Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Public service sector information systems'

The persistent demand for increased accountability and value for money in the public sector from both the public and governments raises the issue of quality of service in advice-giving by governmental agencies. The goal of this study is to develop a model to validate frameworks able to contribute to improved advice-giving through the application of knowledge management principles. Zack's (2001) Four Knowledge Problem Model, Brogowicz, Delene, and Lyth's (1990) Synthesised Service Quality Model, and Markus's (2001) Theory of Knowledge Reuse are used to examine knowledge strategies in advice-giving through the application of a case study methodology. Two Queensland public-sector call centres are investigated. This study confirms that although the studied call centres operate under differing business drivers, agents have developed strategies generally consistent with those suggested by Zack (2001) to deal with uncertain, complex, and ambiguous problem types. No equivocal problems were encountered in the study. The solution of the former problem pair of uncertainty and complexity relies on knowledge that is codified and stored in databases, while the latter equivocality and ambiguity, seeks out experts who apply both technical and functional knowledge to the problem resolution. Roles performed by call-centre agents predominantly align with those described by Markus (2001), with the opportunity to enhance performance through contribution by shared-work producers to knowledge repositories. The problem-solving strategies employed by agents and the technical capabilities of the call centres combine to deliver a level of service quality which, although meeting client expectations, has been able to be improved through the application of knowledge strategies targeting efficient problem resolution through knowledge reuse.

The persistent demand for increased accountability and value for money in the public sector from both the public and governments raises the issue of quality of service in advice-giving by governmental agencies. The goal of this study is to develop a model to validate frameworks able to contribute to improved advice-giving through the application of knowledge management principles. Zack's (2001) Four Knowledge Problem Model, Brogowicz, Delene, and Lyth's (1990) Synthesised Service Quality Model, and Markus's (2001) Theory of Knowledge Reuse are used to examine knowledge strategies in advice-giving through the application of a case study methodology. Two Queensland public-sector call centres are investigated. This study confirms that although the studied call centres operate under differing business drivers, agents have developed strategies generally consistent with those suggested by Zack (2001) to deal with uncertain, complex, and ambiguous problem types. No equivocal problems were encountered in the study. The solution of the former problem pair of uncertainty and complexity relies on knowledge that is codified and stored in databases, while the latter equivocality and ambiguity, seeks out experts who apply both technical and functional knowledge to the problem resolution. Roles performed by call-centre agents predominantly align with those described by Markus (2001), with the opportunity to enhance performance through contribution by shared-work producers to knowledge repositories. The problem-solving strategies employed by agents and the technical capabilities of the call centres combine to deliver a level of service quality which, although meeting client expectations, has been able to be improved through the application of knowledge strategies targeting efficient problem resolution through knowledge reuse.

This thesis comprises a critical examination of Information System Strategy (ISS) formation in a public sector context, namely the Police Service in Scotland. Despite the apparent importance attached to ISS, and the proliferation of many methods to assist those engaged in ISS formation, the practice of ISS formation remains comparatively ill-understood. The concepts of strategy and power can be viewed as being closely linked. Using theory based accounts of power, we put forward a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of power as an aid to organisational analysis of ISS formation. Consequently, the focus of this work is not only a detailed investigation into ISS formation practice, but also one in which we evaluate the way in which a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of power affects our understanding of ISS formation practice. This research is based upon six longitudinal case studies of ISS formation in the Police Service. Data collection involved a number of methods: in-depth semi-structured interviews, informal conversation, participation, collection of documentation produced within the case study settings, and collation and analysis of documentary materials from secondary sources. The abstraction of several themes from a cross-case comparative analysis of issues has led to the development of a conceptual framework which underpins our contribution to knowledge: namely, a means of understanding ISS formation as micro-political activity, based upon an ongoing process of construction and reconstruction of social reality. This in turn can be considered as being based upon individual mental constructs, which in turn are influenced by the themes identified. Our framework has been developed as an epistemological device to aid thinking about ISS formation, rather than as a representation of what an ISS formation process is. Implicit in the framework is the contention that ISS formation reflects power relations; however, the practical difficulties in researching power issues should not be underestimated. Several areas for further research arising from this thesis are discussed.

The adoption of Blockchain technology looks promising in many areas. However, it is still a relatively new area of research, and implementations are not entirely free of challenges. This study focuses on the potential benefits of blockchain adoption in the public sector, with the potential to enhance democratic processes. Blockchain technology is, by design, apt at managing several significant challenges regarding communication and security in digital networks. This includes maintaining data integrity, enhancing security and privacy, and to mitigate fraud and manipulation. Possible issues that might arise when applied to the public sector is regarding law and regulation compliance. To cover the current state of the field, an exploratory literature review has been conducted. Among the results are several interesting blockchain projects around the world with emphasis on civic dialogue. Studying possible network architectures it appears that Hyperledger Fabric is the most prominent when it comes to implementations in the public sector. Based on this study, and on input from experts within the field, a proposed model that could be implemented and tested on a smaller scale is presented. The purpose is to record and track expenditures on public sector projects and make them available to the public.
Antagandet av Blockchain-teknik ser lovande ut på många områden. Det är dock fortfarande ett relativt nytt forskningsområde, och implementeringar är inte helt fria från utmaningar. Denna studie fokuserar på de potentiella fördelarna med blockchain-tillämpningar i den offentliga sektorn, och dess potential att förbättra demokratiska processer. Blockchain-tekniken är designad för att hantera flera viktiga utmaningar när det gäller kommunikation och säkerhet i digitala nätverk. Detta inkluderar upprätthållande av dataintegritet, förbättrad säkerhet och integritet för att minska risken för bedrägerier och manipulation. Möjliga problem som kan uppstå när de tillämpas på den offentliga sektorn handlar om efterlevnad av lagar och förordningar. För att täcka fältets nuvarande tillstånd har en undersökande litteraturstudie genomförts. Bland resultaten finns flera intressanta blockchain-projekt runt om i världen med tonvikt på medborgardialog. När man studerar möjliga nätverksarkitekturer verkar det som att Hyperledger Fabric är den mest framträdande när det gäller implementeringar i den offentliga sektorn. Baserat på denna studie och på input från experter inom området presenteras en föreslagen modell som kan implementeras och testas i mindre skala. Syftet är att registrera och spåra utgifter för projekt inom den offentliga sektorn och göra dem tillgängliga för allmänheten.

As more and more local governments begin to understand that the great promises of e-service delivery are harder than expected to realize, efficient use of ICT-resources have become increasingly important. Since simply providing more e-services is not the solution, the need to understand what constitutes a suitable e-service has arisen. Public services reach beyond the market domain; therefore, the complexities of public value must be dealt with when services are appraised. Furthermore, due to the heterogeneous nature of local government services it is impossible to evaluate all the options in depth; thus, there is a clear need for early-stage appraisal. However, existing methods of appraisal are burdened by intricacy, and associated with high costs. In response, this paper presents a model capable of reducing this intricacy. The model was developed through a participatory design process involving members on both operational and strategic level in the municipality of Skellefteå. The model implements state of the art into the workspace context while taking measures to reduce intricacy such as: incremental filtering, moving high intricacy elements to the end of the process, and exploitation of available data. As a result the organization is enabled to capture not only the low hanging fruit, but also the long tail of services. Furthermore, the improved understanding of e-service delivery has the potential to open up opportunities for new ways of business development and private-public partnerships. Finally, whereas the model presented is highly context-dependent, the implications outlined in this paper are not limited to this narrow scope.

Models for Strategic Business Development in Public Service

This research grew from two frustrations. The first was the personal frustration experienced when attempting to find information on websites; especially government websites. Often the sites were loaded down with all sorts of information such as corporate organisation charts and press releases but lacked the information which would allow clients to interact effectively with the agency or meet their information needs and move on. The second frustration was that of Edith Cowan University students who battled with a diverse, overlapping and incomplete set of both online and paper based resources as they sought to make decisions about their selections of supporting studies. Both frustrations arose from a lack of user centeredness in the design and construction of the information services provided. A solution would be to establish an effective and efficient method to find out what information users of online information services really needed in order to solve the problems which brought them to the sites in the first place. The sense-making metatheoretic approach of Brenda Dervin with its accompanying timeline interview methodology suggested itself as an in-depth way to elicit the information needs of potential users of online information services. However, timeline interview protocols require long, complex and highly structured interviews. This study, as a result, developed as a critical review of sense-making in the context of the timeline interview by comparing the insights into information needs obtained from timeline interviews with those of three, more widely used, information gathering methods; survey, semi-structured interview and focus group. Students, mainly from the Edith Cowan University Schools of Communication and Multimedia and Computer and Information Science, were asked about their information needs in relation to choosing supporting studies as required by their course structures. All data collection methods were analysed using the same qualitative content analysis techniques. The outcome showed a high degree of consistency between the information needs elicited by all four data collection methods. In addition, the timeline interviews did not identify any major information needs not found by the alternative methods. Another notable finding was that respondents to all four data collection methods expressed a strong preference for speaking to a real live person as a way of meeting their information needs. This goes against conventional view of the technology preferences of younger people. The time and resources required to carry out and analyse the timeline interviews were also much greater than for any of the other data collection methods. The implications for the designers of online information services are that many people are perfectly capable of explicating their information needs regardless of the way in which those needs are elicited. That being the case, the cheapest and quickest method chosen is likely to provide useful insight into information needs. A final implication is that online services which provide links to real people via technologies such as social networking , voice or video contact are the most likely to give users a feeling of assurance about the information they obtain

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology (MTech) in Information Technology In the Faculty of Informatics and Design, at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), 2013
Healthcare services are vital to all human beings, as our daily lives depend on them. In South Africa approximately eighty per cent of the population uses the public healthcare services. In the current healthcare systems data corruption exists which threatens data quality in the systems. The aim of this study was to understand the existing information handling processes and factors that affect the accuracy and integrity of healthcare data. A qualitative research methodology, under the interpretive paradigm was used for this investigation. Activity theory is used to formulate an analytical framework, the “healthcare information system data quality activity theory framework”. This was very helpful for understanding the healthcare information handling process as an activity system that consists of actors with individual goals. Though the goals are varied, they are joined together by the common objective. The logic of the framework is that a realisation of goals in the activity system depends on a number of factors. At the beginning, there must be a synchronous inter-linkage between the goals of the actors, the mediating factors such as adequate tools, user skills, enabling policies, and the systematic procedures that are diligently enforced. It is assumed that any situation which prevents this inter-linkage will have a negative impact on the realisation of the sought objective. The framework therefore, was very helpful in informing questions, the data collection and ultimately, the analysis processes. The public healthcare sector is the main source of data; other sources were literature, the Internet and books. The analysis of data was done using content analysis to find what themes emerge and the relationship (s) between them in what is being analysed. The findings reveal a lack of adherence to information handling procedures and processes which lead to corrupt data in the systems. In addition, most users have limited skills, which is a hindrance to them in performing their duties as expected by the healthcare sector. In fact, the healthcare sector is also challenged by systems which are constantly slow or down, due to limited network capacity and human errors. The presence of these challenges suggests non-adherence to data handling procedures, which explains the existing corrupt data in the healthcare systems. Therefore the recommendation is that the public healthcare administration must enhance their training programs. The training must be re-designed to cater for the needs of all users, regardless of their background. It needs to improve user skills and boast their confidence in using electronic systems. Obviously, any changes and improvements need to be sustainable, and the sector is unlikely to succeed without enforcement of new procedures. Therefore, adherence to data handling procedures must be strictly enforced, with policies thoroughly communicated to the users. That way, the sector will not only have systems and related policies, but also ensure their full exploitation for improved service delivery in the public healthcare sector in South Africa.

Industrial-organizational psychologist Stephen S.W. Gilliland developed a model for studying job-seeker fairness perceptions in 1993 based on existing research in organizational justice. The model includes several rules which will result in job-seeker perceptions of fairness if satisfied and job-seeker perceptions of unfairness if violated. Given the prominence of this model in the literature as well as changes which have occurred in personnel selection (such as human resource information systems, or HRIS, and e-recruitment), scholars have called for a technological re-envisioning of the original model, especially the explanations/descriptions ascribed to each rule. The present study seeks to understand how HRIS e-recruitment technology impacts job-seeker fairness perceptions and in so doing update the Gilliland (1993) model using a qualitative methodology and website success measures from information systems success theory. It contributes to the literature on applicant fairness perceptions by accounting for technological change, and contributes to the field of Public Administration by studying a governmental e-recruitment portal thereby accounting for the particularities of public-sector HRM which is underrepresented in the organizational justice literature. Over the course of one (1) year, twelve (12) job-seekers participated in a series of focus group interviews where they reflected on their experiences applying for jobs in the Canadian federal civil service using the government’s e-recruitment portal. Participants completed profiles, sent applications, communicated with government personnel, and wrote internet tests, among other job-search activities, and reported on their experiences from the perspective of fairness. Results confirm the validity of all original procedural justice rules and offer insight into their application in a recruitment environment where applicants invest considerable time interacting with computerized systems. Two additional rules are also put forth including the ease with which candidates can deceive tests and privacy/trustworthiness using technology. The findings are limited insofar as data gathering took place during a time of reduced hiring activity by the employer and because participation was limited to one (1) specific geographic location.

Critical infrastructures are vital services, and attacks on such systems affect people's social and economic well-being. Therefore, operators of such services must have appropriate measures in place to handle IT-related incidents. However, reports show that organisations classified as Operators of Essential Services (OES) do not have appropriate measures to handle IT-related incidents. A case study approach is used in this study to test the usability and the applicability of Wahlgren's Escalation Maturity Model level within various public sector organisations in Sweden regarding their escalation and communication of IT-related incidents. A follow-up semi-structured interview is also conducted with employees at the technical level to determine if the current organisation's maturity level shortcomings are known across different organisational levels. The tool's maturity level scaling attributes are difficult to understand because all organisations in this study achieve the same level of maturity, even though there is a wide range of performance regarding the number of questions answered in the affirmative. The data output generated from the testing of the model can assist organisations in improving their incident escalation activities. However, the lack of precision of the model makes it challenging to apply in the public sector. The results reveal that all the five organisations obtained an escalation maturity level of zero (0), non-existent, regarding escalation of IT-related incidents. As a result, with the current model, the participating organisations will have a difficult task complying with the NIS Directive's security and notification requirements.

In the wake of a digitally transforming environment, public sector organizations are realizingthe necessity to adopt new ways of managing their operations. The changing expectations anddemands of citizens and stakeholders are triggering such organizations to develop their deliveryof services, as well as digitally transforming their internal processes. As the public sector valuesservice delivery and cost-effectiveness, cloud services have become an attractive option to transition to, due to their flexible and economical characteristics. This qualitative study examines two Swedish municipalities in their transition to cloud services, studying the reasons behind said transition, and how those affect their adoption. The Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework was utilized to evaluate the factors affecting the two organizations’ transitions and adoptions of cloud services, showcasing a connection between the framework’s elements and the analyzed results. The findings show pressure coming from both external and internal sources, restrictions involving governmental regulations and lack ofavailability, as well as how they manage these challenges, by finding new ways to innovate and preparing their organizations for future transitions.

Investment appraisal techniques (TAT) range from quantitative (financially based) techniques to qualitative (non-financially based) techniques, and represent tools that may be applied during IT/IS evaluation to assess the impact (value, worth or usefulness) of information systems on the organisation. The normative literature review demonstrates that decision makers need to better evaluate their systems as the role of IT/IS systems in organisations and global expenditure on IT/IS continue to rise. In the service oriented public sector, the normative literature indicates that whilst decision makers may continue to depend on financially based TAT to evaluate IT/IS project that cut cost, they may be doing the populace a disservice by not focussing on non-financial benefits of IT/IS (such as improved customer service). This dissertation investigates the application of TAT in the public sector. To do so, a conceptual model is developed to represent the effect of barriers to the application of IAT. The conceptual model is underpinned by three proposition, which indicate that the organisational investment process, time available for evaluation, and fund accessibility can impede the application of TAT. To test the propositions, a suitable research strategy is selected and developed that essentially adopts a multi-case study for the purpose of testing the proposition, and trialling the applicability of the conceptual model in the public sector. In doing so, the multi-case study investigation is used to produce a frame of references that may be employed by decision makers to recognise barriers to the application of TAT. The frame of reference represents the dissertation's contribution to the body of knowledge. The empirical evidence demonstrated that barriers, as suggested by the propositions, do surface in all case studies, thus confirming them as permanent elements in the frame of reference. The empirical evidence also demonstrated that the application of traditional IT/IS life-cycle models was not possible where inherited IT/IS systems were considered, as inherited systems did not have a definitive start/stop point.

This thesis develops the hypothesis for a new interpretive approach to the evaluation of information systems (IS), termed situated hermeneutic IS evaluation. The thesis adds to the body of knowledge in this area as this new approach moves away from the dominant evaluation paradigm based upon functionalism and introduces a new interpretive IS evaluation approach based upon hermeneutics and situated action, which incorporates a post-modern perspective on the nature of IS. This approach is particularly appropriate in the UK public sector, where traditional IS evaluation methods based upon economic, functional and mechanistic principles are largely irrelevant. The nature of information systems, information systems investment, information systems evaluation and the role of information systems evaluation in public sector organisations form a major part of the thesis. In particular, the study reviews the area of IS evaluation by considering the methods available for use and their underlying assumptions. Another major element of the study is the empirical work. This involved two UK local authorities where two in-depth interpretive case studies were undertaken. The results from the study are presented in terms of learning and are analysed to help understand, conceptually, the appropriateness of the new evaluation approach and to elicit salient issues and lessons for IS practice. A conceptual, practical framework for undertaking situated hermeneutic evaluation is also presented. In addition, an analysis is undertaken with regard to developing the key themes arising from the literature and the empirical work, with the aim of informing IS theory and practice. The case studies were undertaken using the Grounded Theory method in an interpretivist paradigm to explore issues from a rich, contextual and experiential perspective. As such it provides a view on the IS evaluation issues from a position rarely adopted by other researchers, as interpretivism is an emerging paradigm for research into IS evaluation An analysis is presented to help understand the underlying assumptions of the researchers that utilise Grounded Theory in IS research, and to help increase the understandinu of the Stephen Jonex I'niver.Mlv of'SalforJ Information Systems Research Centre I'hD Resetin. 7i Thesis July 2002 I'age Kiimher 11application of the method. The pitfalls and the opportunities that such a methodological approach could have in future IS evaluation studies is also presented. The outcomes of the research argue for a new complementary interpretive IS evaluation approach based on situated practice, which provides a richer view and a more practically oriented approach, especially within the public sector domain, and explores the use of a social science methodology, Grounded Theory, in information systems research.

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Includes bibliographical references.
Different authors have reported on the problem of cybercrime and other concepts that are associated with it. The studies looking at the area of ICT and cybercrime are examined and assessed to identify gaps that exist. Nevertheless, most of these studies focused more on developed countries, and did not emphasise on the public sector. Therefore, their findings might not be appropriately applicable to governments in developing countries especially within the Africa context. This study seeks to investigate factors that are necessary to enable the Botswana public sector to properly report on cybercrime attacks. The ICT environment of Botswana government is explored to determine the extent of ICT utilisation in the public sector. Based on the literature survey, a research framework for reporting cybercrime for the Botswana public sector is formulated.

Inom Svensk hälso- och sjukvård sker en stor förändring i IT-infrastruktur. En nationell tjänsteplattform som ska möjligt delning av information mellan vårdgivare i olika regioner har implementerats. Flera landsting och regioner har implementerat liknande arkitekturer lokalt för att uppnå samma effekt även internt, men också för att underlätta uppkoppling till den nationella lösningen.Genom en kvalitativ fallstudie undersöker denna uppsats implementationen av en regional tjänsteplattform i Stockholms Läns Landsting med fokus på styrning. I en teoretisk undersökning behandlas teorier gällande IT inom offentlig hälso- och sjukvård, IT-governance, SOA och SOA-governance.Syftet med studien är att analysera och utvärdera teorier gällande SOA-governance i relation till styrning av en regional tjänsteplattform inom offentlig hälso- och sjukvård och på så sätt bidra till utveckling av aktuella teorier genom en diskussion gällande dess användbarhet inom en specifik sektor. Jag syftar också att bidra till utveckling av den studerade verksamheten genom att identifiera/prognostisera möjligheter och problem med aktuella styrningsstrukturer.Resultaten indikerar att utmaningar för att etablera SOA-governance inom offentlig hälso-och sjukvård främst härstammar ur organisationens natur. Exempelvis Politisk styrning eller lagstiftning. Ramverk för SOA-governance kan inte direkt hantera dessa utmaningar, men kan ge ett stöd genom struktur i arbetet samtidigt som de kan agera rådgivande gällande lösningar som fungerat i andra verksamheter. Rekommendationen är att tidigt i processen fastställa omfång av SOA-projektet, men också dess mål relativt verksamheten. Studien tyder också på att en ökad nytta kan erhållas genom att tidigt i processen etablera en styrande grupp som med ett tydligt mandat beslutar om standarder och säkerställer dess efterlevnad redan under etableringsprojektet.

In private and public sectors, Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become a phenomenal asset of resource in strategic management. In developed countries, ICTs are critical tools in the public sector strategy. In specific, Electronic Government has been identified as one of the major competencies required to re-invigorate governance, enhance performance and reduce red-tape bureaucracies in the public sector, e-Government being the use of ICTs in the transformation of public organizations towards efficient service delivery. Though information systems as a discipline has offered some research outputs on the value and the effects of ICTs in the private sector, similar focus on the public sector or e-Government is relatively thin. While the few existing researches have had a relatively weightier focus on developed countries, the evidence-based empirical studies in information systems that have focused on developing countries have produced contradictory results, hence the need for further research to attempt a re-alignment in this sub domain of e-Government. Therefore, this pursuit departs from most past researches by delving into the effects of e- Government investments using theoretical lenses drawn upon disciplines that are outside the mainstream information systems domain. These include public administration, political sciences and public economics. Using a mixed methods approach, a balanced panel data of Kenya's key ministries for a 10-year period of 2004 to 2014 following the launch of e-Government strategy of 2004, audited national government ministries' expenditures, census data, e-Government spending, consumer price indices, gross domestic products, parameters on governance and other data on public services, this research sought to examine the nature and dimensions of public values that the developing countries derive as a consequence of investment in e-Government.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM)
The Public Sector encounters great challenges in its attempts to strengthen its public services. Public servants are in need of accurate and up-to-date information that can be readily accessible. They need information to be made available for effective and efficient decision-making. In order to improve service delivery, the Public Sector must aim to reach its objectives by increasing and improving accountability, transparency, efficiency, productivity and quality of services. This study focuses on factors, which influence information management in a Public Sector Department in an effective way to manage information properly. An extensive literature review was conducted of information, the role of information management, the possible critical failure and success factors of information management. This led to the discovery of four main categories for critical failure factors: (i) people; (ii) process; (iii) policy and; (iv) technology; and three categories for critical success factors: (i) organizational culture; (ii) top management support; and (iii) strategies. A conceptual model was then developed for these categories with seventeen factors. This model was subsequently tested in the empirical setting of the studied Public Sector Department in South Africa by utilising a qualitative approach through the case-study method. The findings suggest that the following factors would impact the successful implementation of an information management initiative for this Public Sector Department: information management; change management and communication strategies; culture; roles of responsibility for information; information lifecycle process; and information management policy. The intended audience for this study includes both academics and practitioners, as it introduces a conceptual model, as well as guidelines to implement these factors for information management in a Public Sector Department.

The study investigates knowledge management (KM) practices in the public sector in Botswana. The underlying premise is that good KM leads to efficiency and effectiveness. The study assesses the KM practices in the government departments by means of a questionnaire survey of senior managers. The assumption is that the corporate manager/directors will know what knowledge is there, how knowledge is created, shared and flow in the organization. The main question of this study is whether the Botswana public sector is practicing KM. The study explores the problem and questions by means of a questionnaire survey amongst 43 departmental directors of the Government of Botswana. The overall finding is that information management rather than KM is being practiced. The respondents, senior public service managers, certainly recognize the value of and the need for KM. But, they themselves identify certain weaknesses, such as lack of knowledge of KM among their staff, weak communication inside and across the departments, lack of policy and lack of good KM systems.

The public sector can be described with different types of public policies and by the services the organisations deliver to citizens. Public sector organisations are implementing e-government projects as mechanisms to enhance public service delivery. However, public sector e-government projects in developing countries are highlighted as challenging. Awards of achievement for implementing e-government projects have been noted in the South African public sector. Business Intelligence (BI) for improved public service delivery has been identified as a key tool to improve decision-making processes. Implementing BI in organisations has been revealed as complex. The study of organisational factors that influence the initiative for successful BI implementation is suggested. For this reason, the research sets out to explore the implementation of BI in the public sector in South Africa. The research was conducted through two case studies. Data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews and document collection with organisations that are implementing BI. A qualitative thematic analysis method was used to construct the major themes that emerged from the data. The research objectives were addressed by constructing three frameworks; to describe what organisational factors influence the BI initiative, the factors that influence the use of BI, and a framework describing the process of implementing BI in the public sector. The Design-Reality gap model was applied to identify risk in the BI projects. The study revealed that BI can be used as an enabler of change and improvement in public sector activities. Consolidating structures, systems and processes was identified as a precursor to implementing BI. However, the level of skills to use BI tools was highlighted as key factor in hindering BI use.

This research examines the strategic use of information systems and information technology (IS/IT) by public sector agencies in developing countries (PSADC). It examines mechanism for identifying strategic opportunities, the obstacles facing PSADC to develop such strategic use, and other factors that might influence the development of the strategic use of IS/IT. This research used case study methods to collect data from public sector agencies in Kuwait. Concerning identifying strategic opportunities, this study indicated that PSADC can use IS/IT to target the public, other government agencies, parliament and oversight agencies, other countries and word organisations, and specific domestic industries. The Study shows that PSADC can use IS/IT to support strategic thrusts that could be applied defensively or offensively. Those strategic thrusts are focus, innovation, alliance, differentiation, satisfying, and cost. Concerning the correlation of the development of strategic use of IS/IT, five correlates were examined. Those correlates were environmental dynamism, environmental scanning, organisational control, information intensity, and senior management's knowledge of strategic use of information systems. This study found no evidence to support their correlation with the development of the strategic use of IS/IT in PSADC. Concerning the prerequisites for developing strategic use of IT/IS in PSADC, the study indicates that a developed hardware and software platform greatly influences the development of such use. This thesis concludes with a discussion of its implications on theory and practice, in addition to suggestions for future research.

Despite the continuous need to enhance the value of public services, information systems projects in the public sector still underperform due to their high velocity of change and strategic ambiguity. Diverse studies have been carried out examining ‘project capabilities’ to contribute to the efficiency of information systems project management. However, most studies of project capabilities focus heavily on the project execution that aims for successful implementation of systems. This supplier-oriented approach leads to overlooking the significance of a project owner’s benefits realisation after implementing the information systems. Moreover, this formulation of project capabilities also does not distinguish between dynamic capabilities for benefits realisation and operational capabilities for project execution. For these reasons, the realisation of a project owner’s information systems benefits has still been far from satisfactory, in addition to having a poor rate of project success. In order to address this issue, this thesis develops a more nuanced perspective on project capabilities by distinguishing the dynamic capabilities of owners from the operational capabilities of suppliers and by developing the concept of owner dynamic capabilities. This is followed by analysis of the importance of benefits management as an owner dynamic capability. The aim of this study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of why public sector information systems projects are so challenging and how the project owner’s information systems benefits can be accelerated. A content analysis method was adopted, and 10 years of National Audit Office Value-for-Money reports were analysed covering 31 information systems projects. Theoretically the concept of ‘owner dynamic capabilities’ is introduced, and the experience of UK central government information systems projects is empirically reviewed. The results bring a key implication by showing the significance of benefits management as a distinctive ‘project back-end’ owner dynamic capability. This thesis makes three main contributions to the current literature in information systems project and benefits management. First, the concept of owner dynamic capability is introduced and theorised based on a unique data set of major public sector information systems projects. Second, the importance of project back-end capability is revealed as a distinctive dynamic capability, which owners require to move their information systems investment from practical completion (the system works as expected) to beneficial use (the system delivers the expected business benefits). Third, the key findings provide the future research agenda for project management disciplines.

Although investment in IT is growing rapidly, a number of studies have shown that the full benefits of this technology are not realised. One explanation is that these benefits exist, but have not been correctly measured. The other explanation is that they have not been achieved because of lack of management attention. Experience and common sense supports the latter assumption. Hence, the aim of this research is to develop and to trial a method which assists in the realisation of the benefits of a particularly problematic technology, executive information systems (EIS).The proposed method introduces the concept of generic benefits models into previous research on IT benefits management. This construct improves existing methods of benefits management in three respects. First, it employs reuse of benefits models in order to speed their development. Secondly, it allows these methods to be employed at any stage of a project, not just at the outset, in order to extract benefits. Thirdly, it provides a conceptual object which serves as the focus of organisational learning. The major focus of the research is on the development of generic benefits models of EIS. This requires an understanding of the role which information plays in executive work and how EIS technology may affect the manner in which executives use information. Unfortunately, the literature on executive work does not make this clear. Moreover, it seems that there is no agreed definition of EIS. As a result, it is necessary to create different generic models for different theories of executive work and different forms of EIS. The methodological approach adopted is pragmatism, in particular the experimentalism proposed by John Dewey and implemented by Donald Schon. The justification for this is that the primary objective of the study is to demonstrate the utility of the proposed method rather than its ability to explain, predict, or provide insight. The study includes six experiments conducted within the office of the Malaysian Prime Minister. Different types of EIS, with different degrees of benefits already realised, and at different stages of development are the subjects of these experiments. The results largely affirm the proposed method, but they do suggest some refinement of the original benefits models. They also indicate simplification of the models is possible. In addition the executives who participated in these experiments favour the proposed method. However, the IS practitioners in the organisation are less enthusiastic. The study proposes a solution to this problem which includes both changes to organisational structure and to the education of IS practitioners. The research also produced a number of supplementary findings. It reaffirmed the findings of Mintzberg's study of executive work. It demonstrated once again that executives rarely use EIS directly and that they mostly depended on subordinates to access information. When executives do employ EIS themselves, they are more likely to use it to enhance their learning than to support decision-making.

Disengaged employees decrease organizations' efficiencies and profitability. Engaged employees provide greater productivity and performance while being less likely to incur job burnout and exhaustion. However, public sector organizational leaders still struggle to engage their information technology (IT) employees. Partnering with a large public sector organization in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area, in a case study design, this study explored the strategies that public sector business leaders use to increase productivity through engaging IT employees. The conceptual framework for this study was the job demands-resources framework. Four participants were selected through purposeful sampling from a population of 7 IT leaders who had successfully increased employee engagement and their teams' performance. After collecting data through in-person semistructured interviews from 4 participants, member checking, and organizational documentation, an iterative pattern-matching data analysis process revealed key themes from coded words and phrases. The themes were also verified through methodological triangulation through comparisons with related organizational documentation. The key themes for engaging public sector IT employees were developing positive relationships, providing empowerment with support, and connecting work with meaningful purpose. Each theme included specific supporting implementation strategies. The implications for social change are that engaged employees are less likely to experience job burnout and incur fewer health problems, and therefore have a greater capacity to care for family, friends, and communities.

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Knowledge Management (KM) have been adopted by the public sector institutions of the developed countries for a while and the rewards that of are said to be immense. For a new democracy and a developing country like South Africa, the benefits of KM in the public sector cannot be over emphasized. Among, other things, it is believed that KM can help speed up service delivery which is a top priority for the South African public sector at the moment. However, one wonders if the South African public sector is giving KM the kind of attention it deserves and if so, are there any noticeable rewards? The following study is a survey report on KM practices in the South African Public sector, specifically, National departments. It is believed that the results of this study will help identify best practices to be shared and deviations and gaps to be corrected. The study is made up of the following Chapters and topics: Chapter 1: Which cover a short history of KM in the Public Service The chapter also discusses the problem statements, objectives of the study and limitations. Chapter 2: Research Methodology The population and sample in this study are discussed. The methods used to collect data is also outlined and discussed. Chapter 3: Knowledge Management: Challenges, solutions and Technologies. This chapter is based on the book and model by Beccerra –Fernandez et al. and it discusses the three parts of the book , namely, Principles of KM, Technologies of KM, KM Systems and the epilogue which deals with the future of KM. The views of other authors in relation to the book and model are also outlined and discussed in this chapter. Chapter 4: Presentation and Discussion of results: The results of data collected in chapter 3 above are presented and discussed. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations The conclusion of this study based on the data collected using tools and methods outlined and discussed in Chapter 2 & Chapter 3 and presented in Chapter 4 above is then drawn. The conclusion and recommendations seek to answer research questions that were posed in Chapter 1 of this study.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kennisbestuur (KM) word reeds geruime tyd toegepas in die openbare sektore van ontwikkelde lande en dit word berig dat die resultaat duidelik speurbaar is. Vir 'n nuwe demokrasie en 'n ontwikkelende land soos Suid-Afrika kan die voordele van KM in die openbare sektor nie oorskat word nie. Onder meer word geglo dat KM kan bydra tot die verbetering van dienslewering wat op die oomblik die belangrikste prioriteit is vir die openbare sektor. Nogtans moet 'n mens wonder of KM die aandag ontvang wat dit verdien, en of daar opmerklike resultate is. Hierdie studie is in wese 'n rapport van 'n opname van KM praktyke in die Suid-Afrikaanse openbare sektor, in besonder van nasionale departemente. Daar word gehoop dat die resultate van die studie sal bydra tot die identifisering van beste praktyke wat met ander gedeel kan word, en om afwykinge en gapings te identifiseer vir korreksie. Die studie is ingedeel in die volgende hoofstukke: Hoofstuk 1 – 'n kort geskiedenis van KM in die openbare sektor. Die probleemstelling word ook bespreek Hoofstuk 2: Navorsingsmetodologie Hoofstuk 3: Knowledge Management: Challenges, Solutions and Technologies. Hierdie hoofstuk is gebaseer op die boek en model van Becerra-Fernandez et al. En dit bespreek die drie afdelings van die boek, naamlik: Principles of KM, Technologies of KM, KM Systems, asook die epiloog waarin die toekoms van KM behandel word. Beskouings van ander outeurs ten opsigte van die boek en model word bygevoeg. Hoofstuk 4: Aanbieding en Bespreking van resultate Hoofstuk 5: Konklusie en Voorstelle In die konklusie word antwoorde geformuleer op die pertinente vrae wat in hoofstuk 1 gestel is.

This thesis is an investigation of how cognitive computing system initiatives in the public sector can contribute towards creating public value. It focuses specifically on public service delivery through service channels that are supported by chatbots and proposes recommendations to ensure that the important public service value dimensions are supported. The thesis builds upon the discussions around public value creation and draws upon the interpretation of how chatbots can facilitate public value creation during chatbot-mediated service interactions from both the users of the chatbots and designers of the chatbots.

Public sector organisations are implementing the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system because of their large volume of unstructured content which led to documents being stored in various repositories. This made it difficult for such organisations to access, control and locate documents. ECM systems are therefore implemented to address the uncontrolled manner in which documents are saved, stored and accessed by employees. There were a number of other anticipated benefits. This study aims to explore and understand the achievement of benefits through the use of ECM systems and to determine the barriers preventing the benefits from being achieved in public sector organisations. The study used a qualitative research approach. Two cases of the public sector organisations were investigated in a cross-sectional study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and by viewing organisational documentation. Data was analysed using thematic analysis with elements of deductive and inductive approaches. An ERP benefits framework and the Enhanced Impact framework formed a theoretical base and were used as a lens for collecting and analysing data.

Information systems, by nature, are open to interpretation from a number of viewpoints. This thesis emphasizes that information systems are not 'technical' systems that have behavioural and social consequences, they are 'social systems' that rely to an increasing extent on information technology for their functions. Hence any systems development methodologies used cannot deal simply with the problem of how one designs technically reliable and cost effective information systems. Instead it regards systems development as an example of multidimensional social change, the application of technology may not be a desirable solution to the situation. The choice of a development methodology should therefore take into account its sensitivity to the cultural, social, and political aspects of systems design. The aims of the thesis are three-fold. The first aim is to transform an idea or perception of needs into actionable drivers for change in a public sector organisation in Brunei Darussalam. The second aim is to identify and diagnose the problems associated with the management of information. Finally, the study aims to identify a suitable methodology that can be used to investigate a number of organisational issues. This work incorporates a practical case study of a problem situation at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the sole government agency responsible for perpetuating and disseminating Islamic teaching in Brunei Darussalam. The methodology used to investigate the problem situation is Checkland's Soft System Methodology (SSM). This is well chosen as the case study deals with human activity systems that are not well defined. Systems intervention via a semi-structured and informal discussion interviews were used to identify the unstructured problem situation (stage 1) of the SSM. The SSM progressed through to the recommendation of actions that constitute culturally feasible and desirable change. In fact, although manual systems are less efficient and effective than their computer-based counterparts, they are preferred in the first instance. Only when the manual system has reached maturity should a computer-based replacement be considered.

Alot of research has been done on the rise of m-banking service in Kenya and most notably by Olga in her PHD theses and others and they all have research on how thriving the service is majorly attributed to the adoption and acceptance of the service through ease of use e.t.c.It can be noted that any service like such require ICT in place.Through use of ICT innovation in the mobile industry has grown especially with use of mobile phone to offer financial services in Kenya. Even though Kenya as a country is still lagging behind in other areas with growth and expansion of ICT when it comes to the mobile industry this is different and it is seen as a major leap to offering banking services without necessarily going to the bank. Understanding how the m-banking service is thriving and growing is far from just mere adoption and ease of use, with my thesis i try to analyze the challenges and opportunities that exist for the mobile industry in Kenya. I tackle m-banking service in particular and as can be noted no service can be allowed to operate without rules and regulations and as such what makes this service thrive if not the ICT policies in place and what strategies and practices employed by the mobile operators have worked for them.The research presented here is an interpretative study of the 4 mobile operators in Kenya.To maintain the subscribers the operators have to be innovative enough to create value added services in line with the regulations in place.

Public participation is considered fundamental in the management of water and sanitation. In the view of the South African government public participation is pivotal to addressing service delivery challenges in the country. However, despite investment in various participatory mechanisms, there is some reluctance from rural citizens to engage with municipalities. According to the National Policy Framework for Public Participation 2007, public participation is meant to be an “open, accountable process through which individuals and groups within selected communities can exchange views and influence decision-making. It is further defined as a democratic process of engaging people, deciding, planning, and playing an active part in the development and operation of services that affect their lives”. Thus, resistance by rural citizens to working collaboratively with the municipalities defeats the purpose of the public participation process. Preliminary literature reveals a dearth of research into the cause of the lack of interest in the public participation process from citizens. Existing literature indicates that there is dissatisfaction in the way the public participation process is being conducted, and that more examination is needed. The paucity of research is what triggered the author’s decision to analyse the participatory mechanisms being used by municipalities in the water and sanitation sector of the Eastern Cape. The study was, therefore, an assessment of participatory mechanisms and takes into account the perspectives of rural citizens whose views are thus stakeholder views. The objective was to determine the possible reasons for the dissatisfaction with the process in order to identify the factors that could be taken into account to improve the public participation process in the Eastern Cape. The main research question was: What are the South African rural publics’ perceptions on whether the participatory mechanisms used in the water and sanitation sector achieve the intended goals of public participation? The study assessed the participatory mechanisms used in the water and sanitation sector in the rural communities in South Africa. Two local municipalities in the province of Eastern Cape were used as a case study. Rural citizens’ perspectives on various participatory mechanisms were explored to establish if the mechanisms used are promoting the intended outcomes of public participation.

This study used an electronic questionnaire to evaluate the levels of intrinsic motivation, compared to extrinsic motivation, in front-line local government employees. This research also evaluated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and public service motivation (PSM). Further, this research assessed the effects of performance appraisal systems (PAS) on intrinsically motivated front-line local government employees. Current research suggests that public sector employees are more intrinsically motivated than extrinsically motivated. This study found that, while the employees showed higher levels of intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation, most of the respondents showed moderately high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Additionally, the literature suggests that public sector employees place a high value on the missions and goals of public organizations, also known as PSM. This study found that, while both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation had an influence on PSM, intrinsic motivation had a greater affect on PSM for front-line local government employees. Current research also suggests that an employee's intrinsic motivation can be diminished by exposure to an external control mechanism such as PAS. However, there are elements of the performance appraisal process, such as employee participation, that may positively influence the employee's attitude towards the management practice. This study found that the type of PAS, whether participatory or non-participatory, caused a variation in the employee's attitudes towards the PAS for intrinsically motivated front-line local government employees.

Effective IT is vital in organization in the low resource settings of developingcountries. This also applies to public sector organizations. However, little researchhas been reported regarding IT implementation in higher education institution.Meanwhile, it is widely believed that information technology could boostdevelopment, strengthen and increase the competitiveness of the university amongothers.The focus of this report is to explain as well as improve the IT implementationprocess in public sector organizations, particularly in higher educationinstitution in developing countries. The motivation for studying the ITimplementation process is to be able to understand the underlying aspectsof the successful of IT implementation process in developing countries whichthen give the possibility to make any improvement on the organization.An action research approach in combination with case study method has beenperformed in one of Indonesia's public universities. Empirical data collectionwas done to support the research investigation including two-times of field work inwhich one of them was getting involved into the organization activity, two roundpre and follow-up semi-structural interviews, direct observation, discussion,meeting, document analysis and previous involvement in the institution. AnOnline Questionnaire was also performed to obtain the perception of researchparticipants regarding the proposed tools.A one initial cycle of action research was done and the study found severalfactors that possibly hamper the implementation process in the university andsuccessfully formulated several strategies that can be used to cope with thosefactors, e.g. limited human resources, lack of management commitment, lack ofclear job description among staffs, lack of appropriate planning and strategyfor systems development and implementation, ineffective communication &coordination, lack of funds, lack of rewards, and government policies.Intervention is then performed by introducing software project managementinto the organization as one of the formulated strategies. Even though theoutcome of the interventions not clearly visible at this time, it gives amotivation for the continuity of the interventions.In conclusion, it can be said that among other public sector organizations indeveloping countries, they share common barriers and challenges in general, andto deal with those challenges require substantial time and appropriate approach.

This thesis examines the development of human resource management in three UK public sectors local government, the health service and higher education. The focus of the study is the problem of the lack of use of computerised personnel information systems by personnel specialists to develop the human resource management function. The literature of strategic management, human resource management and the fit between them are reviewed together with the history and the development of personnel systems in the UK. Senior personnel practitioners and their organisations in the three sectors were evaluated with respect to the stage of development of organisational planning and the contribution made by personnel practitioners using questionnaires, and in-depth interviews. The backgrounds and management styles of the practitioners were examined in order to evaluate their perceptions of: human resource management, computer systems and organisational planning. The degree to which practitioners made use of their computerised information systems for administrative and strategic purposes and the problems they perceived were evaluated in order to judge their degree of evolution from 'traditional personnel practice' to 'human resource management'. The research findings indicated that, although there were are number of significant differences between the three sectors studied, these had little effect when considering the broad issues embedded in the six hypotheses. The evaluation of these hypotheses indicated that the practitioners were making substantial use of their systems for administrative but not for strategic purposes. The number of perceived forces discouraging use and development of computerised personnel information systems was found to outnumber the perceived encouraging forces and were aggregated into a forcefield diagram. Furthermore it was shown that most practitioners had not yet evolved into proactive human resource managers. Suggestions for 'best practice' with respect to choice, use and development of CPIS are provided.

Information can be found in government departments in many forms. It exists, for example, as performance indicators, statistics, economic analysis, policy advice, political know-how or opinions. Using information is a daily and oft repeated activity in government departments. Information is central to the achievement of outcomes and the delivery of services. It is critical to the government’s success in the information economy. It is central to the development of products and services. It supports policy making and it underpins accountability. Government departments are built on the generation and use of information that is relevant to the largest of all customer groups, the citizens. Even though information is all-pervasive in government departments, how government departments relate to information, what value they ascribe to it, and how their attitudes about information influence their behaviours towards information, is not well understood. The focus of this study was the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours which government departments in the Western Australian Public Sector exhibited towards information. That is, it investigated information culture. While there has been considerable research in the area of organisational culture, there is limited evidence of the study of information culture, particularly in the public sector. The abstract nature of information culture and the limited research mean that the concept is not widely acknowledged or appreciated. What constitutes information culture, its influence on an organisation, and the potential benefit of a high performing information culture are unresolved issues in the study of information culture. In the context of the Western Australian Public Sector, this study revealed information culture as complex, systemic and reflexive. Intricate and influential relationships with organisational culture, information management and information use were identified. The key findings of this study led to the development of a model for information culture in the public sector, and a definition which reflects the systemic, complex and multidimensional nature of information culture. This was a qualitative study within an interpretivist paradigm. Case study method was employed with the Western Australian Public Sector, in particular those departments which delivered services directly to the citizens, being the single case. The key participants were drawn from the public sector and academe. Interviews with best practice organisations and those who had undertaken research previously into information culture added to the richness of the data collection.

The objective of this study was to investigate IT projects within the Swedish public sector. Furthermore we have looked at the project closure in IT projects. The problem that occurs in this topic is that the projects can run overtime or over budget. In this research we used interviews to conduct the data collection. We have collected data from two public sector organizations – Jönköpings kommun and Domstolsverket, both of these orginzations have a dedicated IT department. Through the methods, theoretical framework and analysis we found many different activities and theories on how to handle project closure in IT. The main subjects that keep coming up when addressing the problems of project closure are communication and planning. The responsibilities of the project manager are investigated and the focus is on closing an IT project. A descriptive diagram has been created to show what is important during and before project closure

The purpose of the study was to explore the complex interaction of the ‘soft issues’ relating to people and processes involved with IT/IS implementation in a public sector supply chain. The understanding of these complex interactions is critical and limited in the literature. There is evidence of a link between a supply chain problem-situation in the Nigerian context with these soft issues thereby demonstrating the rationale for the study. The research adopts the use of a combination of case study and action research (collaborative enquiry) concepts. The approach employed a descriptive analysis reviewing UK IT/IS projects acting as a prompt to facilitate the exploration of the Nigeria case were there is no significant prior research information. The research findings corroborates the views of extant literature; conceptualising the problem situation in the Nigerian public sector context. This involved identifying the prevalent factors in the context, illustrating how they interact and developing a management framework to enhance SCM and IT/IS implementation. The findings would aid policy makers, practitioners and academics towards understanding, formulating strategies and developing comprehensive research plans that will enhance public sector IT/IS implementation. Practitioners will obtain a better understanding of the complexities of the soft issues involved in public sector IT/IS projects. The research adds to the limited knowledge of the complex interaction of soft issues involved in public sector IT/IS implementation and presents a distinctive explanation that defines these issues from the perspective of a developing nation.

This research initially sprung out of a natural curiosity for the emerging phenomenon of open data with its combination of democratic perspectives, since it is based on freedom of information legislation, and its potential for a multitude of citizen driven innovations. Research showed that while open data repeatedly was being envisioned for having immense potential of leading to a multitude of innovations and societal impacts, most of the attention still remained on challenges related to enable a broad realisation of open data, that is, putting more data on the web. At the same time, research and reports indicated that open data was a more complex matter than expected, and that the release of open data was guarded by myths saying that opening up of data equalled instant benefits from open data use, and that open data initiatives were emerging too slowly. In general, the understanding of how to address open data so that the envisioned innovative potential was enabled remained a pressing issue. Therefore this research set out to explore how the public sector open data phenomenon is being shaped to address societal opportunities and challenges, and thereby enabling both practical and theoretic contributions. The field of Social Shaping of Technology (SST) was chosen as main theoretic lens since it provided good models for approaching technology development and innovation in general, and also includes social and political dimensions without being limited by organisational borders or managerial dimensions. By engaging in a case study of two Swedish municipalities and their respective open data initiatives in combination with a study on European policies and reported open data use, a number of research papers has been written, of which four is included in this thesis.Findings reveal that the highly heterogeneous evolvement of open data can advantageously be seen as shaped into a metaphorical open arena for innovation and value creation, inspired by a SST concept called arenas for development. The arena concept enables us to bring together processes and entities that otherwise are dislocated, and to gain a holistic view of the shaping processes at stake for this yet immature ICT-phenomenon. Also, it allows us to address the evolvement of open data in a way that intertwines with social, political and technical aspects. Within the overall concept of an open arena for innovation and value creation, the research revealed two concepts for understanding how societal challenges and opportunities were addressed with the help of open data; multidirectional and multicentre evolvement, of which the latter is a contribution to SST theory. As a final reflection, this thesis provides some thoughts on future implications and possibilities of the democratic stance of open data.
Godkänd; 2014; 20141121 (joslas); Nedanstående person kommer att hålla licentiatseminarium för avläggande av filosofie licentiatexamen. Namn: Josefin Lassinantti Ämne: Informatik / Social Informatics Uppsats: Public Sector Open Data -Shaping an Arena for Innovation and Value Creation Examinator: Professor Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn Institutionen för system- och rymdteknik Avdelning: Datavetenskap Diskutant: Professor Debra Howcroft Manchester Business School Tid: Torsdag den 4 december 2014 kl 09.30 Plats: A1547, Luleå tekniska universitet
System förAnvändardriven TjänsteInnovation Etapp 2

Increasingly, eGovernment (the use of ICTs in order to achieve better government) is moving its focus from web presence and electronic service provision to striving for an interoperable public sector. Interoperability refers to the ability for information exchange across organizational borders, concerning technology as well as business aspects. Policy for such change has been formulated and implementation is currently taking place in many government sectors. In such programs there is a strong need for coordination with regard to the way in which interoperability is to be implemented. Interoperability work requires coordination, as it is a complex endeavour because of the interrelatedness of information systems, public services, departments and organizations, as well as policies, constraints and regulations. In order to achieve interoperability, architectural approaches are increasingly used in the public sector to try to coordinate interoperability work. One such approach, Enterprise Architecture (EA), is becoming increasingly influential. EA has been defined as an overview of the complete business processes and business systems, both in terms of how they overlap and their interrelatedness. However, previous research show that state-of-the-art EA is seldom fully applied in practice. Previous research has also proposed that information infrastructures and architectures should be seen as evolving dynamically during the implementation process through changing relationships between actors. The implementation of IS architecture for interoperability is thus seen as an evolving process of social production. As the research field is still immature further research on the evolution of public information infrastructures and architectures is needed, as well as how the strategic alignment of handling of goals, and ambiguities in implementation is done.   This thesis hence addresses the challenges of implementing national public sector interoperability as an evolving process by addressing the research question: How is interoperability interpreted and enacted by different actors in public sector implementation?   In order to approach the research question, an interpretive case study is performed. The case studied in this thesis is from the implementation of the Strategy for eHealth in Sweden, where healthcare is mainly publicly funded, and catered for by 20 county councils (who mainly focus on healthcare, and 290 municipalities (who also cater for a great deal of other public services). The case is an example of how interoperability is implemented, from the early stages of outlining a general picture of goals and requirements, to the formulation of a strategy and an architecture. This case is also an example of how EA influences an interoperability program through enterprise thinking.   The research uses an interpretive case study approach influenced by Actor-Network Theory (ANT). ANT is used as a toolbox for telling stories about technology in practice, as emergent in socio-material relations. A number of complementary qualitative methods are used. These include semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis, with the foremost part of the empirical material being first-hand.   In order to understand interoperability implementation in the public sector I examine the background to eGovernment implementation, by contrasting conceptualizations of eGovernment evolution to contemporary theories of public policy implementation. It is shown that, during the last decade, stage models have been used as tools for describing, predicting and directing the evolution of eGovernment.  The stage model approach has been criticized for presenting a linear development which has little empirical support and delimits the understanding of eGovernment development as a dynamic process. Newer stage models have started to take this criticism into consideration and alternative models on eGovernment have also been developed. Consequently, eGovernment implementation is in this thesis perceived as a process in which technologies, policies and organizations are in a process of mutual shaping, where policymaking and policy implementation are intermingled. Implementing interoperability is hence not a matter of disseminating a policy that is to be implemented in every setting exactly as stated on paper, but a process in which the goals and means of interoperability are constantly being negotiated. Also, EA has been proposed as an approach to treat technology and business in the public sector as interrelated. However, since previous research show that state-of-the-art EA is seldom fully applied in public sector practice, the concept of enterprise thinking is developed in this thesis. Enterprise thinking is intended to be a concept that describes EA as a contemporary zeitgeist which in practice is adopted in varying ways.   The results of the thesis show how interoperability in eHealth was roughly outlined before implementation although still containing conflicts and ambiguities. Central to this thesis is the controversy of defining “the enterprise”, as the health care sector was delimited as one enterprise, which became increasingly problematic during implementation. This to a large extent concerned municipalities, whose business area stretched much wider than just the health care sector, and hence the definition of the enterprise became problematic. Another central aspect was legal obstacles to cooperation, as there was a clash between the values of efficiency and patient privacy as a result of a new law that had been implemented in order to allow for information sharing. The legal grounds for sharing information proved to be problematic, which lead to that several involved actors perceived that a large portion of the patients in health care could not benefit from interoperability as their information could not be shared despite this law. The legal challenges also dampened the enthusiasm for the eHealth program as a whole.    The program had also outlined a technology architecture before implementation. This architecture was however treated in conflicting ways, both as a blueprint (something to be implemented) and a tool for communication (as a way of discussing what was to be implemented). For instance, several municipalities perceived that the planned infrastructure was unsuitable to their business needs (as it did not meet the requirements of other actors in eGovernment), and thus questioned it, using it as a tool for communication rather than a blueprint. Meanwhile, other actors argued that the blueprint had already been decided, and thus needed to be implemented.  The case also shed light on the use of informal networks, outside traditional bureaucracy, as a means to deal with interoperability. Such networks were used in order to align actions and perceptions of a large number of autonomous municipalities. This revealed issues concerning local decision as knowledge of, and resources for, ICT and architectural work was lacking in several municipalities. Also, as the networks lacked formal power no decisions could be taken jointly, but in the end had to be negotiated locally. This made coordinated decision making hard as the processes were lengthy and often lacked clear incentives. Furthermore, ambiguous feedback from national authorities, as well as an overall lack of understanding among local actors, concerning what was legal to do in terms of procurement and information sharing, complicated the situation further. These findings are summarized in four main conclusions;   The process of defining which organizations are to be made interoperable, or what is to be considered as “the enterprise”, is a political process which might be brought into question and require re-negotiations throughout implementation, as the drawing of boundaries of “the enterprise” can be filled with conflict.   Different perspectives on an enterprise, from different architectural viewpoints, are often described as complementary, and it has previously been shown that different architectural metaphors can be used by different actors during implementation. However, in practice, different use of metaphors for architectures can open up for discussion and conflict. These may not only be different, but may also contradict other actors’ use of metaphors, since different metaphors might clash.   Interoperability work can be a novel task for some local governments. Therefore, there is a need for negotiation and to establish forms of formal decision making and informal dissemination because such structures might be lacking. It should be anticipated that implementation might be slow because of a lack of understanding about interoperability programs (particularly in terms of something other than ICT). In addition, there may be few forums for coordinated decision making, or there may be obstructions in the form of prior formal and legal arrangements.    Enterprise thinking is interconnected with Enterprise Architecture as a zeitgeist for interoperability work. It draws upon EA as an ideal, whilst acknowledging that public organizations are influenced by this zeitgeist, although practical conditions might not allow for adoption of an EA approach. Enterprise thinking thus refers to the notion of EA as an ideal, not as a specific way of applying EA.  Enterprise thinking has a process focus on interoperability. ICT, business goals, and work practices are perceived as interconnected, and hence need to be treated from a holistic perspective. How this is approached is, however, dependent upon the context in which it is implemented.   Further research efforts could approach how enterprise thinking affects interoperability work in the long run with a longitudinal approach. Also, as this thesis has shown how the use of different architectural metaphors can clash, further research could focus on the positive and negative effects of negotiations being initiated by such conflict. From a project management perspective the risks and benefits of using smaller projects as “enrolment devices” for interoperability programs, where an architecture cannot be pushed but is voluntary, should be of interest. Furthermore the use of EA as an ideal which cannot be fully followed in several public settings, although might intentionally be used as a guiding light, is interesting for further research.  For instance, it would be of interest to see how the rhetoric of EA may be applied in practice in order to legitimate programs. This is of interest as to examine to which extent the use of such concepts influence actual practice, or if they are only “empty words”. The conceptualization of enterprise thinking proposed in the conclusions of this thesis can be used in further research. Indeed, they could be useful for investigating different approaches, influenced by EA, in different contexts. For instance, it may be of interest to countries that might not share the same institutional characteristics of Sweden, but are influenced by enterprise thinking in different ways. This would be of interest for outlining different practical approaches to enterprise thinking. Also, the further development in Sweden specifically could be of interest, as other sectors are at the time of writing preparing their own interoperability programs, and aim to benefit from the lessons learned in the healthcare sector.
I ökande utsträckning har e-förvaltningens (användningen av IKT för att förbättra verksamheten i offentlig sektor) fokus förflyttats från webb-närvaro och elektroniska tjänster mot att sträva efter en interoperabel offentlig sektor. Interoperabilitet avser möjligheten för informationsutbyte över verksamheters olika gränser, vilket innefattar teknologiska såväl som organisatoriska aspekter. Policys för sådana förändring har utarbetats och implementeras för närvarande i flera offentliga organisationer. I sådana program finns det ett starkt behov av samordning gällande det sätt på vilket interoperabilitet skall genomföras. Interoperabilitetsarbete kräver således samordning, eftersom det är en komplex uppgift på grund sammanvävda informationssystem, offentliga tjänster, organisationer, policys, begränsningar och regler. För att uppnå interoperabilitet används arkitekturella tillvägagångssätt alltmer inom den offentliga sektorn, för att försöka samordna arbetet. Ett sådant tillvägagångssätt, Enterprise Architecture (EA), har fått ett ökande inflytande. EA har definierats som en översikt av hela affärsprocesser och affärssystem, både vad gäller hur de överlappar med varandra och hur de hänger samman. Dock visar tidigare forskning att EA i praktiken sällan tillämpas fullt ut. Tidigare forskning har också påvisat att informationsinfrastrukturer och arkitekturer bör ses som dynamiskt framväxande under implementeringsprocessen, genom förändrade relationer mellan aktörer. Implementering av informationssystemsarkitektur för interoperabilitet bör därmed ses som en framväxande och socialt producerad process. Då forskningsområdet fortfarande är omoget behövs ytterligare forskning om framväxten av offentliga informationsinfrastrukturer och arkitekturer, samt hur strategisk sammanjämkning av mål och oklarheter i implementeringen sker.   Denna avhandling behandlar därför utmaningarna som finns i implementeringen av interoperabilitet i offentlig sektor, som en framväxande process, genom att behandla frågeställningen: Hur tolkas och sätts interoperabilitet i praktiken av olika aktörer under implementering i offentlig sektor? För att närma sig frågeställningen utförs en tolkande fallstudie. Fallet som studerats i denna avhandling är från implementeringen av strategin IT-strategin för vård och omsorg (eHälsostrategin) i Sverige, där vården i huvudsak är offentligt finansierad, och tillhandahålls av 20 landsting (som huvudsakligen fokuserar på sjukvård), och 290 kommuner (som också tillhandahåller en mängd andra offentliga tjänster). Fallet är ett exempel på hur interoperabilitet implementeras, från de tidiga skeden då en generell bild av mål och krav målas upp, till utformningen av en strategi och en arkitektur. Detta fall är också ett exempel på hur EA påverkar ett interoperabilitetsprogram via ”enterprise thinking”. En fallstudie genomförs med en tolkande ansats, influerad av Actor-Network Theory (ANT). ANT används som en verktygslåda för att berätta historier om teknik i praktiken, som framväxande genom sociomateriella relationer.  Merparten av det empiriska materialet har samlats in i förstahand och ett antal kompletterande kvalitativa metoder används. Dessa metoder inkluderar semi-strukturerade intervjuer, observationer och dokumentanalys. För att förstå interoperabilitetsimplementering i offentlig sektor undersöker jag bakgrunden till implementation av e-förvaltning, genom att kontrastera begreppsbildningar av hur e-förvaltningen växer fram mot samtida teorier om implementation i offentlig sektor. Jag påvisar att under det senaste decenniet har stegmodeller använts som verktyg för att beskriva, förutsäga och styra utvecklingen av e-förvaltning. Denna typ av modeller har kritiserats då de framhåller en linjär utveckling som har bristande empiriskt stöd och begränsar förståelsen för e-förvaltningens framväxt som en dynamisk process. Nyare stegmodeller har börjat ta hänsyn till denna kritik och alternativa modeller på e-förvaltning har också utvecklats. Följaktligen ses i denna avhandling implementeringen av e-förvaltning som en process där teknik, policy och organisationer är i en ständig process av ömsesidig påverkan, där policyskapande och policyimplementering är sammanvävt. Att implementera interoperabilitet är därför inte en fråga om att sprida en policy som skall genomföras av varje aktör så som det står angivet på pappret, utan en process där mål och metoder för interoperabilitet ständigt omförhandlas. EA har föreslagits som ett tillvägagångssätt för att behandla teknik och verksamhet som integrerade. Dock, eftersom tidigare forskning visar att EA sällan tillämpas fullt ut i praktiken i offentlig sektor, så utvecklas begreppet enterprise thinking i denna avhandling. Enterprise thinking är avsett att vara ett koncept som beskriver EA som en samtida tidsandan som i praktiken närmas på olika sätt. Resultaten i avhandlingen visar hur interoperabilitet i e-hälsa skisserades ut grovt innan implementeringen, i en bild som innehöll konflikter och tvetydigheter. Centralt för denna avhandling är problematiken i att definiera verksamheten (”the enterprise”), då hälso- och sjukvårdssektorn var avgränsad som en verksamhet, vilket blev allt mer problematiskt under implementeringen. Detta berörde till stor del kommuner, vars verksamhetsområde sträcker sig mycket bredare än bara hälso- och sjukvården. Därmed blev definitionen av verksamheten problematisk. En annan central aspekt var juridiska hinder för samverkan, då det fanns en konflikt mellan värdena effektivitet och patientens integritet. Detta var delvis en följd av en ny lag som hade införts just i syfte att möjliggöra informationsutbyte. De rättsliga grunderna för att dela information visade sig vara problematiska, vilket ledde till att flera inblandade aktörer uppfattade att en stor del av patienterna i vården inte kunde dra nytta av interoperabilitet, eftersom deras information inte kunde delas trots denna lagändring. De rättsliga utmaningarna dämpade också entusiasmen för eHälsoprogrammet som helhet.    Programmet hade också skisserat ut en teknikarkitektur innan implementeringen. Denna arkitektur behandlades dock på motstridiga sätt, både som en ”ritning” (en klar bild av vad som skulle genomföras) och som ett verktyg för kommunikation (som ett sätt att diskutera vad som skulle genomförts). Till exempel uppfattade flera kommuner att den planerade infrastrukturen var olämpliga för deras verksamhetsbehov (då den inte uppfyllde kraven från andra aktörer inom e-förvaltning), och ifrågasatte därmed den genom att använda arkitekturen som ett verktyg för kommunikation snarare än en ritning. Samtidigt menade andra aktörer att man redan hade tagit beslut om denna ritning och att den därmed skulle följas. Fallstudien kastar också ljus på användningen av informella nätverk, utanför den traditionella byråkratin, som ett sätt för att arbeta med interoperabilitetsfrågor. Sådana nätverk användes i syfte att sammanjämka åtgärder och uppfattningar hos ett stort antal självstyrande aktörer. Detta visade på en problematik gällande lokalt beslutsfattande och resurser gällande IKT och arkitekturellt arbete, då kompetenser och erfarenheter för detta saknades hos flera kommuner. Relaterat till detta är att i de nätverk där diskussionerna fördes saknades även formell makt, och inga beslut kunde fattas gemensamt därigenom. I slutändan var man istället tvungna att diskutera de frågor som togs upp där lokalt. Detta gjorde samordnat beslutsfattande svårt eftersom processerna var långa och ofta saknade tydliga incitament. Dessutom fanns en problematik i att nationella aktörer ofta gav tvetydig respons på frågor, samt en allmän brist på förståelse bland lokala aktörer, gällande vad som var lagligt att göra beträffande upphandling och informationsutbyte. Detta komplicerade situationen ytterligare. Dessa resultat sammanfattas i fyra huvudsakliga slutsatser; 1. Processen med att definiera vilka organisationer som skall göras interoperabla, eller vad som ska betraktas som ”verksamheten”, är en politisk process som kan ifrågasättas och kräva omförhandlingar under implementeringen, eftersom hur man definierar gränserna kring ”verksamheten” kan vara konfliktfyllt. 2. Olika perspektiv på en verksamhet, från olika arkitekturella perspektiv, beskrivs ofta som komplementära, och det har tidigare visats att olika arkitekturella metaforer kan användas av olika aktörer under implementeringen. I praktiken kan dock olika användning av arkitekturella metaforer öppna upp för diskussion och konflikt. Dessa är inte nödvändigtvis bara annorlunda och komplementära, utan kan också motsäga andra aktörers användning av metaforer, då olika metaforer kan kollidera. 3. Interoperabilitetsarbete kan vara en ny uppgift för lokala aktörer. Det finns därför ett behov av förhandlingar och att upprätta former för formellt beslutsfattande och informell ”spridning” av information eftersom strukturer för detta kan saknas. Detta kan vara en långsam process på grund av bristande förståelse för interoperabilitetsprogram (särskilt i fråga om att de skulle handla om något annat än bara IKT). Dessutom finns ibland få (om ens några) forum för samordnat beslutsfattande, och det kan även finnas formella och legala hinder för detta. 4. Enterprise thinking (”verksamhetstänkande”) är sammankopplat med Enterprise Architecture, som är en tidsanda för interoperabilitetsarbete. Det bygger på EA som ett ideal, då offentliga organisationerna påverkas av denna tidsanda, men att praktiska förutsättningar kanske inte möjliggör att man antar en EA-strategi. Enterprise thinking hänvisar således till EA-begreppet som ett ideal, och är alltså inte ett specifikt sätt att tillämpa EA. Enterprise thinking har ett processfokus på interoperabilitet. IKT, verksamhetens mål och arbetsrutiner ses som sammanlänkade och måste därför behandlas utifrån ett helhetsperspektiv. Hur man närmar sig detta i praktiken är dock beroende på i vilken kontext det implementeras. Vidare forskning skulle kunna behandla hur enterprise thinking påverkar interoperabilitetsarbete på lång sikt, med en longitudinell ansats. Då denna avhandling visar på hur användningen av olika arkitekturella metaforer kan kollidera föreslås ytterligare forskning som fokusera på de positiva och negativa effekterna av att förhandlingar initieras av sådana konflikter. Från ett projektledningsperspektiv kan riskerna och fördelarna med att använda mindre projekt som symboler för att få med flera aktörer i interoperabilitetsprogram fokuseras. Detta är i synnerhet intressant i arkitekturprogram där en arkitektur inte kan tvingas på aktörerna, men att implementation är frivillig. Användning av EA som ett ideal som ofta inte kan följas fullt ut i offentlig sektor, men avsiktligt användas som en ledstjärna, är intressant för vidare forskning. Till exempel skulle det vara intressant att se hur EA-retorik kan tillämpas i praktiken för att legitimera program. Det är av intresse att undersöka i vilken utsträckning användningen av dessa begrepp påverkar verksamheten, eller om de bara är tomma ord. Begreppet enterprise thinking föreslås som användbart för vidare forskning. Det kan vara användbart för att undersöka olika tillvägagångssätt, influerade av EA, i olika kontexter. Exempelvis kan det vara av intresse att se till länder som inte har samma institutionella egenskaper som Sverige, men påverkas av enterprise thinking på olika sätt. Detta skulle vara av intresse för att undersöka på vilka olika sätt enterprise thinking närmas i praktiken. Även den fortsatta utvecklingen i Sverige kan vara av särskilt intresse, då andra sektorer i skrivande stund förbereder egna interoperabilitetsprogram och ämnar dra nytta av lärdomar från arbetet inom vårdsektorn.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xvi, 141 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Alan T. Murray, Dept. of Geography. Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-141).

The focus of this thesis is to study what and how information flows can be used to improve Demand responsive transport (DRT) systems by understanding potential users and how they could be willing to participate in DRT to a higher degree. The viewpoint of this thesis tends to lean towards a DRT service of a public transport type. This thesis studies users in relation to what interaction and information they perceive to be needed in dealing with a DRT service and the different pros and cons with various approaches. The study gathers information by performing adapted qualitative interviews with a select number of users between the ages of 20-35. The participants give their views on three DRT scenarios and reflect on DRT in general as a concept presented to them through a tangible mocked-up interactive prototype.  The thesis makes several distinct findings. The importance of pricing a DRT service correctly is vital to the users, as several participants in the study relied on pricing for decision-making. It also finds that the usage of zones as nomenclature is confusing to many users. The services must be dependable and punctual to both attract users, keep users, and build trust among the general populace. This study shows that DRT services could be a difficult concept to introduce to users. DRT could be introduced as a complement or as an alternative to conventional public transport. An important factor is a well-designed flow of information in the application to keep the user engaged and involved. It is shown that the usability of the application is a cornerstone for a theoretical DRT service to excel. Context is important where DRT and ridesharing would have a higher success rate. Nighttime in urban areas could be a niche market, due to the irregularity, delay, or interruption of regular public transport services at these hours.

The public sector healthcare system is facing challenges of demographical changes. The solution of digitalization is expected to decrease costs and increase efficiency. Digitalization is the collective concept of differing and interrelated phenomena which are rearranging traditional market conditions and causing a turbulent and competitive environment. In response to these impacts, organizations seek organizational change through digital transformation. IS researchers has contributed with limited findings of digital transformation within the public sector healthcare. This thesis investigates organizational response towards digitalization and conditions of digital transformation through a case study within public sector healthcare in Sweden. The study successfully identifies external tensions of digitalization which underlie the reorganization and internal tensions which motivates progress towards digital transformation.

Internet of Things blir allt mer vanligt och inkluderas redan på vissa ställen i till exempel stadsplaner förnybyggnationer men finns även i smarta kontor och infrastruktur. Det finns en uppsjö med privatägdaföretag som specialiserat sig på IoT-lösningar och tillämpningar av detta på olika delar i samhället. Det ärredan på tal att installera IoT sensorer i vattenledningar till exempel så att underhåll kan förutses och därmedminska avvikelser av tillförsel samt minska eventuella förlust.I den här kvalitativa undersökning har vi studerat hur IoT används i kommuner, vad de tror IoT har förframtid i Sveriges kommuner samt hur de ser att IoT kan användas för att skapa nytta i kommunalaverksamheter, men också vad som kan tänkas vara ett hinder som står i vägen för att realisera detta.Efter att ha intervjuat ett antal kommuner över hela Östergötlands län har vi funnit att det i nuläget intefinns så mycket IoT i kommunerna och att det beror på flera orsaker. En av dem är att det råder brist påregelverk som behandlar IoT men även standardisering av IoT och vad införande av IoT lösningar faktisktinnebär i kommun eller stadssammanhang. Vad ska man satsa på? Om detta råder det osäkerhet, däremotom det fanns konkreta exempel med direkt verksamhetsnytta skulle det nog vara skillnad. Detta kanDigitaliseringsmyndigheten som kommer till hösten eventuellt råda bot på, men det verkar som att derasroll inte är så väldefinierad, och det märktes när vi pratade med respondenterna. De hade olikaförhoppningar av vad myndigheten kan bistå med eller vad deras arbete kommer att mynna ut i.Vi har även upptäckt att det inte finns några krav på statens sida på att kommunerna tar fram en strategisom behandlar IoT men även digitaliseringsstrategi. Trots detta har ett par respondenter redan endigitaliseringsstrategi eller jobbade på det.En annan orsak är att de finansiella medel kommunerna har i nuläget inte räcker till för en digital satsning,medlen behövs för att underhålla verksamheten. En kommuns fokus är alltid verksamheten ochmedborgarna. Om begränsade medel tvingar till ett val mellan investering i tekniska möjligheter, även omde kan generera större vinst i längden, och verksamhetsutveckling av annan form eller underhåll, kommeralltid verksamheten först. Som en av respondenterna förklarade, att om valet står mellan att bygga en nyförskola eller att investera i ett nytt teknikprojekt är det ganska självklart vart pengarna slutligen går.
The Internet of Things is becoming more common and more common and is already included in someplaces such as city plans for new buildings, in smart offices and infrastructure. There is a wealth ofprivately-owned companies specializing in IoT solutions and application of this to different parts of society.A great example is installing IoT sensors in water pipes so that maintenance can be foreseen, thus reducingsupply deviations and reducing any losses.In this qualitative bachelor thesis, we have investigated how IoT is used in municipalities, what they thinkIoT has to offer the future of Sweden's municipalities and how they see IoT can be used to create utility inmunicipal activities, but also what may be an obstacle in the process of realizing this.After interviewing a few of the municipalities across Östergötland County we have found that currentlythere are few IoT solutions in the municipalities and that it is due to several reasons. One of them is thelack of regulations that deal with IoT, but also the lack of standardisation of IoT, and what the introductionof IoT solutions would entail in municipalities or towns. What to invest in? There is some uncertainty there.If there were concrete examples of direct municipial operation benefit that would probably be a difference.This might possibly be resolved by the Digitaliseringsmyndigheten which will be established in the autumnhowever it seems that their role is not so well-defined, which we noticed when we spoke to respondents.They had different hopes of what the government can assist with or what their work would result in.We have discovered that there is no requirement for the state to provide municipalities with a strategy thataddresses the IoT or a digitization strategy. Nevertheless, a couple of respondents already have a digitizationstrategy or were working on it.Another reason is that the funds the municipalities currently have is not enough for such a venture, thosefunds are necessary to maintain and keep the municipal operation running. A municipality's focus is alwaysthe business and the citizens. If limited funds force a choice between investment in technical capabilities,although they can generate greater profit in the long run, and operational development of other forms ormaintenance, the operation will always come first. As one of the respondents explained, if the choice isbetween building a new preschool or investing in a new technology project, it is obvious where the moneyends up.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.
In Information Technology (IT) service management, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) has been established as a standard and framework for managing IT services within private and public sector. However, in South African public sector, the value of this framework including the capacity management process has not been determined. The aim of the study was to assess the capacity management process within the service design stage of the ITIL framework in managing IT services at a selected public organisation in South Africa. Assessing capacity management in the context of this research was to judge whether it adds value to the organisation. Main questions asked were: to what extent has ITIL been implemented in the public sector in South Africa?, what benefits have been achieved through the implementation of ITIL in the public sector in South Africa? and how effective is the capacity management process of ITIL in the South African public sector? The study adopts a qualitative approach based on primary and secondary data. A purposive sampling method was used to collect data through interviews of ICT officials in Pretoria and Western Cape regions. It is evident in terms of the findings that capacity management within the organisation is practiced, but the organisation still has challenges in managing the process. Findings reveal challenges around user account management, ICT skills shortage and capacity constraints, information, network monitoring tools, and ITIL implementation. DeLone and McLean theoretical framework was used to analyse the capacity management process to explain the findings. A lack of clear ICT planning among the leadership is a contributing factor. Lack of adhering to standards, procedures and processes make it almost impossible to manage capacity. Efforts to address the technical and organisational challenges such as technical skills and stakeholders immediately reporting the users that need to be terminated on systems prohibit the success of capacity management process. Drawing the conclusion, it is recommended that efforts to address challenges should move beyond just ICT, into a comprehensive action by all stakeholders in respective of inter departmental units and executive who make decisions. Solutions should be embedded with ICT being able to manage technology, auditing of processes, and capacity to ensure excellence through reduced risk, increased efficiency, confident forecasts, and cost effectiveness is essential.