Johann Höchtl

Open government data implementation evaluation

This paper analyses the implementation of the Open Government Data strategy and portal of the City of Vienna. This evaluation is based on qualitative interviews and online polls after the strategy was implemented. Two groups of users were involved in the evaluation: internal target groups (employees and heads of department in the City of Viennas public administration departments) and external stakeholders (citizens, business representatives, science and research, journalists). Analyzed aspects included the present organizational processes, the benefits (to business and society), and requirements for future Open Government Data initiatives. This evaluation reveals success factors which accompanied the implementation: the clear definition of responsibilities and the implementation along a process model, the integration of the Open Government Data platform into existing Content Management Systems, the evaluation of the Open Government Data initiative very shortly after its inception. Based on the theoretical and empirical findings, recommendations for future Open Government Data strategies are made which target the local authority and would require action on the federal level such as Creative Commons Attribution License as the default for subsidy funds or public relation measures carried out directly by the data providing departments.

Big data in the policy cycle: Policy decision making in the digital era

Abstract Although of high relevance to political science, the interaction between technological change and political change in the era of Big Data remains somewhat of a neglected topic. Most studies focus on the concept of e-government and e-governance, and on how already existing government activities performed through the bureaucratic body of public administration could be improved by technology. This article attempts to build a bridge between the field of e-governance and theories of public administration that goes beyond the service delivery approach that dominates a large part of e-government research. Using the policy cycle as a generic model for policy processes and policy development, a new look on how policy decision making could be conducted on the basis of ICT and Big Data is presented in this article.

Linked open data: a means for public sector information management

Currently information management in public administration is discussed under the aspects of information production, effective information provision and information logistics. The authors point out why the provision of Open Government Data shall be seen as a core element of strategic information management in the public sector and why extensive literature on the subject will be needed in future. The authors have designed an architectural model for Linked Open Government Data based on Good Practice Models in administration and economics. The proposed model is based on current wide spread technologies of Semantic Web, using Tim Berners-Lee 5-star Model. Simple APIs based on RESTful Services are necessary to take advantage of benefits of Peer Production and to guarantee compatibility with the growing market of mobile applications. Issues concerning licencing and legal liability are discussed in the concluding section.

E‐participation readiness of Austrian municipalities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to depict the present situation of e‐participation initiatives of Austrian municipalities and derives recommendations to further enhance the e‐participation sophistication level.Design/methodology/approach – The findings are based on hypotheses we verified against a dataset obtained from an electronic survey among all Austrian municipalities, conducted in 2008.Findings – The technical basis for e‐participation in Austria is well developed, yet accessibility of municipal web sites and the phrasing of information leaves space for improvement. E‐participation in Austria is still in a nascent state and requires the convergence of technical, political, legal and socio‐economic factors, which has not yet fully arrived at the municipal level.Research limitations/implications – The raw material of the survey did not allow a qualitative assessment of e‐services.Practical implications – Change of law and reconsideration of opening hierarchical structures.Social implications – ...

Collaboration for Open Innovation Processes in Public Administrations

In Government 2.0, public value no longer needs to be provided by government alone but can be provided by any combination of public agencies, the private sector, civil society organizations or citizens. The ubiquitous presence of ICT, citizens’ digital literacy, and their potential willingness to participate online can efficiently enable collaborative production. Models for the inclusion of external stakeholders in public value production can increase the degree of public sector innovation and improve the outcomes of such processes. Governments can use the most valuable resource they have, the citizens, by establishing opportunities for civil society and businesses to engage in an open government.

The Citizen Scientist in the ePolicy Cycle

This chapter discusses a participation and technology enabled model of the citizen scientist in relation to the policy cycle. With interconnected personal devices collecting a plethora of various data, citizens are capable to serendipitously contribute to crowded knowledge generation. In the governance domain, the trend towards more data-driven models of governance and decision-making has been considerable. Big data contains the methodologies to cope with the wealth of data generated by the citizen scientist and in turn provides the tools and technologies to draw actionable insights from this data, f.i. with predictive technologies that could optimise resources across government sectors. After discussing the changing role of science and the technological and participative enablers and methods of engagement relevant for citizen participation, this contribution discusses the role of the citizen scientist and his or her involvement in the big data enabled governance loop by defining three use cases within the policy cycle. Furthermore, it addresses the challenges that can arise in this context.

Concept for Scenario-Development for Foresight Security Scenarios: Mapping Research to a Comprehensive Approach to Exogenous EU Roles

Europe still has to find its way to become a truly united state, overcoming diverse legal and political frameworks and moral understandings and ethical values. The FOCUS project, EU funded under the FP7 research program, has the goal to identify future EU roles in security research. One important aspect is an agreed and comprehensive set of security themes. This paper presents possible major security scenarios, their methodological finding and identified obstacles on the way to a more coordinated EU security strategy.