an allegedly rigged election, Viktor Yanukovych, who supported reconciliation with Russia, came to power and sparked mass protests, known as the "Orange Revolution." 

After a repeat election, pro-West supporter Viktor Yushchenko was sworn in as president in 2005. Political bickering continues to attract world attention, however. Last month, one of the leaders of the Orange Revolution and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was sent to jail for seven years on charges of abuse of power involving a gas deal with Russia in 2009. 

1. Venezuela

2010 GDP: $387.8 billion 

2010 FDI: -$1.4 billion 

Out the world's 50 biggest economies, Venezuela ranks as the most difficult place to do business in. The South American nation is among the very bottom when it comes to ease of paying taxes, getting credit, investor protection laws, and cross-border trading, to name a few. Firms spend 864 hours a year paying taxes in Venezuela, more than double the amount of time it takes in the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The gap is even wider when you compare with OECD countries, where it takes about a fourth of the time to file taxes. Despite having some of the world's largest oil and natural gas reserves, most Venezuelans live in poverty. 

The country's socialist revolution led by President Hugo Chavez has brought about radical reforms, with the major one being the nationalization of much of the economy, especially the oil sector, and strict currency controls. 

All these pose difficulties for private businesses. For example, withdrawing money from your bank account requires not only signatures, but fingerprints and in some cases even a photograph. ATMs have strict daily limits. Identification is even required for the smallest purchases, such as groceries. Inflation is also another major issue in Venezuela. Annual inflation for the 12-month period through September totaled 26.5 percent, showing the country's economy could be getting out of control.

Brunei, Singapore telecom regulators renew cooperation

THE Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) yesterday inked a deal with Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) to renew collaboration and technical cooperation on telecommunication regulatory areas.

Hj Yahkup Hj Menudin, chief executive of AITI, and Leong Keng Thai, IDA director general (telecoms and post) and deputy chief executive, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and project addendum, a statement from AITI said.

AITI and IDA first established an alliance via an MOU in October 2007. Since then, both telecom regulators have conducted bilateral exchanges, trainings, consultancy and secondment of experts to assist in e-Government and telecoms regulatory projects. Under the existing MOU which will expire in October 2011, both organisations have achieved the following:

• assistance in the review of Brunei's e-Government strategies and road map which was endorsed by the e-Government Leadership Forum in 2009

• telecoms regulatory training and workshop for AITI officers in May 2010

• completion of Brunei's Government Enterprise Architecture Phase 1 and Design of One Government Network in January 2011

• secondment of IDA officer to assist AITI in telecoms regulation, ICT industry development and international relation development

The new deals signed yesterday further leverage on the existing cooperation framework and aims to cover new areas on corporate services and human resource development, postal, domain name registration and industrial internship programme for fresh graduates and students undertaking ICT-related higher national diploma.

"AITI and IDA have fostered a close working relationship over the years and I am delighted that we continue to strengthen this bond with the MOU signing today.

"I look forward to more exchanges of ideas, lessons learnt and experience sharing with IDA as we tackle the fast changing ICT landscape in our respective countries," said Hj Yahkup Hj Menudin at the MOU signing ceremony.

/business.asiaone.com

Post-riot, UK government halts talk of social media shutdown

A police officer in riot gear stands near a burning car in Hackney on August 8, 2011 in London, England. Pockets of rioting and looting continues to take place in various boroughs of London this evening, as well as in Birmingham, prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night. It has been announced that the Prime Minister David Cameron and his family are due to return home from their summer holiday in Tuscany, Italy to respond to the rioting. Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area after the killing of Mark Duggan, 29 and a father-of-four, by armed police in an attempted arrest on August 4.[Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]

The U.K. government met on Thursday with technology companies for a post-mortem on the violent riots earlier this month, but made clear from the onset that it was no longer considering shutting down services in times of crisis.

Home Secretary Theresa May met with representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Research In Motion, three companies whose services were used by participants in the violent rioting across several U.K. cities.

After the riots, Prime Minister David Cameron said the U.K. would look at "whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence." The suggestion that the U.K. could censor social networking services brought wide criticism.

The Home Office said in a statement that the discussions revolved around improving the "technological and related legal capabilities of the police" when dealing with services that are being used for criminal behavior. The Home Office did not mention if it discussed shutting down services with the companies.

Youths loot a Carhartt store in Hackney
on August 8, 2011 in London,
England. Pockets of rioting and
looting continues to take place in
various parts of London this evening
prompted by the initial rioting
in Tottenham and then in Brixton on
Sunday night. Disturbances broke out
late on Saturday night in Tottenham
and the surrounding area after
the killing of Mark Duggan, 29
and a father-of-four,
by armed police in an attempted
arrest on August 4.
[Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]

But a statement from Facebook said that from the start of the meeting May "set the tone clearly that we were not there to discuss restricting Internet services."

"We welcome the fact that this was a dialogue about working together to keep people safe rather than about imposing new restrictions on Internet services," the statement read.

Facebook did acknowledge that "sometimes we have to be more vigilant or react faster when there are exceptional circumstances," such as the recent shootings in Norway or the riots in the U.K.

"When we are dealing with situations that are heightened or sensitive such as the U.K. riots, then content relating to this specific issue is prioritized," Facebook said. "As a result, the team works around the clock to ensure that take-down times for such content is decreased and content that straddles the line of acceptability is closely monitored."

Facebook said that it processes reports about content that is against its rules to its User Operations teams, which work 24 hours a day around the world. The company has a law enforcement team dedicated to helping U.K. police improve their skills in using the service to handle serious crime.

On Aug. 16, a British court sentenced two men to four years each in prison for using Facebook to try to organize two riots, one of the sternest punishments meted out so far for misbehavior and one that has been criticized as being too harsh. Neither riot actually took place.

Facebook said in its statement that the service was also used for positive actions, such as organizing groups to clean up debris from the streets following the disturbances.

RIM, whose BlackBerry devices are popular with U.K. youth, called the discussions "positive and productive." Young people are thought to buy BlackBerry devices for Messenger, an instant messaging application that allows people to broadcast messages to many users. It has been blamed for enabling youths to quickly mass in key neighborhoods in London and other U.K. cities hit with looting and arson.

Twitter was more oblique and did not mention Thursday's meeting with the government. "We've heard from many that Twitter is an effective way to distribute crucial updates and dispel rumors in times of crisis or emergency," the company said.

networkworld.com

Personal data law comes into full force, Medvedev signs more restrictive amendments

Last week, President Medvedev signed certain amendments to the Russian law on personal data, which hardened the legal obligations on all organizations – both corporate and state sector – which deal with personal data. Although the law was voted by the Russian parliament in 2006 – one year after Russia ratified the Council of Europe’s 1981 Strasbourg Convention on the Protection of Individuals with Regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data – the application of many of its provisions had been postponed several times due to an absence of precise rules and principles of regulation.

The law, which came into full force on July 1, 2011, as well as the recent amendments, has raised serious concerns among some businesses due to the anticipated administrative burdens and high implementation costs.

Proving approval for data use

Personal data can be collected or used only upon approval of the concerned person or his/her representative – in which case the operator must check and be able to prove this approval.

An exception is for personal data collected and used exclusively for the purpose of implementing a contract – for instance, to provide a service or a good to an individual. No approval is required in this case, but the company cannot make any further marketing or commercial use of the data.

According to the law, approval must be voluntary. This means, in particular, that when ordering a service or good, a customer should not feel bound to accept further use of his personal data.

Approval can be received in any form that can be verified, according to the new amendments. Non-written forms of approval are thus implicitly allowed – an important issue when it comes to online commercial and marketing activities.

“While many transactions are made in an oral or electronic form, e-merchants will have to create and store supporting information that provides evidence of approval,” Otto Group Russia’s legal adviser Mikhail Chentsov said to East-West Digital News. “This may be difficult for many e-commerce players, especially the small ones.”

Heavy requirements for data protection

The law is particularly demanding when it comes to the protection of stored personal data. Only duly certified means of protection can be used. Moreover, a special license is required to handle the technical tasks related to storing personal data, unless these tasks are outsourced to licensed technical providers.

In this last case, the concerned person must approve the outsourcing, according to the new amendments.

In addition, organizations storing personal data are required to:

• Assess the potential threats to data protection as well as the efficiency of the protection measures even before data starts being collected or used;

• Establish precise rules for accessing the data and record any action related to the data;

• Uncover any unauthorized access to data and bear responsibility, should data be altered or deleted following unauthorized access.

A flurry of criticism

Many provisions of the amended law – lobbied for by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and other state security bodies – have been severely criticized by the business and legal communities for containing excessively stringent requirements and involving considerable costs while lacking clear implementation mechanisms.

“Seven million organizations dealing with personal data must now abide by slightly adapted, 20 year-old state secret protection rules,” Russian business daily Vedomosti quoted a group of IT experts as saying. The rules will apply not only to banks, mobile operators, and government bodies dealing with passport information, but to any organization having employees and storing related personal information about those employees, according to Alexander Lukatsky, one of these experts.

In response to the new law, MTS, a leading mobile operator, expects to spend $40 million on additional equipment plus $2 to $5 million per year in operational expenses merely to serve the new equipment, Vedomosti quoted MTS Vice-president Ruslan Ibragimov as saying.

The legislation could be particularly difficult to implement for international companies and Internet players, since their information systems were designed to comply with the legislation of other countries, warned Dmitry Kuznetsov of IT security company Positive Technologies in an exchange with news agency RIA Novosti.

The new legislation applies equally to small businesses. “For them, the new rules may impose unbearable consulting or outsourcing costs,” Alexander Sanin of Russian information security agency LETA told RIA Novosti. “Less than 10% of businesses are fully ready to implement the law, and perhaps just 1% of small businesses are prepared.”

Alternatives to fully applying the law will still be available. “Since many requirements for certification are outdated or simply irrelevant, many organizations will build a double data protection system: an official one to show in case of inspections and a real one to ensure effective protection,” Alexander Kovalev of information security company SecurIT said to RIA Novosti.

As a less costly alternative, some businesses could opt to pay fines rather than implement certain rules. This is not to mention bribes, a very common way of avoiding administrative hassles in Russia.

ewdn.com

National 'character' an influence on e-gov strategy?

The way European governments try to save money and improve the delivery of public services conforms to national stereotypes, according to a new Europe-wide study done for supplier Logica.

France favours big projects such as its Chorus, a government-wide financial management system based on SAP, for instance, while the efficient Germans have many projects that aim for simplification. The UK, which the survey's authors, consultants PAC (Pierre Audoin Consultants), characterises as "pragmatic" in its approach to e-government, meanwhile, has concentrated on outsourcing as a way of conserving cash. Further north, Sweden has tried to increase its competitiveness through digital skills and jobs, while Finland has focused on shared services and sees IT providing economic growth. The Netherlands. by contrast, has an e-government strategy that seeks a stronger role for citizen rights.

All governments say they are changing the way they deliver services to their citizens and 29% of those surveyed felt that in five years time self-service online will be the main means of citizen interaction with government, with face-to-face meetings, post and email lower at around 20%.

The survey - Transforming Government - is claimed to be the first study of public sector transformation in the region. It looks at best practice across Europe, taking in the views of over 180 public servants and policy makers in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Netherlands and Finland.

"ìWe all recognise the UKís requirement for increasing efficiency and reducing cost in public sector but this research provides an opportunity to look at how similar challenges are being tackled across Europe," says Nigel Kirby-Green, Managing Director of UK Public Sector at Logica.

"It seems that whilst each nation has taken a different approach to transforming government they are all striving for the same end goals. These differences provide an interesting comparison of the role of technology and innovation in achieving better service," he added.

.publictechnology.net

Power companies overstate cost of smart meters

Smart meters expensive

The Australian Energy Regulator that says Victoria's power companies have overstated the cost of rolling out smart meters by $500 million. In a draft decision, the regulator says CitiPower, Jemena, Powercor, SP AusNet and United Energy Distribution have not made a good enough case for charging $1.24 billion for the three-year roll out.

Andrew Reeves, the chairman of the electricity and gas regulator, says the cost increase is not justified.

"On their numbers put in front of us, charges would typically go up from currently about $100 a year to about $160 a year," he told ABC Local Radio.

"Under our proposal the charges would still increase, but would only increase by about an additional $20 a year."

The regulator says the cost of the rollout should be $760 million.

Energy Minister Michael O'Brien says the State Government was always concerned that costs were not properly scrutinised by the former Labor government.
"We'll be making our own submissions to the regulator before they make a final decision.

"If we think there's further room for reducing the cost impact of this project on Victorian families, we'll be arguing for it."

He says a final decision will be made later this year.

"As it is, this determination would suggest that there will only be a very modest increase over the next three years, which I think most families, who struggle to pay their power bills would welcome," he said.

abc.net.au

e-Government Menghasilkan Pembuat Kebijakan Sosial (Vol2-selesai)

Dan inilah tujuan IMPACT, memfasilitasi berbagai debat terkait proposal-proposal kebijakan. Proyel IMPACT didukung EU Funding dengan dana sebesar €1.6 juta yang memiliki tim beranggotakan universitas-universitas di Leeds, Liverpool dan Amsterdam, serta berbagai mitra sektor swasta.

Gordon menyatakan :" Kami sedang berupaya membangun berbagai perkakas yang akan memberikan anda kemampuan memandang debat yang kompleks dengan menggunakan berbagai metode visualisasi, menciptakan peta debat. "Berbagai tehnik sejenis telah digunakan sebelumnya--misal Debatgraph kerap digunakan oleh stasiun TV CNN Amerika Serikat." Debatgraph adalah instrumen pelacak argument," lanjut Gordon," sehingga anda dapat selalu memantau semua argumen yang masuk dan anda menerima pemberitahuan atas setiap argumen yang terjadi tanpa anda perlu kembali melihat dan mencarinya di peta perdebatan. Jadinya disini idenya peta bukanlah kilasan debat-debat yang terjadi tetapi berisikan perkembang sejalan dengan perkembangan dialog yang berlangsung. Sebuah peta argumen tidaklah berisikan dengan mendetail mengenai siapa yang berkata dan kapan terjadinya, tetapi apa saja isu-isunya, argumen-argumennya dan proposal-proposalnya? Apa saja keunggulan dan kelemahan proposal-proposal itu, siapa sajakah yang menjadi pemangku kepentingannya/stake holders, apa saja yang menjadi kepentingannya?" Peta-peta tersebut akan meliputi semua tautan ke sumber-sumber asli dimana argumen-argumen tersebuat dimuat, dan Gordon melihat potensi bagi teknologi untuk digunakan oleh Komisi Eropa sebab peta-peta ini menjaring seluruh respon untuk konsultasi-konsultasi.

Tim IMPACT juga sedang mengembangkan sebuah sistem berbasiskan peraturan yang akan membantu masyarakat/individu untuk dapat memahami berbagai proposal kebijakan secara lebih baik. "Katakanlah ada sebuah perubahan dalam hal manfaat perumahan yang sedang didiskusikan," jelas Gordon. "Kita dapat membuat model dari peraturan-peraturan yang berlaku sekarang terkait manfaat/benefit perumahan, seiring dengan berbagai peraturan yang diusulkan dan juga sedang didiskusikan. Lalu anda memasukan sebuah informasi anda dan sistem akan memberitahukan kepada anda bahwa informasi yang anda masukan itu diatur oleh peraturan yang sekarang masih berlaku dan juga ada didalam berbagai kebijakan alternatif. Sistem akan menciptakan sebuah peta argumen yang akan membantu anda untuk memahami mengapa berbagai kebijakan yang berbeda ini memiliki dampak. Idenya adalah menolong masyarakat menjadi terinformasikan secara lebih lengkap tentang bagaimana kebijakan-kebijakan itu sesungguhnya bekerja, dan kemudian masyarakat dapat berkontribusi dengan menyampaikan argumen-argumen. Masyarakat juga dapat menyimpan berbagai kasus didalam website sehingga semua orang dapat menemukannya dan mengangkatnya kembali. Kita harus sangat berhati-hati dalam hal privasi, sehingga tidak akan berubah menjadi kasus-kasus yang sesungguhnya, semua kontributor atau masyarakat yang berpartisipasi tetap dengan identitas yang dianonimkan, sehingga seorang ibu yang menjadi orang tua tunggal yang memiliki seorang anak dapat mengusulkan manfaat perumahan dan sebagainya."

Berbagai tehnik yang lebih tradisional seperti survei-survei masih dapat berguna. Gordon menyatakan :"Ketimbang melalui website dan mendapatkan jawaban tertulis di website terkait subyek dan membuat peta-peta argumen, anda mempublikasikan sebuah survei. Dengans berbagai respon terhadap survei anda mendapatkan berbagai argumen yang tercantum didalam formulir yang telah ditentukan--manusia pengguna survei tak harus mengetahu segala hal terkait teori argumentasi atau berbagai model komputasi, mereka hanya menjawab berbagai pertanyaan dengan cara yang biasa.

Tetapi dibelakang panggung, apa yang sesungguhnya mereka lakukan menarik berbagai pola argumentasi, dan membuat berbagai argumen yang dapat divisualisasikan." Tentu saja semua proyek ini dalam tahap riset, dan seberapa luas tehnik-tehnik yang diuji akan digunakan oleh para pembuat kebijakan masih belum diungkapkan--terutama dikarenakan perkembangan e-Government sejauh ini sangat tak berimbang. Gordon menyontohkan, sangat dikejutkan karena ternyata Jerman hingga kini belum juga menjalankan e-government. "Jerman adalah salah ekonomi utama dunia tetapi tidak menjadi yang terkemuka dalam e-Government." Di beberapa area e-Government--seperti yang ia katakan, ini adalah sebuah "subyek yang besar, ada banyak aspek pada e-Government"--ia menyebut Austria, Inggris dan Belanda adalah negara-nagara yang ada didepan dalam hal e-Government.

Dan, sebagaimana dikaitkan oleh Gordon, Jerman juga menjadi sebuah contoh bagaimana berbagai proyek e-Government dapat berujung menjadi berbagai kesulitan, sekalipun e-Government memang memiliki potensi dalam menghemat waktu dan uang. "Ada sebuah sistem yang dinamia ELENA. Idenya dengan ELENA semua perusahaan dapat mengirimkan informasi tentang semua pegawai mereka ke sebuah database pusat, semuanya berlangsung secara elektronik, dan digunakan untuk mengkalkulasi berbagai manfaat yang diterima pegawai dan lain sebagainya. Sayangnya ELENA dibatalkan. Mereka telah siap untuk menjalankan ELENA, tetapi tidak siap dengan berbagai isu privasi, yang jelas sangat penting, tetapi disini, khususnya di Jerman terjadi konflik. Masyarakat di Jerman telah dikecewakan terkait pengumpulan data yang ditempatkan secara terpusat oleh pemerintah." Gordon menyimpulkan:" Sehingga mereka kembali ke sistem tua membuat database berbasis kertas. " Dan disini Gordon secara bersamaan membicarakan "e-Government as a whole" :"Siapakah yang tahu apa yang akan dibawa oleh masa depan?"

Daniel Mason -  PS Europe | Martin Simamora

e-Government Menghasilkan Pembuat Kebijakan Sosial (Vol.1)

Jejaring sosial dan dunia virtual 3D kerap dianggap sebagai ruangan-ruangan rekreasional, dimana orang berinteraksi dengan sahabat, kerabat, dan mereka yang menggeluti dunia ini. Tetapi perkembangan terbaru dalam e-Government--secara tradisional e-Government dipandang sebagai pembuat layanan-layanan publik pokok dapat diakses secara online--,kini melangkah ke wilayah jejaring sosial dimana para pembuat kebijakan berupaya mencari cara-cara baru untuk mengetahui apa yang dipikirkan masyarakat terhadap proposal-proposal yang mereka buat.

Sebuah studi yang telah dipublikasikan oleh EU pada Februari 2011 menunjukan bahwa pada 2010 kualitas dan  kuantitas layanan-layanan e-Government meningkat. Di seantero Eropa, e-Government untuk berbagai layanan pokok  publik mencapai 82% diantaranya; registrasi kendaraan mobil dan deklarasi pajak yang dapat diakses online, capaian  ini meningkat tajam dibandingkan 2009 yang hanya 69%. Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President yang  bertanggungjawab atas program Digital Agenda, menyatakan rasa senangnya bahwa banyak orang dapat mengaksesnya, misal meregistrasi perusahaan baru melalui internet. Namun demikian kemajuan semacam ini tidak terjadi secara universal.

Sebuah studi yang sama mengungkapkan bahwa berbagai layanan bisnis mengalami perkembangan yang jauh lebih cepat  ketimbang yang diperuntukan bagi individu-individu. Pemanfaat e-Procurement masih rendah. Dan tak terhindarkan, survei tersebut  menyatakan negara-negara yang tergolong utama seperti; Austria, Irlandia dan Italia juga dinilai masih tercecer,  termasuk juga Yunani, Siprus dan Rumania.

Untuk mendorong kemajuan e-Government, melalui rencana aksi e-Government EU periode 2011-2015 telah ditetapkan  serangkaian ambisi yang sangat baik ; memberdayakan masyarakat dengan membuat lebih banyak informasi yang dapat diakses online, memperkokoh pasar tunggal melalui berbagai inisiatif e-Government yang akan membuat hidup lebih mudah, juga bekerja dan belajar diseluruh Eropa; dan menciptakan karbon rendah, administrasi-administrasi pemerintah yang efisien. Uni Eropa menginginkan 50% individu di Eropa dan 80% bisnis menggunakan berbagai perangkat e-Government menjelang akhir 2015. Tetapi sebagaimana diakui dalam Rencana tersebut, menjadi tanggungjawab setiap negara anggota Uni Eropa untuk mengimplementasikan berbagai layanan e-Government. Peran Uni Eropa adalah menetapkan serangkaian target, memfasilitasi berbagai diskusi, menciptakan berbagai kondisi legal yang mendukung, mengurus interoperabilitas lintas batas negara-dan menilai performa setiap negara.

Tetapi e-Government bukan sekedar penyederhanaan berbagai pelayanan publik. Namun e-Government  juga mengenai pelibatan warga masyarakat secara lebih mendalam dalam proses demokratik. Hal ini dapat dicapai dengan membuatnya menjadi lebih mudah dalam melakukan pemilihan umum : sebagai contoh pemilihan umum di Estonia tahun ini, 25% pemilih menyalurkan haknya  secara online--namun, sementra hasil survei memperlihatkan antusiasme dikalangan masyarakat, teknologi ini belum  digunakan secara luas sejauh ini. Dimana Uni Eropa sedang memainkan peran yang lebih besar dalam pengembangan berbagai perangkat yang dapat melibatkan masyarakat dalam pembuatan kebijakan. Rencana Aksi EU mengatakan :  "Negara-negara anggota berkomitmen untuk membangun dan mempromosikan cara yang lebih baik dan berguna, dalam mengedepankan penggunaan berbagai solusi ICT, untuk kepentingan bisnis dan masyarakat sehingga dapar berpartisipasi dalam konsultasi kebijakan publik. "Untuk mencapai tujuan itu Uni Eropa melalui instrumen utamanya yaitu pendanaan  riset teknologi : Seventh Framework Programme, yang menopang 9 proyek inovasi e-Government.

Salah satu proyek tersebut adalah WeGov, sebuah upaya untuk mengikat kekuatan jejaring sosial seperti Facebook, Twitter dan Linkedln. Paul Walland bertanggungjawab sebagai koordinator proyek, berkedudukan di IT Innovation  Center University of Southampton berujar : "Apa yang coba dilakukan WeGov adalah menempatkan berbagai perangkat  ditangan para pembuat kebijakan," ujarnya di PublicServiceEurope.com. Ketimbang pemerintah dan penyelenggara lokal  menguji berbagai kebijakan dengan menggunakan berbagai questionaire dan berbagai website e-Government yang  spesifik--yang biasanya memberikan hasil yang hampa dari publik--WeGov mengembangkan sebuah perangkat atau perkakas  yang memungkinkan para pembuat kebijakan menggunakan jejaring sosial untuk melibatkan masyarakat dalam berbagai  debat." WeGov adalah ramuan banyak hal," ujar Walland,"mulai dari menyampaikan opini di komunitas umum dan memantau  reaksi masyarakat terhadap opini yang disampaikan, melalui penjejakan berbagai topik hangat dan berbagai jenis opini  masyarakat yang diungkapkan oleh masyarakat diberbagai website jejaring sosial.

WeGov salah satu proyek yang didanai oleh Program FP7 dengan dana sebesar €2 juta, dan dua skema percontohan direncanakan di Spanyol dan Jerman. Sebuah tatap muka user yang sederhana akan memungkinkan para pembuat kebijakan  untuk memilih sebuah topik dan "menyuntikannya" kedalam jejaraing sosial apapun yang dipilih--dengan tweet, blog atau menggunakan grup diskusi didalam Facebook atau Likedln. Walland mengakui bila kebijakan publik semakin meningkat didasarkan pada reaksi-reaksi media sosial, beberapa orang dapat menjadi sadar bahwa suara mereka tidak didengarkan, tetapi ia menambahkan ada sebuah bahaya disana "dengan tehnik apapun yang digunakan untuk mengumpulkan opini populer. Ini adalah sebuah respon dengan meluaskan jaring ketimbang "menangkap" semua orang". Ada juga isu lain ketika menggali dari jejaring sosial, seperti isu privasi. "Cara melakukan pendekatannya adalah hal yang sangat penting, untuk memastikan bahwa kita tidak hanya melakukannya dalam batas-batas yang legal tetapi yang lebih sulit lagi untuk mendefinisikan batas-batas yang etikal yang dimiliki oleh masyarakat." tetapi sebagaimana yang dikatakan  oleh Walland, para politisi "ingin menggunakan setiap perkakas yang tersedia bagi mereka untuk berinteraksi dengan masyarakat."

Ada sebuah premis dibalik proyek lainnya yang juga didanai oleh FP7 yaitu +Spaces. Dalam kasus ini, sebagaimana juga jejaring sosial, berbagai skenario dibuat dalam dunia virtual 3D yang akan digunakan untuk menguji berbagai reaksi terhadap ide-ide kebijakan. Michal Jacovi, koordinator proyek dan seorang peneliti grup teknologi-teknologi sosial di fasilitas IBM Haifa Israel menjelaskan :"Idenya adalah menjalankan berbagai kebijakan oleh masyarakat dan mendapatkan opini mereka dengan mendatangi mereka, sebagaimana yang terjadi hari ini, ke website-website e-Government untuk mengisi formulir atau melakukan pemilihan. Kita ingin pergi ke tempat dimana masyarakat berada. "

Seperti dengan WeGov, sebuah perkakas telah dirancang bagi para pembuat kebijakan-- para mitra proyek +Spaces termasuk parlemen Yunani, dan Jacovi berharap akan ada lebih banyak lagi mitra yang terlibat dimasa mendatang--untuk memudahkan mengajukan pertanyaan dan menciptakan berbagai debat diseluruh jejaring sosial.


Bagian paling inovatif dari proyek ini akan diuji tahun depan. Jacovi menjelaskan :"Kita fokus pada permainan  peran, dimana anda mengundang orang untuk terlibat, dan anda memberikan peran-peran. Anda dapat memberikan seseorang peran optimis atau pesimis. Mereka tak hanya harus mengatakan apa yang telah mereka pikirkan, atau yang telah mereka dengarkan dimanapun, tetapi mereka harus sungguh-sungguh berpura-pura menjadi seseorang yang lain dan berpikir sebagai orang lain. Kami memiliki sebuah versi 3D dimana avatar-avatarnya sangat sesuai dan kita juga menggunakan Twitter. "Jacovi memberikan contoh praktis :"Misalkan kebijakan pelarangan merokok di tempat-tempat umum : Kita telah menyelenggarakan workshop dimana orang memainkan peran-peran sebagai seorang perokok, seorang yang tidak merokok, seorang pemilik restoran, seorang pejabat kesehatan publik, dan seorang polisi. Mereka dipandu agar mengasumsikan diri mereka berada di masa lima tahun kedepan, dan setengah dari mereka adalah orang yang idealis dan setengahnya lagi tidak idealis. Ini memberikan wawasan kepada para pembuat kebijakan dan juga kepada diri masyarakat  itu sendiri."


Pada awalnya ini akan terlihat serampangan awalnya, tetapi Profesor Thomas Gordon yang memimpin sebuah proyek  lainnya lagi yang didanai FP7 yaitu IMPACT dan berasal dari Fraunhover Institute for Open Communication di Berlin,  berujar : Seluruh area e-Participation adalah hal yang semakin berkembang menjadi penting". Bagi Gordon, melibatkan warga masyarakat pada awal berbagai tahapan perencanaan kebijakan adalah vital. Ia mengutip sebuah contoh topik.

"Anda dapat melihat disini di Jerman dengan debat yang begitu besar tentang Stuttgart21, sebuah stasiun kereta. Ada berbagai demonstrasi yang berlangsung dan hal ini menjadi topik hangat yang entah tumbuh sendiri atau memang dibuat demikian. Dan salah satu alasannya itu sebuah topik hangat dari sudut pandang saya adalah karena warga masyarakat tidak dilibatkan secara memadai dalam fase perencanaan, dan sekarang para politisi menghadapi masalah yang sangat besar.

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Daniel Mason - PS Europe | Martin Simamora