Gabriela Viale Pereira

Increasing collaboration and participation in smart city governance: a cross-case analysis of smart city initiatives

ABSTRACT This study addresses the concept of smart governance in the context of smart cities, with a focus on analyzing the phenomenon of smart collaboration. Relying on the existing collaboration and participation concepts in the smart city domain, an empirical analysis was undertaken of how ICT can promote collaborative governance and increase the participation and engagement in government. The multiple case studies focus on three cities in Brazil that run municipal operations centers in an effort to “become smarter”: Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, and Belo Horizonte. Interviews with directors, managers, and technicians shed light on the contribution that ICT makes in promoting an environment of collaboration in the government. The findings have revealed that ICT has an important role in supporting information sharing and integration between government agencies and external stakeholders, including citizens, especially in developing countries.

Information Technology Governance Practices Adoption through an Institutional Perspective: The Perception of Brazilian and American CIOs

Information Technology Governance (ITG) has gained prominence in the organizational scenario specially because the need better management of IT assets. This article searched to understand how the incorporation of certain practices takes place using the institutional lens for structuring and analysis. The objective is to identify the influence of institutional factors in the adoption of ITG practices. A semi-structured interview guide with qualitative objective was administered to Brazilian and American CIOs. The answers from the IT executives in Brazil and the U.S. made it possible to identify the presence/absence of isomorphic mechanisms in the adoption of the practices. The results indicate that the Brazilian and the American CIOs have similar perceptions about the adoption of ITG practices. Both believe that the pressures are usually derived from the external environment, and may come from institutionalized practices, from professionalization of the field, and from models to be followed.

Categorizing Obstacles in e-Government: Formal and Informal

E-Government implementation and adoption is influenced by several factors having either an enhancing or an aggravating effect on e-government implementation and use. This paper aims at shedding light on obstacles hindering mainly e-government implementation from two perspectives: the supply- and the demand-side of e-government services. The contribution to research is seen in summarized insights into what obstacles in e-government were identified in prior research and the suggestion of a classification of obstacles into the two categories of formal and informal obstacles. Literature was reviewed following a conceptual model encompassing a merger and extension of existing approaches. A process of identifying obstacles and improving services in the form of a loop is discussed before possible future research lines will be pointed to.

Exploring Open Data State-of-the-Art: A Review of the Social, Economic and Political Impacts

This research paper explores the impact that the access to, and free usage of, stored (mainly public sector) data has on society, the economy and on good governance, together with the implications of this new paradigm for modern-day governments. Although a number of recent research studies attempt to identify the benefits and drawbacks of open data, or to demonstrate its role in governance processes, there exists to-date no systematic attempt to both rigorously survey current literature to enumerate the areas in which open data has had an impact and to discuss its potential as a significant tool for policymaking. To address this research gap, and to highlight its intrinsic value to different actors, we examine the current state-of-the-art on the impacts of open data research and practice through a systematic survey of extant scholarly and practitioner literature. The first part of our study will present a comprehensive overview of the societal, economic, and political impacts of open data. We will then evaluate the new possibilities afforded by open data to policymaking, and conclude with a discussion of its role in open governance.

Exploring the political, social and cultural challenges and possibilities associated with trading data: the case of data market austria (DMA)

Data and its recognised market and innovation potential is of growing importance for todays economy. This workshop seeks to help presenters and participants develop a deeper, more critical understanding of the socio-political and economic implications of data markets. The case study focused on during this workshop will be the ongoing Data Market Austria (DMA) research project, whose overall goal is to build a comprehensive, innovation-supporting, sustainable Austrian Data-Services Ecosystem. The first half of the workshop involves an investigation of the new role of the public sector as an information provider, and the impact it will have on creating social and economic value and attaining good governance. The second half will be concerned with an in-depth exploration of specific political, societal and cultural aspects associated with the large-scale trading of data worldwide.

The Role of Digital Technologies in Promoting Smart City Governance.

This paper presents the analysis of the SmartGov project as a case of smart technologies application, such as expert-based Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, social media applications and open data, to promote citizen engagement and support decision-making. The objective of this paper is to analyze the role of digital technologies as inputs to achieve smart city governance. The main results are illustrated in a framework that combines the smart city governance elements in a real case description.

Discussing and Conceiving an Information and Technology Governance Model in Public Organizations

Over the past decades, the role of Information Technology (IT) has changed significantly, from office and process automation to value aggregation and innovation through its use. This set of changes also includes citizen profile, government positioning and openness. They generate many new demands, such as fast, reliable IT solutions, information, and services that are enhanced by IT solutions. Considering this scenario, managing IT is no longer enough; it is necessary to go one step further to a governance process. This chapter aims to propose a guide for discussing and conceiving an IT Governance (ITG) model in public organizations. In order to verify its suitability, a multi method approach was adopted, combining various data collection and analysis techniques. A case study was conducted in the State Government of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), aiming to verify the suitability of the guide in a certain context. The results presented in this chapter combine multiple data sources such as non-participant observation, document analysis and focus groups. The findings show that the following aspects are essential when discussing an ITG model: business needs, managing pillars, organizational governance principles, regulations, common issues related to IT, business needs related to IT, ITG goals, ITG principles, ITG mechanisms, key decisions, decision rights, organizational structure, Critical Success Factors and monitoring indicators. Our findings have revealed that by applying the proposed guide it was possible to conceive an ITG model related to the specific criteria of the studied case.