Knowledge Interoperability among Parliaments and Government

2012 ◽  
pp. 200-217
Author(s):  
E. Loukis ◽  
Alexandros Xenakis
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Knowledge Level ◽  
Text Documents ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Operational Level ◽  
The Law

Parliaments possess huge amounts of valuable knowledge on public policies which concerns social needs, problems, and interventions for addressing them. This knowledge is highly useful to other parliaments and also to government agencies of various layers. However, this valuable knowledge is hidden in numerous text documents so that it cannot be efficiently exchanged and exploited. In this regard, it is highly important to extend the concept of interoperability among information systems (IS) of Parliaments and Government Agencies so that it covers not only the ‘operational level’, but also the ‘knowledge level’. This paper presents a methodology for achieving higher level interoperability among IS of parliaments and government agencies with respect to the exchange of public policy related knowledge. It is based on the use of the complex problems representation ontology provided by the ‘Issue-Based Information Systems’ (IBIS) framework for codifying public policy related knowledge. An application of the proposed methodology is presented for the case of the law on the ‘Contracts of Voluntary Cohabitation’, which has been recently passed by the Greek Parliament. The evaluation of this application gave encouraging conclusions as to the usefulness of this methodology and resulted in the development of a refinement of the IBIS ontology.

Knowledge Interoperability among Parliaments and Government

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Loukis ◽  
Alexandros Xenakis
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Knowledge Level ◽  
Text Documents ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Operational Level ◽  
The Law

Parliaments possess huge amounts of valuable knowledge on public policies which concerns social needs, problems, and interventions for addressing them. This knowledge is highly useful to other parliaments and also to government agencies of various layers. However, this valuable knowledge is hidden in numerous text documents so that it cannot be efficiently exchanged and exploited. In this regard, it is highly important to extend the concept of interoperability among information systems (IS) of Parliaments and Government Agencies so that it covers not only the ‘operational level’, but also the ‘knowledge level’. This paper presents a methodology for achieving higher level interoperability among IS of parliaments and government agencies with respect to the exchange of public policy related knowledge. It is based on the use of the complex problems representation ontology provided by the ‘Issue-Based Information Systems’ (IBIS) framework for codifying public policy related knowledge. An application of the proposed methodology is presented for the case of the law on the ‘Contracts of Voluntary Cohabitation’, which has been recently passed by the Greek Parliament. The evaluation of this application gave encouraging conclusions as to the usefulness of this methodology and resulted in the development of a refinement of the IBIS ontology.

Knowledge Interoperability of Parliaments’ and Government Agencies’ Information Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 300-320
Author(s):  
Euripidis Loukis ◽  
Alexandros Xenakis
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Knowledge Level ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
The Common ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

There is a growing awareness that the interoperability among Government Agencies’ information systems (IS) is of critical importance for the development of e-government and the improvement of government efficiency and effectiveness. However, most of the IS interoperability research and practice in government has been focused on the operational level, aiming mainly to enable the delivery of integrated electronic services involving several Government Agencies, or to support the co-operation among Government Agencies from the same or even different countries. This chapter is dealing with knowledge-level interoperability, aiming to support higher knowledge-intensive tasks of government, such as the formulation of legislation and public policy. In particular, it presents an ontology-based methodology for achieving knowledge interoperability of IS of Parliaments and Government Agencies, so that they can exchange public policy related knowledge produced in the various stages of the legislation process. It is based on the common use by Parliaments of the ontology of the ‘Issue-Based Information Systems’ (IBIS) framework for constructing representations of this knowledge. An application of the proposed methodology is presented, followed by an evaluation, which results in an enrichment of the above ontology that enables a better representation of the public policy related knowledge produced in the legislation process, providing a ‘higher quality’ of knowledge interoperability. Finally a generalization of this methodology is formulated, which can be used for achieving knowledge interoperability among IS of other types of Government Agencies.

The Process of E-Government Public Policy Inclusion in the Governmental Agenda

2010 ◽  
pp. 233-245
Author(s):  
Federico Monteverde
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
The Political ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Multiple Streams ◽  
Multiple Streams Model

The incorporation of information systems in government agencies is a process that started several decades ago, but it has sped up its pace due to the evolution of information technology and communications. This process could be characterized as being responsive to specific or by-sector requirements without policies or guiding principles. To this date, national and local government agencies obtain, record and process information in order to accomplish their duties. Their ways illustrate a fragmented scheme, noticeably based on the criteria of a self-referenced, bureaucratic state. Accordingly, the state has a myriad of information systems which are frequently disconnected. In spite of this, their remarkable evolution is a valuable asset that policy makers should consider. When the concept of electronic government emerged in the late nineties, it came to bridge the gap in the creation of public policies regarding the use of state information technologies and communications. However, electronic government it is not just limited to technology applications; it also introduces an innovative view on state modernization. The latter is presented from an external point of view that adopts the citizen’s perspective and emphasizes the need for coordination and integration in inter-agency processes. The development of electronic government has two basic approaches: electronic government initiatives and electronic government policies. The first approach resembles the traditional incorporation of information systems in government agencies, where multiple electronic government initiatives respond to specific vertical requirements. The second alternative incorporates a holistic view intended to build a global model of State through an electronic government public policy. This chapter focuses on the political process leading to the development of an electronic government policy, and it is illustrated by the analysis of the political process that led to the development of electronic government policy in Uruguay. The analysis uses John W. Kingdon’s (1995) multiple streams model, a conceptual approach that is intended to explain the mainstreaming of policies in the governmental agenda. The chapter further proposes that the multiple streams model could be extremely useful as a framework to be used on an ex ante basis for advocates of electronic government policy making.

Evaluating the Use of Structured e-Forum Tools in Consultations on Public Policies

2013 ◽  
pp. 174-190
Author(s):  
Euripidis Loukis ◽  
Alexander Xenakis ◽  
Pedro Soto-Acosta
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The World ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Small Focus ◽  
Electronic Channels

The governments of many countries all over the world attempt to reform and improve their communication and interaction with citizens in important public policies issues through electronic channels mainly based on the Internet. It is therefore highly important to develop and systematically evaluate ICT tools that can facilitate and support high quality interaction and consultation among citizens and government agencies on public policies. This chapter investigates and evaluates the use of a structured e-forum tool, which has been designed and developed for this purpose, based on the Issue Based Information Systems (IBIS) framework. Using this tool an e-consultation pilot has been conducted on new legislation, which usually constitutes the most important, complex, and extensively debated component of every public policy. It has been evaluated using multiple methods: analysis of the discussion tree, quantitative evaluation through a structured questionnaire, and qualitative evaluation through an in-depth discussion in a small focus group. The conclusions of them were consolidated revealing the advantages offered by the structured e-forum, and also its limitations.

scholarly journals Urban Public Policy and the Formation of Dilapidated Abandoned Buildings in Historic Cities: Causes, Impacts and Recommendations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6178
Author(s):  
Hamed Tavakoli ◽  
Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Key Players ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Historic Cities ◽  
Depth Interviews

The contradictory and inefficient nature of urban public policy in Iranian historic cities has been subject to long debates in recent years, and has even led to disorganisation in the formation of dilapidated abandoned buildings (DABs). Under the current policies, three government agencies oversee the urban management in historic cities. The projects and processes that have yet to be implemented by these agencies are crucial for solving the problems associated with DABs. This research aims to investigate the current public policies of the essential key players and stakeholders in order to ameliorate the problem of DABs, which in the literature has been proven to be associated with socio-spatial disadvantage. A qualitative semi-structured enquiry was conducted, and urban public policies were evaluated on the basis of 19 in-depth interviews regarding the three historic cities of Yazd, Kashan and Isfahan. The results were analysed using cutting and sorting techniques, and thematic and critical narrative analysis. Several inadequacies in the current urban public policy were specified. This research could help decision-makers to create efficient management plans with respect to the reduction of DABs, an approach that can be considered efficient for the regeneration of life in historic cities.

scholarly journals Layering Rights: The Case of Disability Policies in France (2006-2016)

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Yves Baudot
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Social Model Of Disability ◽  
Parliamentary Debates ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Law

In France, public policies in the field of disability was transformed by the law in 11 February 2005 on ‘Equal Rights and Opportunities, Participation, and Citizenship of People with Disabilities’. The law was framed as the introduction in France of the international ‘social model of disability’, in order to combat discrimination. Yet international references in parliamentary debates leading to the adoption of this law were all but absent. How do we explain this paradox? This article aims to answer this question by showing how the newly introduced measures reflected the needs of different stakeholders involved in this public policy to maintain their positions and reform their mutual agreements. This transfer was not characterised by a thorough rethinking of the public policy subsystem, but rather resulted in layering of new rights on top of old frameworks. How then did the organisations promoting these measures manage to implement public policies despite clear contradictions between old and new goals? This article suggests that the organisational regulation of political conflict (conflict avoidance and circumvention of obstacles) and the safeguarding of embedded interests (by limiting possibilities for compromise and administrative obstruction of legal disputes) played a decisive role in this process.

Design as an Agent for Public Policy Innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico VAZ ◽  
Sharon PRENDEVILLE
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Policy Innovation ◽  
Design Methods ◽  
Policy Effectiveness ◽  
The Public ◽  
Dependent Activity ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
Context Dependent

Described as units developing public policies in a design-oriented manner, Policy Labs are tasked to innovate to gain in policy effectiveness and efficiency. However, as public policymaking is a context-dependent activity, the way in which these novel organisations operate significantly differs. This study discusses the emergence of design approaches for policy innovation. The purpose is to map how Policy Labs in Europe introduce design approaches at distinct stages of the policymaking cycle. For this study, 30 organisations in Europe operating at various levels of government were surveyed. Based on the public policymaking process model, it investigates which design methods are Policy Labs deploying to innovate public policies. The study exposed a gap in the awareness of the utilised methods' nature. It also showed that the use of design methods is of less importance than the introduction of design mindsets for public policy innovation, namely ‘user-centredness’, ‘co-creation’, and ‘exploration’.

Torts and Other Wrongs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Strict Liability ◽  
Private Law ◽  
Moral Significance ◽  
Reasonable Person ◽  
Reasonable Person Standard ◽  
The Law

Torts and Other Wrongs is a collection of eleven of the author’s essays on the theory of the law of torts and its place in the law more generally. Two new essays accompany nine previously published pieces, a number of which are already established classics of theoretical writing on private law. Together they range across the distinction between torts and other wrongs, the moral significance of outcomes, the nature and role of corrective and distributive justice, the justification of strict liability, the nature of the reasonable person standard, and the role of public policy in private law adjudication. Though focused on the law of torts, the wide-ranging analysis in each chapter will speak to theorists of private law more generally.

scholarly journals Evidence for Designing Public Policies Aimed at Reducing Food Waste and Food Insecurity in Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1727-1727
Author(s):  
Verónica Mundo-Rosas
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
National Production ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Food Residues

Abstract Objectives To analyze the magnitude and distribution of food waste and insecurity in Mexico as a first step in designing public policies to counteract these problems. Methods Based on methodology proposed by Subirats et al. (2008), we analyzed the magnitude and distribution of food waste and insecurity in Mexico. Using scientific evidence and official data, we responded to the following guiding questions: What is the problem? What is the magnitude of the problem? Who are the population groups most affected by the problem and where do they reside? To what extent does coverage under current public policies address these problems? Results Problem: By 2050, the Mexican population will have grown by 22.9 million with respect to 2015. The country's capacity to produce the amount of food required in the future will depend largely on what proportion of the population has the necessary financial resources to acquire the food it needs, and whether food is equitably distributed. Magnitude of the problem: Mexico loses and wastes approximately 34% of the national production of items in the basic food basket while 26.4 million Mexicans lack sufficient income to acquire the quantity and quality of food they need. Those affected the most: From an environmental viewpoint, the larger cities in Mexico constitute the principal production centers of food waste, among other residues. This causes air, land and water pollution at the regional level, as well as serious health problems in the population. From an ethical and nutritional perspective, food waste indirectly affects those experiencing food insecurity. Location of the affected population: In 2012, central Mexico was the largest generator of urban solid waste including organic and, specifically, food residues. Conversely, southern Mexico was the region most affected by food insecurity. Public policy coverage: Despite the magnitude of the problem, several Mexican states have no public policy in place to combat food waste or insecurity. Conclusions The evidence provided by our study contributes to decision making in the formulation of public policies aimed at reducing food loss and waste as well as food insecurity. It also serves to monitor progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Funding Sources None.

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